ann arbor is overrated. » Blog Archive

The Soft Loft Bulletin

Ann Arbor: Manhattan of the Midwest, Athens on the Huron and now Royal Oak of Washtenaw County. Many developers, according to this Business Review story about the new “soft lofts” going up on Liberty, “define [A2] as similar in attitude to Royal Oak but bolstered by the presence of the University of Michigan.”

102 Responses to “The Soft Loft Bulletin”

And this whole time, I thought Royal Oak was a poor man’s Ann Arbor.
posted by Some Arab Guy on March 3rd, 2005 at 4:02 pm
Hey, they didn’t get the capitalization right on LoFT 322. Damn them!
posted by Dave on March 3rd, 2005 at 4:04 pm
Royal Oak’s recent condo and retail development is really quite impressive. A couple weeks back I got off the expressway looking for an old Frank Lloyd Wright development and was struck by the new stuff. It seems almost segregated from the rest of the city, though. After 3 or 4 blocks of intense (and ongoing) development, it was typical suburban Detroit.
posted by Dale on March 3rd, 2005 at 5:02 pm
Make that old suburban Detroit. No one is going to confuse ROs pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with the cul-de-sacs of Canton or Rochester Hills.
posted by Anonymous on March 3rd, 2005 at 5:16 pm
Man, I miss the Royal Oak before the lofts, and Starbucks and expensive restaurants and bars. Downtown Royal Oak was like a small-scale urban refuge for us suburbanite teenagers — I drove the half-hour *regularly* when I was 16-18 to go to Royal Oak just to hang out. It beat a 7-11 parking lot by a long shot. I suppose it might still serve that function but the bars, restaurants and coffee shops seem to keep pushing out the funky cool stuff, and the nicer places (and those with liquor licenses) don’t tolerate dirt surfing loiterers … Although, if I had to pick between Royal Oak and Canton, Royal Oak wins. By a lot.
posted by Scott T. on March 3rd, 2005 at 5:35 pm
I was just in Canton tonight, having dinner at La Shish, a mediocre and pitifully bad Middle Eastern joint in a depressingly anonymous suburban strip mall. I can’t believe anyone would compare Canton to anywhere, let alone Royal Oak, which at least has a good rib joint. Canton makes me proud to say I live in Ann Arbor - and you know me - that’s saying a lot!

I just can’t believe 18 yuppie tools actually bought condos at LoFT 322. It goes to show that getting your JD or MBA really does confine you to a life in the ninth circle of hell. I mean Ann Arbor.
posted by DrMandrake on March 4th, 2005 at 12:48 am
Just curious, DrMandrake: what’s yer reason for bein’ in AA? Cos you sure have a lot of unpleasant things to say about it. Just wonderin’ why you don’t get the rock out of here…?
posted by meg on March 4th, 2005 at 9:02 am
Sigh… I don’t know why the concept of “have to be in Ann Arbor for the sake of school or career” is so hard for people to grasp.
posted by Anna on March 4th, 2005 at 9:44 am
Or the concept of working in a service-sector job with insufficient funds for moving to another city with a job waiting there now or in the near future…

I mean, I don’t think I feel as strongly as Dr. Mandrake, except on the bad days, but I’m certainly not independently wealthy.

I’ve never actually been to Royal Oak, but I’ve heard it’s pretty interesting.
posted by Lazaro on March 4th, 2005 at 10:08 am
If by interesting you mean the preferred destination for bachelorette and bachelor parties in Southeastern Michigan, than, yes, Royal Joke is interesting. It is also the preferred suburban destination for getting roofied, if that’s a word.
posted by Eric on March 4th, 2005 at 10:29 am
Meg - I am here because a mad scientist has chained me to a table because he needs my sweet sweet brains for an evil experiment. If you could come and untie me, I would happily leave immediately.
posted by DrMandrake on March 4th, 2005 at 11:25 am
Anna - Like I said, I was curious (meaning, I had a hunch that schooling/careers are the main reason why most of the ppl complaining about AA are and remain here), not that I was having a difficult time grasping such reasoning. Maybe somebody has a different reason fer being imprisoned here…!
posted by meg on March 4th, 2005 at 11:49 am
And Mandrake - you, um, volunteered for said experiment, right? And then discovered that it was evil?
posted by meg on March 4th, 2005 at 11:50 am
Ha! I just stumbled across this lovely blog, and as a UM alum and current UM employee, I’ll agree with the “overrated” bit.

But… Royal Oak isn’t even half of Ann Arbor. Maybe for 30-something yuppies, sure. But Royal Oak lost its edge a while back, and though I don’t Ann Arbor really has an edge anymore either, it at least has a few townie sorts of hangouts left (e.g., the Heidelberg’s Rathskeller).

> was just in Canton tonight, having dinner at
> La Shish, a mediocre and pitifully bad Middle
> Eastern joint

Odd that like half the middle eastern people in the area eat there all the time then if it’s that bad, eh?

> Canton makes me proud to say I live in Ann
> Arbor - and you know me - that’s saying a lot!

Canton blows. And I *do* live there.
posted by Evan on March 4th, 2005 at 12:15 pm
I liked Canton a lot better 15 years ago when it was a field.
posted by Dave on March 4th, 2005 at 12:18 pm
I did volunteer for the experiment. I thought he was just going to take my brains but the bastard took my soul as well.
posted by DrMandrake on March 4th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
Sorry, Meg, I confused you with one of the “Ann Arbor: love ‘er or leave ‘er” types.

What I really want to know is how the scientist got brain-and soul-sucking by the IRB? We got dinged from our Ann Arbor experiment because they were all worked up about our subjects’ boredom.
posted by Anna on March 4th, 2005 at 2:07 pm
I dunno, I kind of like going to RO just to go to Gussoline Alley. Any bar that has good music and atmosphere is ok, even if it is in RO.
posted by Cats on March 4th, 2005 at 2:22 pm
Will there one day be a blog called
DAMN!BostonSureAint’tWhatItUsedToBeAFewYearsAgo.com?
posted by bky on March 4th, 2005 at 2:45 pm
I liked Canton better 30 years ago when it really was a field. 15 years ago it was pretty suburban, now it’s just a mess.
posted by Bez on March 4th, 2005 at 3:50 pm
…like 99.9% of SE Michigan, unfortunately.
posted by OFW insurgent on March 4th, 2005 at 6:42 pm
I’m sitting in Royal Oak right now. I can assure you, it’s 50 times better than Ann Arbor if for no other reason than it’s someplace else. Not to mention there’s French food here.
posted by Alex(andra) on March 4th, 2005 at 7:03 pm
what kind of French food? (curious)

My experience with RO as a culinary mecca has been lame at best.
posted by OFW insurgent on March 4th, 2005 at 7:31 pm
…and Anna, your first post above are what make this site worth reading (to me).
posted by OFW insurgent on March 4th, 2005 at 8:13 pm
I remember Royal Oak when there were no highscale lofts, or Barnes and Noble complex, and when they didn’t hide away the homeless and you could play hackeysack at 1 in the morning on Main.

I feel old.

At any rate, Ferndale is the suburban sanctuary these days.
posted by Jen on March 5th, 2005 at 2:14 am
PS on La Shish:

Maybe it depends on which outlet you go to, but I’ve found it to have damn fine Middle Eastern food. At the very least, the hummous/bread is better than anyplace I’ve tried in Ann Arbor, including J.Gardens. This is coming from a girl who’s city is second in Michigan in Arab-American population, and who has family who lives in the first.

I think it’s the same with BD’s Mongolian Barbeque. A lot of poeple in this town like to bash it, and for the population it gathers, there’s some reason to. But there was a time (in Royal Oak, no less) that it was one of the better places to go and still get a meal for under $6. Times have changed on that one, but it still has its merits. And both La Shish and Mongolian became chains because their initial local restaurant was so popular. I prefer that to a nationwide banal chain comin’ in.
posted by Jen on March 5th, 2005 at 2:29 am
The French place in Royal Oak–it’s called Bastone and it’s on Main Street–is actually Belgian. They serve a wide variety of Belgian beers (I stuck to gin) and bistro food. The mussels were good, although the tomato/fresh herb/garlic sauce was a tetch on the salty side. The bread was excellent. I ordered the steak frites. The pommes were well done and served with two types of mayo. The steak was salt-encrusted, juicy, and cooked exactly right (not to mention being a quite nice piece of meat). My friend ordered the hangar steak which was also of good quality and well cooked. The chocolate cake was a bit dry. I didn’t even look at the wine list (damn having to drive 45 minutes each way!). Next time I’d probably get the tartine–that looked tasty–as did the truffled ravioli.

All in all, a tad on the pricey side (entrees from $12-20), but I’d give the food a 7/10 and would certainly go back. Unless somebody else has a good French bistro recommendation, preferably someplace with a confit du canard or cassoulet and an inexpensive red table wine!
posted by Alex(andra) on March 5th, 2005 at 8:34 am
The original La Shish on Michigan Ave. in Dearborn is fantastic. Don’t know about the franchise though.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 5th, 2005 at 8:35 am
Alex(andra),

Bastone is actually owned by the same man who owns Grizzly Peak, and is run by the same restaurant management company.

You can’t get away from Ann Arbor even if you try. (menacing music in background)
posted by Anonymous on March 5th, 2005 at 11:13 am
And La Shish will be opening in Ann Arbor soon — in a former Bill Knapp’s building!
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on March 5th, 2005 at 11:38 am
You just couldn’t let me enjoy the idea of liberty could you?

You tell me that it’s raining, while you’re pissing down my back…
posted by Alex(andra) on March 5th, 2005 at 11:52 am
Thanks, BTW, OFW insurgent… I didn’t even think that was one of my better ones.
posted by Anna on March 5th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
Dr. Mandrake,

If Ann Arbor is not the place then what do you suggest?

Ever been to River Rouge?

Affordable housing, riverfront property and the industrial complex is simply delightful.

Check it out.
posted by Bret A. Schnitzer on March 5th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
I’m sure River Rouge is worse, but if unchained from Ann Arbor, one is often capable hightailing it completely out of the state.
posted by Anna on March 5th, 2005 at 6:39 pm
I think that’s the fundamental misunderstanding of many of the Ann Arbor boosters - the false dichotomy that you must live either in Ann Arbor or somewhere else in Michigan.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 5th, 2005 at 7:24 pm
Ann Arbor > Royal Oak > Canton et al.

Ferndale’s okay, but tiny. I’d rather be in Hamtramck or the Cass Corridor.

Right now I’m in Portland and all of Michigan is feeling pretty pathetic… I feel like I’ve died and gone to quasi-hipster heaven/hell. It’s funny how much of a good reputation Ann Arbor and UM have built up for themselves, even out here… I find myself regularly downplaying the supposed greatness of from where I hail… it certainly IS “rated.” Portland isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty dang great. Hello density, ubiquitous traffic-calming, transit, urban design, great bars and shops, etc… not to mention that it’s springtime here. And there’s mountains. And the people are great. Although nobody actually seems to be from Oregon originally… similar to Ann Arbor in that sense. The rents here, even in the good neighborhoods, are cheaper than Ann Arbor, however… so much for the myths about the cheap Midwest and pricey coasts.
posted by Brandon on March 6th, 2005 at 5:22 am
Portland rules. Not to mention it has the highest number of strip clubs per capita in the country and Lemmy from Motorhead loves it there. The one Portland downside is that the job market sucks.
posted by Alex(andra) on March 6th, 2005 at 9:49 am
I guess I suggest leaving the state of Michigan altogether. Listen, people - I have no problem with Ann Arbor. It is an okay town. It is just that everyone raves about it, and I simply disagree with it being the Elysian Fields people make it out to be. If people said, “Yeah, Ann Arbor…its a boring little shithole in the most drab corner of a dumpy state filled with listless, uninspired, obnoxious, self-indulgent, cliquey assholes” I would have nothing to criticize. It is just that people go on and on about how Ann Arbor is heaven on earth, and it is likely due to the fact that the people saying this come from places like River Rouge and don’t have a clue as to what is out there. But that is no excuse for misleading me. I simply expected more from my experience in Ann Arbor than what I got, which ended up being a serious drinking problem because I had to constantly drown out the misery of my life in this wasteland with copious amounts of alcohol.
posted by Mandrake on March 6th, 2005 at 10:02 am
Aw, poor Mandrake. I do feel your pain. My husband and I moved here from the Rocky Mountains - Bozeman, MT.

And before the Ann Arbor Defenders jump on me - we moved here for grad school (husband) and a postdoc (me)

Everyone we talked to there who had ever visited Ann Arbor just RAVED about it. “Oh, you’ll love the restaurants…etc”. We moved here and what the hell? Horribly overpriced crowded restaurants, hordes of yuppies dressed in black leather jackets descending upon the town in their SUVs every weekend, snotty undergraduates (sorry to any UM undergrads reading this, but overall you’re a pretty stuck-up group), no one on the street makes eye contact except for the panhandling dudes…

And the cost of living! How on earth do groceries cost so much here? Produce in Bozeman had to be shipped hundreds or thousands of miles in the winter, and our grocery bills were still 30% cheaper there. We searched in vain for cheap beer, for cheap bar food, for a decent happy hour somehere, anywhere.

4 years later, the fight’s been taken out of me, and I’m tolerating life here. My husband still hates this town with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns. We’re looking to move on soon and find real jobs, and are 99.9999% certain we’re gettting the hell out of Ann Arbor.

(and, Dr. Mandrake, don’t let the postdoc steal your soul - I think it’s more like it’s just on loan for a while - you’ll get it back.)
posted by Lehigh Valley Refugee on March 6th, 2005 at 1:48 pm
Mandrake, LVR, I agree totally, and couldn’t have put it better. I think the reason so many people post on this site (and the reason it exists) isn’t necessarily that Ann Arbor is horrible, it’s just to combat the incessant Tree Town boosterism that occasionally makes my existence here a sick joke. I certainly wouldn’t mind the place so much if I didn’t have all this white noise constantly buzzing about AA’s incontestable greatness.
posted by Lazaro on March 6th, 2005 at 4:04 pm
This is what I don’t understand about the A2 bashing - if you’re from Canton or River Rouge or just about anyplace in Michigan other than A2, of course you consider it better than those place because it is and you know it. If you’re from LA or NYC or Chicago or any other place that has more going for it than A2, what made you think some mid-sized college town in the Midwest was going to be better than where you came? As for the complaint that you can’t find cheap food or drink in town, try getting outside of the City Limits once in a while. There’s plenty of dive bars in SE Michigan where you can get decent food and drink at reasonable people. But if you aren’t willing to get out of town to find it, how are you any different than the boosters who never leave town because they think it’s perfect?
posted by Anonymous on March 6th, 2005 at 11:22 pm
I must agree with the general thread of the pervasive nature of Ann Arbor boosterism. That’s part of what landed me here. Prior to my Ann Arbor residency, I was glad to be leaving my small U.P town for a “liberal,” “open,” “friendly,” etc. community with a quality college. Little did I know. Much to my chagrin, I figured out pretty quickly that whatever had built that reputation was long gone (or had never existed? Who’s responsible for reputation-building, anyway??) Contemporary Ann Arbor, it seems to me, loves to tout itself as a haven (Midwest heaven?), but its reality fails to match up. HOWEVER, may I just say that there is definitely more than one “Ann Arbor”: there’s “Ann Arbor,” the university — and everywhere else. I know ppl not affiliated with the university who absolutely love this town, and it’s because they’ve found the people that perhaps used to be a bit more commonplace around here. You know, the ones that actually DO smile and say hello when walking down the street, or help you push your car out of your snowed-in parking space, or do some other really nice, unexpected thing that makes your day. I think Ann Arbor’s overrated directly cos of the university, and if you look elswhere, it’s not so bad.
posted by meg on March 6th, 2005 at 11:38 pm
I am glad that others seem to see it the way I see it. In reality, Ann Arbor is a great college town. And it is a great town compared against most towns in Michigan. Unfortunately, I am no longer in college, and so I must make of Ann Arbor what it offers to someone like me, which is very little. But on an objective level, compared to, say, Bloomington or Urbana - Tree Town ain’t so bad. But that’s like saying compared to a nuclear waste dump a toxic waste dump isn’t so bad. It still smells like shit.

I agree - the cost of living in Ann Arbor is ridiculously high. As I mentioned before, I pay more for a smaller apartment here than I did for a larger apartment in a hip neighborhood in Chicago. Why? Does Ann Arbor have more to offer than Chicago? No. It is just that it is totally overrated. Whatever genius started this blog had it right - the problem is not with the town, but with its overinflated reputation. What am I saying? The town sucks too.

I agree - Ann Arbor in the 70s must have been amazing in its bohemian atmosphere. But that is long gone. Just look at the previous link to LoFT. This yuppification is horrible. Ann Arbor is becoming SoHo without the culture, attractions, or atmosphere. At the end of the day, you end up grabbing a dessert drink at the Chop House wondering, “Is this all there is to life? Because if it is, is it a life worth living?” Thank god Plato wrote the apology so that we can all examine our unexamined lives and wonder whether it really was worth living.

Fortunately, I have my out: I am leaving soon, probably in June. But I know, years from now, I will look back on this two year period of my life, wondering, what the fuck was that about? I’m sorry. I would like to convince myself that these were the best years of my life, but the Oracle at Delphi reminds me: to thine own self be true.
posted by DrMandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 12:32 am
why anyone would compare ann arbor to nyc or chicago is beyond me. if you were expecting the big city things then why come here??? ann arbor is what it is-a nice college town with decent restaurants, nice parks, a good music scene (if you know where to look) and far more amenities than most towns the same size. Compared to other college towns it is at the top of the game, which i think is why it gets so much hype. let’s put things in perspective folks and stop whining that ann arbor isn’t boston, chicago or new york.
posted by happytobehere on March 7th, 2005 at 9:35 am
Sigh… Why come to Ann Arbor? See above. Why expect more? See above.
posted by Anna on March 7th, 2005 at 10:33 am
Um, no. I will bitch and whine until the death, because really, who is it hurting? Ann Arbor? Poor Ann. I’d rather a wider circle of people know that Ann Arbor sucks so that they won’t make the same mistake I did.
posted by DrMandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 10:33 am
no, drmandrake, come to think of it you are only hurting yourself. i feel sorry for you that you’re so damn miserable here. i mean, you’re so much better than everyone in this town…how can you take it???
posted by happytobehere on March 7th, 2005 at 10:44 am
Meta-bitching. Tres Ann Arbor.
posted by Anna on March 7th, 2005 at 11:47 am
hmmm, anna, did you happen to steal that one from the NYTimes? It sounds very familiar…
posted by happytobehere on March 7th, 2005 at 11:53 am
DrMandrake’s posts are much less bitchy than, say, ToRonTO’s. So by the Ann Arbor standard of comparing something to something else that’s clearly awful and then declaring the former to be world-class, his posts are completely balanced and reasoned.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 7th, 2005 at 12:02 pm
the NYT had a piece about meta-bitching in Ann Arbor?? Where can I find it?
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 7th, 2005 at 12:04 pm
The NYT used the term “meta-bitching”? Those bastards are stealing my material.
posted by Anna on March 7th, 2005 at 12:13 pm
NYT had a piece in which a prominent lawyer (Alan Dershowitz) said “Michigan thinks that everything Harvard can do, it can do meta.”

See An X-Rated Phenomenon Revisited in the 2/9/2005 NY Times.
posted by happytobehere on March 7th, 2005 at 12:19 pm
Come on, happy to be here. Don’t you have a sense of hyperbole?
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 12:21 pm
well mandrake, i suppose that certain tones of voice don’t carry over too well on the internets. it’s just like one extreme to another. i don’t think that ann arbor is the best place on earth, but going in the other direction is just as ridiculous.
posted by happytobehere on March 7th, 2005 at 12:30 pm
True, it isn’t hell, but if I have to eat another Jimmy John’s sub sandwich I think I am going to take out an Uzi and mow people down.
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
Hey, there’s always Potbelly’s sandwiches right the block. I hear they will be putting in an H.P. Pickleshitters next to it soon. Good eats in Ann Arbor streets, fo’ sho’!
posted by Dave on March 7th, 2005 at 1:45 pm
okay mandrake…now I think you’re funny. I too am fed up with the corporate college cuisine becoming more and more prevalent in ann arbor. i just got back from nyc and was sad to find that these cheesy places are popping up even there. granted nyc has no shortage of good eats, but i didn’t appreciate seeing cosi and panera there.
posted by happytobehere on March 7th, 2005 at 2:22 pm
I hear Mandrake is every bit as pleasant in person - maybe once he escapes, it’ll raise the median civility in this town a bit?

I’ve seen Boston, Chicago, NYC, Philly, Baltimore, DC, San Francisco, &c., and all of them are better than Ann Arbor in various ways. As a sixth-generation or so Detroiter, though, I have every intention of sticking around Michigan, and so can appreciate A2 for what it is. (Lehigh Valley Refugee: were I to leave MI, your neck of the woods is where I’d head - nice country you’ve got out there, though I’d be more likely to end up in Kalispell or Missoula.)

Much as the annoying A2 boosters and Annarbour signs annoy me, though, I’m always entertained by people who say, “I was told that this Midwestern town of 100k people had all of the amenities that I was used to in a major city, and I believed it! Those stupid A2 boosters!”
posted by Murph on March 7th, 2005 at 3:00 pm
damn, I totally miss ToRonTO
posted by Alex(andra) on March 7th, 2005 at 3:36 pm
Who the fuck do you get the info from, Murph?Maybe when you escape the median moron factor will go down, too. Hopefully before either of us leave I’ll have a chance to kick your ass.

I agree with blissfullyhappinessinannarbour guy. Ann Arbor is getting too chainy. I mean, that whole state street area is a bunch of horrible chain coffeeshops, restaurants, and now, with the addition of BW3, bars. Where is the unique character and flavor for which this town was once renoun? And what happened to that Teriyake grill on Williams and State? It was gone in 60 days.
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
Ann Arbor is overrated and overpriced — anyone can see that. That doesn’t change the fact that most of the people complaining here seem to be so lame that they can’t occupy themselves outside of drinking and spending money on restaurants. Jesus — doesn’t anyone here know how to cook, read a book, or otherwise entertain themselves? I suspect anyone who can do so has too little free time to complain about the town.
posted by Dale on March 7th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
Or write blogs about Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo? It is much more fun to complain.
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 8:31 pm
Reminds me of the people who bitch about “there’s nothing to do in Detroit”. You’re right, there’s nothing to do if you don’t get off your ass and make the effort to find something to do. Sure, there’s more density of activity in NYC or San Fran or Chicago. So you don’t have to work as hard to find the good stuff. But if you make the effort it’s here in Detroit and even Ann Arbor. You’re living in a mid-sized college town on the periphery of one of the most suburban-oriented metro areas with a downtown that’s verging on meltdown. That means you have to make more of an effort. So quit your bitchin’ already.
posted by Anonymous on March 7th, 2005 at 8:33 pm
I actually looked up my options for this evening, because you know, the idiot might be right. So let’s see.

I could go to see some horrible irish folk music at the Ark for almost twenty bucks. Not on my salary. And although I’m Irish, celtic music blows.

Steve Rich Trio at the Foggy Bottom. In DEXTER. I really feel like driving to dexter to see mediocre music.

Covered Girls, a film at Ann Arbor District Library. About the “daily experience of Kiren, who coaches her high school basketball team, Amnah, who has a black belt in karate and Tavasha, who is cutting a CD of original rap songs.” OH MY GOD, that sounds like so much fun!

Mai’s America, at the Ypsi district library. “Tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman who comes to Mississippi to complete her senior year and discovers a lot about the US, Vietnam and freedom.” It must be women’s history month in Michigan! Maybe we need Larry Summers here to comment.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Seen that. Hated it.

So don’t friggin tell me there is so much going on but you have to look for it. I looked for it! And it SUCKS!
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 8:57 pm
Hell, Mandrake — you saved yourself 20 bucks and got to do your favorite activity, bitching about Ann Arbor. I’d say it was another stellar night for you.
posted by Dale on March 7th, 2005 at 9:28 pm
And look on the internet for apartments in the city where I am moving. You’re right, Dale, another perfect night!
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 7th, 2005 at 9:35 pm
Dude, Monday night is happy hour at Arbor Brewing. Now that’s something to do!
posted by Dave on March 7th, 2005 at 9:55 pm
Hey Mandrake, you’ve actually got some pretty good options (for once) this week (okay, so not Monsay). So don’t sit on your ass:
http://www.arborupdate.com/article/691/this-week-in-ann-arbor-an-audio-smorgasborg

So much for wallowing in my lack-of-Portland for long.
posted by Brandon on March 8th, 2005 at 12:24 am
Actually Anna, my comment a while back about yor posts making this blog worthwhile was kind of sarcastic on my part…I’m amused by their unintended irony.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 8th, 2005 at 9:09 am
Poor Mandrake. I imagine it’s awfully hard to find quality entertainment in Ann Arbor for a price comparable to pop rocks and cola. That must be why you have to resort to threats of violence to entertain yourself?

(Ah, flame-baiting. The cheapest form of fun. . .)
posted by Murph on March 8th, 2005 at 10:20 am
DrMandrake(IsOverrated) says: “Hopefully before either of us leave I’ll have a chance to kick your ass.”

Ooh, insults and threats. Before DrMandrake leaves someone will think to email this url to his advisor, no? Who might be interested in knowing what DrMandrake has to say about him.
posted by anonymouse on March 8th, 2005 at 10:31 am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Email my advisor. Classic. That he wants my sweet sweet brains? Come on, like he cares what I do in my free time. But at this point I would love to be fired so I could leave earlier! And I like Murph’s monkeyflower blog and would hardly have reason to kick his ass. Its the difference between a comic and a real threat - you don’t make real threats over a friggin silly blog, you anonymous fool.
posted by WeSoMa Mandrake on March 8th, 2005 at 10:51 am
I am a huge fan of Mandrake’s over-the-top bombast. There are WAY too many humorless sticks in the world, and particularly at U-M.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 8th, 2005 at 11:06 am
Talk about unintended irony.
posted by Anna on March 8th, 2005 at 11:17 am
um, mandrake, i am a lady. anyway, i totally agree with above statements that you need some creativity and initiative to find things to do in the detroit metro area. but there is PLENTY to do. how about catching the FREE rachels show at the UM Museum of art on Wednesday? and there IS good food, you just have to know where to go. I recommend the Earl at Happy hour, cafe zola, eve for happy hour…there are more, but I’m not going to do all the work for you. We have two theaters downtown that play, for the most part, excellent movies. C’mon, are you really so lazy that you can’t make your own fun?
posted by happytobehere on March 8th, 2005 at 11:18 am
Dear Ann Arbor is overrated,

I see you need to protect your turf. That’s understandable. Now if you would simply come out from the shadows, maybe everything won’t be so dark and gloomy.
posted by Bret A. Schnitzer on March 8th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
Not only initiative to do things in metro detroit, but a pope mobile to prevent from getting shot. Now, I lived for 7 years on the south side of Chicago and never felt that my life was threatened. Not so in Detroit. Someone pulled a gun on me on 6 mile road last year. I nearly shit myself. So the hell with whatever is going down in Detroit…whatever it is, it isn’t worth my life.
posted by Mandrake on March 8th, 2005 at 12:54 pm
Anyone who’s scared of going to Detroit is a pussy.

Someone shot through a door while I was at Markley. Didn’t stop me from coming back.

~98-pound girl who spent last weekend at the Hamtramck Blowout
posted by snickerdoodle on March 8th, 2005 at 2:12 pm
And anyone who thinks there is anything worth driving to Detroit to do is seriously misguided.
posted by Anonymous on March 8th, 2005 at 3:15 pm
I spent yesterday night at the Conor’s trivia thing (we got whupped this time, but we usually place in the money). If not for the trivia, I’d never be in the damn place, but that’s something to do on a Monday.
posted by js on March 8th, 2005 at 3:19 pm
Mandrake, we often seem to agree, but even I know there’s a lot to do outside the house (it just way too often costs more money than I should be spending, as my paychecks aren’t very large at all). And, for the record, I read plenty of books, can cook a little (not the books) and go for frequent walks. I also plan on attending both the Rachel’s show and the Great Lakes Myth Society show. I’ve never claimed that there aren’t things to do. As our host indicated through changing the name of the site however long ago, “being overrated” is not the same thing as “sucking.” My main beef is with the zombie mentality that seems to preclude smiling once in a while. I mean, are friendly greetings a symptom of imperialist running-dog arrogance? Or maybe being nice to people would torpedo the city’s attempt to be “PlayNewYork.” I don’t get it, but then I’m not all that bright.
posted by Lazaro on March 8th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
Lazaro - I agree with you on most things, but I have to disagree with anyone who says that this:

“the indy post-rock, avant-classical Louisville collective Rachel’s”

sounds like anything worth going to, even for a Wednesday night.

There may be things to do in Ann Arbor, it is just that none of them are worth doing. But this is only my opinion: I happen to like doing cool things, like climb mountains, and go to hear world class jazz. If you like doing a lot of totally boring worthless shit - like go to undergrad art exhibits - Ann Arbor’s your town.
posted by Mandrake on March 8th, 2005 at 5:38 pm
Mandrake,

What do you consider fun? You’re highly critical, therefore I’d love to know.
posted by Chachi on March 8th, 2005 at 6:17 pm
Climbing mountains isn’t a daily/weekly option…
posted by Chachi on March 8th, 2005 at 6:18 pm
What do I do for fun? Head down Main street and get on I-94.
posted by Mandrake on March 8th, 2005 at 6:26 pm
1. Not all undergrads are stuck up and snotty. Especially kids like me in their 4th year. This town wears thin for us too.

2. There’s plenty to do in Detroit. If you think there isn’t, you’re an idiot. But, at least I can enjoy my time there without people like you around, I suppose.

3. If you want to compare similar sized towns… I’ll bite. Madison > Ann Arbor. Maybe it changes after you live there for a bit, but I’ve visited three times and it has an air of unpretentiousness about it that’s damned refreshing. Not to mention a record store with a great free stuff bin.
posted by Jen on March 9th, 2005 at 2:47 am
and a LAKE, and the STATE CAPITOL. Madison rules.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 9th, 2005 at 9:02 am
For world class jazz, you have to pay attention to the Kerrytown Concert House and the Canterbury House. Both routinely book world class jazz, and the Edgefest is probably the best jazz festival in North America.
posted by js on March 9th, 2005 at 9:12 am
I agree about Madison. I used to go there 2 3 times a month when I lived in Chicago. It is a much better town than Ann Arbor.

Jen - bite me. So you’re a 4th year college student whose state-school education at the U of M makes you believe you actually have the authority to make sound judgements? 22 year olds are funny. Whatever. So I don’t believe you about Detroit, and if you met me in Detroit, I’m sure you’d start kissing my ass within minutes because I am so right about everything, so smart, so wonderful. My hubris has no limits.

I’ll follow the current for world class jazz, js - actually, for all those with taste - Brad Mehldau trio is coming to Power Center I think next month. This guy’s truly amazing. You have to see him, whatever the cost of the tix. On one of his albums he did a jazz version of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android and Nirvana’s Teen Spirit - who thought you could make these into jazz? Amazing. Go see it or you’re a loser.
posted by DM on March 9th, 2005 at 10:22 am
Yes, let us now praise Madison. Sure, it’s a small midwestern college town, but it’s a really cool midwestern college town, and it doesn’t keep trying to convince you of that, unlike Ann Arbor. Not to mention the fact that you can actually rent a one-bedroom apartment in the center of the city for less than $600/month.
posted by Joy on March 9th, 2005 at 12:55 pm
If you’re a fan of Steve Turre, he will be lecturing/performing at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library this Thursday. http://aadl.org/.
posted by Chachi on March 9th, 2005 at 5:19 pm
DM- The Bad Plus did Smells Like Teen Spirit as jazz, and it was OK but not great. I tend to get bored by stuff like that. I don’t know Mehldau, but I’ll try to find something before his show…
(Oh, and really, there is plenty to do in Detroit. You’ve just gotta work a little more to find it, and both the Real Detroit and Metrotimes do a poor job of covering everything that’s going on.)
posted by js on March 10th, 2005 at 11:51 am
I agree JS. I think I have the Mehldau song wrong in my post - it was another Nirvana song. In any case, he’s good, and I will believe you that there is things to do in Detroit. Give me a few suggestions of things to try - maybe over that beer when you feel better. I am a curmugeon but not willing to give things a chance.
posted by Anonymous on March 10th, 2005 at 12:48 pm
I disagree about the historical “Annarbour” village limit signs. They’re a relatively low-key acknowledgement of the city’s history. If Ypsilanti did something similar, nobody would be bitching.

For the record, I am a 3.5 year resident and U-M dropout/burnout, who is moving on at the end of the summer. Fairy-tale town is beginning to wear on me.
posted by Jeff on March 10th, 2005 at 11:11 pm
DM-My parents have no college education. Do they have the authority to make sound judgments? Could you please let me know at what age/education level I will be allowed to make a sound judgment? Can “world class” Jazz musicians make sound judgments? Just wondering if you could fill me in. Thanks.
posted by JT on March 14th, 2005 at 12:25 am
Play ethnicky jazz
To parade your snazz
On your five grand stereo
Braggin’ that you know
How the niggers feel cold
And the slums got so much soul…
posted by js on March 14th, 2005 at 3:51 am
JT - I don’t know your parents. But if they’re anything like mine, then NO - YOUR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE SOUND JUDGMENTS.
posted by Mandrake on March 14th, 2005 at 4:38 pm
DM-Hey you may be right on that one. I was somewhat offended by your comment to Jen. It was especially confusing when you look at the origins of the music you are using to distinguish those with class from the classless.

js’ poem sums up my thoughts nicely
posted by JT on March 14th, 2005 at 8:36 pm
I am not here to make serious commentary on anything. I am here to vent my frustration at my life in Ann Arbor.

On Jen, let me recall what she said to me that I responded to by saying she doesn’t have the authority to make sound judgments:

“There’s plenty to do in Detroit. If you think there isn’t, you’re an idiot. But, at least I can enjoy my time there without people like you around, I suppose.”

My feelings were hurt!
posted by DrMandrake on March 15th, 2005 at 10:43 am
JT- That’s Holiday in Cambodia. I did not write it.
posted by js on March 15th, 2005 at 1:22 pm
I didn’t realize that she baited you. I was being sensitive too. Good times.
posted by JT on March 16th, 2005 at 12:17 am