One More Cup of Coffee
Ed Vielmetti has started a wiki for reviews of Ann Arbor coffeehouses. Great idea, but the appeal of Cafe Ambrosia continues to elude us. The entry for it reads:
Cafe Ambrosia. 326 Maynard, between Williams and Liberty. Coffee, light snacks and sandwiches. Close at 10PM, sometimes a little erratic during University breaks or holidays. No wifi, which means that laptop people are generally accomplishing things instead of staring at e-mail or IM through an empty glass. Great place.
We were over there recently. We sat down at the only available place, a tiny table by the door, under harsh fluorescent lights. Had we tried to stare at anything through an empty glass, we would have failed miserably, because they serve everything in paper cups. On the stereo was My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless,” as it was the last time we were there.
The lack of atmosphere doesn’t seem to affect the place’s popularity, though. In fact, we’ve almost completely given up on trying to work at any coffeehouse in the vicinity of central campus — usually, we’re unable to find a table at all. Ann Arbor has to be the only town where a place like Ambrosia or Espresso Royale could possibly be packed to capacity every weeknight. But according to a news article tacked to the blue faux-marble wallpaper, Ambrosia’s owners are planning to open a new place in Evanston, a college town where standards for coffeehouse ambience are far higher. Good luck with that.
Ambrosia has good Chai, I can walk there, the music’s usually decent, and they have tables so I can smoke outside every now and then without dealing with the ghettoness that Rendezvous has become. It doesn’t have atomosphere, and you’re right, it might not be successful in any other town. But it’s affordable enough, and it works. I don’t know when you were there, or if they serve in to-go glasses if you don’t specify, but my tea usually comes in a heavy glass with a ceramic plate over the top while it steeps.
Last time I was at Rendezvous, they were installing a new floor (cool) with a circular saw (fuck), while about 20 patrons were upstairs and I just paid for an overpriced sandwhich to sit down with my homework for a few hours. Not to mention at night the upstairs is packed to capacity as well, and getting a table can be brutal. It’s actually easier at Ambrosia without that pesky internet access thing.
So, Ambrosia, since I need to get out of the house to study. That or Ypsi, sadly enough.
posted by Jen on March 10th, 2005 at 5:42 amSorry, it’s late and it took me a bit to realize what was confounding me so much about this… is a whole page really necessary for reviews of Ann Arbor coffeeshops? You could hit them all up in a week or two, easily, even the sad little Mujo on North Campus trying to pass itself off as one.
Oh well. Not my time spent, I suppose.
posted by Jen on March 10th, 2005 at 6:00 amJen - Rendevous is ghetto so you avoid it but Detroit not so? RENDEVOUS, GHETTO???? Then you go to Ypsi, which on your scale is not ghetto? I don’t get you. But Ugly Mug in Ypsi - that’s a great coffee shop. I head out there at least once a week, if only to laugh at the stupid punk kids who hang out there.
Okay, so I hate the coffeeshops in this town because they are always infested with disgusting undergrads and grad students who piss me off with their ridiculous Michigan sweat shirts. But I have found a place I love in Tree Town: Chocolate cafe on Main. When all the other places are full, no one is ever in Chocolate Cafe. They have a nice little seating area by the window, and the owner is probably the nicest person in the world, and he comes around and refills (for free) your hot chocolate or coffee. You should go to the chocolate cafe if, like me, you want to avoid the assholes and sorostitutes who infest places like ERC State and the pretentiously unhip-but-trying-to-be grad student crowd at Sweetwaters.
posted by DM on March 10th, 2005 at 9:15 amTwo things:
(1) For those interested in a non-student coffee/sandwich spot (where the focus isn’t quite as unhealthy as all that chocolate…though I love that place), I highly recommend Jefferson market, deeply embedded in the old west side of town. Take Jefferson west off of Main, and it’s across from a local elementary school. There are only 2-3 tables since it’s a general market as well, but they serve good chai and tea (and coffee from what I hear), plus they make some kick ass sandwiches.
(2) Espresso Royale on Main St rocks! One of the baristas, Mera, wears a straw hat and calls me captain when I call her chief. Great tea recommendations, always, and usually a witty saying on the little chalkboard. Fun gang behind the counter and virtually no students due to the whole Main St thing. It’s ten times the coffee shop the one on State St is. And they play the soundtrack to Standing in the Shadows of Motown. How cool is that?
posted by Evan on March 10th, 2005 at 10:09 amJefferson Market? Yeah it’s Ok and I dig the whole neighborhood market/coffee house idea, but it’s also not worth being surrounded by the kind of people who make Ann Arbor so overrated in the first place. Where do you think the sorostitutes and assholes go when they “grow up”, buy a house and start to breed?
posted by KBlow on March 10th, 2005 at 10:23 amNot here, because it’s too expensive. Probably some ugly-ass subdivision where you get more McMansion for your dollar.
posted by Dave on March 10th, 2005 at 10:28 amYou mean the SOUTH BEND (que evil music) chocolate shop? I’m sure they’re doing something sinister at that chocolate shop.
Is there anything dumber than people complaining about college students infesting the coffee shops in the college town they live in?
posted by James on March 10th, 2005 at 11:07 amRe: Jefferson Market… You know, I’ve never been in there when it hasn’t been just one or two grad students and maybe an old hippie or two. Maybe it’s just the times of day when I go, but I’m often even alone in there eating/reading.
At least it’s not filled to the brim with undergrads 24 hours a day. (And with regards to why that’s a problem… it’s not most of the time. But there need to be places that aren’t always packed with smelly kids in sweatpants spreading the dorm flu like the plague is all. I work on Main St, so it’s not hard to do for me.)
posted by Evan on March 10th, 2005 at 11:54 am“Is there anything dumber than people complaining about college students infesting the coffee shops in the college town they live in?”
Maybe people complaining about people complaining about college students infesting the coffee shops in the college town they live in?
posted by DM on March 10th, 2005 at 12:42 pmI think this is an example of how the A2-hating spectrum wraps around at the ends and you have Mandrake agreeing with the Old Fourth Ward - um, NoHu - crowd that these kids are taking over everything. I’m just annoyed that everyone is infesting coffeehouses to the point where it’s impossible to get a table. Undergrads are better than people with babies, I guess.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 10th, 2005 at 12:52 pmPersonally, I don’t really have a solid handle on what bugs me about the city, though that’s partly because I’m fortunate enough to NOT live in A2 (though I guess I’d rather live here than Canton, my current residence).
Really, I only dislike parts of Ann Arbor — and this coffee shop infestation is only a minor part since Main St and some of the neighborhoods offer reasonable alternatives.
It’s the same with bars… Even my longtime hangout, the Heidelberg, gets its share of undergrad overcrowding during their free food happy hours on Fridays. But beyond that, it’s still a great spot for hanging out with a, uh, diverse crowd.
posted by Evan on March 10th, 2005 at 1:07 pmYou know, I have never in my life gone to a good coffeeshop that wasn’t infested with students, punks, poets, bookworms or people with laptops. But isn’t that why all us cool kids started hanging out at cafes to begin with?
It would seem like the ideal coffeeshop is one that nobody else ever goes to. And to that I say, Bombadil’s in downtown Ypsi is the best coffeeshop EVER, because nobody’s but me is ever in that joint.
posted by Annie on March 10th, 2005 at 2:25 pmHey– I’ll defend Ambrosia to the death.
A) Yes, the flourescent lights do suck, and I wish there was indeed wireless. And Maynard Street isn’t too scenic. And the table by the door does suck, especially in winter.
However,
B) “Paper cups”? Everything’s in glass or ceramic when I’m there, unless you get it “to go.” Unlike Rendez-vous.
C) Annoying undergrads? It’s about the most grad-student-heavy locale in town as far as I can tell. In fact, I can hardly be there without running into at least one other urban planning master’s student. The crowd there is by far the best of any cafe in this town. It attracts grad students, faculty, WCBN folks, GEOites, Encore-ers, and yes, even some pretty cool undergrads, heaven forbid.
D) I like the stark, basic decor. I don’t want some focus-grouped knockoff Starbucks setup like ERC or the faux-Asian yuppiedom of Sweetwater’s.
E) While the music isn’t always good, a lot of the time it is, and sometimes it is damned great. Again, it’s a nice change of pace from the test-marketed adult contemporary/soft-indie/watered-down jazz you’ll find at certain other places.
F) The owners/staff there are some of the friendliest around.
G) They’ve got fair trade, and it’s cheap. Refill your own mug for a mere 90 cents.
H) I guess the best thing about Ambrosia is pretty intangible. There’s just a real sense of community there– seems like most everyone’s a regular. I’ve met dozens of people there this year, and moreover constantly run into a large number of friends and acquaintences there on most every visit.
In sum, it’s a good scene. The “atmosphere” is in the people. I think I’ll head over there now.
posted by Brandon on March 10th, 2005 at 3:05 pmI admit the decor is better than anywhere else in town (except Rendezvous - love those patterned plastic tables!) because it’s not even trying to be good, but compared to the better coffeehouses in Boston, Evanston or even Madison, with murals on the walls and tables that aren’t all exactly the same size, it’s nowhere close. And maybe they give real cups to their special regulars, but I’ve never been offered anything other than paper. As for the employees, they tend to start stacking chairs up on the tables well before closing time, which isn’t conducive to a friendly atmosphere to study. But Ann Arbor coffeehouses are so bad that it would still be worth going to — if there weren’t an excellent chance of walking over there in the cold only to find that there’s nowhere to sit.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 10th, 2005 at 3:21 pmYeah, I’ll agree with Brandon about the merits of Cafe Ambrosia, though I don’t get there that often, no longer being a student located near it. However, as mentioned, a lot of the attraction is Ed and Matt and the great people they hire. That will not be replicated if they expand elsewhere (unless they clone themselves). I find it odd that coffeeshops that are popular in part because people know and like the owners decide to open more coffeeshops or franchises, thereby loosing the thing that made them so popular in the first place. Perhaps it will work out for Ed and Matt, but I don’t know…
posted by Lisa on March 10th, 2005 at 3:24 pmminor correction, it looks to be a wiki page on his own personal wiki. best.
posted by Anonymous on March 10th, 2005 at 3:24 pmHey… I LIKE “Loveless.”
I haven’t been to Ambrosia myself, and really don’t hang out in coffeeshops anymore as I don’t particularly like coffee. Real quick–
AAIO, I agree, undergrads are preferable to people with babies (though that’s not saying much).
Evan, Mera is indeed awesome–she was probably the reason I kept going to ER on Main in the morning’s wee hours even though lemonades and cafe mochas paled fast. The music was generally top-notch and she called me “cowboy” at one point, even though I didn’t really consider myself a regular. It’s definitely one of the bright spots in town.
Not only is Sweetwater’s incredibly overrated, but it’s also offensively overpriced. I think I got a chocolate milk for two bucks more than I would have at ERM one time (I’m probably exaggerating, but it seemed like it).
posted by Lazaro on March 10th, 2005 at 3:33 pmOh, and the one time I went to Jefferson Market, no one was there. I think the staff decided by looking at me that I was uncool and were correspondingly sniffy, but it was well worth it for the delicious rosemary chicken sandwich in black-olive tapenade (similar experience to the Del Rio, now that I think about it).
posted by Lazaro on March 10th, 2005 at 3:34 pmJames - Yeah, I’m sure they’re doing some pretty evil shit making hot chocolates. It is owned by some psychologist who decided he wanted to start a family business. Under new management starting this past summer.
Ambrosia? Meh. It’s just there. If it shut down tomorrow, I wouldn’t miss it. It’s too small, the tables shake, and it’s full of those too-hip-for-you students with their emo glasses and funky haircuts. I hate them. dm
posted by Anonymous on March 10th, 2005 at 3:38 pmTo make one of the Ambrosia baristas really happy: bring in a plastic-wrapped spoon (one of the regular, metal ones) and put it in the tip jar (if he’s not working, it’ll still get to him — not that I expect any one of you to actually DO this). Don’t ask me, man, but this kid’s got a spoon fetish. Just another one of the peculiarities of Cafe Ambrosia and its workers…
posted by meg on March 10th, 2005 at 3:50 pmI was joking about the chocolate shop of course, although I question the judgement of the owner for opening up a “South Bend” anything in Ann Arbor. I have been there and it’s a decent shop.
I’m still finding this whole thread humorous. How much quality artwork is really necessary for people to be able to enjoy sipping a cup of coffee and reading a book? I personally just grab a cup of coffee to go at most places, so pretty much every coffee shop in town works for me — except Starbucks who’s coffee tastes like burnt tire rubber. It amazes me how picky some of you are when it comes to coffee shops. I never understood the people who thought coffee shops were a good place to study, so that’s probably my problem.
I personally like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee the best because they actually use 100% real cream, rather than the 50/50 BS that is served in every other coffee shop. Unfortunately, the closest one is now in Canton.
posted by James on March 10th, 2005 at 5:28 pm“it’s full of those too-hip-for-you students with their emo glasses and funky haircuts. I hate them.”
Heaven forbid people have better style than you. Maybe if you talk to “them” you’d realize they’re actually really nice.
posted by Anonymous on March 10th, 2005 at 5:37 pmDear anonymous -
Bite me. I don’t hang with emo losers.
Mandrake
posted by Anonymous on March 10th, 2005 at 6:02 pmI’m not sure how many people who hang out at Ambrosia are really into “emo”… is anyone actually into that crap anymore, for that matter?
posted by Brandon on March 10th, 2005 at 7:04 pmIf there were a Dunkin’ Donuts in Ann Arbor, there would not be a need for ANYTHING else…at all.
posted by peter on March 10th, 2005 at 7:42 pmI used to study here and they don’t normally serve everything in paper cups.
And people don’t go there for atmosphere. It’s a pretty quiet (get away from the “North Face” types who frequent Starbucks and Espresso Royale) place to actually get some work done.
The reason it looks so popular (in reality it’s not all that popular) is that people never leave — they sit and study.
And you can usually find a seat — not during “prime hours,” but then I tend to study in the morning or evening.
Most of all, it has good coffee, good chai, good snacks (vegan brownies). And the staff is low key — not of starbucks variety.
As for espresso royale — okay it’s overrated. The one on Main Street is a bit better though.
posted by Mike on March 10th, 2005 at 7:47 pmCheck out Eastern Accents on 4th at Liberty. Good coffee (and served in a ceramic mug rather than this pint-glass business), and there always seem to be tables open, even on weekend afternoons when other places are mobbed. Not sure if they’re open very late, but it can be a good “peak hours” study spot.
posted by Nick on March 10th, 2005 at 9:01 pmRendezvous is ghetto, and I do realize my use of that word my differ from yours, because many recent visits there have just been ridiculous. Slow as hell service, cold chai, a circular saw when 20 kids are trying to study or have conversation? When they could have waited three hours til close? Christ. There are places in Detroit and (occassionally) Ypsilanti that trump that place at least in giving the customer some dignity. I say Please and Thank You when I’m purchasing my tea, it’s nice when the person I’m handing my money off to could do the same.
But they do have smoking, I’ll give them that. And the few floor sure is shiny.
posted by Jen on March 10th, 2005 at 9:23 pmJen - I see what you are ghetting at. It is a dump. DM
posted by DM on March 10th, 2005 at 9:49 pmNow, who complains about coffee shops not having the right atmosphere or the right music, then complains about the coffee shops having too many hipsters?
I also find, “Oh, I wouldn’t be caught dead talking to somebody so ‘hip’ looking,” pretty entertaining…
posted by Murph on March 10th, 2005 at 9:50 pmAnd, Lisa, I understand one of them is going to Evanston, so both “Ambros” will have one of the owners. (I was in Chicago two weekends ago with an Ambro devotee, but, tragically, the Evanston branch isn’t open yet, so we couldn’t quite complete our hajj.)
posted by Murph on March 10th, 2005 at 9:55 pmThough I go to zingerman’s for the convenience (and discount), my fave place is Big City on Miller…I always end up in some loony but interesting conversation with folks there. Of course, I am an A.M. coffee person and rarely go out for caffeine in the evening.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 10th, 2005 at 10:09 pmI’m totally going to Ambrosia next time I’m in Evanston. And then I’m going to see if there’s anywhere that serves real Ann Arbor-style chipatis.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 10th, 2005 at 10:27 pmreal Ann Arbor-style chipatis? please explain.
posted by joy on March 10th, 2005 at 10:40 pmSeriously, people who think they are hip and trendy annoy me. This is why I hate Found magazine - it tries to be hip and cool when it is just copies of a bunch of shit people pick up on the street (or make up, which is probably 90 percent of the submissions.) Michigan undergrads who act hip and trendy then live in Ann Arbor, drinking coffee and stupidly discussing and misunderstanding Foucault and Marxist theory in coffeeshops like Ambrosia make me want to vomit. Especially when SPSS crashes after I spent an hour getting that data set right. And Evanston? You should head down to Hyde Park and get a cinnamon roll and coffee from the Medici bakery on 57th and Kimbark. You’ll thank me.
posted by DM on March 10th, 2005 at 11:20 pmWhy don’t you all just sit back, relax, and buy coffee at Starbucks like the rest of us. Give in. Wear sweatpants with puff-paint decals on the butt letting the world know where you belong. Buy the flame-yellow hummer you’ve always wanted. Get i-pods in every color. It will make you happy. Happy. Can you feel it yet, all you SoMa-ers… You feel better now don’t you.
posted by Anonymous on March 10th, 2005 at 11:44 pmA.) Coffee is overrated. Drink chai, or drink beer. Anything else is bullshit.
B.) I think someone who could “really understand” the horseshit of Foucault or Marx would be even more insufferable than someone pretending.
posted by Dave on March 11th, 2005 at 1:52 am1. Found magazine isn’t pretentious. It seems pretentious to people from the east coast because they’re so surrounded by pretention that they’ve lost the ability to distinguish it. “Non-pretention”, to them, is only achieved by trying very very hard to seem non-pretentious. If you don’t like Found magazine, fine, but it’s not Trying to Be So Cooool.
2. As the resident (former) emo kid, I can attest that the genre’s dead. Decent emo bands grew up and became artsy punk (Saves the Day, Jimmy Eat World) or indy rock (Bright Eyes).
posted by Ben on March 11th, 2005 at 3:52 amAre we discussing Cafe Ambrosia (1) relative to other Ann Arbor coffee houses or (2) just as a coffee house.
If (1), it’s good.
If (2), it ain’t.
For example, the coffee. It’s good for Ann Arbor, but it ain’t that good.
posted by David on March 11th, 2005 at 9:35 amProfessor Frenk here to explain why AA coffee isn’t so swell sometimes. This Public Service Announcement is sponsored by the letter “M”.
The water in Ann Arbor has high temporary hardness, and a high pH. A high pH will tend to pull out the tannins and other harsh flavors out of the coffee grounds in undesirable amounts. This high pH will also make pop poured from a soda gun taste funny.
We use an ion exchanger on our water supply, mainly to make the gin & tonics taste “softer”, but it also make for better coffee as you can increase the amount of coffee you use in a batch, giving you a more flavorful cup of coffee without the astringency. The acidity of the coffee grounds will help the pH to drop, but not far enough. I’d have to say that I’d be surprised if Starbucks didn’t treat their water in some way.
Of course, if you are making tea, you would be wise to add a pinch of gypsum in Ann Arbor, as you actually want to extract some of these flavors out of the various botanicals in a tea bag. This is why Brits always complain that Americans can’t make a good cup of tea: ever see the White Cliffs of Dover? That’s chalk, and the stuff is everywhere over there. Britain has notoriously hard water, making good tea and Pale Ales (you can’t make a British Pale ale without harder water).
End of Professor Frenk’s lecture. (Bull-hey)
P.S. Bright Eyes sucks, and Loveless is a staple. Like salsa.
posted by todd on March 11th, 2005 at 10:31 amBright Eyes does indeed suck.
posted by Brandon on March 11th, 2005 at 1:10 pmBright Eyes is a whining wuss.
He should get a job at the World.
Huh-huh-huh.. eh-huh-huh-huh [/Butthead]
posted by David on March 11th, 2005 at 2:03 pmWhy don’t you all just sit back, relax, and buy coffee at Starbucks like the rest of us. Give in. Wear sweatpants with puff-paint decals on the butt letting the world know where you belong.
ROFLMAO!
I am so sick of that crap.
posted by David on March 11th, 2005 at 2:05 pmThe other day there was this fat chick walking across campus wearing those yoga pants that the kids these days wear with the puff-paint greek lettering. I broke out laughing…the letters written across her tremendous butt were…
posted by Anonymous on March 11th, 2005 at 2:12 pmSigma Delta Theta (write that out on paper and you’ll see why it’s so funny.)
“Professor Frenk’s” crap about the water in A2? What is that?
You know — this is why Ann Arbor really is overrated. It’s not b/c the coffee shops stink. It’s because there are people like ya’ll who need a fancy boston coffee shop, and perfect water, or you’ll bitch and moan.
“Ann Arbor is Overrated” man — do you how pretentious you sound, complaining about A2’s coffee shops compared to Boston’s or Evanston’s?
Jeez! You wonder why Ann Arbor’s overrated?
posted by Anonymous on March 11th, 2005 at 2:55 pmyawn
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 11th, 2005 at 3:13 pm> A.) Coffee is overrated. Drink chai, or drink
> beer. Anything else is bullshit.
AMEN, brother. That’s all I need. Really, overrated or not, as long as I have that, I’m good to go where ever I’m at.
posted by Evan on March 11th, 2005 at 3:17 pmActually, one big positive is the tea. Ambrosia has good tea..
posted by David on March 11th, 2005 at 3:41 pmcafe felix is the best place in ann arbor. period.
posted by Anonymous on March 11th, 2005 at 3:46 pmEverytime I pass Cafe Felix, there’s no one there. Why is that?
posted by David on March 11th, 2005 at 3:49 pmCafe Felix is excellent if you enjoy a big, rigid, phony French stick shoved up your ass while you pay too much for a muffin, a chai, or a beer.
posted by Evan on March 11th, 2005 at 3:58 pmWAAAAAAY too much. I went on the three strikes principle and there’s just no reason to go. Is Cafe Zola kinda the same thing or is it better? Bear in mind I’ve never been there, even though it’s right across the street from where I work.
posted by Lazaro on March 11th, 2005 at 4:02 pmHe He He - I like Evan’s post. It’s true you know.
And shove it about Prof. Frink, anonymous - anyone saying that there is something strange or weird about the waters of Ann Arbor is a smart guy in my book. There MUST be something in the waters that deludes you into possibly believing Ann Arbor isn’t overrated, you dimwit.
posted by DM on March 11th, 2005 at 4:06 pmCafe Phallus is the worst place in Ann Arbor. Period. Bad service, bad food, bad faux-Parisian atmosphere. What is so bad about Felix is that it is probably the best space of any cafe in town but everything there (from the food to the service to the drinks) is so poorly executed that it just sucks. And the brothers who run the place aren’t sophisticated enough to see the real potential of their cafe.
posted by Eric on March 11th, 2005 at 4:27 pmOkay, I’m the guy you told to “shove it.”
Sorry about the post with no name — it seemed like something I would have done on purpose, but I didn’t mean to not sign it (although if I’d have thought of it, I’d have given it some thought).
I had a professor (who actually will remain anonymous) who met me at Ashley’s for a drink one time. It took this professor forty minutes to order a beer.
After looking through the menu for twenty minutes (studying it), he asked the waitress for a sample. So she got him a sample. He tasted the sample like he would the finest wine, and then announced that he’d have a pint, but only if she could cool it down seven or eight degrees. She looked at him like he’d just asked her to go down on him, and she said that they served the beer at room temperature b/c it was a traditional English porter (or something like that). He replied that yes, it was to be served at room temperature, but the room temperature in an English pub was seven or eight degrees cooler than in Ashley’s.
So the professor probably was right. But that’s not the point. The point is that he was convinced he needed the perfect beer at the absolutely perfect temperature to be happy.
Listen — I’m not a big Ann Arbor fan (I’m moving to Pittsburgh next year), but I’ll defend the little not-so-perfect coffee shop. Because its owners are nice, and b/c it doesn’t have schmucks like that professor hanging about.
posted by Mike on March 11th, 2005 at 5:00 pmI like Zola’s, but it’s a bit pricey — especially for dinner. It’s much better than Cafe Felix, IMO.
posted by James on March 11th, 2005 at 5:50 pmyou hate ann arbor so you’re moving to pittsburgh???? that’s a topic for a whole different blog.
posted by Anonymous on March 11th, 2005 at 6:37 pmWhat the hell are you talking about, anonymous? I’ve lived in both Ann Arbor and in Pittsburgh — and one of those is awesome. And it’s not Ann Arbor.
posted by Anna on March 11th, 2005 at 6:40 pmPittsburgh is underrated. I haven’t been there in a while but it’s an excellent town.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 11th, 2005 at 6:51 pmWhoa. I haven’t heard anyone name-drop Loveless for a long freaking time.
Bright Eyes had moments. They’re pretty much all gone now. Although I got a free ticket to the concert at Michigan (oddly enough, left during the first two wretched acts to get tea at Ambrosia - relevence!) and it was fun to mess with the kiddies who were screaming out “We love you Conor!!!” And the bastard won’t play any of the good older songs - although there is some musical decentness in the newer stuff, the lyrics whining about how people dare analyze what he’s put forth into the public kill me. It’s fun to melodramatically re-enact them, while he’s playing live. If the drinks at the Michigan were anywhere near affordable or good, it would’ve been even better.
Can I be the resident jaded indie rocker?
posted by Jen on March 11th, 2005 at 7:09 pmMike - perfectly put. I can see complaining about a warm beer or a cold tea (although I’m too shy to usually do either, and just down it and leave), but less than 10 degrees difference? He obviously gets pleasure out of the intricacies of beer, but me, I’d rather spend my time learning the guitar or something. I can tell the difference between wretched/ok/decent beers, I know what I like, I’m set. Likewise for tea.
posted by Jen on March 11th, 2005 at 7:13 pmThat Britt Daniel/Bright Eyes EP was good. Mostly the parts that Bright Eyes had the least to do with.
Todd, is there anything one can do at home to negate the effect of A2 water on coffee?
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 11th, 2005 at 7:14 pmAAIO, the worst are not undergrads or people with babies… the worst are undergrads with babies. Taking them to class. Three hour labs. And expecting the kid to not interfere with a messy biological dissection.
Anyways, I must be the only art student on campus who actually likes Starbucks and can get a ton of work done there. I know, I know, it immediately revokes my hip and evironmentally-aware art student cred, but there it is.
posted by art student on March 11th, 2005 at 8:24 pmIn defense of the beer dork… Ashley’s overcharges for their beer quite a bit, they rarely have the proper glassware (e.g., they serve you a bottle with an 8 oz juice glass), the wait staff ranges from fairly knowledgeable to aboslutely moronic, they’re out of 15 beers at any given time, and the tables/chairs are nearly falling apart.
The least they could do is store their beer better and serve each at a more precisely proper temperature. Otherwise, what the hell is all the mark-up for?
posted by Evan on March 11th, 2005 at 11:15 pm“store their beer better and serve each at a more precisely proper temperature”
Okay, thanks Professor.
posted by Mike on March 12th, 2005 at 1:02 amNo, Evan’s right. Ashley’s advertises all this beer and then they’re always out of whatever it is I order, even when it’s front and center in their damn menu.
Once I ordered a sampler that stated it included a Dogfish Head IPA in it. The waitress brought the sampler, and it included some random substitute for the Dogfish (because they were out) that turned out to be, well, shit from a shitty brewery. But they wanted to charge me the same price. I spent the rest of the evening arguing about this.
I know I sound like the evil professor beer dork, but it really is no small matter. It’s like, I dunno since I don’t drink coffee, but ordering a double-turbo-cool espresso latte and receiving a cup of Folger’s instant and being told you need to pay for the former. The fuck?
I’ll still go to Ashley’s out of nostalgia from my college days, but they really do not know shit about beer nor have their serving act together.
posted by Dave on March 12th, 2005 at 2:43 amMike, it’s usually good to figure out whose posts you’re calling crap before you call ‘em. For example, just because todd knows something about A2’s water supply does not make him a target of derision. It’s quite possible, sure, that somebody going off about the water supply is a total egghead who should have better things to do with their time. On the other hand, they just might be somebody who could probably be horsewhipped for negligence by anyone else within their profession if they didn’t know these things.
And, of course, there are those of us around who are so totally eggheaded that we find interesting the little nuggets of knowledge imparted by the professionally informed.
posted by Murph on March 12th, 2005 at 3:06 amI don’t know about overcharging. Ashley’s (only been there once, drinking and writing poetry before my English class - there’s an idea, I’ll probably be there next Monday too) charged me fifty cents under the Blind Pig for Bell’s White Winter.
But I didn’t ask about the Guiness, which is my reference point for the costliness of any bar. I doubt anybody knows offhand?
posted by Jen on March 12th, 2005 at 3:38 amThose who talk shit about Da Burgh don’t know what’s what. So glad I’ll be there this summer instead of here.
posted by Alex(andra) on March 12th, 2005 at 8:57 amJen - you and I have one thing in common - drinking before class. However, I drink before teaching the class, you drink before taking it!
posted by DM on March 12th, 2005 at 9:22 amJen, I THINK the Guinness at Ashley’s is $4.75. And I’ve actually heard that Pittsburgh’s awesome–when I lived in Akron, it was a common reference point for really cool smaller cities. Maybe the Governor should be looking at Pittsburgh instead of Ann Arbor for that initiative business… not that I’ve ever been there.
posted by Lazaro on March 12th, 2005 at 9:53 amNot that this thread has ever been about Guinness, but I’ll toss in my two cents on beer costs at Ashley’s… Guinness is certainly a reasonably priced beer at Ashley’s, though they do stick you with the cheapie 16 ounce pints in the glassware department.
But 12-15 bucks for a Trappist ale you can get for 6-7 in a store? And it’s probably been sitting in some heated storage room oxidizing for 6 months before it ever gets served, and then they bring you a juice glass if they’re out of tulip glasses.
That’d be like paying 20 bucks for a glass of white wine, being handed a rocks glass, and asked to drink it warm and past its prime.
posted by Evan on March 12th, 2005 at 10:16 amPittsburgh is actually a very nice city - there is a lot to do there, and if you like outdoorsy things, outside of pittsburgh there are many hiking and mountain biking trails. Western Pennsylvania is beautiful, and there is no Michigan Militia to deal with, or Michiganders, for that matter. Plus, there isn’t a better beer to shotgun than Iron City.
posted by DM on March 12th, 2005 at 11:33 am“I know I sound like the evil professor beer dork, but it really is no small matter. It’s like, I dunno since I don’t drink coffee, but ordering a double-turbo-cool espresso latte and receiving a cup of Folger’s instant and being told you need to pay for the former. The fuck?”
Listen, they didn’t give you a Miller Light here.
Anyhow, thanks for the positive comments about Pittsburgh. I love the city. Anybody who doesn’t like Pittsburgh either hasn’t spent a lot of time there or probably grew up in the Pitt suburbs (for some reason, I find people who grew up in the Pittsburgh suburbs never learn to appreciate the city).
posted by Anonymous on March 12th, 2005 at 11:44 amI, for one, found the water comment helpful. For someone who prefers to drink tap water if possible (straight or with Brita filter), I’ve found A2 water undrinkable. Perhaps that is also why I find A2 coffee crappy.
posted by David on March 12th, 2005 at 12:54 pmYes, I find the tap “water” in Ann Arbor undrinkable as well. But then, there is not such think as tap “water” anyways.
I find the chemical and mineral makeup of my water most crucial to a good drinking experience. But then, I won’t even boil an egg in the crap that comes out of my kitchen tap.
Perhaps I’d boil an egg in Evian, but as a rule I only drink Perrier.
posted by Mike on March 12th, 2005 at 1:19 pmAs to the water commment…the fact that I told you that I was Professor Frink from the Simpsons and that my message was brought to you by the letter “M” should have clued you in to the idea that I was half kidding.
Some people drink a few cups of coffee a day, and seem to be willing to pay and arm and a leg for “good” coffee. I just thought that, given the fact that I know that there are a ton of engineers here at AAIO, many here would be interested to know why coffee tastes different in different places. It’s not like you can’t get a hold of the beans. It was all in fun. I personally don’t drink that much coffee, so I really don’t care what it tastes like.
“Todd, is there anything one can do at home to negate the effect of A2 water on coffee?”
You could pick up a water softener unit at a hardware store. There are units that you can stick on your faucet that are relatively inexpensive. These are sort of half assed units.
A cheaper method would be to add a pinch of citric acid (found at homebrew shops) to the pot to lower the pH a bit. Between the acidity of the coffee, the acid, and the low buffering capacity of the water, you should yield a “softer” cup of coffee.
…..and Pittsburg is one of my favorite cities in the world. Cheap, cheap, cheap. And I had some terrific food there. Really cool place.
posted by todd on March 12th, 2005 at 2:02 pmPittsburgh with and H that is…..
posted by todd on March 12th, 2005 at 2:10 pmYeah, Pittsburgh is terrific, and seemingly much more so in recent years - I grew up in the suburbs there and lived in the city during my high-school, college, and a few post-college years, and predictably got sick of it. But I went back there to work last summer and was very, very impressed. The geography is spectactular, and during the summer it’s very green and pretty - for those with urban planning interests they’ve also done wonderful things with rails-to-trails, turning the rail spurs that used to go to steel mills along the rivers into waterfront bike trails. Great friendly bars (especially some of the new ones around Walnut St. in Shadyside) that are full every night of the week. Some great coffeeshops - the Coffee Tree (one in Shadyside, one in Squirrel Hill) has incredible coffee, and the Quiet Storm in Garfield is a real experience. And, if you look for it, there’s a really interesting music and arts scene - Pittsburgh is about 1/2 as expensive to live in as AA, so there are quite a lot of artists and musicians around town. It’s definitely not as exciting as a large city like NY or DC, but as small cities go it’s really cool.
posted by Nick on March 12th, 2005 at 2:13 pmSince so much of the conversation about Ann Arbor being overrated revolves around how lamely yupscale/bobo it is, I find this thread about ya’lls obsession with fancy coffeehouses and beer nitpickiness humorous. What’s next, a discussion of the best artisan cheeses at Whole Foods?
I’ll take my Stroh’s and similarly enjoy whatever it is Todd and Ambrosia are servin’ me, thank you very much. God, it was refreshing to be in Detroit last night. You guys are perfect for this town.
posted by Brandon on March 12th, 2005 at 2:32 pmThat from a guy who, when you open his web page, there is a picture of two fugly guys kissing. I almost lost my lunch.
posted by DM on March 12th, 2005 at 2:44 pmThere are actually some really good cheeses at Whole Foods ( I refuse to use the word “artisanal”)–just because they’re European and get fussed over by the people who seem to live at Zingerman’s is no reason to diss them. I’ve only had the Garrotxa, but it’s friggin’ awesome. The Raclette the cheese guy at People’s Co-Op (Cockpit of the Revolution?) recently began stocking is really good too, especially when melted on toast.
I’d go to Detroit more often (or Akron or Pittsburgh, for that matter) if I had a car… I did enjoy my experience at Tom’s Oyster House down towards the waterfront very much.
posted by Lazaro on March 12th, 2005 at 3:01 pmI like the coffee at Benny’s. And I prefer PBR to Trappist Ale. But I still think Ann Arbor is Overrated.
posted by Alex(andra) on March 12th, 2005 at 3:25 pmDM, do you have to make homophobic comments?
And Nick,
Could you tell me when students generally sign leases for the fall in Pittsburgh? I’m moving there to go to law school at Pitt. I’m thinking Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Friendship, or maybe North Oakland. Any recommendations? I’m thinking that I’m not going to have a car — is that smart, or possible?
Thanks — thought you might have some good advice if you lived there for so long.
posted by Mike on March 12th, 2005 at 3:34 pmHEY ASSHOLE, I DIDN’T SAY TWO GUYS KISSING. I SAID TWO FUGLY GUYS KISSING. IT’S THE FUGLINESS I OBJECT TO.
posted by DM on March 12th, 2005 at 3:38 pmBah, Richard Panic is a hottie.
posted by Brandon on March 12th, 2005 at 3:40 pmYou see? Ann Arbor lovers truly have no taste, which is why they love Ann Arbor so much. I give up.
posted by DM on March 12th, 2005 at 3:45 pmIf you like artisinal cheeses, you should try the cheeses made at Zingerman’s Creamery out by the Bakehouse (airport plaza area). Available in a variety of ages. They are fantatic.
…and Lazaro, I agree about the Garrotxa. Excellent stuff (Spanish goat cheese).
Next time you are in Detroit, check out Sinbad’s (less expensive than Tom’s, great food, fun vibe during the summer).
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 12th, 2005 at 4:01 pmMike, I thought having a car was useful, but not strictly necessary. Be prepared to have it stolen; that’s a big thing in the ‘burgh. I lived in Shady near East Liberty (off Ellsworth on Maryland) and I took the CMU shuttle bus every day. It was very convenient; check and see if it’s still reciprocal (Pitt and CMU buses used to be). Squirrel Hill is a bit more affordable (and I think has more students — and that’s not to say that Shadyside isn’t affordable), but the CMU shuttle bus didn’t used to go there, so I decided on Shadyside. North Oakland is fine, too. I liked both Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. Point Breeze, Bloomfield and Regent Square were also becoming popular when I was there. You could walk from Bloomfield. My sister lived on the N. Side in the Spanish Fighting Street area (I think that’s what it’s called, anyway) without a car — but I definitely wouldn’t recommend that.
posted by Anna on March 12th, 2005 at 4:09 pmI take that back, I’m not sure you could realistically walk from Bloomfield. Nevertheless, it’s inexpensive. The bus system is fine. My parents lived in (I guess) N. Oakland (on Devonshire) and loved that neighborhood. Easy walk to the law school, for sure.
posted by Anna on March 12th, 2005 at 4:14 pmOh, sorry about using “Cockpit of the Revolution” to describe the Kerrytown Kolkhoz as I just realized that someone else posting here already did (although not about the same thing). You have my apologies, even if we were talking about two different things.
I have no opinion on Bright Eyes, but wasn’t impressed with the Desaparecidos.
And… someone please tell me if they’ve had this idea before, as I thought it was really funny but sounded very familiar. Sometimes I think of Ann Arbor as a “Lego” version of New York, “PlayNewYork” as I occasionally call it (even admitting the many good things, boosters who seem the kindred spirits of those posters on imdb.com). With that in mind, doesn’t the Mayor look like one of those little Lego guys with his head the way it is?
I just thought I might have read that here already. Please let me know, because I don’t want to steal.
OFWi, the Garrotxa was badass but I felt let down by Manchego. Campo de Montalban was a little better (a few more drinks and I WILL say “artisanal”).
posted by Lazaro on March 12th, 2005 at 4:35 pmMike,
Finding an apartment in Pittsburgh is generally pretty easy. I wouldn’t worry about looking until summertime - housing is very plentiful around the universities and you can usually do fine if you plan your apartment search a month or 2 before you plan to move there.
As far as neighborhoods, N. Oakland kind of sucks (if you’re referring to the apartments along Centre Ave. near Melwood) - sort of ghetto and deserted at night. S. Oakland of course is Pgh’s version of S. Division St., and though cheap it’s really rundown and there’s more crime (violent as well as property). The good news is that Pitt students ride the city buses for free like U-M students here, and Shadyside and Sq. Hill have really good bus access (also some of the buses run late at night, so they’re dependable transportation for workaholic or alcoholic students). I lived in Shadyside for about 6 years and really liked it. It’s very pretty - lots of old row houses and lovely mansions - and has a great nightlife between Walnut and Ellsworth. I tend to appreciate the mix of people there - pretentious yuppies, students and research-staff types, working-class curmudgeons, artists, musicians, gays, straights, old, young, etc. The big lack is a supermarket - there’s a Sparrows-like market on Walnut that’s really expensive, and a Whole Foods nearby, but otherwise you have to drive. Squirrel Hill is less lively, but has some wonderful amenities - right next to 2 incredible urban parks, 24-hr market, 2 movie theaters, and one of the world’s great bars (the Cage). Either of these neighborhoods is great to live in. Friendship is also good (that’s where I lived last summer) - it’s slightly cheaper than the other 2 (I paid $400 last summer for a 1BR in a historic mansion), a short walk to Shadyside, the Quiet Storm, and the strip of bars, coffee, and clubs along Liberty in Bloomfield. The only issue here is that the bus access isn’t as good, and from Pitt that would be a long 1/2-hr walk in the wintertime.
And yes, if you live in the city not having a car is fine - there’s nothing in the suburbs you need to worry about missing.
Costs: in general you shouldn’t pay more than $600 a month for a 1BR apartment in any of these neighborhoods. You can find things in Shadyside in the $800+ range, but you shouldn’t pay that much. It’s pretty easy to find something around $500, and that is very well maintained.
Sigh. Obviously I don’t miss the place at all . . .
Nick
posted by Nick on March 12th, 2005 at 4:41 pmNick — When I lived in Shadyside I used to shop at the Gian’tiggle over in East Liberty, which is walkable depending on where you live in Shadyside — is that gone?
posted by Anna on March 12th, 2005 at 6:17 pmPersonally I don’t like Shadyside at all. It’s the young, upwardly mobile professional neighborhood. Rents are higher there as well. I lived on the South Side which was more neighborhoody, although also with its pretentious bits. The bus takes you from the S. Side to campus really easily. Most grad students seem to live in Squill (Squirrel Hill). Also extremely convenient by bus and bike to campus.
Point Breeze, Regent’s Square, Bloomfield, Garfield/Friendship, Lawrenceville, and Troy Hill are all further removed from campus, but they’re all cool neighborhoods and accessible by bus. Not to mention rent is cheaper in those places. Although really it’s hard to find truly expensive rent in Pittsburgh (Shadyside is where it’d be).
You can get by in Pittsburgh without a car, but your life will be more convenient if you have one. I lived there for 2 years and nobody stole my car–even though I very rarely locked it. Or my house for that matter.
There’s still a Giant Eagle in Shadyside–it’s down the block from Whole Foods.
I can’t believe someone just called The Cage one of the world’s great bars! I would call Dee’s that. Maybe. Or Gooski’s. That’s one of my favorites. Or The Sharp Edge. Or Ray’s Marlin Bar. Or Kelly’s.
Is it May yet?
posted by Alex(andra) on March 12th, 2005 at 7:08 pmI liked the (Squirrel) Cage, too, actually. I was also going to suggest S. Side but wasn’t sure about the bus situation from there. It’s definitely one of the most fun neighborhoods in town.
Maybe car stealing is no longer popular. In the five years that my parents lived there, and the one year I lived there, all of us had car incidents. My car stereo was stolen and starter/dashboard ruined in the process (in Shadyside in front of my apt.), my sister’s car was stolen (in Bloomfield), my mother’s car was stolen (in Shadyside/Oakland from in front of the house). Oh, and my colleague’s car was stolen, my boyfriend’s car was stolen and… you get the picture. Of course my car stereo was also stolen in Ann Arbor, so I suppose it’s a wash. It would be great if that doesn’t happen anymore — maybe because alarm systems are so popular nowadays.
posted by Anna on March 12th, 2005 at 7:32 pmNever had any car-theft problems myself, even living a block from Penn in Garfield last summer and on the E. Liberty end of Shadyside in college.
Not a big Dee’s fan, Alex, but I do love Gooski’s - my friend Alex’s band Soda Jerk plays there from time to time. The S. Side in general is a bit less fun than I remember from my Duquesne days a few years ago. The Sharp Edge is not a place I’d call my favorite - kind of the Ashley’s of Pittsburgh, with all the good and bad that implies. In high school I was partial to the Panther Hollow Inn (the CMU bar closest to my school), but they’ve cleaned it way up. I also have a degenerate fondness for Hemingway’s (right across the street from the law school, Mike) for similar reasons. And you can’t hate the Cage too much - the regulars are far too entertaining and the jukebox is far too good.
And I didn’t really mind the “young, upwardly mobile professional” aspect of Shadyside - in Pittsburgh that doesn’t translate into “boring assholes” the way it does in places like, um, Conor O’Neill’s. As long as people are good for interesting spontaneous conversation I don’t have much problem with them. And the Shadyside nightlife is great for that reason - lots of nights last summer I would go out alone there around 5, have dinner in some random bar, strike up a conversation with a stranger, and end up wandering the streets from bar to bar with a group of new friends into the early morning. An experience I highly recommend to anyone.
Also, do Pitt/CMU grad students really live on the S. Side? Duquesne I would understand, but the bus access is not the most convenient thing for commuting to Oakland. And you don’t ever want to have to drive in and park on Pitt’s campus.
Anyway, why are you heading there, Alex? I might be doing my UPMC-consulting thing again this summer - maybe we can catch a beer somewhere.
posted by Nick on March 12th, 2005 at 10:54 pmwow! i find it so weird that i’ve lived in so many of the places fellow AAIOers have. Akron, Pittsburgh, Boston…and now Ann Arbor.
i lived in point breeze and i paid 250 a month for a room + bathroom in a HUGE duplex with a great guy who owned the house, his boyfriend and their adorable lab puppy. This was also utilities included. house sharing in pgh seems to decrease the cost a lot and i got to the upitt campus in less than 10 minutes usually on the EBO (the express busway). otherwise i was probably on about 4 other buslines if the EBO wasn’t running.
of all the places i’ve lived, i miss pittsburgh the most. i have a lot of books, one on relocating to pittsburgh as a student specifically. carnegie mellon’s CS department put it out. it’s a wonderful tool if you’d like to borrow.
if you have any pgh questions i would be happy to answer them, i see a lot of other people are also knowledgeable. road trip!
posted by beth on March 12th, 2005 at 11:52 pmWow, thanks a lot for the help everybody. I’m shocked that I found this much love for Pitt here. Ya’ll have no idea how helpful this is though. I mean, I’ve been to Pitt once for a few days (and I have a friend in law school there), and I loved what I saw. But I know so little about the city in some ways.
Beth, I’d love to borrow that book. I’m guessing it isn’t something I could get on Amazon. If you’d be willing to loan it or sell it, I’d be grateful.
posted by Mike on March 13th, 2005 at 1:14 amI’ve gone to Ambrosia ever since I moved here going on 2 years ago. I’ve always liked it, but I agree with AAIO in some respects.
The place is often too crowded, which either means it’s highly popular or — as AAIO points out — that there’s nothing else within walking distance of campus worth going to. (Although I did see a couple of mentions of places in this comment thread that I think are worth checking out.)
posted by Frank on March 13th, 2005 at 2:42 amDM- Heh, I knew it. I’m an engineering kid, although I take more than my fair share of LSA classes. At any rate, my friends and I have all decided, independently, that some of our professors have to be on (insert substance of choice) here at all times. Although with some professors, I imagine it might actually be a benefit to be under the influence of something.
I think the only way I can handle 3 hours of poetry is on a semi-buzz, though. Creative writing at this university, at least from the 223/323 series I’ve taken, hasn’t been terribly inspriational. Or above and beyond what I could have taught myself. So the choice to do engineering instead of english was probably a good one, I suppose.
Lazaro- Ha, I can def. see Ann Arbor as the Lego version of NYC. I’ve only been there three times now, but you’ve got it down from my view.
Maybe I should start charging for one-day tours of Detroit. I do own a minivan and all.
Thanks for the Guiness quotes. I think that Conor O’Neils might still be my best bet, since they have quite the good soup there… although last time I went and sat in the smoking section, a family came in, with small children… OK, so I aim towards the wall. But once the mom started smoking and the 8 year old started coughing and crying it got a bit unbearable. C’mon, I don’t have kids and I still do everything in my power to avoid smoking around them. Sigh.
posted by Anonymous on March 13th, 2005 at 3:05 amThat was Jen. Sort of drunk, which I’ll use as an excuse for the rambling and tangents.
posted by Jen on March 13th, 2005 at 3:05 amWow - Pittsburgh funboys, get a room! More Ann Arbor bashing, less Pittsburgh ball licking, people.
Jen - I think the only way I can tolerate being in Ann Arbor is to be in a semi-permanent state of inebriation, whether or not I am teaching classes. But it certainly makes teaching classes more tolerable, too. What can I say? I’m Irish.
Second, you own a mini-van? Do they still make minivans?
posted by DM on March 13th, 2005 at 11:13 amDon’t you think a reasonable topic on annarborisoverrated.com would be a place to move? I do.
Less bitching about A2 — more thinking about how to get out.
:)
posted by Mike on March 13th, 2005 at 12:03 pmMike - I stand corrected. You are absolutely right. Any opinions of Philadelphia, since we’re on a Pennsylvania theme these days?
posted by DM on March 13th, 2005 at 12:09 pmMike–I saw it on Amazon for 18 dollars shipped from Ireland. There was also a copy for 108 dollars (hah!) the ISBN is 0964218682. I think it might be best if you just take my copy.
I couldn’t find your email on your blog so email me at beth@monkey.org.
Signed,
posted by beth on March 13th, 2005 at 1:11 pmPittsburgh Ball Licker
DM, I grew up outside of Philly. It’s great–no Boston or NYC, but 10x better than Ann Arbor. It has really transformed from being a total shithole back in the day to an actually nice place to live. I would live in West Philly near Penn, where there’s a lot of good restaurants and cheaper housing. Center city is also a nice area, but more yuppified.
posted by Zigs on March 13th, 2005 at 2:21 pmZigs - I actually grew up in Philly, too - but I haven’t lived there in 10 years. I am sort of looking into places now. My parents now live in Abington township, but I grea up in Fox Chase. I’m really looking forward to getting back there (read: Out of here.) Where outside the city did you grow up?
posted by DrMandrake on March 13th, 2005 at 2:53 pmHey Dr.M, I grew up in Swarthmore (another college town), in Delaware Co. Totally surburban, I know, but both my parents worked in Philly so I was in the city pretty often. I love Philly, but I don’t know if I’d ever move back there–mostly due to my overwhelming desire to avoid people I went to high school with.
posted by Zigs on March 13th, 2005 at 4:12 pmFair enough. I know Swarthmore pretty well. There is a big horn there announcing fires, if I remember. But your parents worked in the city but lived outside? The one thing that blows about Philly is that wage tax. I will be living in Philly and working outside and still get tagged in the ass with a 5% cut.
I have consciously avoided all my high school friends for years now. I understand the sentiment.
posted by DrMandrake on March 13th, 2005 at 4:53 pmPittsburgh’s got The Church Brewery too, which is about the most gorgeous place to get a pint ever. Beer’s alright too. The area around there looked to be warehousy on the way to rehab.
Ashley’s blows. It’s for people who mistake having an over-priced semi-obscure beer for quality drinking. But hey, I never understood the unconditional love for Guiness, which always seems thin to me even on tap.
Oh, and if you order Bell’s at the Pig, you’re a pretentious bastard. Beer of the month is the only thing worthwhile (well, they have 1.75 Frog Islands at the 8ball). But hey, you argue that the early Bright Eyes was better, so you’re already of dubious taste. (The correct answer is that Bright Eyes always sucked, and that Loveless is a fantastic album that is now horribly dated, and if you play it at a bar, everyone will know you’re a mincing tool who never learned to get over the Cocteau Twins. Everyone should own it, but listen to it sparingly. If you have any more questions about what the correct music to listen to is, I’ll be at my own blog spouting off).
posted by js on March 14th, 2005 at 3:46 amHee hee! And I’ll be at mine, once I figger out how to get the links right… “Loveless” is definitely best in small doses, although now that you mention it, getting over the Cocteau Twins was easy.
Blur going yanqui? That was hard…
posted by Lazaro on March 14th, 2005 at 4:05 pmyou’re all hatred for ann arbor makes me laugh…but you should really move! life’s too short to be stuck with a bunch of michiganders if you hate us so much. i live in new york city and can tell you, the nice people in ann arbor are a breath of fresh air.
posted by Anonymous on March 14th, 2005 at 6:17 pmI knew a couple of Pitt students that lived on the SSide and took the 54C. Catch it all along Carson between Station Square and the Birmingham Bridge and it goes straight up Forbes. Not to mention it’s a super short (although uphill) bike ride there–downhill home. And walkable, although it’s a 30 minute walk.
I’ll be in Pitt for 6 weeks studying Polish. Yee haw! Yeah, we should coordinate. I’ll be staying with my sis in Friendship.
posted by Alex(andra) on March 15th, 2005 at 8:06 pmComment that, oddly, hasn’t been made yet (unless I missed it):
Cafe Ambrosia has really good coffee, and it’s reasonably cheap.
That’s the only reason I need to go there, especially since the next cheapest alternative is Espresso Royale, and their coffee is damn nasty-tasting.
posted by Anonymous on March 15th, 2005 at 8:20 pm