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A reader writes in with

A reader writes in with five reasons Ann Arbor doesn’t suck:

  1. Dominos Pizza originated from Ann Arbor.
  2. Borders
  3. Andrew W.K.
  4. Iggy Pop
  5. Bob Seger

Were it not for the inclusion of Iggy Pop and Andrew W.K., we’d think he was being ironic (Borders? Now?) but that appears not to be the case. These may in fact be the five exports A2 is best known for, and, whatever else you may think about them, it’s a pretty unpretentious list, considering their source. Salon even ran a piece recently that gamely tried to rehabilitate the “monumentally unhip” Seger on the basis of his unfussy “sturdiness.”

11 Responses to “A reader writes in with”


  1. Domino's Pizza and Borders would top my list of why Ann Arbor DOES suck. Guess it depends on perspective.

    posted by Nick on November 22nd, 2003 at 12:55 am

  2. Wait — Domino's Pizza? I haven't eaten that since my stepmom came home one day from a NOW meeting when I was 8 and explained to me that Domino's wanted me to die in an alley from coat hanger-related injuries. Domino's pizza is the number one reason that Ann Arbor is cool? Christ, at least Pittsburgh feels ashamed about Christina Aguilera.

    posted by onegotaway on November 22nd, 2003 at 12:57 am

  3. Well, before the strike broke out, I'd always thought of Borders as a good thing - growing up in a place where Crown and Waldenbooks were the only bookstores, it was pretty cool when Borders and Barnes and Noble moved in.

    As for Domino's, yeah, but it's funny that it's Ann Arbor's best-known food company.

    posted by ann arbor is overrated on November 22nd, 2003 at 1:08 am

  4. A pizza chain with an AA origin that is known more for delivery time than pizza hardly makes AA cool. Based on this criteria, I guess where ever Little Caesars started operations has a chance to be a place that could be 'cool'.

    posted by Jon on November 22nd, 2003 at 6:51 am

  5. Iggy and Andrew would not exist without Ypsi and its trailer parks / punk corners. Like an eggless chicken childhood.

    posted by Leighton on November 22nd, 2003 at 9:44 am

  6. Borders, before it became a chain, was half the reason I came to school here.

    onegotaway– that's a pretty progressive stepmom you got; don't think I'd explain that to my 8-year-old stepdaughter in those terms…

    posted by Mer on November 22nd, 2003 at 12:13 pm

  7. My friend-of-a-friend (both high on a Fast Food Nation buzz) information says that of all the pizza companies, Domino's is the best. Take that for what it's worth.

    Speaking of Domino's… I think if we had a 250 foot cross at 23 and 14 that would put Ann Arbor into Cool City™ territory. Think of the culture jamming possibilities: a giant sign saying “Avoid the Noid” or “He died so that you could get pizza in 30 minutes or less” or just rig up the wounds of the crucifixion to squirt pizza sauce.

    posted by George on November 23rd, 2003 at 1:06 am

  8. I should clarify that when I allege Domino's is the best, I mean in quality of ingredients. I don't know too much more because I strive for willful ignorance when it comes to my food sources.

    posted by George on November 23rd, 2003 at 1:09 am

  9. well, I dont eat dominos, but the real reason dominos is so 'great' or what it really stands for is pizza delivery. Wasn't that his big pionering move? if so then with no dominos we would have no pizza delivery!

    As to Leighton's remarks, do you know for a fact that Iggy and Andrew hung out in Ypsi? Or are you just so anti-A2 and pro-ypsi that you assume that? just curios, please educate me if there is cool stuff to share.

    Borders was great for ann arbor cause it filled the void where jacobsons left. I dont go in there now with the strike, but used to get some magazines that are hard to get from them; the Nation, Juxtapose and a few others. Anybody know where else to get a copy of Juxtapose around here???? Please must know!!!

    posted by just a voice on November 23rd, 2003 at 12:32 pm

  10. To the best of my knowledge, Iggy was born/raised in Ypsi. He went to high school in Ann Arbor, though, and his first band was The Iguanas. The liner notes to their album have a copy of the flyers he put up when he was running for student council, but I can't remember which high school…

    posted by Murph on November 23rd, 2003 at 7:25 pm

  11. Look, first off, the only really good pizza in town is Anthony's, which is kinda like sayign that Zingermans is the best deli in town. They're both too fucking expensive.
    And Dominos blows. There is an amusing story about how it and Argeiros got started, both from the Ur-type of Dominics.
    Having gone to high school with Andrew WK I know that while he lived in Ann Arbor, it was the Ypsi music scene (and Bulb Records in particular, even though they're from Adrian) who got him started. And Iggy grew up in a trailer park off of Carpenter.
    As for Juxtapose- try Shaman Drum or Nicolas. Both should have it.

    posted by js on November 24th, 2003 at 10:22 am