The 400 block of State Street is the blending point between downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For decades, the businesses on this block have catered to middle class families, tourists and students.
The only green city park on State Street, Lisa Link Peace Park, anchors the middle of the block next to the Downtown Madison Visitor Center.
Historically, the 400 block was home to Ella’s Deli and the first location of Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co. (then called The Chocolate House). It’s still home to one of the longest existing businesses on State Street, Badger Liquor Store, which opened in 1934 just months after Prohibition ended. It’s still “Madison’s happiest corner.”…