<p>As some of you may know spring was my first semester at UW Madison and planning on staying here in the summer or some courses. Wanted to ask how is Madison in the summer? Is it dead? (like some college towns are in the summer). What is there to do?</p>
<p>Heaven with higher humidity. Not dead at all but less hurried. Around 15,000 students in classes but many who just stay the summer to work and hangout. Time to do things like go to the parks, etc</p>
<p>Based on the Memorial Union Terrace on a typical summer day you would think classes were in full swing. A lot of people come to enjoy the lakefront, there are many activities. Hoofers has its boats out and cyclists ride the Lakeshore path. Bands and karaoke nights on the Union terrace. Expect to see multiple generations visiting and enjoying nice summer days- we made several trips to Madison while son was growing up and usually found time to visit campus, many others with small kids to grandparents making use of the lakefront. SOAR. They use dorms and classrooms for many camps/clinics and special courses for various fields (once had a Res Halls food service job for the Bankers School, which is still around). The rest of the area also in full swing. Wisconsinites make full use of the summer and Madison is no exception. Agree with the relaxed pace.</p>
<p>It’s certainly not dead, but it is a lot slower. I liked it a lot more during the summer, actually. It’s a lot more relaxed and quite a few people still stay behind.</p>
<p>Is the lake popular all year around, or it becomes more ghostly as students leave campus… or the lake was never mainly populated by the students… but it was by the locals and Madison residents.</p>
<p>I presume you mean the lake the UW campus is on (Mendota, the largest of the 4 lakes around town), not the one the arboratum is on (Wingra), and specifically the shoreline. Hoofers, the outing club of UW, has many kayaks and sailing boats for use of members (you can join if you are a student) just off the Memorial Union. The Union Terrace is extremely popular in the summer- for students and others. The Lakeshore Path is used often and Picnic Point is a good walking/running destination year round. There is a pier off the Union. Good weather brings people outdoors, the Lakeshore path is a pleasant way to get from the east to the west end of campus, although the views from Observatory drive (named after a small observatory, not the view) are great. There is more than a mile of shoreline for the campus, some dorms are on it- as is the Crew Boathouse. Year round use, especially in summer when things are academically slower and people have more time to enjoy it. Check it out.</p>