Ann Arbor, MI (734)

I only learned about him today but anyway: RIP to Shaky Jake.

Ah shit, a legend has passed. Rest in peace. I got to be on my friend's radio show with shakey jake a few times, and it was always fun.

Holy shit! I always wondered if he was still alive, it's been ages since I saw him. I think I've still got an "I Brake For Jake" sticker somewhere that I bought from him.

RIP.

jake's passing made me think of dr. diag for the first time in 27 years. collegetown "characters" hmm...

I want to attend the University of Michigan for graduate school. If I do go, it won't be for another year. I have second choices for grad school, but I need to plan in case I get accepted. I am wondering what Ann Arbor is like. What are good areas in and around Ann Arbor to live? What kinds of recreation do they have?

I was in Ann Arbor a couple of times as a kid, but am totally unfamiliar with it now.

Thanks for any info you can provide!!!

A2 is to Michigan what I think Austin is to TX -- an island of sanity. Hopefully you don't mind hippies. I never lived there, though, so I'm sure others can offer detail.

there aren't that many hippies there. i think ann arbor has lost a lot of its charm as it has become more affluent. but it is a nice place, with good parks, some ok bars, a cool old movie theater, one amazing place to eat and other good ones.
one of the things i liked most about it when i was there for grad school was the access to detroit, which is a completely fascinating place, without living there.

i only know of it as hippie bc when my sister lived there she resided in a vegan co-op!

I went to some sites where local complained about commercialism and sprawl. Is it really as bad as around bigger cities? I suppose I should just visit but I don't have the money right now. Am checking out the real estate to get a sense of its development.....

there is sprawl, but you can live in the center of ann arbor and not have to go too far out. i think grocery shopping might be the one thing you really need to drive for (but there is a food coop, a farmers market, and one grovery store all within the city). it's pretty easy to get around without a car.

Thanks for the info. This is a big life change for me, so I will definitely be getting a car so I can choose where to live, am checking out the surrounding areas. I am not going back to graduate school without a car, I have finally the money to do what I want, I am going to do it right!

afaik Ypsilanti is the cheapo hipster place to live

I haven't been there in 15 years but there was a good walkable "downtown" area then, with punk houses and vegetarian diners and feminist bookstores and shit like that, which you won't otherwise find in most MI cities as far as I know. Of course that could all have changed by now.

yeah, i know a lot of people who lived in ypsilanti to save money on rent. also, it is a nice town, kind of what i imagine ann arbor used to be like.
it's def not for everyone, but i lived in an icc coop while i was in school which made living in ann arbor much more affordable. and i enjoyed it.
http://www.icc.coop

Possibly moving there this summer to start in a PhD program - - - any recent ILX reportage? I'm now in my early thirties, kind of a little nervous about the idea of being in a small college-y kind of town. I visited and it seemed super cute but I worry that that'll wear off fast. Are there people to meet? Things to do? Reasonably cool cheap divey shithole not-quite-hipster bars where good trivia nights devolve into merriment and laughter? Will I meet beautiful intellectual women? What am I in for? What's the music scene? Someone told me it was predominantly folky which is not my thing particularly...help! Information! Please!

Reasonably cool cheap divey shithole not-quite-hipster bars

reminds me of ithaca

wonder if any ilxors are already in ann arbor??

Most of us moved away long ago. There's far more corporate chains there now, but also a real sweet game shop.

honest question: if me and David (Xhengxiang) go to Necto's right now, on college night (Thursday), will it be jammin' at 10:00pm? Never seems like anything picks up until 11:00. time is against us now. does anyone know?

does that place have a coat check? i should call

The Nectarine still exists?!

I thought it was kind of awesome when I went back to visit once and found out that the Nectarine had given up and changed the name to what everyone called the place. Somehow I never actually went there.