Ann Arbor, MI

[michigan girl]

Yes, there is a Trader's Joe in Ann Arbor.

Sam's Club is outside Ann Arbor (in Ypsilanti to the east).

I highly recommend these sites about Ann Arbor:

http://arborweb.com/cg/t0170.html (Restaurants by Category)

http://arborweb.com/cg/t0188.html (Stores by Category)

This (http://arborweb.com/cg/t0459.html) tells you about the different food markets in the city.

[timuralp]

check out yelp, as well. yelp is awesome for most places. and I mentioned sam's club because it's closer than costco and according to google there's one on detroit st - i'll have to go investigate this, because that'd be awesome

[dagger]

Depending on where you live, the Sam's is about 15 minutes away (Ypsilanti) while Costco is closer to 25 (Brighton).

[reallywantcolumbia]

anyone have any thoughts on the Baker house co-op?

Also, do you co-ops in Ann Arbor require you to show up for an interview or something? Cos I am probably not going to be able to make it up there before the school year starts.

[AlwaysWorried]

Any thoughts on Northwood Dorms?

I am going to be an EE graduate student, so it looks really close to the engineering quad from the online map. I have heard that the Northwood dorms are really far from the campus life.

[blindexplorer]

Anyone know about subletting rooms for the month of August? It's looking like my lease might not start until September (that's when most I see start) but I need to be in AA early in the previous month. Is Craigslist pretty reasonable for subletting? Do I need to take care of this early?

[timuralp]

Northwood is quiet... and close to North campus, which is good and bad. Most things are on central campus. There's a bus though.

I'd say craigslist is reasonable... Although, I didn't look there, I know others had decent luck with it. Also, ask within your department if there's a housing mailing list and then send an email to all the other grad students.

[TMP]

Any thoughts on Northwood Dorms?

I am going to be an EE graduate student, so it looks really close to the engineering quad from the online map. I have heard that the Northwood dorms are really far from the campus life.

I lived right across the street and have heard a few things. Apparently, it's just tolerable to live there even though the space is small. There are buses for sure. But you definitely don't want to be playing in downtown Ann Arbor on weekend nights from November to March because it's really, really cold to be standing outside waiting for a bus that comes around 20 minutes.

Basically what ticklemepink just stated.

Major chains: Target (not exactly a grocery store, but you will save $$ on items), Kroger, Meijer (you may notice that locals always add an "s" to the end of the store names), Busch (more expensive, higher-quality food)

Expensive Chains: Whole Foods, Plum Market

Just outside Ann Arbor: Wal-Mart, Costco (you'll need a car to access these places)

Haha you'll also hear locals call Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" :-D I must've turned into a local because I do add 's at the end of the store's name... and sometimes I get funny looks from others who haven't caught on this.

[stilesg57]

I have two car-related questions for you Ann Arborites:

1) How is corrosion in MI? I have an old car that's spent its life in the dry mountain west and west coast. When I lived out in DC I noticed that after 10 years people often get rid of cars because of rust damage - not the case out west. How is MI in this regard? I'd rather get a different (beater) car if to use up there if corrosion is an issue. I don't want my project to become a rust bucket

2) Rumor is you guys get some snow there in AA How good are the plow crews about clearing it? The car I'm talking about is absolutely undriveable in the snow (lightweight, rear engine, rear wheel drive), but if the roads are plowed it's fine. It's not like the Trader Joe's/Costco trip can't wait a day or two till a snowstorm passes, but if the streets are covered for weeks on end I might think about getting a beater.

Thanks, I'll probably have some more housing-related questions in the coming days. Can't wait to move to AA and get going on my degree.

[michigan girl]

stilesg57, I would highly recommend that you get a more modern used/new car.

1. It snows pretty heavily here. The last few years have average 70+ inches of snow (November - March) annually in the area. The counties are so broke that they do not plow snow daily. In fact, the side streets are sometimes undrivable. Ann Arbor does not plow its neighborhood streets.

2. The snow crews throw down salt on the roads and freeways. It will definitely corrode your vehicle gradually, especially if your car will sit outside most of the time. Make sure you get your car waxed and washed every biweekly or monthly.

3. Get a car with front wheel drive. Some people would recommend all-wheel drive, but it is more expensive and not very necessary. My car only has FWD and I drive fine in the snow. Make sure you get all-season tires with the correct pressure.

4. The potholes can definitely tear up your car here. One of my rims is chipped/broken because I hit a pothole. Again, the state is so broke that they cannot properly fix all the roads. Their solution? Patches of asphalt. Ann Arbor is known for this and the roads are not entirely in good shape.

5. We have black ice here. The temperatures can be very cold during the winter (avg. 20'F). If you hit black ice, do not brake abruptly. Slow down gradually to avoid hydroplanning and locking your brakes. Whatever you do, always have your brakes checked and repaired!

That's all I can think of right now. If you follow my advice, you won't end up spinning/sliding into a ditch on the roads.

[stilesg57]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like picking up a cheap beater is the way to go. I'm in no position to be spending money but I don't want to ruin my car or have it be effectively useless up there. What would the point be of even having it then?

(scours craigslist/annarbor for $1500 hatchbacks...)

[AlwaysWorried]

I am thinking about living in University Towers. My graduate work will be in Electrical Engineering so i will be commuting to North Campus.

How bad is parking around University Towers?

How well located is this housing complex for going out and such?

[TMP]

Dude, if you're going to do EE and your work is up in North Campus, move there. Seriously. You'll thank yourself, especially when buses run every 20 minutes at night and on weekends when you spend time in labs. Who wants to wait outside for that long in 10 degree windchill weather?

A) Parking is next to impossible in CC area unless you can get a permit. I'm not sure how the garages work but I doubt that you can leave your car there 24/7. PLUS if you wanted to live in CC/downtown area, then why have a car at all? You'll have lots of buses running through the area and markets are within a reasonable walking distance.

Rent is cheaper up there for more space. People live in Broadview or Willowtree and they're pretty nice and reasonable to live in. Because of that, I was able to live reasonably well with a roommate.

Find out where most of the people in the department live so you can try to move close to them for socialization. My guess is North Campus, not Central Campus.

[timuralp]

Parking on north is pretty simple, on the other hand, so if you have a car, live wherever the hell you want. Personally, I wouldn't live in U-Towers, but look around Kerry town, Packard, Green road. If you have a car, then coming there for the "social" life is easy, especially if you have the after hours permit. Also, anyone else coming to AA, a motorcycle or a scooter is awesome in the summer - you can park in most U-M garages for free and free in downtown structures. Sadly, you have to garage it for the winter...

[AlwaysWorried]

What options are avaliable for high speed internet access in Ann Arbor for off campus residents? Does it make sense to figure this out before getting to Ann Arbor?

[michigan girl]

Some complexes offer free Internet. If you have to purchase your own plan, I believe the most popular are AT&T (DSL) and Comcast (Cable). Netzero may work but I have no experience with them. I am personally considering AT&T.

[timuralp]

One thing is AT&T isn't DSL over POTS, but they started running fiber to the node (i.e. your neighborhood) and then coax or twisted pair to your home. The mostly fiber+some coax is a lot better than coax to your house, a-la comcast.

I'm using comcast only because I can call them every 6-9 months and tell them I want to switch, thus prompting them to offer me a deal on the services, which ends up being cheaper than AT&T and I'm also in the lab 10-12 hours and sleeping (hopefully) for 6-8, which means great service at home is not as crucial

But look into U-verse and if you have lots of roommates, look into comcast business plans - if you split it, can get some awesome interweb speeds for reasonable prices.

Oh, and don't use dial-up... preserve your sanity

[jackassjim]

Does anyone know a good place for cheese in AA? Also, good bread?

[kdilks]

Does anyone know a good place for cheese in AA? Also, good bread?

Zingerman's.

[timuralp]

Plum market

[TMP]

I second Zingerman's. Amazing but a tad expensive but I do think they'll (like Whole Foods) cut the size down if you'd like.

[Serric]

So I'll be in Ann Arbor for the Michigan PIBS Preview weekend Oct. 29th-31st. I'm gonna go see Zingerman's, but anywhere else I should go to try and get a good feel for the city?

[TMP]

So I'll be in Ann Arbor for the Michigan PIBS Preview weekend Oct. 29th-31st. I'm gonna go see Zingerman's, but anywhere else I should go to try and get a good feel for the city?

If you're a runner, definitely run around the campus and into the Arb (behind the hospital). Even if you're a walker, the central campus will take you quite some time to walk around.

Zingerman's will give you as many samples as you'd like (I'm borderline abuser of this!). Pastries are hit or miss. Sandwiches are definitely worth it but they are HUGGEEEEEE. So plan to walk a lot afterward. But honestly, there are other good places to grab sandwiches as well like Amer's on State and Church streets. Most graduate students like to hang out along State, E. Liberty, and Main streets. Undergrads tend to cluster around South University area (which is very funky collegetown area). Jump in a few bars. Stop in Espresso Royale coffeeshop. Stop in a few stores...

[Serric]

If you're a runner, definitely run around the campus and into the Arb (behind the hospital). Even if you're a walker, the central campus will take you quite some time to walk around.

Zingerman's will give you as many samples as you'd like (I'm borderline abuser of this!). Pastries are hit or miss. Sandwiches are definitely worth it but they are HUGGEEEEEE. So plan to walk a lot afterward. But honestly, there are other good places to grab sandwiches as well like Amer's on State and Church streets. Most graduate students like to hang out along State, E. Liberty, and Main streets. Undergrads tend to cluster around South University area (which is very funky collegetown area). Jump in a few bars. Stop in Espresso Royale coffeeshop. Stop in a few stores...

Hey, thanks for the advice TMP! I just thought I'd try Zingerman's since four or five people mentioned it earlier in the thread (and I'm a sucker for sandwiches). I'll definitely try and squeeze in everything you mentioned, and thanks for the help!

[April]

I might look near maple then. I've heard not-so-pleasant things about ypsilanti (although I've never been to MI, so I have no real basis for this), but i'd like to live in town. My huz and I are still considering about 3 other cities, but I might take you up on your offer, thanks!

Can I know what you have heard about Ypsilanti?