MAP & PROFILE
Schenk-Atwood- Starkweather-Yahara: The soul of Madison
By David Medaris
The soul of Madison lives in the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood, an unassuming old blue-collar district re-imagined as a vibrant haven for many of the funkier and more enterprising elements of the city's creative class. Bounded on three sides by water and on the fourth by a bike bath and East Washington Avenue, this part of town is at the same time sedate and festive. It is walkable, rich in its appreciation of quirky gusto, and colors its politics deep blue.
Situated along the north shore of Lake Monona between the Yahara River and Starkweather Creek, this is a diverse yet cohesive neighborhood that invests in its quality of life. A little over 20 years ago, its residents rallied to transform what was then a seedy porn house into the Barrymore Theater, restoring it to its former glory and establishing it as the beating cultural heart of Madison's east side.
Since then, the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood Association has enjoyed a renaissance. So has the neighborhood. Bursting at the seams for years, the Goodman Atwood Neighborhood Center is at long last on the verge of moving to new digs along the aforementioned bike path.
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NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES
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Schenk-Atwood News Schenk-Atwood's green machineDenied funding, neighbors launch their own sustainability initiativeNick Penzenstadler on Thursday 02/18/2010Twink Jan-McMahon calls it "a blessing in disguise." Steve Steinhoff says, "It's the most successful unsuccessful grant I've ever written." >More  Ken Lonnquist never stops entertaining kids -- and everyone elseHard at work in KenlandDavid Medaris on Friday 08/21/2009, (1) LikeFree-spirited and spontaneous, imbued with boundless energy, driven by a relentless creative impulse. A cross between Dylan, Cheech & Chong and Elmo. That's how his closest friends describe Ken Lonnquist. >More The new Bunky's Cafe thrives on a good vibeCozy cannoli cornerAnn Shaffer on Friday 07/03/2009, (4) LikesBunky's Café is the kind of place that makes you feel super-duper. The colorful curtains at the new location rise on the breeze. At the front counter, Teresa Pullara (who owns the place with her husband, Rachid Ouabel) fills cannolis with a supersized pastry bag as she chats amiably with customers. >More Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery is for grownupsEast side spot serves breakfast, lunch and everybody's favorite birthday treatErin Hanusa on Friday 06/26/2009, (6) LikesEven by the standards of this restaurant-rich town, the near east side abounds with good places to eat, including popular breakfast spots Lazy Jane's and Monty's Blue Plate. To brave the crowds at either one on a weekend morning requires some grit and determination. Thankfully, Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery is here to accept some of the overflow and in short order has established itself as a destination in its own right. >More Madison schools 'pesticide' spraying questionedBill Lueders on Friday 06/19/2009 12:29 pm, (1) Comment, (11) LikesBert Zipperer was walking his dog yesterday afternoon when he was taken aback by warning signs that proclaimed, "PESTICIDE APPLICATION: PLEASE KEEP OFF." The signs were on the grounds of O’Keeffe Elementary and Marquette Middle school on Madison’s near-east side. >More |
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