State Street – On Wisconsin

Seven State Street Stalwarts

Preston Schmitt — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:18:30 +0000

The first question many alumni ask, when they return to Madison after a long absence, is whether State Street is the same. In a general sense, the answer is yes — it still has clouds of goggle-eyed freshmen, pavement artists, street preachers, sidewalk buskers, and that guy who thinks you want him to explain the lyrics of Rush.

In a more detailed sense, State Street has undergone a lot of change, and this is true whether you graduated in 1959 or 2019. The road from campus to the capitol has always seen businesses flip with a speed that would astound the crepe maker at Ovens of Brittany. But the pandemic made life even harder on State Street’s mix of bars, restaurants, and retailers. According to records kept by Downtown Madison, Inc., State Street lost nearly 40 businesses in 2020 and 2021, out of 160 storefronts. But some establishments have maintained a steady presence. The seven listed at left have lasted more than half a century, at the same address, with the same name.

Madison’s Singular Slice

Kate Price — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 19:37:47 +0000

Founded on Frances Street 19 years ago this Halloween, Ian’s Pizza has become synonymous with Madison and the UW. Named for cofounder Ian Gurfield, the by-the-slice shop has added franchises on State Street, on Madison’s east side, and in Denver, Seattle, and Milwaukee. Ian’s endeared itself to the city with good food and a slice of Madison’s values. During the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the shop provided pizza to marchers, even though demonstrations caused the restaurant to close. The essence of Ian’s is the variety of toppings available by the slice. According to marketer Zach Chapman, mac-and-cheese remains Ian’s most popular type, followed by Smokey the Bandit, a barbecued chicken and bacon pizza. COVID-19 has made life difficult. Much of the business at the Frances Street location comes from students, but the UW sent students home in March. “Fortunately, pizza is a good delivery business,” says Chapman.

This One’s for the Ladies

Nick Weaver — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 22:09:39 +0000

Courtesy of UW–Madison Archives, S06001

This map was evidently given out in 1927 to residents at Ann Emery Hall, to help orient them to campus and its environs. Named for the UW’s first dean of women, Ann Emery Allinson, the building was a private residence hall for female students. Ann Emery Hall still stands at 265 Langdon, though much has changed in the last three-quarters of a century — the fashion stables are gone, for instance, and registration happens online, not in Bascom Hall. But a surprising number of the map’s highlights still exist: there’s a Chocolate Shop(pe) on State Street, Greek houses still line Langdon, and the Lake Monona sea monster is as feisty as ever.