Born and Raised
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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 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.
Bp | Jackson, MI