Community Snapshot: Shorewood Hills

Shorewood Hills was recently featured in our monthly e-newsletter, ROOST AROUND TOWN. To learn more about neighborhoods in and around Madison, sign up today!

Imagine this: In 1927, when the village of Shorewood Hills sprang up amid agricultural fields and ancient Indian effigy mounds, the Madison town line sat a far distance away.

The village was "born" when the County combined two real estate tracts -- "College Hills," which started in 1912, and "Shorewood," which sat closer to Lake Mendota.

Today, Madison has grown around the small village, making Shorewood Hills a suburb surrounded by the city.

In fact, Shorewood Hills has been ranked the top Madison suburb two years in a row!

Quietly tucked between University Ave. and Lake Mendota, just west of UW-Madison, the village of Shorewood Hills is filled with old homes, lush trees, and a small-town vibe. Two of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous structures can be seen here: the Pew House at 3650 Lake Mendota Drive, and the stunning First Unitarian Meeting House at 900 University Bay Drive (pictured above).

With almost 1,600 residents, this small-but-strong community is home to the popular Shorewood Hills Pool and the historically significant Blackhawk Country Club, which includes several well-preserved effigy mounds that date back to between 500 and 1500 AD. Village residents take great pride in Shorewood’s history and enjoy an active Village government.

Residents also enjoy plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation. In the winter, the southern end of the Shorewood Elementary School grounds transform into an ice skating rink, complete with a warming house dedicate to Olympic speed skaters Eric and Beth Heiden, who grew up here. A scenic bike path connects Shorewood Hills to the UW campus and downtown, while the nearby McKenna Park includes a beach, boathouse, and community garden. 

Shorewood Hills residents have easy access to all the amenities of University Ave. and other near-west shops, including Whole Foods, La Brioche, Sa-Bai Thong, and Steve's Wine Market; the Shorewood Shopping Center, which is popular with local foodies for its many gourmet offerings; and the ever-bustling Hilldale Shopping Center just across University Ave., home to the Sundance theater and Hilldale’s weekly farmer’s market.

The Shorewood Hills community enjoys a robust real estate market, with a stately, diverse, and historically interesting housing inventory. If you'd like to learn more about homes for sale in Shorewood Hills, or if you're considering listing your Shorewood home on the market, just let us know!

Interested in learning more about your own neighborhood? Want to explore a new neighborhood to call home? The ROOST Neighborhood Page is a great place to start!