Best schools, intelligent vibrant family friendly
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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 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!!
Sandria | Ann Arbor, MI