Kerrytown is a neighborhood in Ann Arbor, Michigan that couples business with residences with a hometown feel. This part of the city is home to a number of cultural destinations, as well as historic landmarks. The merging of old and new n Kerrytown makes this a popular place to live in Ann Arbor.
Kerrytown is located today on the site that was once the original village of Ann Arbor. It is named after County Kerry in Ireland, which was the home of the family who originally founded Kerrytown in the late 1870s. Travelers who visit Kerrytown today can still see some of these historic buildings. The homeowners and shop owners in this neighborhood have worked hard to preserve the look and feel of this part of the city, keeping the bricks and beams of the buildings here in good condition.
One of the most popular structures in Kerrytown is their bell tower. Located atop the market building, this tower is home to a 7-ton bell choir, made up of 17 chimes of different tones. Ten of these bells were originally cast in the 1920s for St. Stephen's Church in Cohasset, Massachusetts. In 1997, Kerrytown decided to restore the bells and build the town. They cast an additional seven bells, made by Royal Eijsbouts in the Netherlands. The bell tower is officially classified as a chime, which is a smaller version of a carillon, which has 24 or more bells in total. With 17 bells, though, the Kerrytown chime can play most sons.
Tourists can play the bells as part of a unique tour opportunity in Kerrytown. Guests can play or hear the bells every Wednesday and Friday at noon or every Saturday at 10:30 AM. Visitors can also make an appointment at a special time to play the bells. They have a very small staff of just a single person who acts as a Chime Master to facilitate the ringing of the bells. Guests don't need any musical experience to play a song, since the Chime Master has a number of cards that teach aspiring players to play a simple song.
Along with the bells, visitors can shop at some of the stores located in this historic neighborhood. Some of the restaurants and cafes in this area, many of which embrace the past, include Sweetwater's, Casey's Tavern, Argerios Italian Restaurant, Eve, Kosmopolitan, and Metro Caf,. Also popular is the Kerrytown Farmer's Market, where residents and visitors can browse through rows of fresh fruits and vegetables. Other interesting businesses include Vicki's Wash & Wear Haircuts and Heavenly Metal, which is a hair salon and gallery in one, and the People's Food Cooperative, which is Ann Arbor's only membership community-owed grocery store.
Kerrytown is attractive to shoppers because of the ability to just walk around and visit a number of small shops, rather than having to driver everywhere. They are also a GLBT-friend community, with a gay bar located near the shops, and a number of pride events and groups. They are served by the Ann Arbor Observer, and have a concert house for regular events and shows that come to the area. Kerrytown is just a short drive to all of Ann Arbor's attractions, like the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Kerrytown combines the old with the new to give visitors something completely different, and thus, it will remain a growing neighborhood in terms of tourism and residency.
