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I don't live in Ann Arbor and cannot give you suggestions about where to live BUT I go to ann arbor a lot, we're about 40 minutes out. I LOVE ANN ARBOR. What a gem. I never expected it to be as nice as it is, I would absolutely love to live there. It's a great spot. So many unique shops, restaurants and more. It is truly a great place. If I were you, I'd be veryyyy excited. We're in MD programs and phD programs as well and FI would love to do a post doc there. I can't say enough good things about it...
So glad to hear from another person (a trustworthy bee no less) that Ann Arbor is great! We are pretty excited, but anxious because we aren't sure we we are living after our May 22 wedding!
Hey Emily! I moved this to the Ann Arbor local board for you; I hope that's okay -- that way locals will be more likely to see it!
Yeah I can imagine that would be so nerve wracking! Yikes! You must be able to come up and poke around, no? I can tell you that when we drive around the area we see lots and lots of adorable neighborhoods surrounding the campus. (and some which are so GORGEOUS, must be professors and such).
We go to Ann Arbor a lot this winter because it's beautiful in winter time, they line all the trees with white lights, and they have musicians playing outsdie on street corners! Ahhh so precious. have you been to BD Wongs Mongolian BBQ? It's a small chain, so you very well may have....but the nearst one for us is in Ann ARbor--Delicious! I'm sosrry because I know you're stressed about where to live and I am providing absolutely zero help but it's just because I'm so side tracked with my love for ann arbor! I can tell you that the cost of living around here is....dirt cheap. So I wouldn't be nervous about finding the perfect place--you totally will! Keep me posted. I'm so happy for you.
We currently live in Upland, CA (its right outside LA). We may try and bribe a grad student we know to check out a few apartments for us (ones we liked online). We plan on signing a short term lease so if we don't like it we can move. The cost of living is going to be so much better which is pretty great. There is something so exciting about moving to a new city as a newly married couple 
I just moved to Ann Arbor in October. It is a wonderful city with a lot of fun, interesting places to go. So many grad students and grad student partners here too so there are LOTS of people in the same boat. Good luck!
I'm hoping that commenting on this will bump this thread up so that more bee's see it during the post-a-thon. I could really use the advice!
I used to live in Ann Arbor when I went to U of M. I'm used to living in BIG cities (NYC and Chicago) so Ann Arbor was a difficult adjustment for me. Nevertheless, I still thought it was a good place for me to be at that time.
There are some fantastic restaurants there. I love love Zingermann's. FI and I spent are first date there! Just thinking about it makes me hungry.
If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them (if I can).
@bkchi, Did you go to U of M as a grad student or undergrad? We're looking for an apartment on the bus line that doesn't have a ton of undergrads.
Ooh, I was excited to see this thread! I'd love to learn more about Ann Arbor. My fiance and I are most likely moving there after our wedding because he'll be going to law school. I'm a new teacher (just finished my credential last June) and I'm nervous about being able to find a job. Anyone know anything about how the school districts are holding up in the area?
My parents live and work in Ann Arbor (they both work for UofM...I'm a MSU grad haha)
I grew up there.
it is a VERY cool town...great food, cool boutiques, pretty old houses.
Also, the surrounding areas...think Manchester, Dexter, Chelsea, etc are great places to raise families...great school districts, huge yards, etc
@emilymuchnikoff
I was an undergraduate but not the typical undergraduate. I lived in an apartment complex off campus my senior year called Greenbriar that was on the bus route but I didn't know any other undergraduates that lived there. There probably were some, but I didn't encounter any. In my building there were lots of grad students, married couples, and some families. The complex was near North Campus. It was safe and affordable. There are more that I know of. If you pm me the names of any you're interested in, I can let you what I know about them.
Downtown Ann Arbor is also really nice. It has sort of an old-school feeling to it but it doesn't feel "campusy" at all. There are beautiful buildings and cobblestone streets. I didn't know many undergrads that lived over there. Most undergrads are concentrated around Central Campus, State Street, S. University, N. University areas.
Fun! I lived in Ann Arbor over the summer, and it is a great town, but it's so much more fun when you have a partner - I was alone and didn't really go out to eat alone, etc. There's always great stuff going on though, especially in the summer, and the parks and stuff are great. I miss running in the arboretum so much!
I say definitely try to live a little further out from campus, or in a nicer apartment complex - the undergrads are really annoying. I would try to live more near the Main Street/downtown side of town, or even like, 5-10 minutes out, as opposed to like, East Campus or really close to campus where all the group houses are. Walking distance to campus is a plus, because the buses aren't great, but Ann Arbor is also totally bike-friendly so that's another option.
@bkchi Thanks for the offer! Once I get a more concise list together I'll be in contact. We are getting a list of 10 complexes we like and once we get to A2 we will look at all of them then.
@jrl03: good luck finding a job, school districts all over Michigan are really struggling. My cousin has been teaching in Birmingham, which is one of Detroits nicest suburbs for 4 years and even that wasn't long enough to make her job stable, she isn't sure if she'll have a job next year. I would look into charter schools and things like that. I don't want to be negative but I wanted to prepare you that things are not looking good around here. :( Good luck!
Hey Emily,
I grew up in Ann Arbor. I've moved many times since then, and Ann Arbor is still my number one favorite place to live. There are always tons of great apartments near campus for rent, and price of living is definitely affordable. It is quite a funky, fun town. If you need advice on where to live, or things to do let me know!
Cheers and good luck!
I didn't know that there were so many Ann Arborites here!
WELCOME!!! I love Ann Arbor!! Its a great city. I've lived here for 5 years, used to live in Belleville. I just LOVE it. Its got so much to do and its got so much character.
The most important thing to do, if you plan on staying in Ann Arbor and having kids is to check out the schools your house will be in. Go to greatschools.net and it will give you your schools ratings. (It will help a lot with resale if you plan on moving too).
I live in the Plymouth Rd/Dixboro Rd area and its great. Its quiet and a little country, but youre 10 mins from Downtown Ann Arbor. I love it here, just wish my house was a little bigger.
Theres so much to do, theres the Art Fair every July, Top of the Park, Farmers Market on Sat mornings, Artisan Market on Sundays, lots of bars, great salons, even better restaurants and awesome stores.
There are a lot of hippie type people in Ann Arbor, which if you aren't used to, its a little strange at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly.
You will love the Duece (as we call it). Any questions or anything, PM me!
To comment on the job market stuff in this thread:
Yes, Michigan is doing VERY bad in the money market, but Ann Arbor is kind of in a bubble. Business may be down slightly, but its ALWAYS super busy downtown and there are jobs. My fiancé has a great job and I have a good job. Neither one of us are concerned at all about losing them. A lot of big companies are trying to downsize, but there are still lots of jobs.
Teaching- I'm not sure how well thats going. I heard that the gov was supposed to be signing a bill that would make all the teachers who have over 30 years in retire and they will be hiring lots of new teachers. The other big news in Detroit is that they are closing 22 schools. Detroit is far from us and I doubt it will effect us very much. My fiancé's uncle has worked as a 5th grade teacher for a long time, and he isn't worried about him job at all.
Hope that helps!
Thanks ladies! I have a BA in social science & am looking to go into HR. I currently work as a personal trainer & yoga teacher and used to work at starbucks so hopefully I'll find something and fingers crossed its in an office!
how exciting!! i don't live in ann arbor, i live in east lansing right now - but AA is so much fun to visit! it is such a cute city - lots of little vintage shops. just wanted to welcome you to the area!
Thanks @bloodgo1! We are moving the first week of June for a whirlwind few days of apartment hunting. Our main requirements are that we pay less than $800/mo for rent (we really want to buy a house next year), it is on the bus line, and is less than a 20minute bus ride from campus. I'm so excited about everything I've heard about the city, but am nervous about the cold weather....we registered for an electric mattress pad!
lol good call on the mattress pad! i've been dying for one of those and i've been living through these super cold winters my whole life. It'll be different from CA for sure :) Downtown is such a great little college town. There are lots of fun things to do in the area for sure. I'm pretty sure you'll find an apartment for that price... prices tend to be a little higher (at least they are around East Lansing cause of MSU) when you are close to a college campus, but 800 is a great budget to start looking with I think! Good luck! Keep us posted! :)
I found the mattress pad at Target so you should register for it too! We also added a down comforter and mattress pad (we grew up in Texas so cold winters are totally new) hehehe
From what I've heard, most grad students live a little father away from campus & take a bus or bike to school because they can get better rent rates.
yep, that definitely sounds right. the closer you get to campus i feel like the closer you will be to the more intense undergrad area. you'll get a little more peace and more bang for your buck the further from campus you are for sure!
Hi there! Just wanted to throw my hat in the ring, as I've lived in AA for the last 14 years. I moved up here as an undergrad at UM and stayed because I love the city. It's a great place to live--tons of stuff to do--from museums, to concerts to SPORTS. :)
We live a little off campus and I would definitely agree that you have a much better "bang for your buck" in town off campus. We have a nice, newish apartment with a bunch of amenities for like half the price of my old college apartment--back in 2000! I can't even imagine what on campus housing would run now. Our complex now has a lot of grad student types and young families and is generally a lot quieter than on campus, too. And FWIW, there is a great bus system that can get you pretty much wherever you need to go around campus and town.
As for the teaching market, jrl03 , hate to tell you but it's pretty bleak, here in AA and everywhere in Michigan. I just finished a semester of student teaching (and have one more student teaching semester in the fall) and I know for a fact that they're giving pink slips to teachers in AA and all surrounding districts. I believe the initial number in Ann Arbor is 160 teachers, but they may hire around 50 back in after they go back and check people's credentials. Additionally, they've even closed the list of substitute teachers because they have so many people in the pool already. I was counting on subbing for the rest of the school year, but have to find another job. Grr...
Anyway, PM me if you have any more questions or need any more AA advice. :)
i love reading ann arbor threads! i know this one is a bit old, but emily, did you all find a place to live? have you moved yet? there are so many awesome things to do in ann arbor in the summer!!! we don't live there anymore (tear) but come up about once or twice a month to enjoy the town.
@Jessie516 are you in the MAC program at the school of Ed or the undergrad program?
Just had to add my (A) two cents....
Looking for an apartment? Craigslist!
I moved to the area in the late nineties for undergrad and have been here for almost twelve years now.
Great shopping, restaurants, entertainment/music. My fiance works in A2 adn I work in Romulus (At airport).
Good luck on your move. There's lots to see and do in A2...and its conviently located..20 mins to the airport, 35 mins to Detroit (with its casinos, theaters, and sporting venues).
Born and raised in Ann Arbor! I was excited to see that AA has its own board!!!
Even though I have lived here my whole life (and now go to UofM) I still love it. The best part about it is FI and his whole family live in the area too! It will always be our home, even if we move somewhere else...
I have many suggestions for places to live and things to do. If you want some advice, PM me!
I am an east coast girl who went to undergrad in AA.... I love reminiscing about Ann Arbor! I am sure a lot has changed- I graduated 8 years ago... But I reccommend checking out Main Street and the Arboretum- its beautiful there in the summer... Winters are cold and much windier then you would ever expect, so make sure your car has 4WD! If Dominicks is still around, I reccommend stopping by there for sangria!!!
Casa Dominick's is still around, but holds funny hours. I suggest visiting the Blind Pig for a Soul Club, Arbor Brewing Company for some tasty micro-brewed beers, Ashley's for their HUGE selection of draft beers, Michigan theatre for cool shows and independent films, Comet Coffee for their most delicious coffee drinks, Zingerman's for their one-of-a-kind sandwiches, Big Ten Burrito for their tasty burritoy snacks, gosh...the list goes on. BABS UNDERGROUND...very cool lounge feel, lots of townies. Again, PM me with any more suggestions.
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So fiance has decided to go to UM for his PhD which means we are off to A2! I'm pretty excited because I hear its a great town. Any bee's with suggestions on where to live & things to do?