In Which We Talk About Ourself
The first post of this weblog (which we don’t necessarily suggest you go back and read) appeared on May 17, 2002. It seems a little self-indulgent to have a second-year-and-one-day anniversary post, but here it is.
A lot has changed since then. When we started doing this, it was mainly because we wanted to have a blog on some very specific topic that hadn’t been done yet. A search for “ann arbor blogs” yielded next to nothing (although Goodspeed Update predates us, somehow we didn’t discover it until later.) Hating Ann Arbor seemed about as specific and unmined a topic as you could get.
In some ways, Ann Arbor is a lot less overrated now than when we started. Oh, it’s not any better - it’s just less overrated. Even the News has developed some self-awareness, tempering its boosterism with a little skepticism. Whether it’s due to the Cool Cities campaign, competition from Ypsi or just one of those overvaluation/backlash cycles, the idea of Ann Arbor as Midwestern utopia is no longer unquestioned. The idea of Ypsi being cool was barely on the radar as recently as a year ago; now it’s almost a contrarian position to prefer A2.
It’s not, of course, un-overrated enough for us to stop doing this. And we have to be around for the coming counterbacklash.
But the main thing that’s changed is the explosion of blogs. A search for “ann arbor blogs” will now get you ArborBlogs, a thriving community of blogs from all over the A2 area (in which Ypsi is geographically, but probably not enthusiastically, included.)
A reader once wrote that she felt sorry for us, that we should make some friends here and stop being so miserable. But we’ve met so many amazing people through this site that her sympathy was misplaced. Doing this blog about how much we hate Ann Arbor has made us much, much happier here.
Happy blogday. I also have met lots of cool people, which led to lots of cool experiences, through my own blog, for which, like you, I’m thankful for.
posted by Laura on May 18th, 2004 at 8:21 pmCongratulations.
Man, you were right about the east coast all along. It’s nice being in a real city.
posted by rjwhite on May 18th, 2004 at 8:30 pmWe love you, AAiO.
posted by Brandon on May 18th, 2004 at 8:58 pmI second Laura’s happy blogday wishes. I know that my day is a little brighter in this gray town because of AAIO. You really should have come to Cinco de Mayo. Turns out I make a supremely tasty frozen margarita.
posted by Alex on May 18th, 2004 at 8:59 pmAw, everyone. Alex - I wanted to go, but I turned in my prelim paper that day and I was just
exhausted.
RJ - good to hear the East Coast is still rocking on. I’ll have to put you in the “ex-Michigan” column now.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 18th, 2004 at 9:03 pmWhat prompted you to adopt the “we” point-of-view?
posted by jj on May 18th, 2004 at 9:34 pmI always liked the “we” references of James Taranto, this conservative Wall Street Journal blogger whose style seemed just the right mix of arch and befuddled (he’s since become a little more partisan and less entertaining.) I used to refer to myself as “Ann Arbor Sucks,” the old name of the blog, but it got unwieldy.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 18th, 2004 at 10:18 pm“Competition from Ypsi?” You patted yourself on the back and slapped us in the face all in one, smooth motion. Congratulations anyway.
posted by Eric on May 18th, 2004 at 11:15 pmAch! Eric! chill out! AAIO didn’t slap us Ypsi folks–just acknowledged us; cool it.
posted by Laura on May 18th, 2004 at 11:21 pmMany congratulations to AAIO. As I read the post, the seeming finality and summing-up tone got me more and more worried. I am happy and relieved to hear that AAIO will continue its acerbic ways.
My blog also started in May 2002, so I celebrated my two-year anniversary just a few days ago.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on May 19th, 2004 at 1:27 amSo when’s your next meetup?
posted by js on May 19th, 2004 at 8:46 amHappy Anniversary indeed! And congrats to the kid who made it to the east coast, the mecca of college town city life! I am on my way back to Boston and Maine in two more weeks! I can smell the ocean already. Ahhhhhh.
You know, a funny thing happened just last night, which shows yet another fallacy of the ann arbor-is-great-mentality. I was running with my dog on the trail just below long shore drive; it is just above the river and rather secluded. Every now and again I see another jogger or a dog walker. At any rate, I always keep my dog off leash down there. I have never understood the dogs on a leash rule. Sure, that law makes sense if you own a rage-filled pit bull, but this is, ANN ARBOR. Seeing as how I own a goofy, clumsy and loveable lab, I just let him do what he loves best: run free. Most of the people walking dogs down there keep theirs off leash too. However, last night, my dog and I came across another man who was walking his dog on a leash. My dog, being free, went happily walking up to the other dog to say hello. The two of them hit it off great. Just when I thought he was going to let his dog off leash to let them play, he starts in with the oh so annoying ann arbor, nasal whining, “You need to have your dog on a leash, come on, there are laws in this town….” Yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda. And then the words came out of my mouth for the first time: “You are such an arborite.” He looked surprised. I continued, “We are far enough away from the city, that you should just let these dogs run and enjoy the outdoors. It is too cruel, in my opinion, to keep a dog on a leash along this trail.” For being such a “Green,” “tree-hugging,” “bleeding heart,” “college town,” why is there no park for dogs to get together and play? It is my understanding, that dog-owning citizens have tried for many years to get the city to approve an off-leash park. [The area on west liberty was a private owned lot]. What does the city have against letting dogs have a good time? And the funny thing is, most of the other dog-owners I have met are not from ann arbor. Most of them do not understand why there is no off-leash park. Most of them just let their dogs run free along the trail and play in the river and enjoy the afternoon.
Alas,
posted by JMLarios on May 19th, 2004 at 8:57 amJMLarios
Happy Anniversary! I’m usually just a (shy?) observer, but the Anniversary warrants a response. It nice to see so many people enthusiastically hating Ann Arbor. My sentence here has lasted too long, and its finally up in 3 months, (hopefully) exactly 16 years to the day I moved to this miserable place on August 15, 1988. I remember the day clearly since it was such a traumatic experience moving from Chicago to Ann Arbor. Now I don’t have to try to make a mad dash to Toronto on weekends to prevent myself from going insane…or maybe that’s because Toronto is a city outside of the United States…that’s another story…anyway congratulations!
posted by Finally breaking out on May 19th, 2004 at 9:25 amDog lovers unite! There’s a Woof Rally this weekend to protest the hideous lack of dog-friendly off-leash areas in this town:
http://caninesocialclub.net/forums/index.php?s=0fdbbb72c883cb6824d3729cc8963953&act=calendar&code=showevent&eventid=57
I have a pit bull–he is sweet and friendly, excellent with other kids and other dogs. But I don’t like to let him off leash on trails precisely because people think “pit bull” and freak out. Doesn’t matter that my dog wouldn’t hurt a fly and just wants to lick the whole world to death–I can’t risk somebody freaking out for no reason and having my boy taken from me. Fortunately I have a backyard large enough for him to get his run on, but there *needs* to be officially sanctioned off-leash areas for dogs. You’d think in a town with so many parks and so many people with canine companions that there’d be tons of them.
posted by Alex on May 19th, 2004 at 9:43 amDuring the time I lived in AA, I had a rather large dog (great pyrennees/golden retriever mix) and we spent a lot of time at the Arb. For those of you who haven’t discovered the dog community there, there is a thriving group of dog walkers who are extremely friendly. Show up there at around 5 or 6ish, and you can join up with them. They have an email list, and picnics together (usually at more out-of-the-way parks) etc. It’s especially great during the cooler months because the only people who go there then are dog owners.
One of the old faithful dog-walkers from that group, Carolyn, now owns the Dog-O-Mat on Packard. The owner is now opening up a “private recreation area” for dogs to play off-leash. The charge is nominal ($20/month for the first dog, $5/month for each additional). It’s definitely worth checking out. Carolyn (a former grad student) is a true dog lover, and it would be great for both her and AA dog owners if it panned out.
posted by Anna on May 19th, 2004 at 10:14 amOops. I mistyped the Dog-O-Mat link.
posted by Anna on May 19th, 2004 at 10:24 amAlex:
And that is why I wrote “rage-filled pit bull.” My dog has met a little female pitbull who is one of the sweetest dogs hed and I have ever met. I understand your concern about the automatic response people have to pitbull. But, when there are people who see my dog off leash and are concerned, I tell them: obviously, I would not let an angry or dangerous dog off leash.
Happy walking!
posted by JmLarios on May 19th, 2004 at 10:33 amJMLarios
Off-topic, but germane to another post I can’t find right, but those responsible for Found Magazine have written (?) a book, which is reviewed in the august pages of the current The New Republic.
posted by tom on May 19th, 2004 at 1:04 pmfinally - Congrats on your imminent escape from Ace-Deuce.
js and others - how does next week sound for a meetup? Maybe Thursday?
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 19th, 2004 at 3:34 pmNext week sounds fine.
posted by js on May 19th, 2004 at 4:36 pmSounds good to me.
posted by Brandon on May 19th, 2004 at 4:55 pmEr, no it doesn’t, I’ll be driving to New York that day. Oh well.
posted by Brandon on May 19th, 2004 at 4:56 pmAlas I’m leaving town on Sunday and won’t be back for almost 3 weeks. So I vote for late June.
posted by Alex on May 19th, 2004 at 5:11 pmHey, congrats on two years! I just recently passed my three-year blogging mark, which is probably a sign that I need to stop blogging, but oh well. I retain my right to lame, unfocused blogging.
But when I want focused, interesting blogging… well, nice to know that AAIO will still be around.
And by the by, I’ve met many dogs in my day (despite being a die-hard cat person myself), and while I’ve met a couple of ferocious pit bulls, I have also met several who were infinitely sweeter than a number of, say, dalmatians I’ve met.
posted by art student on May 19th, 2004 at 11:54 pmOh, and to the folks on the east coast… you are all entirely right. Thank god I live in Boston when I’m not at college.
posted by art student on May 19th, 2004 at 11:55 pmposted by Anonymous on May 21st, 2004 at 12:24 am
Happy Second-Year-and-First-Day Anniversary!
posted by Engineer Guy on May 21st, 2004 at 12:30 pmHappy Anniversary!
I’ve always had good luck letting my roommate’s dogs run around at Burns Park. They chase each other around in circles, and there’s usually a nice-sized collection of mutts to play with. And once you get chatting with people, you can usually find other places to go.
posted by snickerdoodle on May 21st, 2004 at 4:55 pm