We’re Asking Ourselves the Same Question
A while ago, we posted a Talk About Town item about Ann Arbor’s then-upcoming appearance in Skylights, the in-flight magazine of Spirit Airlines. One of our readers actually flew Spirit recently and send along a few excerpts from the piece, entitled “Ann Arbor: Hip, Artsy, Diverse, Cutting Edge.” (Disclaimer: we didn’t actually see a copy of this. We’re relying on our correspondent’s gracious transcription.)
A brief look at the students on campus will quickly tell you that this is
not your average “preppy” matriculation… all walks of life are
represented here. The sidewalk cafes and cappuccino bars are bustling with
book-carrying young adults: many dressed in Navy pea coats, tie-dyed
shirts, clogs and ponytails. And those are just the men! Much of the
student body originates from New York and the rest of the East Coast and
brings with it an extra “hipness” with wardrobes of the latest designer
fashion trends for Soho and Fifth Avenue. That adds even more “cool” to
the already “cool” culture that runs rampant througout the entire town.…
It’s easy to see why the Ann Arbor region is so popular. The diversity is
“cool,” the culture is “cool,” and the historical sites are, well, “cool.”
We’re still asking ourselves: “Is there anything this area doesn’t have?”
latest designer fashion trends for Soho and Fifth Avenue
Apparently, craploads of North Face jackets have been the latest designer fashion trends for years and years.
posted by icecreammotor on April 23rd, 2004 at 8:58 amI smell a bribe.
posted by Anna on April 23rd, 2004 at 9:18 amA Gap. It doesn’t have a Gap.
posted by colleen on April 23rd, 2004 at 9:24 amI have a hard time believing this is real.
posted by Anonymous on April 23rd, 2004 at 9:28 amwell, gee, they could have said, besides nice weather, what doen’t Ann Arbor have, at least the best city list guy doesn’t ignore that one minor fact
posted by Just a Voice on April 23rd, 2004 at 9:34 amAfter touring the country for years (in situations that usually take me directly to the heart of every college town) I can say this in all truth: Ann Arbor has the ugliest students in the nation.
posted by Leighton on April 23rd, 2004 at 10:17 amYouth and $$ apparently cannot help these unfortunate kids.
This might indirectly make AA less overrated to married couples who want to be surrounded by youth and to be reminded that they are older - but not uglier.
These articles about cities in airline mags are really marketing pieces, written to entice people to that particular destination served by the airline. They are as reliable as the tourist mags you see in motel rooms - that is, not at all.
posted by tom on April 23rd, 2004 at 10:36 amWhereas real New Yorkers know that all the “hip” fashions are actually in little boutiques in the East Village. Only tourists and rich people from the UES shop in Soho and on 5th.
posted by Alex on April 23rd, 2004 at 12:52 pmOk that’s all the ‘cool’ I can take. I’m swearing off cool forever.
It’s time to show those evil spuds what’s what.
posted by Steven on April 23rd, 2004 at 2:02 pmLeighton, I take it you’ve never been to Buffalo or Rochester.
posted by Boris on April 23rd, 2004 at 2:57 pmIronically we just bypassed Buffalo and Rochester two weeks ago for the southern NY (non-toll) route. It’s been years since I’ve been there. I assume the chemicals from unused photo film plants are being used at SUNY branches as drink mixers?
This may have the same effect on Upsate NY students’ ugliness as on the U of M kids stupid enough to canoe on the Huron?
posted by Leighton on April 23rd, 2004 at 3:54 pmThat article somehow managed to make Ann Arbor sound like a worse place then it actually is.
posted by James on April 23rd, 2004 at 4:06 pmEek. It’s articles like this that make me understand why you all hate Ann Arbor. And I hate pea coats, tie-dyed shirts, clogs, and ponytails.
Sufjan Stevens is playing tomorrow night, though. That’s kinda cool.
posted by snickerdoodle on April 23rd, 2004 at 4:59 pmI had no idea that the presence of people dressed with “wardrobes of the latest designer fashion trends for Soho and Fifth Avenue” was indicative of a clientele that comes from “all walks of life.” Besdies, on the east coast, people who are known for shopping for designer fashion trends on Fifth Avenue aren’t called “hip.” They’re called “snobs.”
And… men!… with… ponytails! What kind of crazy town is this?
posted by DeanC on April 23rd, 2004 at 5:37 pmWonder if any of these cool folks will be taking the SUV to tomorrow’s Earth Day fest in Kerrytown.
posted by Laura on April 23rd, 2004 at 7:14 pmyup i guess that must have been the type of propoganda that had you all so interested before you ever even came here. Sorry to dissappiont.
posted by Dan on April 23rd, 2004 at 7:57 pmIs everyone here a student?
posted by not a student on April 23rd, 2004 at 8:24 pmOne of my favorite descriptors is “an A&R-guy-ponytail.”
posted by js on April 23rd, 2004 at 8:41 pmTo “not a student”: no.
posted by Laura on April 23rd, 2004 at 9:24 pmYeah, I’m sure everyone who’s lived in a city before coming here wonders all the time what this area doesn’t have.
And yes, Dan, these are exactly the sorts of things many of us were told to convince us to move here. Why is it that this place is so uncomfortable just admitting that it’s a quiet, unremarkable white-collar suburb that happens to have a good university in it? It’s not the end of the world.
posted by Nick on April 23rd, 2004 at 9:45 pmWho’re you callin’ ugly?
I’m sorry to tell you guys this, but after staying in Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron the past 3 nights, I’m really glad to be back in this town.
posted by Brandon on April 23rd, 2004 at 10:10 pmi’m beginning to wonder if ann arbor has a soul.
posted by Sara on April 24th, 2004 at 12:23 pmWonder no more, Sara - it doesn’t. No aspect of this place is remotely consonant with it having a soul.
posted by Nick on April 24th, 2004 at 11:23 pmHooray for the Devo reference.
posted by Osso Bucco Myelitis on April 25th, 2004 at 12:09 amAnn Arbor? Soul? Well, Ann Arbor is a whore, so I suppose it has a soul?
Sorry…
posted by Engineer Guy on April 25th, 2004 at 1:57 amLet’s remind ourselves that Ann Arbor is the -headquarters- for Spirit Airlines. Spirit loves A2? No shit, Sherlock. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you and you don’t dis the ugly sons and daughters of the execs.
posted by jules on April 25th, 2004 at 3:35 amCome on now, are the people here *really* that ugly? The undergrad chicks I see around don’t look that much different from the ones I’ve seen in other places. Although they dress way worse. People should not leave their houses in sweat pants. Or flip-flops. Or shorts with stuff written across their ass. Or their thongs showing on top of their super low-rider pants. Like I want to see you flossing your ass. As if.
Yeah, I think it’s mainly just the guys who are ugly here. Ha ha ha ha.
posted by Alex on April 25th, 2004 at 11:41 amThe scary part is that you’re seeing that thong-hanging-out ass-flossage thing in middle schools now. Yikes. What 12-yr-old needs to be wearing a thong?
posted by Sara on April 25th, 2004 at 2:07 pmNot to contradict you, Jules, but Spirit’s HQ is now Fort Lauderdale, FL (according to their website). Which also speaks volumes about the article.
And having just moved here from San Francisco last August … two observations: 1. You ain’t seen ugly and tie-dyed ’til you’ve spent time at Haight and Ashbury these days. Apparently, when they get their expensive degrees from UM, they drive to SF and … age. And 2. AA = Cool?! Of all the discoveries we’ve made about this place since we moved here, that one continues to rank #1 on this Okie boy’s list of Most Laughable Things About A-Square-ders.
I know the question was rhetorical, but ‘Is there anything this area doesn’t have?’ Yes. People with a sense of humor and driving skills.
posted by Steve on April 26th, 2004 at 9:00 pmI’m with you on the driving, Steve. A2’s a place that can really make you understand George Carlin’s joke that there are two kinds of drivers: morons and lunatics.
posted by Sam on April 26th, 2004 at 9:42 pm