Madison, WI.....last minute help
 

Hi.

I'm going to Madison, WI next weekend for a conference held at Marquette University. Will be staying at Ramada Inn apparently 10-15 minutes walking distance away. I will not be having a car and only have evenings after 5/5:30pm to explore the area. I admit I don't know much about the city, mostly going for work but hoping to have some fun while I'm there.

I'm mostly interested in nice parts to walk around, good cafes and restaurants (up to $15-20), and anything accessible by bus/train/shuttle/my own 2 feet. :) I know this is vague. I do just have very limited time though.

Thanks!

You're staying in Madison to attend a conference in Milwaukee?

Oops, I made a mistake! I meant to stay Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

I was just in Milwaukee in August. Stayed at the Ramada Inn. It was a very good location for access to highways, restaurants etc. Just not much to walk to from the hotel.

HEre is my trip report. Skip thru the parts about Chicago. More info is available in my original thread (link in the trip report). I really enjoyed the Water St Brewery. There are a ton of bars / restaurants on the Riverwalk. Will have to use a cab to/ from but can walk between a lot of them.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35151474

The Third Ward has lots of interesting shops and restaurants--it's a short cab ride from your hotel.

If you can rent a car I would advise doing that. It would make your stay in Milwaukee easier to get around and safer if walking around at night. Or take a taxi where you want to go.

If you had any extra time a drive to Cedarburg would be fun. It was featured in Country Homes and/or Country Living. It is less than 30 minutes north off of I-43 from the Ramada Inn. Many great shops and restaurants.

The art museum along the waterfront is beautiful and interesting.

Water Street Brewery is a nice place but recent reports are that there has been problems with the younger crowd where the police have been called in. I am not sure if this is under control now.

I also like Rudys Mexican Restaurant which is next to the Water St Brewery.

There is the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in that area.
http://www.marcuscenter.org/

Is it easy to find a taxi? I imagine I would have to ring a taxi company versus just hailing them off the street as I do here in NYC, right? Also, what cost am I looking at for a 15-minute ride?

I live north of Milwaukee so I am not sure about the taxi service. But as many times as I have been in downtown Milwaukee I don't recall seeing taxis looking for passengers. In fact, I rarely see anyone on the street at night - unless they are coming out of the Marcus, the Milwaukee Theater or a restaurant or along the river walk.

Think you would have to call for a taxi. You may contact a taxi service and ask what the rates are.

http://milwaukee.about.com/od/govern...es/a/taxis.htm

I'm not sure about the Ramada, but there are lines of cabs outside many hotels in downtown Milwaukee.

To get to Marquette from the Ramada, walk one block north to Wisconsin Avenue, and take the #30 bus.

I can't remember seeing any cabs near the Ramada when I stayed there.

Would also recommend taking a cab to Third Ward, River Walk area (State St. and 2nd and area if you have a map), for dinner and walking at that time of night. It will be dark so the lights of the city are great, but it is difficult to enjoy the lakefront and river views that late in the day at this time of the year. Also the weather may be an issue. Are there any special types of food or events you are interested in? Milwaukee has many good ethnic restaurants as well as many venues for entertainment from basketball to symphony concerts and much in between.

I'm a big fan of the Old Third Ward as well, and it is just a very short cab ride from your hotel. I think that most of the shops close around 5 on Saturdays but I'm sure the restaurants will be open.

I love Milwaukee but as a female I would not be comfortable walking around downtown by myself at night.

Hmmm.....I am a female so it sounds like I shouldn't bother walking around as I'll be finished with the conference around 5 and it will be dark by then.

Perhaps I will take a taxi to Third Ward. Is this an outdoor or indoor mall? Just curious.

As for food, I like French, Asian, fusion, and anything that could be different than NYC. Any suggestions?

Is there anything nearby Ramada?

Can Marquette be walking distance from Ramada? Curious.

Thanks everybody!

Milwaukee is known for its German food. There are several German restaurants. The 2 most popular are probably Maders and Karl Ratzsch. Both are downtown Milwaukee.

http://milwaukee.citysearch.com/yell...d=2&cw1=43

Checking on mapquest the distance from the Ramada Inn to Marquette University is about one mile. Could be a bit further depending on the address at the university.

Another thought......I had read about a shuttle service from the airport for $15 or under but can't seem to find that information again. Anybody know which one it is? I'd be going from the airport to Ramada Inn.

Where at Marquette is your conference? The Ramada is about 12 blocks from campus. I'd take that walk during the day, but not at night. I would walk around the Third Ward or Water St (lots of bars and restaurants) at night.

The Third Ward is a neighborhood with shops, theaters and restaurants.

Airport Connection provides shared shuttle rides throughout the Milwaukee area. It's about a 15 minute ride from the airport to downtown.

I wouldn't go to the German restaurants--they serve heavy food that's overpriced.

In the downtown area, the King and I has good Thai, although Singa Thai (in West Allis, about a 15 minute drive away) is better; for Mexican, Rudy's is decent, although I prefer the Mexican restaurants on the near south side.

The Airport Connection number is 800-236-5450 if you want to check with them regarding transfer to the hotel. The Ramada also may have shuttle service, but I am not sure of that. The hotels close to the airport do offer shuttle service, but Marquette is not in that area.

I would also suggest a taxi to downtown or 3rd ward for restaurants since it would better than walking alone there or even around Marquette area once it is dark. Third Ward is not a mall but rather an area of the city with restaurants and various businesses all with street access. Walking to or from a restaurant in that area should be OK, but it would not be recommended to walk to downtown from Marquette even if you are a walker and don't mind the distance.

The King and I restaurant is right next door to the Thai Palace which is my preference for Thai food. Both are now on 2nd St. just across the street from the Hyatt Hotel. Maders is within a block or two. It has a great reputation for German food, but I agree with Abram it is heavy (dumplings and a lot of sauce). The Milwaukee restuarant prices will look cheap compared to NY prices, but Maders is higher than either Thai restaurant. Water Street Brewery should be OK early in the evening for a meal, but as noted it can get roudy later with college students since there are several colleges in Milwaukee and that is a popular college hangout.
Egans is known for seafood/fresh fish and also in that area with comparable prices as Maders and more upscale in decor than Water Street Brewery. There are many restuarants in that area.

Thanks everybody. Will try Third St and Water St. I will actually have an hour of daylight to explore on Sunday so may try Water St then. :)

What cross streets should I give the taxi driver for Third St and Water St?

Water St between State and Juneau has bars and restaurants.

It's not Third St--it's the Third Ward, which is an area, not a street. Water St or Broadway south of St. Paul would be good places to start.

I'd go to the Third Ward during the day on Sunday and save Water St for an evening.