NE 5th St, Madison, SD 57042

"I've been visiting a friend who lives here for a year now. I come up almost every week. Madison is a typical small SD university town but still manages to be cozy and friendly. Even with me not living here, I'm still greeted like a regular by the friendly employees at the local Sunshine grocery store. Madison places a high value on manners, hospitality and a high standard of living. Crime is almost non-existent. I think Madison is one of the few places I'd actually feel safe enough to leave my home unlocked if I had errands to run. There are excellent fishing opportunities around town with numerous lakes almost in walking distance. There isn't a fast-paced big city feel here. There aren't a huge number of stores to shop from but there is enough to get along fine and for more intrepid folks, Brookings and Sioux Falls are not far away and offer more shopping/nightlife choices. Madison is a great place to raise kids or retire if you're looking to slow down and relax. People are extremely friendly. There are homes to fit every budget here from what I've seen. Many of the available properties are from the last century and mostly have managed to escape the blight of "improvements" that ruin their exterior character. Madison is one of the places that still exhibits plenty of pride of home ownership. Sidewalks get cleared quickly after a snowfall, the streets get cleaned fast too. There is high speed Internet, decent cell coverage and a state university (DSU) here as well."