ann arbor is overrated.

Harvard Square has always been the Ann Arbor of Cambridge; we remember often trying to decide where to get dinner while standing in the midst of seemingly endless blocks of overpriced restaurants, finally giving up and getting the next inbound train to Central. Now it has its very own historical preservation nannies, protesting against IHOP and trying to stop as many restaurants as possible from getting liquor licenses, writes Crimson columnist Margaret Rossman.

But somehow Rossman, who opposes the Harvard Square Defense Fund, sees A2 as some kind of argument for the society’s goals. “I grew up visiting Ann Arbor, Michigan, the quintessential college town, and its historically quirky character is a large reason for this designation. Certainly, an amount of historical preservation and protection is important to maintain a city’s identity in an ever-homogenous world.”

Jill Carroll is already being characterized as a “spoiled brat America-hater from Ann Arbor” by conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel. We think Schlussel would really like A2 if she just gave the slumlords and neighborhood associations a chance.

Dave Cahill, frequent Arbor Update poster, is offering the latest in A2 hipster irony-wear: shirts that bear either the slogan “Town Not City” or a picture of a tall building with a line through it. These are poised to replace the Neighborhoodies “Straight Outta Skokie” shirts as the hottest local-inspired fashion trend; get one now before Ashton Kutcher picks up on it and ruins it for everyone.

The University of Michigan has more money than Wayne State, so one student decided to take matters into her own hands and steal some unspecified U of M property while at a concert here, then write a column about it.

A2 acrophobia reaches new heights (sorry. Also, is there a word for “fear of looking at a high place from below”?) with a new resolution to be debated by the local Democrats that would limit all future buildings in Ann Arbor to four stories. It begins:

WHEREAS, Ann Arbor is one of the most livable cities in the country, with diverse neighborhoods featuring mainly low-rise homes and apartments that would be compromised by out-of-scale developments that threaten the health and safety and general welfare of its residents, as well as the integrity and sustainability of its neighborhoods…

Then it goes on to list some of the reasons why tall buildings are a menace. They “overwhelm both historic buildings and sites of historic significance.” They “add to traffic congestion and the worsening of air quality through increases in vehicle use by inhabitants of taller structures.” They “increase the danger of fairy collisions as fairies are forced to fly higher and higher to reach their doors.” Okay, one of those was made up. They aren’t seriously arguing that taller buildings cause an increase in vehicle use.