Janesville

Janesville, Wisconsin, has 13 historic districts - one just east of the Rock River near downtown is Prospect Hill. One of the neighborhood's landmarks is the Gothic Revival architecture of the Nativity of Mary Catholic Church, built in 1901. “It’s absolutely gorgeous, and they light the huge steeple at night. Bells also chime on the hour,” says Carole Larson, the owner of the Guardian Angel Bed and Breakfast, which is close to the church. “They have a huge congregation, and a lot of people see the bed and breakfast when they go there.” The church holds two Sunday Masses, at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. One of the historic houses in Prospect Hill is the 1871 Victorian Italianate house that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992. “It’s been put in the original condition, as much as I can,” says Larson, who has operated the bed and breakfast and lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. The nearly 5,500-square-foot home is on about one-and-a-half acres and has four bedrooms. Other architectural styles in the neighborhood include Queen Anne, Foursquare and Colonial, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000. Some of the homes have been converted into duplexes and are priced between $130,000 and $300,000. In 2008, Janesville was given a harsh setback when the Janesville GM Assembly Plant closed its doors, putting thousands out of work. Around that time, the downtown area still felt the decline effects as big box stores and shopping centers opened in the suburbs. “Our downtown has revitalized over the past few years. A lot of Gen Z’ers like to live where there’s more available and you don’t need a car,” says Janesville City Councilman Paul Williams. It’s about a half mile away to Main Street, which is the heart of downtown. Among the dining options is Lark, an upscale restaurant that rotates their menu seasonally. Any favorites could be available to take home at the nearby Lark Market, which is a gourmet grocery store. Drafthouse has over 20 local beers on tap and food served in a hip atmosphere, with plenty of comfortable seating at the bar. If the weather’s nice, outdoor seating is also an option. Some downtown buildings have murals on the side. That’s thanks to a public art project called Art Infusion, where artists gather in September and show off their craft by painting murals on the side of buildings, and there are even classes on sidewalk chart art. Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from May through October, vendors have locally grown produce at the Janesville Town Square at the corner of Court and River Streets on the west side of the Rock River. Other grocery options include Schnucks, about a mile and a half away, and Hy-Vee and Woodman’s, about 3 miles away. Adams Park is about 1 acre and has a basketball court, green space and a playground. Courthouse Park is close to downtown and has a pavilion for summer concerts. Those shows are called Music at the Marv, referring to the Marvin Roth Pavilion with amphitheater seating for 300, the site for Thursday night concerts from June through August. Traxler Park is a 27-acre park by the river with a stadium that’s the home of the Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Team. The stadium hosts a water ski show with tricks and pyramids on Wednesday and Sunday nights in the summer. The team is well-known and is a 22-time national champion. There are also boat launches and lagoons offering access to the water. For strolls along the Rock River downtown, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail path goes along the water. The trail goes all over Wisconsin, and it gets its name from it roughly following the path of the edge of a glacier that much of where North America is now tens of thousands of years ago during the Ice Age. Children may attend Adams Elementary School, part of the School District of Janesville. The school gets a C-plus grade on Niche. For grades six through eight, students can attend Franklin Middle, with a B-minus overall grade and an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Parker High School students can take classes in the Arts Academy curriculum, which includes courses on voice, musical theatre and music theory. The school is rated a B-minus on Niche. Saint Mary School is connected to the Nativity of Mary Catholic Church and is a private school option through eighth grade. The school does not have a Niche grade. The Janesville Transit System has bus lines around the neighborhood, with stops on Glen Street and Milton Avenue. Multiple stops are also along Main Street in the downtown area, and several options on both sides of the river. Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center is the closest medical facility, a mile away.