SperlingViews - Ann_Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor is an excellent -- if not small - University town. Indeed I would not be using this website if it were a town of close to 300,000 instead of 120,000. It has nice restaurants, and great music that the University brings in, but it lacks a bit more culture. Plus my siblings live far away and so that is why I'm looking at this site to see what I've giving up versus would be moving too. But if you like small town feel than Ann Arbor is you place to be for sure. The culture it has is excellent. It is close to lots of parks and trails -- so if you are an outdoors person then you have access to that. It lacks mountains and ocean, but I guess you can't have everything.[read more...]

It's great here if you're going to the University. Otherwise, there is no reason to put up with 6 plus months long winters, 100% cloud cover for 3/4ths of the year, FREEZING cold weather and overly humid and mosquitoed weather for 3 months and very few job opportunities combined with VERY little to do. Sure, there's the hands on museum and a couple small things to do- but really, this is not enough (for me) compared to other places to justify the cost of living here. The gas prices are some of the highest in the nation, housing costs are RIDICULOUS, and you NEED a car or two in a family to get around due to the lack of transportation. It's not uncommon to pay over $2000 a month just in Morgage or rent for a house in Ann Arbor, plus don't forget the $500-$1000 on top of that for a car or two, then add you're utilities. NYC is the same price! For what??! [read more...]

I've lived here for 35 years and don't plan to leave. I'm retiring here. As a university town there is much cultural activity--several theater venues for plays, music, dance, international events, lectures, athletics and the largest summer art fair in the country, many places for life-long learning, an art museum, an art center, various galleries, a hugh number of restaurant choices including the nationally known Zingermans Deli, the requisite large shopping mall. There are endless things to explore and people of all ages to connect with including an active gay and lesbian community. A much larger city would have similar options without close access to outdoor activities summer and winter and rivers and lakes. The Huron River and Kensington Park have canoe and kayak rentalsf. Detroit is 45 min away, Metro Airport 30 min away, Grand Rapids the home of a world class sculpture garden and exhibit gallery within a complex of greenhouses is 2 hrs away, Chicago 5 hrs away, Toledo with a wonderful art museum and zoo 1 hr away.[read more...]

vibrant college town[read more...]

Ann Arbor is literally THE BEST place to live. There are other wonderful places, but Ann Arbor has it all at a reasonable price, too. First of all, you have the University of Michigan, one of the best universities in the US. This brings many opportunities (musical events, art fairs, athletic games, etc.) to the city. Plus, Ann Arbor has been nominated as one of the most educated cities in America. Love the city but hate traffic, noise, and tight spaces? Ann Arbor gives you all the advantages of a city (things to do, amazing restaurants, diversity, liberal-feel) while eliminating all of the disadvantages of a city. Also, housing prices here are nearly at the national average. Downtown is a little pricy, but literally only a little. ANYONE can live here. Public schools here are great. Committed teachers, lots of opportunities, and well-rounded students complete the schools. There are wonderful family friendly neighborhoods here, whether you want to live in a old victorian home downtown with lots of history or a brand-new, modern home out in the suburbs. Parks, swimming pools, community centers, you name it- are all right around the corner. I LOVE ANN ARBOR! <3[read more...]

Spent my life overseas and living all over the USA...and always ended up coming back to vibrant and friendly Ann Arbor...why? You just cannot beat this town for its family friendly community with a focus on inclusion, diversity and love of the environment...starting with the youngest generation. With the university embedded in the community, crime is low if at all prevalent,neighbors look after each other. You can be as private as you choose to be and have a wonderful quality of life regardless of income. We moved all the way up here from Florida after suffering with hurricanes and mediocre schools with superintendents who thrive on mixing religion with public schools, as well as their own personal politics and biases forgetting the needs of special needs students and their rights under 504,forgetting the importance of inclusion and diversity, and making certain that teachers who followed the status quo were rewarded and those who thought outside of the box and motivated their students to excel were forgotten or let go. We foudn the opposite here in Ann Arbor public schools as well as our Florida honor roll student having to "catch up" with the bright students here at normal levels in his grade. Teachers here come with incredible experience, most have Masters degrees, and continuing education with the latest interventions and curriculum for the 21st century is evident. Ann Arbor is a breath of fresh air and incredibly impressive in its public school standards, its curriculum which is obvious in the amount of money it invests in each student as well always wanting to improve in all areas of a student's development. Ann Arbor spends close to 7000 per student in its public schools. Parent participation and community input is encouraged and not just to look good but truly hearing the needs of the community,and students from all backgrounds. School board meetings are televised on free television channels as well as ongoing community events for all ages. The farmer's markets , the bookstores, the entertainment and restaurant selection and excellence here remind one of a small city without the traffic and crime. The mall has tripled since I was a student here 25 years ago. If you can't find it, you don't need it. Accessibility for the handicapped and spirit of volunteerism here is rampant. Ann Arbor was also voted one of the top places to walk and bike though it is constantly trying to improve this area as well! The summer art fair is not to be missed and will convince anyone to probably stay as the weather then is heavenly and community spirit leaves one wondering how one could have missed out on this lovely town for all these years. Accessibility to the Great Lakes is less than an hour or so in all directions and one can also be in Chicago or Toledo or even Canada in a few hours. Medical care is superior with the University of Michigan Medical Centers always at the forefront of the latest research in cancer, Alzheimers, senior care, children's health challenges and employing a significant percentage of the community apart from the university itself. An huge international airport that is still building more runways, is less than 20 minutes away to take you wherever your heart pleases with all major airlines. But less than 4 and half hours away is heaven for vacations...a little town called Charlevoix...right by better known and a bit more ritzy but gorgeous too...Traverse City. Sailing,fishing, sunsets at the dunes..and wonderful fudge,cherry festivals and parks are all part of the heavenly experience...in Charlevoix and the whole area up there. The rest of the year...you live in Ann Arbor which never runs out of things for you to do no matter what your interest or age...and your energy level. Did I leave anything out? Not sure but every day is a new experience here and a blessing that we finally arrived in the best place to live and retire with our family. GO BLUE!![read more...]

Spent my life overseas and living all over the USA...and always ended up coming back to vibrant and friendly Ann Arbor...why? You just cannot beat this town for its family friendly community with a focus on inclusion, diversity and love of the environment...starting with the youngest generation. With the university embedded in the community, crime is low if at all prevalent,neighbors look after each other. You can be as private as you choose to be and have a wonderful quality of life regardless of income. We moved all the way up here from Florida after suffering with hurricanes and mediocre schools with superintendents who thrive on mixing religion with public schools, as well as their own personal politics and biases forgetting the needs of special needs students and their rights under 504,forgetting the importance of inclusion and diversity, and making certain that teachers who followed the status quo were rewarded and those who thought outside of the box and motivated their students to excel were forgotten or let go. We foudn the opposite here in Ann Arbor public schools as well as our Florida honor roll student having to "catch up" with the bright students here at normal levels in his grade. Teachers here come with incredible experience, most have Masters degrees, and continuing education with the latest interventions and curriculum for the 21st century is evident. Ann Arbor is a breath of fresh air and incredibly impressive in its public school standards, its curriculum which is obvious in the amount of money it invests in each student as well always wanting to improve in all areas of a student's development. Ann Arbor spends close to 7000 per student in its public schools. Parent participation and community input is encouraged and not just to look good but truly hearing the needs of the community,and students from all backgrounds. School board meetings are televised on free television channels as well as ongoing community events for all ages. The farmer's markets , the bookstores, the entertainment and restaurant selection and excellence here remind one of a small city without the traffic and crime. The mall has tripled since I was a student here 25 years ago. If you can't find it, you don't need it. Accessibility for the handicapped and spirit of volunteerism here is rampant. Ann Arbor was also voted one of the top places to walk and bike though it is constantly trying to improve this area as well! The summer art fair is not to be missed and will convince anyone to probably stay as the weather then is heavenly and community spirit leaves one wondering how one could have missed out on this lovely town for all these years. Accessibility to the Great Lakes is less than an hour or so in all directions and one can also be in Chicago or Toledo or even Canada in a few hours. Medical care is superior with the University of Michigan Medical Centers always at the forefront of the latest research in cancer, Alzheimers, senior care, children's health challenges and employing a significant percentage of the community apart from the universoty itself. An international airport that is still building more runways, is less than 20 minutes away to take you wherever your heart pleases with all major airlines. Did I leave anything out? Not sure but every day is a new experience here and a blessing that we finally arrived in the best place to live with our family. GO BLUE!![read more...]

Early on in our marriage, we lived in Moscow, Idaho and Wisconsin (Stephens Point) and then Columbus, Ohio. I've lived in several cities in Michigan from East Lansing to working in Jackson, and in Ypsilanti and worked in Farmington and Romulus, so am pretty familiar with many places. I think Ann Arbor has an awful lot in the way of overall quality of life. The cleanliness is like Columbus as is the type of broad and clean non-manufacturing tax base, but it's not so homogeneous or conservative as Columbus. There is a base of jobs at the UM Health system, University of Michigan, Google, and many small businesses which really make for a lot of stability. There is a large Asian population, chiefly in the northeast and many African-Americans, chiefly to the southeast, and many Arab-Americans also in the north east and south parts of town, but a nice mix really througout the community. The taxes are high, chiefly due to a great transportation system, good roads, schools, healthcare and parks and recreation. Then there is a voted-on "green belt" around the city that also means preservation of green space, but higher taxes (and consequently also higher home values). I note we used to feel like one of your more negative reviews, that folks were a "bit much," but that was when we lived in a small town about a half hour away and thought modern life folks were "pretentious." Maybe it's that we've joined them, but we really don't perceive that in living here, or for that matter, or any attitudes of elitism. One comment said profs make 200 to 400K and weren't worth that; that is patently false as the facts from the Chronicle of HIgher Ed which publishes salaries nationally can attest to. Salaries are high at such universities, but the top for most schools/depts. would run closer to this person's bottom level, excepting perhaps in law or medicine where thay don't begin making much of a salary until they're 35 or 40! And they do work hard even though it might not look that way to a person making their living in physical work--fiercely competitive these universities. The arts and culture opportunities include the Ark, one of the longest running folk and ethnic music types of spots in the nation, as well as ongoing festivals and more expensive venues such as the Power Center or Hill auditorium. There are also some theaters with live productions regularly which are struggling, and the University Musical Society and on and on in this realm. The County Rec centers offer inexpensive and thorough recreational and fitness opportunities, with many parks and class offerings. The Osher Institute offers 100s of classes and lectures for seniors on almost any topic and any day of the week, with mentally stimulating activities, trips as well as the more traditional cards and social networking opportunities. The Children's Museum, and the Michigan Theater with its family shows, as well as art flicks and the historic theater itself, all contribute to a vital community with something for any family configuration. It's an open community which welcomes all and has a large creative class as well. Many artists complain that there's little practice space and not affordable, but their presence is still quite viable. From co-ops to senior housing, from vegetarianism to the Aut Bar, there's some place for everybody, including jocks and nerds. The comix store on Main Street, Vault of Midnight just won a national award for a comic and graphic novel store, and there's a skateboard park out with the water slide at Vets Park on the west side of town. The Old West side is a more historic district with older homes. There are neighborhoods with different emphases, with the Burns Park area being more university folks, and many condos and aptmts spread about as well. Many fine restaurants. I think it's a fine town for whatever your interest. There are many churches of all Christian denominations, a Buddhist temple, many Jewish synagogues, and a Islamic mosque to the north east. The unitarians have a home out on the south west part of town, and there are also many non-denominational, humanist, naturalist etc. sorts of groupings. Crazy Wisdom books could probably direct your way, and I'm not sure about Hindus, but there is a Chinese Christian Cultural Center on DhuVarren on the northeast part of town where there's also a grocer, restaurant and Kumon center. So if you're not a Tea Partier, this is a place for anyone wishing to learn lots and live in a heterogeneious and relatively safe sort of town, with many lively and colorful people to watch on campus, always some panhandlers and musicians, street food and the like. [read more...]

I am signing onto this web site to find out info on different towns.[read more...]

I am signing onto this web site to find out info on different towns.[read more...]

We have lived in Ann Arbor for over 10 years and simply love it there. With a very cosmopolitan and cultural backdrop, this city brings life to the residents in all its facets.[read more...]

Ann Arbor was a great place to grow up in in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Not sure I'd like to live there now as the balance of middle income/blue collar that made A2 so much more dynamic is now gone. It is a city full of wealth (which is a good thing for Michigan), but alot of what made Ann Arbor so unique is gone and let's face it, not everyone is rich, even very interesting creative people sometimes don't have much money so that spice is no longer there. Many of the odd-ball small shops that used to be interspersed downtown are no longer there because rents are waaaaay too high, it's almost tourist-trappy. Houses are somewhat pricey, but it's the taxes that will kill you. Now, the taxes get you things like great public transit, but the stiff regulations regarding putting a roof on your home or replacing windows is downright ridiculous, to the point a person cannot put on their own roof or replace a window without a written consent by the powers that be. Okay, with that out of the way I'd like to say for a city it's size, Ann Arbor has tons of stuff to do and see and when all else fails, you can take a walk. The city has the Huron River (which is beautiful, I grew up on it) and so many sidewalks, parks, trees, bike lanes, etc. you can always be doing something. It's also nice that the UofM campus is at the heart of downtown which helps to keep foot traffic alive and businesses open and people everywhere, this is probably the thing I love most about A2, the sidewalks are always alive. I still have many friends who live there, I wanted to move back but could not afford even the most hovel-ist of homes. I bought a beautiful old house in Jackson, which is about 25 minutes to the West, and sometimes regret it thinking maybe I should have taken the chance and paid more to live in A2. jackson is okay, but it's mfg. base is just about gone and the people who remain are bitter and reluctant to accept any kind of improvement, if it doesn't involve jobs. [read more...]

I have not enjoyed living in Ann Arbor. This town reminds me of Northern New Jersey or New York. The people are generally rude. The town is filled with yuppies and rich kids with entitlement issues. Many of the professors get paid $200,000-$400,000 for less work than they are worth. The cost of living was high until recently. Now the cost of living is closer to the national average, but that is due to the collapsing Michigan economy over the last few years. The bad economy has helped bring the housing prices down from their lofty highs. Many people lost half the value in their houses and it is predicted to go down further with the problems in the automotive industry. I wouldn't buy a house in Ann Arbor anytime soon. The schools may be rated well, but I would never send my children to school in Ann Arbor. I've heard too many horrible stories. Also if you are morally conservative, believe in family values, religious, or married, then this is not a good town for you. You would be better off raising your children in the lower mid-west, south or west. If you are a liberal, homosexual, or transgender person, then you would probably love this town. Overall this is not a good place to live.[read more...]

Recently, for whatever reason I have, decided to move out of Ann Arbor to get away to another lake town in Michigan. Big Mistake. May I want to move? Yes, but that would be because of Michigan's weather and the fact I've lived here for 25 years. Ann Arbor is an amazing town, especially in the summer. With things like summerfest, Art Fair, the Farmer's Market and even just the gorgeous shops along its' downtown streets, there's not much better. Small town with big city feel![read more...]

Traditionally, Ann Arbor has been "relatively" insulated from national and state economic treads by the enormous budget and tax-free status of the University of Michigan. Apart from UM's direct spending and hiring, a large student population, many with parental support, helped keep a base of local service and supply businesses going. UM spin-offs also helped create jobs. While the rest of Michigan has long been economically depressed (for 10 years?), Ann Arbor was doing at least ok. Now the situation has changed significantly. The state (like many others) has a huge budget shortfall and has been consistently threatening to reduce its contribution to the university's general fund. In anticipation of future cuts, and in a shift in the value placed on long-term staff, the university has, from my personal observations, been both downsizing staff, offering short-term staff positions, and when possible, replacing older workers with younger ones and students (who are less expensive and have lower benefits costs). As the auto industry has collapsed into a much smaller configuration there has been a large ripple effect impact on all businesses in the state including hospital systems. As workers lose employment and retirements lose benefits, these hospital systems are seeing a sharp decline in demand for their services and they are now financially reeling from the loss of income. Although our Governor has worked tirelessly to bring new industries into the state (and she started long before Wall Street's problems) that is a long-term fix that will only slowly help to create new jobs. Doing a job search for zip 48105, for example, reveals only a small number of opportunities in this area. So while Ann Arbor is a great place to live, it is currently (2009) a difficult place to find a job and make a living.[read more...]

I live in Ann Arbor, and Sperling is way off on such a high rating. Let me warn you, except for the **** cold, living outside the city would be better. High taxes, homeless, little in city services if you are a tax payer, U of M taking all the land without paying taxes or contributing, etc, etc. I'm not just whining either. I'm a middle class engineer, educated with a family. I have visited most places on Sperling's list and Ann Arbor should not be with them. Stay away from the Midwest! No jobs, corrupt government, I can go on. I liv there and wish I never bought there![read more...]

Ann Arbor is a terrific community if you do not mind cold winters.[read more...]

Ann Arbor is a very complete community on a much smaller scale than many others. It has most every retail, dining, recreation or social option within a very short drive. And it is a very walkable city if you are fairly close to the downtown center.[read more...]

For anyone looking at Ann Arbor, I can't praise the quality of life here high enough. A small city with a big city feel. Great amount and variety of cultural activities, restaurants, very diverse population, adequate recreation and sports, great public schools, very family friendly. The Winter is not pleasant, that's the only downside.[read more...]

Ann Arbor has so much to do! There are so many events for everyone ... arts, family, entertainment, culture. Since we have moved back here, I have to prioritize which events I want to do because there are so many choices. It's a great place to live![read more...]