AnnArbor.com launches six new neighborhood pages for the city of Ann Arbor
This map shows the breakdown for the new neighborhood pages for the city of Ann Arbor on AnnArbor.com.
We’ve divided the city up into six core areas separated primarily by zip code. Why? There are a few reasons. First, we determined that sectioning Ann Arbor off into pieces any smaller would not generate enough news to be sustainable or useful. We also know that many data sets and maps use zip code boundaries to break the city up. And zip code boundaries here naturally fall in places where folks already seem to geographically define themselves as living in - how often have you heard someone say, “I live on Ann Arbor’s North Side,” or “I live on the West Side of the city”?
Of course there are many smaller neighborhoods that are strong and active in our city - places such as Burns Park, the Old West Side and Ann Arbor Hills are bonafide neighborhoods and will be treated as such within the context of our larger geographical divides.
Our new neighborhood pages include spots for local news generated by our staffers and local community bloggers, and also features our Got News? Tell Us portal which anyone can use to post a local story. Each page also has a slideshow of photos taken in that neighborhood, community data sets, a community guide that showcases a biography of the neighborhood and links to local resources. The data sets feature school population and demographic information, local real estate numbers and statistics about the area from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Each neighborhood pages also includes links to homes for sale in that specific area.
What I’m most excited about with the launch of these pages is that now, there’s finally a place for microlocal community news that hasn’t seemed to have a real place in traditional media in recent years.
News like who won the elementary school spelling bee. Who traveled to Europe last week and came back with some great stories. Why everyone’s favorite safety guard hasn’t been seen for a few weeks. Why mailboxes keep getting knocked over on a specific street. How much the Girl Scouts raised in last week’s bake sale. Why the hockey team is holding a fundraiser at the corner gas station. Who’s buying the house on the corner that’s been vacant for three years.
We plan to work diligently to get such news up on AnnArbor.com, and we invite you to share. Consider your neighborhood’s page on AnnArbor.com as a hub of information, a place to read news and submit your own stories, photos and ideas. If you’ve got something to share, post it on your neighborhood’s page using our Got News? Tell Us box. If you have photos, email them to us so we can post them.
Let me know what you think - email your feedback to community@annarbor.com.
Stefanie Murray is the Community Director for AnnArbor.com. Contact her at stefaniemurray@annarbor.com or 734-623-2571.
Comments
Blicero
Mon, Mar 1, 2010 : 10:13 a.m.
Not to be a stickler but surely the previous neighborhood links were infinitely more "microlocalized" than these new areas, no?. Also, I can only imagine the amount of griping we will see if "AnnArbor".com treats Ypsilanti as a AA neighborhood. There's already enough chips on those shoulders.
Ryan Munson
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 11:14 p.m.
Want to do something amazing? Integrate Ann Arbor Observer articles if you don't already. If you do, great!
mibadger
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 5:46 p.m.
This is a great idea! Two suggestions,though: 1. To clear up any confusion, you might want to change the elementary schools to reflect that Bryant is the k - 2 school and Pattengill is 3 - 5. 2. We are in the Pioneer district area, as well, so news about both Pioneer and Huron would be appropriate. Thanks!
Bryce
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 2:19 p.m.
These are great! I particularly like reading the individual community profile articles. I grew up on the West Side, and the article gave me pleasant flashbacks to walking to grade school through Eberwhite woods, and summer afternoons eating bear claw ice cream at Washtenaw Dairy. Thanks!
Grumpy
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 1:11 p.m.
I'm sure aa.com studied various ways to divide the areas and had a good reason for not doing it by ward. However, I think it could still be interesting if aa.com created a message board for each ward to entice council reps (especially those up for election) to participate in active discussions with their constituents. I'm sure they are all good about responding to emails on an individual basis, but a blog might lead to a more open discussion about ward and town issues, upcoming meet and greets, council meeting decisions and opinions, etc. On another note, it is neat to see this website constanty morphing into a better and better product. It is not even a year old and yet I think it could already serve as a pretty good model for other community papers that will go in this direction in the future.
Carrie Rheingans
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 12:31 p.m.
@Stefanie - will do. Thanks for letting us have the opportunity to contribute photos of our communities! I might even send some snowy pics before spring :-)
ScioReader
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:36 a.m.
Not to keep harping on the same topic, but the surrounding townships need this type of coverage as well. Please try to add these as soon as possible!
Julie
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:19 a.m.
I just looked at some of the pages, and they are wonderful!!! I can see how difficult it is to divide into regions -- you will never make everyone happy. But I agree with your divisions, think they make sense. And the pages look great. I love the inclusion of homes for sale. Well done.
catcal
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.
I hate to be the one to say it, but these map divisions are atrocious! Both the names and the percentage of area covered in each "neighborhood." The "Central Ann Arbor" neighborhood is poorly named and unnecessary. Why is Ann Arbor South so small, in comparison with West, North and Central? Use the direction names (north, south, east, west) to describe all the neighborhoods that are not downtown or campus, make those areas more equitable in size and do away with Central all together. I realize this probably won't happen since it's already been decided. Sad.
Beth
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 9:09 a.m.
What about those of us who fall outside the City of AA boundaries but still consider ourselves a part of the community? I live SE of town - Ypsi mailing address, Pittsfield Twp. taxes, AA schools. I find it irritating that a huge area which attends AA schools - the apartment complexes and manufactured home park off Michigan Ave., the neighborhoods of Ashford Village, Oakengates, Hickory Pointe, Willow Pond, etc. - are all excluded from your "neighborhoods". There are probably similar situations in other areas around AA. If you're planning to cover the school communities, please also do us the courtesy of including everyone who lives in those schools' attendance areas.
Carrie Rheingans
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 8:48 a.m.
I live in South Ann Arbor, which has more than just Briarwood... I just looked at the pictures at the top of each neighborhood page, and the other residential areas have houses or a nice mural. Is South AA only important because of the freaking mall? What about the variety of businesses that feature many different cultures along Packard? Or some of the parks? Or even more houses - maybe even some of the low-income houses that are in South Ann Arbor (gasp! LOW income?! yes. it exists in AA).
stephanie
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 7:01 a.m.
I think this is a great idea. I would love to see a section where people could talk about their neighborhood associations. I live in Foxfire and our association has repeatedly refused to enforce the bylaws and seem to go out of their way to defend people who violate them. If we could have a section on neighborhood associations and who is doing a good job and who isn't then perhaps we could get some accountability for the money we pay in dues.
Ubish
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 6:46 a.m.
still no ypsilanti neighborhood? I get that the website is "AnnArbor.com", but you certainly post your share of news from ypsi.