Years later, the Madison still intrigues

It's crazy to think that Valencia's Madison development was built before the 2004-2008 real estate boom, that it's older than many neighborhoods in the northern and western parts of town. That it was conceived of and built towards the end of the Clinton administration and survived a transition from for-sale condo units to rentals, and has probably done better during the recession than many newer neighborhoods in the SCV.

But it is all those things and it's still standing today, a four story testimony to an earlier, more ambitious & experimental time at Newhall Land.

On a recent walk through The Madison properties, I was forced to revise my earlier, sneering, elitist stance towards Newhall Land's only attempt at creating an authentic "urban" dwelling experience.

I'll just come out and say it: The Madison has aged well. And it intrigues me.

Oh sure, it's not really an urban experience to live at the Madison, at least not compared to real downtown cores. There's no real open space or parks within walking distance for residents to enjoy unless you count the Christmas tree farm on Magic Mountain or the golf course, for instance. And while Town Center Drive is quaint, low-speed, and ped-friendly, the Madison is surrounded on two corners by McBean & Magic Mountain Parkway, two Valencia superhighways. You could live car-free at the Madison thanks to the nearby Santa Clarita Transit station, but you probably wouldn't want to.

The only culture within walking distance of the Madison isn't a nice museum or art space, it's the Titled Kilt. You can't do any real grocery shopping at the Madison, but if you want a boob job, a workout, wine, or sports rehabilitation you can get those by simply walking.  And while humans usually plan communities around bodies of water, at the Madison, human dwellings are built around a massive concrete parking garage.

And yet...I must admit the place has a certain charm. Take a walk down Town Center drive from the Asian fusion restaurant all the way through to Magic Mountain Parkway. You'll find yourself transported for just a few minutes out of Valencia's sprawl and into something approaching an urban lifestyle. Cars don't get any special priority in the Madison as Town Center Drive isn't meant for driving or storing your car; cars are hidden away in that massive parking garage, and there are strict parking rules on Town Center Drive. The trees and landscaping have all matured in recent years, and drown out the sound of Magic Mountain & McBean quite effectively. At night, the lighted trees and streetscape takes on a quiet calm, which isn't urban at all, but still nicer & homier than your typical suburban night streetscape.

Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see in the Madison, maybe it's no different than any other massive SCV apartment complex and the reason it feels relatively secluded is because designers wanted it out of sight and out of mind less the NIMBYs attack.

But, for the five or six of us in the SCV who actually appreciate and advocate high density living and the dozen or so who are high density-curious, a walk through the Madison causes one to reflect on the Valencia that could have been.

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