Changes to Ann Arbor That You Liked or Disliked the Most
Mates,
I'm old and am now in the time of my life when I take my kids back to AA. When we wander the campus I naturally notice and point out changes. For instance, when I was there in the '80's there was exactly one (that I recall) apartment building of any significant stature, the one on S. University a couple blocks down from East Engineering.
You had the Campus theatre right there on South University also. And Village Corners is now a giant apartment complex. I can understand the need for such things, but I don't have to like them. There are many more changes in the intervening nearly 40 years (when did I get so ancient?), and many of those I have not seen or noticed.
Two questions today:
1. What changes have you noted in AA that most impacted the city, whether good or bad?
2. If you were King/Queen for a day, what changes would you make to the city that would make it more pleasing to Your Highness?
Hope you are all well,
XM
March 30th, 2023 at 10:45 PM ^
This comment has it all! Including using disadvantaged groups that the commenter doesn’t care about at all as a cudgel. Congrats! The protected bike lanes downtown get cleared all year round and I use them all year round to get to work. I even see FEMALES using it. In winter! Some of them have CHILDREN! The old, infirm and disabled, if you actually listened to them, would say “it’s great I have a safe place to use my mobility device, that the intersections are safer, and that fewer cars are on the road”. You’d know that if you lived here and weren’t just yet another selfish, aggrieved motorist.
And there absolutely is an element of "let's make life worse for drivers" from some people contributing to the planning and development of transportation, and I know it is a real factor from some elements in Ann Arbor because I'm familiar with people involved.
I'm very curious, what roads and planning are you talking about?
Because I'm on the West Side of Ann Arbor, and drive to work everyday, and I really don't see any of these "make life worse for drivers" measures that you (and some other) out-of-towners are talking about.
While I don't mean that as a huge gatekeeping measure, I will admit, I am gatekeeping a little bit. You live in Duluth, how do you feel qualified at all to talk about day-to-day traffic in Ann Arbor?
Southbound on first street from northernmost start point used to get you across downtown in a minute or two, even at peak traffic hours. Now it might take ten minutes just to get across Huron/Jackson. Not exaggerating. And I’ve seen the bike lane used maybe twice since it’s been constructed.
I'm from Ann Arbor, the West Side just as you, lived and worked there, still have family there that I visit regularly, and keep tabs on what happens because it's my hometown? I mean, if you want to ding me for "hasn't commuted here in some time," you've got it, but I do actually know the city, can see how it has changed, experience it with some consistency, and I participate in the same kinds of processes where I am now.
And, you'll note, if you have read what I have written, I don't oppose all innovations, and in fact speak highly of some of the newer adoptions. I actually cite Ann Arbor's adoption of roundabouts positively in public discussions and in planning meetings here in Duluth, since roundabouts are a major source of contention here and I've seen how they can make life better with easy before-and-after comparisons at intersections I've driven all my life in A2.
As for what elements spoken of, things like "road diets" that are a common parlance, and removal of turning lanes, and identifying the streets that get most use as the targets for "modification" to punish drivers for taking them. There's a lot of money spent on traffic redirection and traffic islands that goes to no use. You may be familiar with the crosswalk on Liberty at Westwood; I'm sorry, that's way over-engineered just to cover bus stops to both 12A and 12B on the AATA. How do I know? I used to live in the house on the south side of the crosswalk (the one with the incomplete privacy fence with gaps between panels my dad built and the tall conifers my dad planted half of) and rode those routes.
I remember as a college kid, I used to think AATA busses were great. But I wonder if they've kept up with demand. I think A2 has grown so hard that it's legitimately geometrically difficult to fit cars in. And you thoughtfully point out the limitations of bikes. Busses have limitations too, but can move a lot of people for less cost than cars and less sweat than bikes.
March 30th, 2023 at 10:37 PM ^
The problem with buses is that they get caught in traffic unless they have dedicated lanes. So folks who can, weigh their options and decide they’d rather sit in traffic alone in their car than among the masses on the bus.
I cannot think of a road in Ann Arbor that takes longer to navigate after a major design change than it did prior to the change. And though I haven't seen data I suspect every road that has changed has become safer.
The city has a stated goal of zero pedestrian deaths. They aren't there yet and maybe all their solutions won't work - I can think of one sidewalk project that was counterproductive - but it's a worthy goal and should be pursued. For those who might think it's not possible I point to the American airline industry.
There are functionally zero deaths from airline crashes. It happens but we're to the point where a couple near accidents cause panic and consternation.
My high school teacher used to call Ann Arbor a 15 minute town in the early seventies where you could get from any point in town to another point in town within 15 minutes. No longer the case due to increased traffic but more importantly design changes to traffic flow (lights, lane reconfiguration/removal, etc.) I can point to all the downtown streets significantly slowing down traffic as they can take several lights to go through an intersection because of the backups due to the next segment of the road which is backed up for the next segment etc.
Roundabouts have been great but I am not sure the bike lanes are safer as most drivers weren't educated to look to their right before making a right turn. I have seen several close calls where a bicyclist almost ran into a car turning right. Whose fault? Car driver when they expect right of way turning right with nobody in the intersection or bicyclist who thinks they have right of way through the intersection and don't slow down?
It's no longer the case because Ann Arbor is geographically MUCH larger
March 31st, 2023 at 10:06 AM ^
Ann Arbor was considered to be the area between the highways with a few township pockets thrown in. I am referring to travel within this area. The time to traverse has increased for any travel during normal hours including evenings. The problem is the alternate routes which allowed you to bypass the traffic congestion have slowed down significantly due to road reconfiguration, especially around the downtown area.
March 30th, 2023 at 10:36 PM ^
I can bike across Ann Arbor in 15 minutes.
If “functionally zero” is greater than zero, it’s not zero and pretending it is is functionally delusion. Risk of death from air travel is non zero.
Zero is a hopeless goal. No amount of safety intervention can guarantee zero pedestrian deaths. It’s a fantasy and it’s absurd to base practical policy on impossibilities.
March 30th, 2023 at 10:35 PM ^
You’re so right. We should set “realistic” safety goals for air travel, like 5000 deaths or something.
March 31st, 2023 at 10:35 AM ^
Sarcasm and hyperbole from an intransigent idealist? Shocking
March 30th, 2023 at 10:32 PM ^
Just wanted to chime in and say this post has elicited some of the dumbest replies conceivable. I live in town. The bike infrastructure has allowed our family to go from 2 cars to 1 at tremendous personal savings. We can easily afford nice e-bikes as a result. I’ve been taking my kids to school by bike for going on 5 years now and commuting for 7. I hadn’t regularly ridden a bike in 15+ years when I started commuting by bike. Not in great shape. Just realized the tremendous waste of money and environmental waste I was engaged in by way of sheer laziness. Commuting by bike even in, gasp, the rain and snow (they have these things called jackets and gloves that help). My favorite trope is that “nobody uses the bike lanes” when the reality is that they’re so much more efficient at moving people that it just seems that way to people accustomed to sitting in long lines of 5000 lb personal steel living rooms. At any rate, bitching about bike lanes is uniquely odd when discussing a place you don’t live and smacks of a windshield perspective that is sadly too common. Even an imagined inconvenience is too much for motorists.
March 30th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
Well my favorite thing has been wins over Ohio State.
Ann Arbor is regularly listed as one of the best places to live in America. Can we really be surprised people want to move there? If anything, it's almost surprising that this new population growth and development boom didn't happen earlier (like the 90s-2000s).
March 30th, 2023 at 11:58 AM ^
XM - I am a 90s student, so I've taken my family back to Ann Arbor a few times for football games. In the 30+ years since my attendance, I've noted the same things you have. I don't mind the changes, it seems like a natural progression of growth.
Something I would want to add - high speed rail between Main and North Campuses.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^
I don't think we need high-speed rail for that short of a distance, but a monorail would certainly be convenient for students.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
As King, I reserve the right to make impractical decisions.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
Hell yes! Bullet trains, pronto!
March 30th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
all hail el demonio!
all hail el demonio!
Monorails put Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook on the map and can do the same for Ann Arbor!
Monorails put Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook on the map and can do the same for Ann Arbor!
EDIT TO ADD: How are jerseys selling in Ohio?
March 30th, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
Miss Moe's, Drake's,Bimbo's and the Pretzel Bell and Village Bell as they were in the 1960s.
The Village Bell had that very cool carpeted ceiling in the downstairs section. It was a great student hang out. (I had many-a pitchers of beer there-circa early and mid 1970s)
Definitely miss Moe’s Sports Shop.
Drake's is my first memory of going to Ann Arbor with my mom in the mid-70s. I always miss it and point out where it was to people.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
I was a student fall 1981 thru fall 1985, graduating with ChE degree.
1. Like the most:
A. Easier parking with E-meters and can pay with CC. Remember scrambling for loose change back in the day
B. So many more choices in post game or off-day visits to restaurants.
C. If we consider the stadium part of the experience, more johns (but miss the troughs).
D. North campus clock tower.
E. Kept most of the diag experience the same as 1980s feel.
2. Wish we had back:
A. Thano's Lamplighter pizza and greek food place on Liberty. That was a Monday night staple food while in South Quad and until it closed in 2006, a great post game haunt.
B. No more open fields on North Campus. Remember in 1985 playing softball with grad students, many from other countries. You could never strike out. Keep swinging the bat until you hit it in play somewhere. Followed by post game beer!
C. A more rustic Michigan Union with arcade games like Pacman and Galaga and Defender. Went there last year with my daughter, who's a student, and the place has become a glittery paradise, unlike my old days!
D. More arcade places (not sure what's left and what games are in there). Remember spending a lot of quarters at Pinball Pete's. Great way to end a night of studying by playing a few games before going home.
E. Diag preacher guy. I know, to some he was annoying but liked how people would debate him. Made you feel like you could have whatever view you wanted and express it. And then walk away no matter how you felt about the subject. That gave the place a feel of ancient Athens when people would debate topics at the town center.
Re: D Pinball Pete's is still there on South U (in the failed mall thing) or at least at was in the fall when I visited. The one upstairs on William has been gone for years.
I miss Schoolkids (and slightly less Discount) records as well as the original Borders and Shaman Drum. I also miss the newstand/book store that (Campus News?) that was under U Towers. Read (without purchasing) many music magazines there when I lived in East Quad.
Definitely sad that Village Corner is gone and I also think not having the Kroger at Broadway and Maiden Lane does make grocery shopping less accessible to campus.
The Merchant of Vino on Plymouth was a better fancy grocery/wine/deli than the Whole Foods that replaced it. Sad that Seva moved out to Westgate (though I like the new location of Jerusalem Garden). I enjoyed the Del Rio and Middle Kingdom downtown.
I personally miss Dave's Comics (upstairs of the corner of State and William), but Vault of Midnight downtown is objectively a better store..
I like Knight's Campus Location as an addition. Literati is a good bookstore..
I second all of this. The music industry shift made schoolkids impossible to keep going. But damn, that was amazing.
daves comics and williams Petes. Also classic.
I used to ride my bike to Dave's every week for the couple years I was into that kind of thing. Liberty to Ashley to William, ironically given some of the conversation now. It's not at all my cup of tea anymore, but I thought it was great at the time, and I was never that impressed by the Vault. Maybe by the time I got exposed to the Vault I wasn't plugged into the field enough anymore.
March 30th, 2023 at 10:09 PM ^
79-83 here: agree with all this, but would Drake’s Sandwhich shop, Pan Tree on Liberty, Wolverine Den on South U, Dooley’s and more…
March 30th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
I miss the Happy's on Main where you could grab a beer from the table on the way to the game with a DJ blasting music and wasted people puking in the parking lot.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Grew up in A2 from birth through the late 80s and am still there several times a year. I miss the old Hippie vibe: The (employee owned) Del Rio; Sunrise bakery, if I remember the name right; not Hippie, but Drakes candy shop, and Village Corner. Good additions to town include Star’s cafe at Westgate; the expansion of Zingerman’s over the years (read the book Small Giants for more info), including the Bakehouse and Ms. Kim’s; and recently, Wolverine Pickleball. Also the mini rapids, tubing, and boat livery at Argo Pond, which leads to much more active use of the river in Summer - good stuff!
I hate the removal of the one way streets around State and Liberty - boooo, much less pedestrian friendly now. I hope the bike lanes will pay off with more e-bikes and fewer cars over time. Tough in the winter though.
Huron ‘86.
Same...born and raised in A2 and lived there til I was 30 (born downtown in the old St. Joe's). Also graduated from Huron. Now live about 30 min north but visit frequently because my mom still lives there.
I don't recognize campus anymore. It just looks and feels so different to me from the 80s and 90s (was at UM 95-99). The Diag is one of the few places that still feels the same. Being a former MMB member, things have felt weird ever since they built the giant fancy tower and put down turf on Elbel Field, and now that they're moving the field completely and building a dorm...well, I'll lose even more connection to the MMB.
If I could bring back anything, I think original Blimpy Burger would be one, and Middle Earth. And the Ann Arbor Theater. Ack, I keep thinking of more and it just makes me sad. At least we have photos and memories.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Graduated ‘06 and moved back with family in ‘18. A lot has changed, but it’s still definitely the Ann Arbor I love. I thought I would spend a lot more time on campus going to places like Dominiks (have not been since I moved) then I actually do, but have discovered a lot about the actual city that I never new existed when I was a student.
Miss the loss of the South U corridor especially then 5 dollar lunch special by gold medal winning Chef Jan at China Gate, but Joes Pizza is pretty phenomenal, better than NYPD. Glad that Mr.Spots is still there.
Ann Arbor is a great place to raise a family, schooling is top notch and there are an abundance of things to do with kids especially if you add in all the UM sporting events.
Good call on China gate. Loved that place and was sad it shut down.
Huh. Guess I'm the outlier here but I got the worst food poisoning of my life at China Gate in 1996. It's something I try not to think about but it was 24 of the worst hours of my life.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
Parking is, and always has been, a challenge. The parking garages around town are good - though, getting in or out of them on a football weekend evening is not fun.
Turning East University into a Pedestrian walkway.. I like this. (East U is between what was once known as East & West Engineering - and, today may be referenced as East & West Halls).
Many universities around the country have been in a “building race” for over a generation.
The Fishbowl - upgrades to the UGLI (Shapiro) Library - all good.
Technology affords an ability / opportunity - perhaps created a requirement - to be connected everywhere. So, inventing study spaces all around campus is important.
The new buildings all over - both Central and North campuses - reflect advancements and provide facilities for the research the university is known for. I think the changes seem to be in character - or historical balance - with the rest of the university.
Essentially, the Diag - and atmosphere around it - haven’t changed in an inappropriate way.
Housing and “food” - the consolidated dining hall for the Hill dorms with associated revisions to dorms - or building “new” (North Quad) - also seems to be consistent.
Progress is impossible to slow down - and, Michigan’s academic strengths draw a lot of attention and interest.
So, what would I change? I’d create a university commuter rail between North, Medical, and Central campuses. This could have a few “waiting areas” - which would be covered - and run 24 hours a day - with “less frequent service” between, oh - 2:00 and 6:00 am. It would make it easier and more efficient to get between those campus areas - and, free up the roads from the bus traffic. IMO, it would make North Campus more accessible.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
The East University changes would be nice to keep as a permanent fixture, if you ask me, although right now, it is only in place because of the new building on South University. They needed crane clearance and they also transport materials through there on occasion from the vacant lot by Jimmy John's.
Creating a light rail line as you suggested is a splendid idea. Getting the plethora of university buses off of the busy streets would be a welcome change.
North, I think a light rail could be fantastic. It could be a showcase project for several departments at Michigan. I could envision this being solar powered, automated, and reflecting an intelligent design.
Because of everything underground and the Huron River, I’d imagine it would be above ground - and, though it might detract from the “feeling” of parts of the campus - the utility would improve the quality of student life - and movement between campuses.
It might be a great graduate project and an example of the University’s research in action.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
I rarely get to visit, but all the changes make me sad in a nostalgic way. It’s not my town anymore though it’s still mostly the same for college kids. Hard for me to explain it.
if I were king for a day, I’d fly in all my old friends, reopen Del Rio, and just hang out. and, if she were to come, I’d tell Elisabeth that I’m sorry that I blew it.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
Turning Circus 🎪 into "Cirque" and making it a sterile copy of every metal-stool wood-beams bar in existence.
RIP 50 cent PBR night.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
Lots of restaurants. I miss Drake's and Steve's Lunch. Drake's was such a unique place that could only exist on a college campus. Same with Steve's Lunch. Although not nearly as successful as Steve's, there's a similar place here in Evanston that just closed (not a great location, nowhere near the Northwestern campus). Owned by a Korean couple, it was a short order diner that also had a few Korean dishes, like bibimbap. I was in Ann Arbor a few years after Zingerman's opened. This was when it was just the one building on the corner and there were only four tables in the front. Ditto Pizza House -- it was just a bland frame house in the location where it is now and their menu was small and mostly focused on chipatis. I miss the old version.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
My favorite meal at Pizza House was the one I ate almost none of because I was nervous because it was the first date I had with my now wife. We strolled through the Diag after.
20.5 years ago now and still going strong. When a sports broadcast clips a shot of the clock tower I point it out to my kids.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
Oasis Hot Tub Gardens is still there as a place to take the ladies
March 30th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
Also miss Middle Kingdom on Main Street. A very Ann Arbor place. I remember being in there in recent years before it closed, and there was a caucasian student having a conversation in Chinese with the owner in the booth behind us.
Supposedly Mr. Tam, the man who owned Middle Kingdom, has/had another restaurant in Livonia or thereabouts? Used to go there all the time, it was our go-to after hockey games.
March 30th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
wtf is East Engineering?