This year's Isthmus Annual Manual feels a bit like "The Orange Barrel" edition. All across the city, roads are being reconstructed and reconfigured, as traffic snarls or halts altogether. County roads meet city streets in new roundabouts that have left drivers spinning. Overlooking it all is a convocation of cranes, swiveling high over the city's changing skyline. It's a testament to Madison as a dynamic, growing city.
That energy is reflected in the answers to our annual reader's poll, too. Every year Isthmus asks the faithful to vote for their favorites around town -- from bars to burgers, from vegetarian-friendly eatery to city visionary. And it's no multiple-choice exam.
It's a ballot of write-ins and, sometimes, mini-essays for answers. If Madison were a car, it wouldn't just be a Volvo, according to one vote -- it'd be "a Volvo wagon with a bit of rust on it...and a kayak rack and a dog fence in back." Or "a Prius with snow tires, an awesome sound system and a bike rack," suggested one enthusiast. Or perhaps less of a car than a "high-speed train to the future," one in which underwear could once again be purchased at a store downtown: "I'm talkin' like six-packs of Hanes," the voter explained.
Our readers are nothing if not practical.
And while Madison's Favorites voters are in many cases eager to embrace the future, they have come up with an interesting candidate to be Madison's next mayor.
Thanks to all who participated. We really do appreciate it. To learn more about what your city-mates think about all manner of shopping, eating, exercising and entertaining, read on.
