Why does Ann Arbor keep landing on 'best of' lists that touch every aspect of life here?
People walk through Ann Arbor's 2012 Art Fair
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Are you exhausted yet?
Let's admit it, Ann Arbor is a great town, but these lists are getting ridiculous.
University of Michigan's campus
Recently Ann Arbor was ranked the No. 9 college town in America by Livability.com. Oddly enough, it was named the 10th-best college town in the country by the Princeton Review less than a week earlier. U.S. News and World Report, Forbes magazine, Away.com and the American Institute for Economic Research, among other publications, have also highlighted this city as being one of the best college towns in America.
In fact, it might be hard to find something Ann Arbor has not been ranked for.
Why do we appear on these lists so often? It could be that Ann Arbor is just that awesome or that the lists work like a snowball, gathering mass as they roll steadily downhill. But I'll get to that later — first let's survey the list mania that has more or less touched on every aspect of Ann Arbor.
Let's see: Are we a happy populace? Yup, according to The Daily Beast we're the fifth-happiest city in all 50 states. Is this a good place to get a job? Heck yes. According to U.S. News, Ann Arbor is the seventh-best city for finding a job and, according to The Atlantic Cities, the eighth-best city for recent college graduates.
Okay, okay. But are we smart? Yes, of course we are. Forbes in 2011 rated us as one of the geekiest towns in the U.S. (No. 16), U.S. News in 2011 rated us as the second most-educated town in the country, Amazon this year praised us for being the fourth best-read group of literates in the nation, and the Daily Beast in 2011 said we were the fourth-smartest college town in existence.
Is your head inflating?
So we're smart. But are we fun? According to the Princeton Review's recent rankings, students love to pack Michigan Stadium. American Style Magazine in 2011 dubbed Ann Arbor the sixth-best midsize "art destination" in America and the Daily Beast in 2012 said we were the fourth most-creative city in the country. And don't forget how happy we are (No. 5) and how easy it is to be single here (Kiplinger this year ranked Ann Arbor as one of the 10 best cities for singles).
Ann Arbor's Main Street
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Well geez, everyone must be flocking to Ann Arbor, bringing up the cost of living, right?
Wrong, and there's a ranking to prove it. MSN Real-estate ranked Ann Arbor one of the most affordable places to live (No. 6) in 2011. And you can grow old here too. The Milkin Institute recently ranked Ann Arbor the seventh-best city for successful aging and in 2011 Forbes listed this city as one of the best places to retire in the country.
If you don't want to grow old here, well, that's OK. This year Parenting Magazine ranked Ann Arbor as one of the best places to raise your family and educate your kids. Not ready to raise a family? No problem, ride a bike. Ann Arbor is ranked among the 50 most bike-friendly cities in the country (No. 39.)
Fear of bikes? Fine, take a walk. According to the Pedestrian Bicycle Information Center, Ann Arbor is a gold-level "walk friendly community."
If you don't want to live, work, raise a family, or grow old here, then visit. Travel & Leisure Magazine and Frommers, among countless others, have named Ann Arbor as a top vacation destination.
Whew. That was tiring. And I haven't even touched on how Ann Arbor is one of the gayest and dog-friendliest and sportiest towns in the U.S. (so say the rankings.).
University of Michigan director of community affairs Jim Kosteva recently joked that Ann Arbor's next ranking might possibly fall along the lines of "the seventh-best city for left-handed female entrepreneurs."
A photograph of Liberty Street in Ann Arbor showing the Michigan Theater, the State Theater and Borders Books during a winter evening.
A photograph of Liberty Street in Ann Arbor showing the Michigan Theater, the State Theater and Borders Books during a winter evening. This photograph is from wikipedia commons.
Hey, it's possible.
"It seems like every day there is another one," says Ann Arbor Visitors Bureau communications director Sydney Hawkins.
Hawkins isn't complaining. The rankings give Ann Arbor visibility, and a visible town means more visitors, and more visitors mean more revenue for local businesses.
But when you look at all of the rankings compiled —family, retirees, singles, students, kids, professionals— the lists beg the question: How could one place be the best for everything and absolutely everyone?
Hawkins admits that the thought has crossed her mind: "How could that necessarily be the case?" she asks.
So how is it that Ann Arbor is constantly featured on these lists? It's probably a mix of three things.
Thing one: Ann Arbor, simply put, is a cool town.
Thing two: Product placement. Ann Arbor has been featured on Pure Michigan ads, including ones that are broadcast throughout the nation. Additionally, the Visitors Bureau keeps in contact with travel writers and many list-keepers, making sure Ann Arbor is never far from their mind.
A view of Tower Plaza.
Mark Bialek | Contributor
Thing three: The snowball effect. If Ann Arbor makes it on one credible ranking, the pile on will follow soon afterward. For example, Ann Arbor recently ranked highly on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which studies the healthiness and lifestyle of a city's populace using scientific and measurable data. After that rating, Ann Arbor began popping up on lists all over the stratosphere.
"It kind of sparks a chain reaction," Hawkins said. "When people are looking for places to put on a list, they look a little bit harder at Ann Arbor because it's already on a list."
The exact combination of these factors, however, is unknown.
Yet the result is clear: Ann Arbor is a city plagued by lists and harassed by list-makers and just plain afflicted by being so utterly mind-blowing it can't possibly be ignored.
It might be tempting, in that case, to rank Ann Arbor as the most-ranked city in the nation. But that wouldn't get us anywhere, would it?
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
acedeucetownie
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 5:23 a.m.
I love Ann Arbor!!
Top Cat
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:39 p.m.
I just wish we had a minor league baseball team.
bobr
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 11:03 a.m.
It's a great city. Tons of stuff to do, sometimes makes an out of state vacation superflous. A lot of people who are unhappy with where they live, would be just as unhappy somewhere else.
brian
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 3:32 a.m.
You can have the crime in AA, I'll stay in Ypsi.
genetracy
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 1:56 a.m.
Do not forget "Best city to be homeless". The city is complete with a bleeding heart populance who love to enable the so called "downtrodden".
julieswhimsies
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
My town's better than your town....na na na na na na naaaa! Thanks, ONCE again for the laughs, posters!
julieswhimsies
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:22 a.m.
My name is on FAR too many lists! Consequently, my email box is always clogged.
Alan Goldsmith
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 7:57 p.m.
You left out newspapers.
Arboriginal
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 7:46 p.m.
Best know-it-all comments on a news blog!
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.
The answer should be obvious: we have a world-class university in the middle of our town. This means a very high percentage of our residents have advanced educations and the university draws in talent from all over the world. We're going to score high on these measures despite the mismanagement of our elected government.
Old Salt
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 5:11 p.m.
Ann Arbor is a wonderful town, I was born riased and educated here over 80 years go all we lack is a daily local newspaper as we had when the Ann Arbor News was published here.
joe.blow
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.
I know people love living here, but my wife and I can't wait to leave! This is probably one of the worst places we have ever lived, sorry. I know I'm going to get voted down to death for that comment.
a2citizen
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 5:10 a.m.
Are you still here?
julieswhimsies
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:26 a.m.
Move to Dexter. Quiet, small town living....You can walk everywhere. Nice new Library. There's the new Boardwalk and path to Hudson Mills that is ongoing...Nice, friendly people. If you need what Ann Arbor offers, it's just a few minutes away.
brian123
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 8:44 p.m.
Why do you and your wife dislike living in AA? Dont worry, I'm not trying to stir the pot - - just curious.
Tru2Blu76
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.
Notice the terminology is vague (almost certainly on purpose): "smartest" and the qualifier that A2 is "ranked" among other cities well down some of those lists. And of course the greatest vagueness is applied whenever the term "smartest" is used. LOL! Another thing is the 'other side of the coin" phenomenon; last week XFinity's webpage featured one of their almost daily "lists" ranking Ann Arbor 3rd among "best college football towns" -- yet we who actually live here know all about the party cup litter, the aggravating traffic and the fist fights which erupt every Saturday night during football season. So there's a good amount of IRONY to these lists. On one hand, Ann Arbor is a great "restaurant town" and is on the "most bike friendly" list -- ignoring that sometimes its very difficult to walk let alone ride a bicycle downtown when all those "great restaurants'" are blocking both the street AND extra-wide sidewalks because they like to have their "outdoor seating" to boost their profits.
An Arborigine
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:37 p.m.
I'm wondering how much advertising space was purchased by AA Convention and Visitors Bureau, etc. in these very same list-making publications? Often times, that is in direct proportion to favorable editorials and rankings...just a thought.
JBK
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.
All I know is that as an avid cyclist, the roads and sidewalks are in horrible shape! Many of the sidewalks have tree roots that cause the cement to crack and become uneven. The roads are equally bad with potholes and cracks. Sooooooooo, my hunch is that A2 will not win any awards for best roads and sidewalks.....lol
Linda Peck
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
Bring it on, it is all for the best. We do have it good here and we know it. I like positive stories and this is one for me.
Tesla
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3 p.m.
Make is that getting on the list originally begets being on the list because the list in meaningless and ya gotta have someone on it so....throw the people on from last year and add the town where my girlfriends mother lives and viola~! You have a top whatever list. That and I would hazard a guess that whoever makes these lists, within that group there is a tie to the University. I see people all over this town...."that never left" Those that did....never really do.
Tesla
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
My Take....it is supposed to say. If the kids that run this blog weren't so paranoid they would have an edit feature.
sharder
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:55 p.m.
I am continually baffled by Ann Arbor making these lists. I lived in Ann Arbor for 7 years. Maybe my experience is unique, but I never felt at home. There's nothing to do once you graduate from the University and I found most people to be cold, distant, and cliquey. I never made any real connections no matter how hard I tried. Once I moved to manhattan I was BLOWN away by how generous, open-hearted, friendly, and engaging new yorkers are. The difference was immediately noticeable. New York feels like more of a small town than Ann Arbor ever will be. The community is extraordinary. Everyone helps eachother out, and the local businesses I frequent in manhattan all remember my name. I can't walk down the street in my neighborhood without running into tons of people I know. I went to the same bank in ann arbor for 7 years and they barely remembered my face. I found Ann Arbor a cold cold place to be (and I'm not talking about the temperature). I never realized what I was missing until I moved away.
djacks24
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:32 p.m.
I suspect Ann Arbor will make the list of most likely to be overrun in a zombie apocalypse.
genetracy
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 1:59 a.m.
The city is already inhabitated by left wing zombies.
emueagles63
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
If you actually think a reviewer bases these ratings on actual city attribute, you are wrong. As a few others in this post have mentioned, A2 is simply paying to be on these lists. It is similar to a new movie. When you look at a commercial preview of a new movie you will see, "Best new movie of the summer! - Rolling Stones" That one credit is paid for. That goes the same for these top ten lists. A2 is nice, but I give more credit to its PR and marketing team. They are doing a great job getting on the lists. Many towns across the country that are better than A2 are not on as many lists.
M
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.
It is great for raising a family. Great for singles? Not unless one is under 25.
simone66
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 1:54 a.m.
Agreed.
jen777
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 6:08 p.m.
agreed
Adam Collins
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:56 p.m.
Having grown up in Ann Arbor, I was raised to fully appreciate and understand everything that this city has to offer it's citizens. I grew up proud of it, and I will admit with a slight bit of arrogance about it. But then I went to college at Eastern, and met a lot of other people from other cities, and I found out that a lot of people didn't like Ann Arbor for how much modesty they lacked. I largely agree with the majority of these lists, I think Ann Arbor is awesome. But at the same time, I think there needs to be a sense of modesty to go along with it. I don't want to be the person who wins something, then reminds everyone of it every chance I get. Unless we're soft-spoken about it, it doesn't matter how many lists this city tops.
genetracy
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 11:30 p.m.
Hey BM, I grew up in Ann Arbor in a blue collar family which put me in comtempt of your liberal elite. Culturally, is a great city but I always will have a problem with the left wing elitists in A2 who consider themselves the center of the universe.
Blue Marker
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
@genetracy, You've made several negative comments about Ann Arbor on this story alone. I just have to wonder why take to the time to read a site called "Ann Arbor.com" if you can't stand the place?
genetracy
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 2 a.m.
Modesty cannot be a trait of the arrogant.
J. Zarman
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:38 p.m.
Well-said, Adam!
Jared Mauch
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:40 p.m.
I happen to work from home. I could pick up tomorrow and relocate to anywhere else in the country. This area is great. I grew up on the west side of Ypsilanti and there has never been a reason to leave. Great food, great airport 20-40 mins away (I now live far west Ann Arbor), great city, world class hospitals, etc.. Simply put: There is no reason for me to leave. Do I wish some things were better in the area? Sure. We can always play these "what if" games.
Obediah
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:22 p.m.
One reason we're on these lists is because someone is taking the time to answer surveys from these magazines. In many cases to make the list, you have to answer their questions first. So someone's getting paid to fill out questionnaires and self-report on how wonderful A2 is.
brimble
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:14 p.m.
Snarky comments aside, the important takeaway from this is that we have to honestly ask ourselves: What is it that is most fundamental to all of these rankings, and how do we preserve and enhance the features which make Ann Arbor a great place to live? The problem is that in the answers, we'll all reflect our own biases. Artists will champion 1% for art, professors will credit the University, the Mayor will credit city government, the DDA will credit Main St., and so on. How, really, can we maintain what is great and keep living here affordable?
infrequent visitor
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:10 p.m.
It is alphabetically before the other towns and bored voters just check the first one.
rusty shackelford
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:04 p.m.
It's a matter of demographics. It's a town that is largely comprised of highly educated people who either get paid a lot (doctors) or get to work a large portion of their time on whatever they want with minimal accountability (academics). If you are in one of those demographics, of course living here is awesome b/c you have to live here to get those perks. If you're not, the town has its charms, but it's no better than average and way too expensive.
clownfish
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:49 p.m.
Don't like A2 or the people? No problem, you won't even have to worry about the door hitting you in the behind, just head out on any highway and wave goodbye.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 6:24 p.m.
So, by this logic, you should have moved to Canada while Bush was president?
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:15 p.m.
clownfish.....I never go to Ann Arbor unless I have to.How about the people who never go east of Carpentder and post outright lies about Ypsi and Ypsi Twp ?
clownfish
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:02 p.m.
Nope. I don't even live in A2. I just wonder why people spend so much time complaining about A2, and continue to live there. If it's such a horrible place, and the people are so snobby, arrogant and too liberal...LEAVE!
Brad
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:59 p.m.
What - are you the greeter or something?
Ron Granger
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:47 p.m.
Another list A2 surely ranks high on: "Most subject to envious and bitter commenters from outside the area"
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:11 p.m.
" most envious" not quite.Refer to my arrogance comment
G-Man
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:44 p.m.
I suspect it's because there are more liberals per square inch than any other place this size. It's a place where people can stay up into the am and then get into trouble to make the news the next morning. The other thing is that due to the Hospitals and the University, there is an abundance of money, as they can charge what ever they want, so that they can pay their people whatever they want, hence the insulation from the rest of the State as to the depressed real estate prices everywhere except A2. Employees still make great wages and can spend all they want whilst sitting in the little sidewalk areas sipping their lattes. It's not like that in the rest of the depressed State and the lib's that write the stories just wish they could have of part of it ..........
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 5:36 p.m.
Blue...Yea, open minds.As long as you are left wing , tree hugging liberal you are fine.
Blue Marker
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:53 p.m.
Oh, I can't stand those liberals! With their open minds to other races, religions and sexual orientations. They're ruining this country by trying to take church out of government and letting women make their own decisions regarding their bodies. It's just wrong! (now that's good sarcasm)
annarboral
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:34 p.m.
How much money does the city of Ann Arbor spend in assisting all these rating services? What do you want to bet the city has full time people assigned to that task instaed of to patroling the streets?
DDOT1962
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:46 p.m.
Are you for real?
chrisbo
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:32 p.m.
The caption for the last photo should be "A view of Tower Plaza" (the one on E. William, not S. University). Also, were you not able to find a less blurry photo of Liberty Street? ;)
Kellie Woodhouse
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.
Thanks. It appears the photo was uploaded in the wrong resolution. I've changed it and it should look good now.
GoNavy
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.
Well, let's take a step back and analyze what "best" means. I get the distinct feeling that "best" is not used in its true superlative form. Rather, Ann Arbor is a great value proposition - that is, "best bang for the buck," perhaps in the categories discussed. Is Ann Arbor the "best" city in the US to live? Hardly. Manhattan, San Francisco, and a host of other cities take the cake long before Ann Arbor enters the picture. Those cities have great culture, eateries, social populations, living, etc. However, all are very expensive. The authors likely want us to understand that, while we aren't getting the "best" of the US, it's pretty good here when taking into consideration what we're paying for it.
mohomed
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:13 p.m.
Ypsi is a college town too. Why don't they ever make any of these lists?
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 6:21 p.m.
@emueagles; That door seems to swing both ways. Just look at the posts every time some UM student gets their ipod swiped during a party or something. But, sure, if it makes you feel better, it's a vast conspiracy (or whatever).
emueagles63
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3 p.m.
I wonder why there were three comments on here that violated AnnArbor.com's conversation guidelines. I find it sad that many people in A2 disrespects Ypsilanti the way they do. Its like no city within a mile radius of Ann Arbor can be a good place - place darkness on others so that you can shine. Why can't two college towns that aren't rivals on any sport or even comparable in academic status work together.
A2Realilty
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:04 p.m.
Is there a list for the grumpiest collection of regular commentors on area news websites? If so, Ann Arbor would be a mainstay there as well. I swear that some of these commentors would complain about a person walking down the street handing out free $20 bills and letting you pet a puppy.
music to my ear
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.
I like going to ypsi and guess what. it not as busy as a2. u of m has thier little reputation , because of thier money they horde but over at Eastern those are some great people willing to share. the U of M could help so many but they just keep the money and spend it on ridulous stuff like up grading "THE BIG HOUSE". A2 is overrated but I am not a hater
CynicA2
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.
Yup... the $20s are probably stolen, and the dog probably has fleas.
Terri Eagen-Torkko
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:37 p.m.
WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES?! (I'm kidding and I agree with you.)
craigjjs
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:42 a.m.
I think it depends a great deal on the demographics of the city involved. The boundaries are going to greatly influence all of these conclusions. If a boundary is relatively close to a large university, it is going to show high educational levels. If the boundary is further away, that influence starts to recede. In short, while it is nice to see Ann Arbor positively perceived, I am not sure how valid the observations are.
Brad
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
Just wait until that list of "most overrated" comes out ...
Doug
Wed, Sep 19, 2012 : 2:23 a.m.
Right on, Jen. For all its attributes, there's a snobbishness and doucheyness in Ann Arbor that's almost unrivalled.
jen777
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 6:06 p.m.
totally agree - family life is nice here and there are arts but not sure i call it a great city. shopping and restaurants very limited and not much unique.m people are not as friendly to newcomers as oritrayed. there is a snobbish atitude here and property taxes seem high here
a2gretta
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:34 a.m.
How is it possible to ignore the value of the universities here? Many people around the world recognize Ann Arbor because they know it is the home of the University of Michigan (and its Wolverines). If UM and EMU were plucked from this town and plopped elsewhere, many of those well-read, geeky people would follow.
djacks24
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:15 p.m.
I thought I had to pass into Ypsi to go to class too...
Paul Taylor
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.
EMU is not located in Ann Arbor. I know this because I went there, and distinctly recall having to visit Ypsilanti so to do.
northside
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:33 a.m.
The real question is why annarbor.com keeps reporting on these lists. Most are cobbled together from demographic data. Sometimes the data reflects a reality about the town, other times it misses the mark. Do we really need an article every time one is published?
RedSchwinn
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 6:42 p.m.
I'm sure it's the same editorial philosophy that encourages breathlessly reporting that any U-M team or player is named high in anybody's ranking, no matter how obscure the source. Call it local interest. And if you're not one of the interested locals, ignore it.
Paula Gardner
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:45 a.m.
We talk about it in the office just about every time a list comes out. Some seem like big events, but some - not so much. We feel like giving Ann Arbor the chance to know the list is out there is part of our role in this town.
Wolf's Bane
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:27 a.m.
Best places to live and best places to work are paid promotional advertisements and mean nothing. How do I know this? Because I've lived and worked at many places that were higher on these "best of list" and thy were horrific. Enjoy the hype.
simone66
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:14 a.m.
When I lived on the East coast, my mother kept asking me when I was moving back to Michigan, in the immediate Detroit area. I told her that if I move back, there's only one city in Michigan I wanted to live in, and that's Ann Arbor. Especially living for 5 years in metro areas like DC and Manhattan, it did not appeal to me to live in other areas of SE Michigan that lacked the diversity, cultural richness, per capita of highly educated, and liberal ideologies that is prevalent here in Ann Arbor. It's great that the city is making all these lists, but I don't want to see lists become too silly or narrowly focused on things that don't matter.
Doug
Wed, Sep 19, 2012 : 2:21 a.m.
Simone: Diversity?? Oh, yes: Ann Arbor has all kinds of wealthy, bourgeois folks.
djacks24
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:32 p.m.
"It's great that the city is making all these lists, but I don't want to see lists become too silly or narrowly focused on things that don't matter." It's too late..
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:14 a.m.
How about a list of cities that wastes tax payers money ?
Bcar
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:24 p.m.
Number 1! Number 1!
Domey
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:57 a.m.
[sarcasm]Just remember, you don't get to be American Style Magazine's 2011 sixth-best midsize "art destination" in America by buying $200K water sculptures. You have to spend at least $750K. Fortunately, we have forward thinkers leading us.[/sarcasm]
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:51 p.m.
"If you must twice state that your comment is sarcasm, it is not very effective." They offer computer classes at WCCC. In the mean time, do a search on HTML and see if you can figure something out.
Hmm
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:35 p.m.
Craigjjs
craigjjs
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:38 a.m.
If you must twice state that your comment is sarcasm, it is not very effective. [criticism]
average joe
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:46 a.m.
We must have come to the end of "the best of" lists, so now we have a story summarizing "the best of" lists.
Soulful Adrenaline
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:58 a.m.
lol
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:39 a.m.
According to my list Ann Arbor ranks # 1 for snobbyness ,arrogance and hypocrisy
David Paris
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:39 p.m.
The consensus would seem to disagree, maybe some sensitivity training is in order?
observer
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 9:25 p.m.
well educated, but lack the common sense to come out of the rain.....not to mention no street smarts....
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.
Bluemaker.....I hate to break the news to you but " this area " is not solely composed of Ann Arbor.Again, my arrogance comment
Veracity
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:08 p.m.
Hey, Itchy, did you know that we have some of the smartest people on the planet in Ann Arbor? -:)
Blue Marker
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.
@tdw, why stay if it's so horrible? You've lived in an area for almost 50 years that you can't stand?
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:04 p.m.
Skigrl50...Nope, I don't look for it.I've been in this area for 49yrs.I live in a world of reality and don't keep my head in the sand.All you have to do is to look at this site
skigrl50
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:51 a.m.
Perhaps you are only looking for that... I have found Ann Arbor to have very friendly and down to earth people. You can typically find snobby and arrogant people in any town in the world, you will find them if that is what you are looking for!
Jeffersonian
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:21 a.m.
Don't touch my caviar.
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:11 a.m.
Itchy.....Educated fools ?
Itchy
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:02 a.m.
I agree tdw. I am sure we will see at least one comment to this article bragging that we have some of the smartest people on the planet in Ann Arbor.
annarbortownie
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:36 a.m.
Wish Ann Arbor could land on a list of cities that preserves, respects and maintains it historic buildings and neighborhoods rather than tearing down only to construct ugly, boring buildings for developers!
snapshot
Wed, Sep 19, 2012 : 3:16 a.m.
Get over it. You don't get to make up or change the rules of the game to satisfy your whims.
Floyd
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:36 a.m.
High taxes = lots of services = great life
A2Boiler
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.
There is no way that Ann Arbor provides 10X the services of what was provided in Fishers, IN (my previous residence) for 1/10 of the taxes.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 2:41 p.m.
Feel free to write a check for any amount you like, Floyd.
Bcar
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:23 p.m.
highER taxes = LOSS of services, but more art, and more expensive parking garages, and wanting stupid/not needed/expensive library and train station = even higher taxes!
Jeffersonian
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:19 a.m.
If that theory works we could go to heaven by raising the taxes even higher! Unfortunately high taxes do not necessarily translate into better services. Money is misused and squandered all the time. Just look at a list of the golden parachutes given to many former city employees. Berlin cut a sweetheart deal and bolted town after just a few years of service. We all still pay for that. But feel free to pay more if you like- it's an option.
KJMClark
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:33 a.m.
It's a great town. Those of us who live here work hard to keep it that way, regardless of the cranks and charlatans who regularly post here. Except for the weather, which is not so bad if you enjoy water and winter sports, there's a lot here to like. The University being here plays a big part.
Dcam
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
Provincial comes to mind quite often.
Billy
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.
WAIT WHAT?? EXCEPT FOR OUR WEATHER? Maybe you haven't looked at the radar much of the past couple years.......rain usually disparate as it reaches our city...and then reforms after it passes us. We've had unusually mild weather for several years now.....note that I said WE have had unusually mild weather....all the surrounding communities can't say the same. My explanation for this is simple.........we have a High Druid who lives here.....bending the elements to their will.
Chip Reed
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:48 a.m.
So, you're complaining about the people who complain here? I'm certainly glad that it doesn't take one to know one...
tdw
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:09 a.m.
Amen there Goober
Goober
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:55 a.m.
We should be best at insulting people of different opinions.