The Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood, located on Madison’s east isthmus, offers the charm and vitality that only a traditional city neighborhood can provide. Residents can work, shop, and play all within a short walk from any home in this historic, central city location. It is a neighborhood that strives to maintain a diverse population, a variety of housing opportunities, and a high quality of living for all of its residents. It doesn’t matter if you are a child, a teenager, a college student, a young single, a family just starting out or with kids at East High, or a senior citizen, Tenney-Lapham is a great place to live.

Most of the many fine homes in the largely residential Tenney-Lapham neighborhood dates from the turn of the century. Local factors behind the growth in this area included the creation of Tenney Park between 1899 and 1910 and the growth of the Fuller and Johnson Company at the corner of East Washington Avenue and North Dickinson Street. These resulted in a rich legacy of both small and large homes, including those found in the Sherman Avenue Historic District.

Accessibility to Lake Mendota and the Yahara River for water activities and the linkage to the bike system provides a wide range of recreational and transportation opportunities. Three city parks, James Madison, Reynolds and Tenney, along with the Yahara River Parkway, provide a variety of resources, such as beaches, sailboard and boat rentals, an ice skating rink, volleyball and tennis courts. The economic heart of the neighborhood is the East Johnson Business District, where people can shop for groceries, do their laundry, get a haircut, buy flowers, antiques, framing, wines and spirits, and more.