What BestPlaces Users Say about Ann Arbor
As one of the largest cities in Michigan and home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor offers a diverse and vibrant community for its residents. With a population of over 120,000, the city boasts a thriving downtown area, access to outdoor recreation, and a renowned education system. However, living in Ann Arbor comes with its own set of pros and cons, which can be seen through the various user reviews on BestPlaces.net.
According to user "Linda" on BestPlaces, Ann Arbor is "a great place to live" with "plenty of culture, restaurants, and outdoor activities." She also notes that the city is "very eco-friendly and progressive," which is a major draw for many residents.
In contrast, "Mark" shares his experience of living in Ann Arbor as "expensive" and "crowded." He explains that the cost of living is high and the traffic can be overwhelming, especially during rush hour. However, he also mentions that the "quality of life is pretty good" and there are "plenty of job opportunities."
Another user, "Caroline," praises the city for its "sense of community" and "excellent public schools." She also highlights the "beautiful parks and nature areas" that provide a great escape from city life.
On the other hand, "Jason" expresses his frustration with the "lack of diversity" in Ann Arbor. He mentions that the city is "predominantly white" and there is a "lack of representation for minority communities." However, he also notes that the city is "very welcoming" and has a "strong sense of community."
Overall, the user reviews on BestPlaces provide a well-rounded view of living in Ann Arbor. While some residents rave about the city's cultural offerings and quality of life, others point out the high cost of living and lack of diversity. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to weigh these factors and decide if Ann Arbor is the right place for them to call home.
based on 49 ReviewsGet to know Ann Arbor with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Ann Arbor
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Love At First Sight - 1/2/2011
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
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Best schools, intelligent vibrant family friendly - 8/31/2010
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
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Best schools, intelligent vibrant family friendly - 8/31/2010
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
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Can't think of any better - 8/27/2010
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
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opinions - 6/19/2010
I am signing onto this web site to find out info on different
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opinions - 6/19/2010
I am signing onto this web site to find out info on different
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Perhaps the best place in MI - 3/17/2010
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
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Born and Raised - 7/26/2009
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
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Great Place! - 6/30/2009
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
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