Ann Arbor, MI

[April]

I wouldn't say it's super cold, unless you're from the south. Coming from Massachusetts, I found it to be the same, and compared to NH, it's even milder, but anywhooo...

I bought a condo on the west side (South Maple Road area) and was pretty happy with it. You could look for houses there. It's quiet, since it's all people with real jobs and few students. It's about 2 miles from central campus and there are a bunch of buses. You could try looking to the north too (Plymouth rd and north off that).

In general, the closer you get to central campus, the louder it'll be and the more students will live there. You can also look at Ypsilanti, which is a bit farther, but cheaper. I could send you a realtor's name. PM if interested.

Do you know very much about Ypsilanti?

[Grad Hopeful]

What do you want to know about Ypsilanti? The city itself is not as nice as Ann Arbor, but it is significantly cheaper. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti sort of merge together at some points. I have lived in Ypsilanti for a few years, so if you still have questions feel free to contact me.

I see that you were accepted to EMU, if you have any questions about the school I could also help you.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Grad Hopeful

[applyingwaitingstressing]

what areas would people recommend that I avoid looking for apartments/housing in? i mean... i dont want to hear Lady Gaga blasting from a party at 3 in the am you know? but i don't want to be surrounded only by families either...

[mklein]

Hi. Would a stipend of 16K a year be enough to live in Ann Arbor? I might be a grad student there, willing to share a place, no particular social interests beyond some concerts and plays. Would appreciate any info. Thanks.

[TMP]

$16,000 is more than enough to live on in Ann Arbor. It gives you a relatively comfortable lifestyle that permits you to save up a bit for a vacation here and there, some nights out throughout the semester, enjoy UM games, etc. My friends have never complained about the money, just how much work they have to do! And just KNOW that the higher rent is geared more towards the coddled undergrads.

Best place for grad students tend to be west of State Street and north of East Huron, towards the west and northwest areas. The West Side (west of Main Street which is downtown) tend to be a mix of family-owned homes and rental houses, something to keep in mind when you're there for more than 5 years. I do suggest looking along Plymouth Rd as well- I loved living along the north of North Campus so that I could catch UM shuttles in addition to the public transportation buses. I would really suggest living along frequently used bus lines as a good number of buses tend to run every 30 minutes, which you don't want to do when it's freezing and dark outside! Also, it matters to be as close as you can to downtown/central campus area if you don't have a car given that buses run only ONCE an hour on weekends and less frequently at night during the week.

[mklein]

Thanks a lot ticklemepink. This is very reassuring and helpful. Will take up all those tips on housing.

[applyingwaitingstressing]

same here!

Thanks a lot ticklemepink. This is very reassuring and helpful. Will take up all those tips on housing.

[darlingguoguo]

Thanks a lot ticklemepink. This is very reassuring and helpful. Will take up all those tips on housing.

Same here

Hello~ I'll be a new PHD student in IOE starting 2010 Fall. I'm also looking at housing information these days. Here are some of my thoughts, and hope you guys would give me some suggestions~~ thx!

Since IOE is in north campus, and I won't have a car in the first few months, I think Northwood or Willowtree are good for me ... within walking distance from the department and the shopping center... but some ppl complain about the housing quality there......

If I want to live in Northwood, I'll have to apply after official admissions, and either find a roommate myself or wait to assign one. I hear the application for Northwood can be tough, what are the chances that I, a single international 1st year PHD be accepted in application? And, if a roommate is assigned to me, there might be problems in conflicting living habits or else...

If Willowtree~ I think I should start looking now~ It's better to live with a student already there rather than starting a place on my own, right?

Edited March 8, 2010 by darlingguoguo

[April]

What do you want to know about Ypsilanti? The city itself is not as nice as Ann Arbor, but it is significantly cheaper. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti sort of merge together at some points. I have lived in Ypsilanti for a few years, so if you still have questions feel free to contact me.

I see that you were accepted to EMU, if you have any questions about the school I could also help you.

Hi! Basically, I see Ypsilanti grouped with Detroit and Ann Arbor so it is a little confusing to try and look up very much information on it. Seems like a small town vibe with Ann Arbor only being a bus ride (I assume) away. Do you feel safe there? Is there very much to do? I don't mean crazy concerts or anything but maybe fun festivals or do people generally leave to go to the bigger cities on the weekends? I lived in Corvallis, OR for the last three years and it remained around 55,000 people but had a good amount of things to do. I won't be able to visit unfortunately so gotta scrounge for the info where I can. Thanks so much!

Oh, did you like EMU? What was your program of study?

[TMP]

I have some friends in Northwood. They liked it fine. But my roommate switched out to live with me because she found Northwood to be more expensive compared to Willowtree. Willowtree actually lets up to 4 people live in an apartment (making 2 people per bedroom). I lived in Willowtree in my first year. I really liked it a lot. The management is terrific. The rooms are nice and BIG for the price. The shopping center is about 10 minutes walk away and NoCa is also about 10 minutes. The walk to Kerrytown is about 30-45 minutes. You'd have easy access to buses all the time but beware the run times on weekends and at night. I would've stayed there if it wasn't for the location (My stuff's on Central Campus).

People are ALWAYS looking for roommates so when you do a search on CraigsList or UM Off-Campus Housing site, look for Willowtree.

[Grad Hopeful]

Hi! Basically, I see Ypsilanti grouped with Detroit and Ann Arbor so it is a little confusing to try and look up very much information on it. Seems like a small town vibe with Ann Arbor only being a bus ride (I assume) away. Do you feel safe there? Is there very much to do? I don't mean crazy concerts or anything but maybe fun festivals or do people generally leave to go to the bigger cities on the weekends? I lived in Corvallis, OR for the last three years and it remained around 55,000 people but had a good amount of things to do. I won't be able to visit unfortunately so gotta scrounge for the info where I can. Thanks so much!

Oh, did you like EMU? What was your program of study?

My program is Professional Biochemistry, not really related to Education, which is what the school is known for.

Ann Arbor is only a bus ride away and really close. It does have a small town feel I personally feel that it is definitely a college town. It does have some things to do, however most people probably go to Ann Arbor for their entertainment, which as I said is very close to Ypsi. The town itself has some safety issues, however that is dependent on the neighborhood and depends on where you are. The campus itself has really ramped up its safety ever since the 2006 incident.

The campus itself is small and compact, you could walk from one side to the other in 15-30 minutes. The staff and faculty are typically friendly and go out of their way to help you. Since it is a smaller school the faculty have more time for students. If I had to do it again I would still go to EMU for my undergrad degree.

[JohnBom]

I just put down a deposit for an apartment that I will be using when I am living in Chicago this summer. That means I am completely broke and won't be able to put down another deposit until about July. Does it mean I won't be able to find housing in Ann Arbor? I am looking for a 1bedroom.

[TMP]

You might luck out in August. But chances are, you'll find crappy 1 BR apts by then. If you don't really want to put down a deposit but want to secure a nice apt, you might as well get a roommate who already has the apartment and is looking for someone. The person's already paid the deposit.

[fadeindreams]

How's the skiing/snowboarding within a 2 to 3 hour drive from Ann Arbor? Closer the better, obviously. Anyone have any experience with winter sports in Michigan that they would like to share?

Also, I will be visiting for Ford School's Student Preview day on April 9th and 10th. What are the can't miss food experiences in Ann Arbor (restaurants, brew pubs, grocery stores, etc)? I primarily eat natural if not organic food but I'm not a snob, just a foodie who loves beer. Any recommendations?

Lastly, how easy is it to get student tickets to the Michigan football games? I will be moving up from Arkansas, where I attended the University of Arkansas, so football games are a big part of my university experience.

[NeuroNerd86]

I just put down a deposit for an apartment that I will be using when I am living in Chicago this summer. That means I am completely broke and won't be able to put down another deposit until about July. Does it mean I won't be able to find housing in Ann Arbor? I am looking for a 1bedroom.

Astronautka,

try Slavik Management apartments. They have several communities around the town and U Mich is their "preferred employer". It basically means that if you have an alright credit history and no complaints from a prev landlord, you might qualify for a security deposit of around 100$. Also you can try Medical Center Court apts, they are more expensive (a walking distance from med campus) but I believe they don't take a deposit.

I do not represent nor endorse any of those places, just the same fellow new Wolverine looking for an apartment:)

[_Hamlet_]

I'm a newly admitted EE:System program, M.S. student.

I want to find a job after graduation.

So can UMich's EE graduate find job easily in industry?

Many thanks!

[kdilks]

How's the skiing/snowboarding within a 2 to 3 hour drive from Ann Arbor? Closer the better, obviously. Anyone have any experience with winter sports in Michigan that they would like to share?

Also, I will be visiting for Ford School's Student Preview day on April 9th and 10th. What are the can't miss food experiences in Ann Arbor (restaurants, brew pubs, grocery stores, etc)? I primarily eat natural if not organic food but I'm not a snob, just a foodie who loves beer. Any recommendations?

Lastly, how easy is it to get student tickets to the Michigan football games? I will be moving up from Arkansas, where I attended the University of Arkansas, so football games are a big part of my university experience.

Closest one is Mount Brighton. Artificial one built on a trash heap, and covered with a snow machine. There's also Pike Knob in Clarkson. There's better places up in Northern Michigan, but you'd have to devote a weekend to it. There's lots of opportunities in the area for cross-country skiing. If you have any questions about hockey, I probably know the answer.

You'd probably be interested in seeing the Kerrytown Farmer's market on Saturday morning. Zingerman's would also be a good idea while you're in that area. The brewpubs I usually go to are Ashley's, Arbor Brewing Company, and Grizzly Peak.

Any student that applies for season tickets on time gets them. That holds for football, basketball, and hockey.

[timuralp]

Do you know very much about Ypsilanti?

Hrm, only a month later, but anyway. I know a few people living in Ypsi. The downtown is a couple of blocks and it has another area called Depot town that has cool stuff going on. All in all, depending on where you go it varies between sketchy to reasonably nice. I'd say around EMU/St. Joe's/WCC is reasonably fine. A bit east of downtown, you'll get in some sketchy areas. Good luck.

[April]

Hrm, only a month later, but anyway. I know a few people living in Ypsi. The downtown is a couple of blocks and it has another area called Depot town that has cool stuff going on. All in all, depending on where you go it varies between sketchy to reasonably nice. I'd say around EMU/St. Joe's/WCC is reasonably fine. A bit east of downtown, you'll get in some sketchy areas. Good luck.

Great! I might be going to EMU so I hope to stay as close as possible and to the west of the university. Thanks!

[intextrovert]

Hello fellow Grad Cafers,

As you can see from my signature (and as I've mentioned on here probably a lot), I'm currently on the waiting list for Michigan's English PhD program, and have been since February 3. I know that the visiting program for admitted students was last week, so I was wondering if anyone around here went to that. If so, I would love to hear impressions of the school, program, faculty, students, place, - anything, really.

Michigan is really my top choice at this point, and seems like a wonderful program in so many ways. I would love to hear about others' impressions, and of course where admitted students are in their decisions, leaning towards accepting or declining - or, like me, paralyzed until they hear from one of a zillion programs where they are on a waitlist!

Any information or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'd be glad to talk through PM if anyone is more comfortable doing that. Thanks!

Edited March 30, 2010 by intextrovert

[stucktomyshoe]

I started apartment hunting in AA on Saturday, and there was an apartment I really liked. The only thing was that it has no A/C--how essential do you current AA residents think A/C is? There's a good chance I won't be in AA in the summer, but am a little worried that I won't be able to sublet a unit without A/C in the summer.

[000]

I started apartment hunting in AA on Saturday, and there was an apartment I really liked. The only thing was that it has no A/C--how essential do you current AA residents think A/C is? There's a good chance I won't be in AA in the summer, but am a little worried that I won't be able to sublet a unit without A/C in the summer.

Not essential at all. It can be nice, but I have central air and rarely use it; I just keep the windows open.

[TMP]

Summers are a bit on the cooler side (thanks to the winds)... it really depends on how the apartment's located and whether it has lots of shade/trees around it to keep the building cool.

[timuralp]

"Cooler side"??? Where were you last year? Maybe I'm just not very tolerant of the heat, but I did not appreciate the couple of weeks in the high 80s, low 90s. Not really what I would consider "cooler". Either way, running cold water and a shower should make it survivable without AC. I think I used my AC only a week or two, so it's not a deal-breaker.

[choijae]

Hey people

Im international and planning to attend UM starting september. I was planning to move in the northwood neighborhood. When i was at the interview weekend at feburary i stayed at a grad's house who lived at northwood and honestly it looked really nice for me but the grad was complaining how the transportation was crappy and u could get better place outside of northwood. My question is how bad is northwood. I mean the houses look okay and it was really quiet which I liked. Its hard for me to get off campus housing becuz as ive said im international and i cant visit ann arbor to look around. My plan is to live at northwood for a year and then move off campus or something like that.

another question for internationals hwo u guys getting housing?