$545,788Average Value$359Average Price per Sq Ft1Home For Sale
A popular neighborhood for UW-Madison students
Greenbush originated at the turn of the 20th century as a Madison enclave for carpenters, cobblers and other working-class neighbors, who built modest homes near the University of Wisconsin. Today, in the midst of two waterfront parks, two hospitals, and the university, buyers can find an investment property, a fixer-upper or a remodeled charmer. “It’s a mixed neighborhood, where you won’t see a lot of small kids running around playing, but you might live next to undergrads who host some Friday night parties,” says Josh Lavik, Realtor and team leader at Josh Lavik and Associates. “If you want something near the university that’s walkable to St. Mary’s or UnityPoint Health Meriter hospitals, Greenbush is a good choice.” Daniel Tenney, a Realtor with MHB Real Estate, echoes the sentiment. “If you choose to live in Greenbush, the tradeoff for living in the heart of everything is that you need to not mind being surrounded by college housing.''
Breakfast, bakeries and bars in Greenbush
There are plenty of walkable places to shop and dine in Greenbush. The Borough Beer Co. & Kitchen, at Park and Drake streets, is the spot for craft brews, sports on the big screen, and Friday fish fries. Several more pubs along Regent Street cater to the late-night crowd, as well as coffee shops for the early birds (Greenbush Bakery’s doughnuts were voted the best in Madison as recently as 2024). “You’re also very close to a bunch of cool shops on Monroe Street,” adds Lavik. Shops include Strictly Discs, a music store that’s been jamming out for more than three decades, and a Trader Joe’s for easy grocery runs. As for food, “Mickies Dairy Bar is a favorite breakfast spot that’s been there forever. Inside, it feels like a time-warp to an old-school diner,” Lavik says.
Tons of lakeside recreation
Residents of Greenbush are close to green space and the waterfront in Brittingham and Vilas parks. Josh Lavik says Brittingham Park is nice, although you have to cross a four-lane thoroughfare to get to it on foot. “But I go there a lot for Burgers on the Bay on Friday afternoons in the summer,” he says. “People jump in their kayaks and ride out to a grill on a pontoon in the middle of the bay. It can bring upwards of 100 or 150 people and there’s always great live music.” In addition to this popular community event, the park offers an accessible playground, boat rentals and walking paths along Monona Bay’s shoreline.
At the south end of the neighborhood is the 45-acre Vilas Park, which traces Lake Wingra’s northern shore. Attractions include the Henry Vilas Zoo, filled with animals from around the world, and a kayak launch. “The cool thing about the zoo is that it’s always free for everyone,” says Lavik. “It’s also one of the nicest parks in winter because you can ice skate on the pond.” In the northwest corner of Greenbush, the cozy Edward Klief Park offers a playground, sand volleyball and basketball courts. And of course, because UW-Madison is a huge part of the Greenbush pulse, residents head to the on-campus stadium on Regent Street for football games. Lavik says, “Regent Street is pretty packed on Badger Saturdays for home football games. A lot of locals get season passes.”
Early-twentieth-century house styles
According to Lavik, Greenbush is “An older neighborhood, where many homes have been renovated several times.” Though after nearly a century and a half of change, Greenbush homes are still primarily single-level bungalows and two-story Colonial Revivals built between 1900 and 1930. Small front yards with front porch steps that land directly on the sidewalk and gridded streets offer a city-like feel. Between the sidewalks and the streets are mature trees that provide a canopy above pedestrians. Many homes have back alleys and detached garages for parking. Prices generally range from about $250,000 to $585,000. According to Tenney, “I’d say that about half or more of the neighborhood is comprised of investment properties that homebuyers rent to students or hospital employees.”
Getting around the area
Street and back alley parking is plentiful in Greenbush, but it’s walkable, too; city buses make stops throughout the neighborhood, including both hospitals. Route 151 runs along the east side of the neighborhood, providing connections to most of the city’s major highways and interstates. The Dane County Regional Airport is 7 miles from home. Flooding concerns from the adjacent Monona Bay extend a block or more from the waterfront.
Local Madison Metropolitan School District schools
Families raising school-age children in Greenbush can enroll students in Madison Metropolitan School District public schools. Kids start at Franklin Elementary, graded B-plus by Niche, and move on to Hamilton Middle, graded A. Older students head to West High, which is also graded A and is renovating its Performing Arts Center to serve their standout theater program.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Greenbush
US
Homicide
7
4
Sexual Assault
5
4
Assault with Weapon
5
4
Robbery
4
4
Burglary
6
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
6
4
Larceny
6
4
Crime Score
5
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Greenbush Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Greenbush, Madison sell after 42 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Greenbush, Madison over the last 12 months is $445,000, up 13% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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