Is Ann Arbor really that good? (Detroit, Ypsilanti: live in, restaurants, cost of)

[NoMansLands]

I've lived in the A2 area and surrounding sw Michigan most of my life. Lived a few years in downtown A2.

It has a lot going for it for a small to medium sized town, still has that small town feel. Once you've done all the restaurants on State Street to Main Street, you might realize just how small the town is. Yes you can venture out farther to the Ypsi border and catch a few more good places to eat, just don't try to compare it to Chicago or some other large city or you will be disappointed. It's still small town living at it's finest. The transit system is very good to excellent if you would like to live without a car. It's a very walk-able and bike-able town too.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Gisador

I've ridden the Michigan Flyer on several occasions (though not in 2020) and enjoyed being able to read, work, meditate, etc. on the way to the airport. The bus also saves money and reduces fossil fuel consumption.

You can save the fossil fuel for the gas guzzling airplane you are getting on at the airport.

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by ram2

You can save the fossil fuel for the gas guzzling airplane you are getting on at the airport.

The bus provides an alternative to a car. When you come up with an Earth-friendly alternative to air travel, by all means let us know.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by NoMansLands

Good grief.
The above quoted may actually reveal more ABOUT YOU than the people of A2.

Oh oh, touched a nerve. I was not referring to you specifically (nor to any specific person), just to how people act in downtown Ann Arbor. Try not take take it personally. Not aimed at you at all.

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Great people watching. Including great people listening. Go downtown and listen to liberal extremists trying to out liberal each other. It is amusing and they have it honed to a science in Ann Arbor. (If they accost you, just agree with whatever they say, but let them win. they are the only true progressive and you are a right wing racists cad (it does nto matter what your actual beliefs are, they must prove everyone but them is insufficiently liberal) - doing anything else might be dangerous).

My daughter went to U of M Ann Arbor so I have spent quite a lot of time downtown and on Central Campus. What always amuses me is how so many people in Ann Arbor want you to believe that they are quirky nonconformists to the extreme because that's, you know, cool. However, once all of the quirky nonconformists congregate in Ann Arbor, suddenly they aren't so quirky and unique, they all tend to look alike which is what they were thinking to avoid by trying to be a quirky nonconformist in Ann Arbor. LOL.

When my daughter was in school there a few years ago, the thing for the quirky set was to have a sleeve tattoo, dyed coal black hair with very short bangs, huge horn rimmed or wire rimmed with the eyebrow frame at the top glasses, and mostly black or rainbow themed clothing and possibly a saggy beanie hat. The thing is, though, that this was almost like a uniform, especially around State and Liberty. Almost guaranteed you could walk into any shop or restaurant and see at least one young woman with this uniform waiting to serve you. These folks may be quirky where they came from, but in AA they are just another cog in the wannabe nonconformist machine.

[mgkeith]

Funny. The seventies uniform for individualists was no less of a uniform. Raggedy, torn clothing for those with rich parents, and "down with capitalism!", lol. Raggedy everything, and best stereo system money could buy.

[NoMansLands]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Oh oh, touched a nerve. I was not referring to you specifically (nor to any specific person), just to how people act in downtown Ann Arbor. Try not take take it personally. Not aimed at you at all.

Ann Arbor seems to have touched a nerve in you, no nerve touched in me, never took it personally, pure assumption on your part. For those of us who like Ann Arbor, we can debate and discount your criticism of the town. Don't go there if you don't like it, most love it, imho best city in the state, culturally, safety, walkability, transit, activities, no other city in Michigan even compares.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by canudigit

My daughter went to U of M Ann Arbor so I have spent quite a lot of time downtown and on Central Campus. What always amuses me is how so many people in Ann Arbor want you to believe that they are quirky nonconformists to the extreme because that's, you know, cool. However, once all of the quirky nonconformists congregate in Ann Arbor, suddenly they aren't so quirky and unique, they all tend to look alike which is what they were thinking to avoid by trying to be a quirky nonconformist in Ann Arbor. LOL.

When my daughter was in school there a few years ago, the thing for the quirky set was to have a sleeve tattoo, dyed coal black hair with very short bangs, huge horn rimmed or wire rimmed with the eyebrow frame at the top glasses, and mostly black or rainbow themed clothing and possibly a saggy beanie hat. The thing is, though, that this was almost like a uniform, especially around State and Liberty. Almost guaranteed you could walk into any shop or restaurant and see at least one young woman with this uniform waiting to serve you. These folks may be quirky where they came from, but in AA they are just another cog in the wannabe nonconformist machine.

That is an amusing observation. Now they have blue hair girls. Not only looking alike, but acting alike. Fortunately it is only a lot of the students rather than a majority. I think the non-conformist conformists have been around for a long time. In college, I was a part time Punker (aka poser) until Punk became popular and cool, then I wanted no part of it. They ruined it by making it mainstream.

While on an airplane some years ago, I read an article in a trendy New York magazine where a lesbian woman was bemoaning the fact that it was no longer fun to be LGBT (they did not usually have the other letters then). She said the gay bars were generally popular and filled with just anybodies and no longer a sort of secret club, and the gay neighborhood enclaves were getting filled up with straight hipsters wanting to demonstrate how accepting they are. She said "our exclusive places are not exclusive anymore and it is no longer unique or unusual to be *****, we are becoming just boring normals" (Paraphrasing, not remembering her exact words from an article i read on an airplane several years ago).

Everything gets ruined when everyone does it. We all want to be unique.

[shredyz]

Compared to the rest of Michigan its amazing. Probably the best city in Michigan that isn't suburban hell or a big city with lots of internal corruption and crime problems. I've lived near here all my life, and has some nice areas and attractions. But unless you're coming to the university, I wouldn't come to Michigan in general. One of the worst states

[osef]

Originally Posted by shredyz

Compared to the rest of Michigan its amazing. Probably the best city in Michigan that isn't suburban hell or a big city with lots of internal corruption and crime problems. I've lived near here all my life, and has some nice areas and attractions. But unless you're coming to the university, I wouldn't come to Michigan in general. One of the worst states

We are considering a move to Ann Arbor. I am now retired, my wife is in the health field, and we have a 10-year-old boy. We happen to like college towns. I've lived in Cambridge, MA and Chapel Hill, NC for a combined total of 40 years. We are currently living in Southern Ontario (Canada), which is ridiculously expensive (in every way). Ann Arbor seems very appealing, and much more affordable, but we've never been there. Covid is preventing any visits in the near term.

So what's so bad about Michigan? Taxes? Crime? Politics? People? Pollution? I know about the cloudy winters, but we've got the same thing here in Ontario, so the weather wouldn't be an issue.

My thanks to anyone for their thoughts . . .