But What About A2’s “European Feel”?
Is there some kind of NIMBY exchange program going on? A recent arrival to A2 who’s moved here from Edinburgh with her husband for the next few years (that would make her a temporary resident) shares her thoughts in this month’s Observer on what she calls “a very American place”. “In European eyes, it is very strange that the area close to campus is given over to a student ‘ghetto’ when it should be prime property. The big old houses near campus are beautiful, but the peeling paint, garbage…and soggy sofas don’t do the neighbourhood any favors. Still, I guess the students have to live somewhere before they turn into responsible citizens, so they might as well be all grouped together in one giant party community.” Yes, things would be decidedly less rummy if those young chaps would do something about the frightful paint on their flats now and then, what?
But A2 isn’t all bad; at least it “hasn’t made the mistakes of many other U.S. cities…like building an ugly high-rise downtown.” “I think we will be happy here,” she concludes. We think she’ll be happy here too.
soggy sofas are so hard to light!
posted by peter honeyman on May 27th, 2005 at 12:16 amThe coal-fogged neighborhoods of Northern UK are my “favourite”…not “favorite”.
posted by Leighton on May 27th, 2005 at 2:48 amWell, at least she’s right about one thing: Ann Arbor is a very American place. Someone needed to tell the people who sing the praises of AA’s European-style Main Street.
posted by Anna on May 27th, 2005 at 7:44 amIn bike friendliness AA is very American, incessant and tedious cyclistic self-congratulation notwithstanding.
posted by spotted newt on May 27th, 2005 at 10:52 amWhy is it strange that college students live near a college campus? Where else would they live?
posted by Real Big on May 27th, 2005 at 11:23 amIf you read it with an accent, it’s less annoying.
There are so many things wrong with this woman that I don’t know where to begin. I do know, however, that leaving my trash cans for more than twelve hours after pick-up can result in a $70 fine. So maybe the city wants to go after the landlords that rent out unslightly properties?
Doubtful.
Giant party community, ha. Fucking idiot. I’m working on an undergrad degree while managing 1-3 jobs at any given time to pay the absurdly high rent for the unsightly house. If this is my partyin’ time, then I’m just gonna run off to Europe before my responsible citizen phase kicks in.
posted by Jen on May 27th, 2005 at 11:27 amAm I right in concluding that the Observer has no website?
How quaint.
posted by Morbidly Midwestern on May 27th, 2005 at 1:42 pmarborweb.com
posted by skink on May 27th, 2005 at 3:08 pmMM:
The “quaint” part is that the _Observer_ posts none of its articles online. This drives me crazy. I want to send publisher Patricia Garcia a note promising I won’t print out thousands of copies of any articles she might post online, and interfere with the free circulation of the tabloid.
Lifer
posted by Anonymous on May 27th, 2005 at 3:45 pmOh, I was SO hoping that AAIO would be all over this article (I still get the Observer gratis on someone else’s account, apparently). Especially the line about “it’s such a blessing not having high-rises downtown,” and then bitching about having to drive and worry about traffic. Gosh, it’s not like the two things are RELATED, are they???
posted by Lazaro on May 27th, 2005 at 4:28 pmI think the Observer is delivered free to some addresses. We’ve received it free at our last two residents (one on the west side on Dexter Rd and now on the west side off of West Stadium) — without asking for it.
posted by Scott T. on May 27th, 2005 at 9:25 pmIs the dumb-fuck in the Observer from Europe Europe or a suburb of Europe? Pardon the French, but I’ve heard Russian grad students argue about whether the moon was a greater stake than Afghanistan. (party above Sgt. Pepper’s — memorable line [shouting,pointing to map] You don’t know cartography!)
You could go to Rick’s and have any number of privileged daughters [and sons, but the Observer Scot is a-broad] claim authority by saying “I’m from New York, and…”
You could live a block and a half from the University of Chicago for relatively little money…
This is just slow-paced gentrification. Look at Wicker Park in Chicago. It was a minority neighborhood where the adults were working class and the teens were gangsters. Then artists and punks moved in, because it was cheap. When I got town, there were fun bars a-plenty. Now the local news features boutiques in the area.
Look at the OFW. On this blog a long-time resident says that it in the seventies, it was mostly Black. When I got in town, the racial mix reflected that of the University of Michigan. And there were a lot of fun keg parties. Now the advertising arm of Ann Arbor says the same house should be filled with landed gentry. Faugh!
posted by A Different Jon on May 28th, 2005 at 6:08 pmFeeling parenthetic, I would say that if the area next to the University was taken up largely by Professors (and was somewhat gentrified), I would have to say that made sense. If the area was taken up by workers at the University and had barbecues and bass boats — fine. It is student now — great!
But speculators…don’t fuck ‘em! There are areas in Ann Arbor so boring that the sidewalk has left town! They would get the vapors from speculation!
Anyway, my hangover is getting better, so I should shower and help the neighbors set up for the BBQ.
posted by A Different Jon on May 28th, 2005 at 6:40 pmIn bike friendliness AA is very American, incessant and tedious cyclistic self-congratulation notwithstanding.
Yeah, not only do you have to deal with morans that don’t know how to drive defensively (in A2 as with all of Michigan), but you also have to put up with the peoples on bikes that think they own the road simply because they’re a quasi-pedestrian. Guess what: bike vs. 4 door sedan = sedan wins. Fuckers.
posted by Screwster on May 29th, 2005 at 5:23 amum, it’s “morons.” Next!
posted by skink on May 29th, 2005 at 7:03 pmEspecially the line about “it’s such a blessing not having high-rises downtown,” and then bitching about having to drive and worry about traffic.
She’s talking about New York-style highrises — you don’t need that for density. London does just fine with 8 and 9 story buildings. Ann Arbor’s problem is that the area of high density (centered on downtown) is too small, not that that area isn’t dense enough.
posted by Ben on May 29th, 2005 at 9:26 pm“Yeah, not only do you have to deal with morans that don’t know how to drive defensively (in A2 as with all of Michigan), but you…”
I dunno. It would have been a lot more funny if it were a statement against Irish drivers in Michigan.
posted by Anonymous on May 30th, 2005 at 4:31 pmA2 drivers aren’t big turn signal aficionados, but a recent excursion to Troy practically made my hair turn white - people deliberately speeding up so you can’t merge on the expressway, trucks following at a hairsbreadth away, Michigan lefts galore…
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 30th, 2005 at 5:00 pmWhat does Troy have to do with anything? I thought this site was called “Ann Arbor is Overrated.”
posted by Sydney on June 3rd, 2005 at 10:08 am