An undergrad's view:MumofCad wrote:Give us some info on what struck you! I know I'm particularly concerned about the livability of the next 3 years so I'm curious!
Anyone else have sudden anxiety when hitting the submit button? I was comfortable yesterday with my PS, but now it suddenly looks like crap lol.
If you can't live in Ann Arbor comfortably I don't know where you'd go, unless you just can't stand cold weather. If you're really into eating out, there's virtually every kind of food imaginable and, more importantly, usually done quite well. If you like to cook at home there's a farmers market and plenty of places to buy what you need. If you like getting a drink, there are loud undergrad bars and nightclubs, chill grad student bars, and upscale cocktail bars as well. If you like going to concerts/dance shows/other things that take place on a stage there a variety of venues that range from the truly beautiful Hill Auditorium, to the dive (but well-known) Blind Pig. If you're into sports...then I probably don't need to tell you about that scene. If you're a nature person there's the Arboretum and other parks that are well maintained. And if you just want to chill, there are movie theaters nearby, obviously a ton of libraries, and the area housing is nice enough that entertaining friends at home doesn't get too cramped. People are friendly for the most part. I've encountered some townies that just don't like the University and its students, but they are by far the exception. Most non-students seem to genuinely appreciate the vibe and history of Ann Arbor. Also, Detroit isn't far away. I didn't venture that way too often, and never found TONS to do there, but there are some quality destinations there despite the city's struggles.
The only minor annoyance to me was that I always wanted my car around for the sake of convenience. You could get around via bus, but that gets annoying when the grocery stores, good dry cleaners, clothing stores, and some other places you need to go sometimes are mostly a ways south of campus. Everything else is walkable, though in the winter that feels less apparent.
tl;dr: AA is a very livable city.
