How do I navigate my 4-week stay in Ann Arbor, MI?
March 5, 2017 9:15 AM Subscribe
Difficulty level: Female, mid-20's, traveled a lot but first time traveling alone, never been to MI, no driving license, and will be attending a 4 week summer program in UMich.
The program sessions will be held in the central campus from around 9 AM to 5 PM, every day. I'm wondering about the following:
* Accommodation: I need a reasonably nice place to stay, I wouldn't mind a hotel or an inn (actually prefer those to some sublet) within walking distance and/or bus from where the sessions are held since I can't drive. I just don't want to share rooms or apartments. Preferably for under $2k for the entire 4 weeks.
* Are there exciting things to do on the weekend in Ann Arbor? I am spending my entire time off work there, so I would really like doing fun stuff to make me feel like I haven't wasted my summer. I love music, art, food, FOOD, coffee, and tasty cocktails. I don't like beer. Plus, is going to Detroit alone on the weekend a good idea? If so, can I go there and make it back to AA the same day?
Feel free to include any general tip or advice.
The program sessions will be held in the central campus from around 9 AM to 5 PM, every day. I'm wondering about the following:
* Accommodation: I need a reasonably nice place to stay, I wouldn't mind a hotel or an inn (actually prefer those to some sublet) within walking distance and/or bus from where the sessions are held since I can't drive. I just don't want to share rooms or apartments. Preferably for under $2k for the entire 4 weeks.
* Are there exciting things to do on the weekend in Ann Arbor? I am spending my entire time off work there, so I would really like doing fun stuff to make me feel like I haven't wasted my summer. I love music, art, food, FOOD, coffee, and tasty cocktails. I don't like beer. Plus, is going to Detroit alone on the weekend a good idea? If so, can I go there and make it back to AA the same day?
Feel free to include any general tip or advice.
Downtown Ann Arbor is adorable, has all of the things you love, and is right next to campus, so you're set on that front.
Hotels/ B&Bs in Ann Arbor are pricey. The downtown Residence Inn is very nice and has rooms that are essentially studio apartments, but right now it's $129/night (discounted from $179/night) for a stay of 5 or more days. For your budget, a sublet or some sort of dorm-room-like arrangement will be a better deal.
posted by yarntheory at 10:49 AM on March 5, 2017
Hotels/ B&Bs in Ann Arbor are pricey. The downtown Residence Inn is very nice and has rooms that are essentially studio apartments, but right now it's $129/night (discounted from $179/night) for a stay of 5 or more days. For your budget, a sublet or some sort of dorm-room-like arrangement will be a better deal.
posted by yarntheory at 10:49 AM on March 5, 2017
Best answer: If you will be in town in June, you should go to Shakespeare in the Arb. If you're there in July, the Ann Arbor Art Fair is not to be missed (and it will be hard to, since it takes over campus and the surrounding areas and the crowds will be dramatic). There are outdoor public movie showings/concerts throughout the summer as part of the "Top of the Park" series. I'm sure you will get plenty of restaurant recs (it's hard to go wrong), but tourists and locals alike should send you to Zingerman's. Agree that you should get a sublet.
posted by alygator at 11:49 AM on March 5, 2017
posted by alygator at 11:49 AM on March 5, 2017
Downtown AA has quite a nice run of restaurants & coffee shops, so you're set on that front. AA's public transportation is also decent, so you may be able to sublet an apartment farther out that's directly on the line. Here's the U's off-campus housing page.
posted by thomas j wise at 12:09 PM on March 5, 2017
posted by thomas j wise at 12:09 PM on March 5, 2017
Summer in Ann Arbor is Fun, lots going on, you won't lack for things to do in and around town. If you connect with some transportation, Detroit is very doable during a day trip, museums, Greenfield Village, sports....but you will need access to someone with a car that knows their way around, I wouldn't recommend it any other way. There's also canoeing on the Huron River, lots of parks.
Transportation around town is easy and available...
Have fun and welcome to the neighborhood! :)
posted by HuronBob at 12:17 PM on March 5, 2017
Transportation around town is easy and available...
Have fun and welcome to the neighborhood! :)
posted by HuronBob at 12:17 PM on March 5, 2017
There are "entire home" rentals on Airbnb for $2000 or just over near campus, but they are already booking up.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:21 PM on March 5, 2017
posted by DarlingBri at 12:21 PM on March 5, 2017
Best answer: For low cost accommodation, your best bet is to haunt the sublet/temporary category on craigslist. There's already a ton of summer sublets listed, but as you get closer to summer the ones that are left will likely be more willing to accept just a one month stay. Depending on your willingness to live in a shared space, I'm seeing prices from $600 a month to $1200 a month. If you are ok with a shared space, I think you could probably negotiate a great deal here which is a fantastic location within walking distance to nearly everything. Airbnb also has listings, but they seem more expensive.
For things to do, start with the Ann Arbor Observer events calendar. The summer events aren't really appearing there yet, but if you look through the March listings, you'll get an idea of what types of things will appear here. It's not everything that Ann Arbor has to offer, but it will include most musical performances, plays, large community events, etc.
As alygator mentions, if you are here in July you will get sucked into the orbit of the Ann Arbor Art Fair. If you're here in June, the 3 ish week Ann Arbor Summer Fesitival will keep you more than busy. Ann Arbor Restaurant week is also happening in June, along with Taste of Ann Arbor so it's a good food month.
Getting around: While the A2 bus system is pretty robust, it won't be of much help to get you out of Ann Arbor. Your options to get to Detroit are limited. As a single 30-something women who is in Detroit quite a bit, I think it's absolutely safe and a great idea to visit Detroit if you can. The U has a Detroit Connector bus, but it's not clear to me if it runs during the summer (you'd also need a UofM "M Card" to ride, will you have one?). Either Amtrak or Greyhound will get you there, but I'm not sure if the schedules will allow you to have a full day. Maybe make friends with someone in your program that has a car and convince them to join you? If you decide to visit Detroit, I'm sure Ask could help you put together a great 1 day itinerary or feel free to MeMail me.
A2 is a fun town, you'll have a good summer, promise!
posted by thatquietgirl at 12:32 PM on March 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
For things to do, start with the Ann Arbor Observer events calendar. The summer events aren't really appearing there yet, but if you look through the March listings, you'll get an idea of what types of things will appear here. It's not everything that Ann Arbor has to offer, but it will include most musical performances, plays, large community events, etc.
As alygator mentions, if you are here in July you will get sucked into the orbit of the Ann Arbor Art Fair. If you're here in June, the 3 ish week Ann Arbor Summer Fesitival will keep you more than busy. Ann Arbor Restaurant week is also happening in June, along with Taste of Ann Arbor so it's a good food month.
Getting around: While the A2 bus system is pretty robust, it won't be of much help to get you out of Ann Arbor. Your options to get to Detroit are limited. As a single 30-something women who is in Detroit quite a bit, I think it's absolutely safe and a great idea to visit Detroit if you can. The U has a Detroit Connector bus, but it's not clear to me if it runs during the summer (you'd also need a UofM "M Card" to ride, will you have one?). Either Amtrak or Greyhound will get you there, but I'm not sure if the schedules will allow you to have a full day. Maybe make friends with someone in your program that has a car and convince them to join you? If you decide to visit Detroit, I'm sure Ask could help you put together a great 1 day itinerary or feel free to MeMail me.
A2 is a fun town, you'll have a good summer, promise!
posted by thatquietgirl at 12:32 PM on March 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
Sorry, missed the part about not wanting to share spaces. The craigslist link does have some whole apartments listed as well, you just have to search for them. Students will be done at the end of April, so negotiation for a shorter term sublet will be easier next month.
posted by thatquietgirl at 12:40 PM on March 5, 2017
posted by thatquietgirl at 12:40 PM on March 5, 2017
Best answer: Note there are actually 2 major bus systems: the umich bus system, for getting around the (rather spread-out) campus, and the AAATA. Google maps knows about both. Uber and Lyft also both operate in Ann Arbor (but I doubt they're any use for getting to Detroit).
It's been a long time since I've looked at Amtrak or bus schedules, but last I did they weren't made for day trips; a weekend might be reasonable. Or as others say, find a ride with someone.
The UM art museum is right on campus and worth a visit. Food and tasty cocktails are no problem in walking distance of campus; I wouldn't say there aren't any bad choices, but there sure are a lot of choices; so if at first you fail, keep trying....
Possibly keep an eye on the michigan theater schedule as well.
posted by bfields at 2:06 PM on March 5, 2017
It's been a long time since I've looked at Amtrak or bus schedules, but last I did they weren't made for day trips; a weekend might be reasonable. Or as others say, find a ride with someone.
The UM art museum is right on campus and worth a visit. Food and tasty cocktails are no problem in walking distance of campus; I wouldn't say there aren't any bad choices, but there sure are a lot of choices; so if at first you fail, keep trying....
Possibly keep an eye on the michigan theater schedule as well.
posted by bfields at 2:06 PM on March 5, 2017
Best answer: Detroit is an hour from Ann Arbor by car - Amtrak runs typically about 3 times a day in each direction -amtrak.com. The station is walkable from campus cab/uber etc. Certainly worth seeing if others in your program are interested in going.
It's a good town for food and coffee and music. The Ark is a nationally known club for folk. The Summer Festival mentioned upthread has outdoors donate a few bucks concerts for 3 weeks as well as headliners indoors for real money and a lot of other cool stuff. It's a great thing to hang out and grab food from a cart. If you're a jazz person Wednesday nights at the Old Town and varying nights at the Ann Arbor Distillery are both worth checking out.
Mark's Carts is a courtyard full of food carts adjacent to Bill's Beer Garden (more than beer) - we've had a number of meet-ups there.
On campus Dominick's is a popular place to hang out in the summer outdoors for Italian food and sangria in mason jars.
Art - aside from the Art Fairs (4 fairs, 600,000 people descending on the city for 4 days the 3rd week of July) there are some galleries downtown - Ann Arbor Art Center, WSG Gallery, 16 Hands and yes the UM Museum of Art. Don't overlook the Kelsey Museum if you're interested in archeology.
posted by leslies at 5:08 PM on March 5, 2017
It's a good town for food and coffee and music. The Ark is a nationally known club for folk. The Summer Festival mentioned upthread has outdoors donate a few bucks concerts for 3 weeks as well as headliners indoors for real money and a lot of other cool stuff. It's a great thing to hang out and grab food from a cart. If you're a jazz person Wednesday nights at the Old Town and varying nights at the Ann Arbor Distillery are both worth checking out.
Mark's Carts is a courtyard full of food carts adjacent to Bill's Beer Garden (more than beer) - we've had a number of meet-ups there.
On campus Dominick's is a popular place to hang out in the summer outdoors for Italian food and sangria in mason jars.
Art - aside from the Art Fairs (4 fairs, 600,000 people descending on the city for 4 days the 3rd week of July) there are some galleries downtown - Ann Arbor Art Center, WSG Gallery, 16 Hands and yes the UM Museum of Art. Don't overlook the Kelsey Museum if you're interested in archeology.
posted by leslies at 5:08 PM on March 5, 2017
Best answer: Detroit will be difficult without a car -- getting there is possible (though not fun) but many of the things you'd want to visit are widely separated. But if you should find a friend at your summer program who drives, with a car Detroit is totally within easy weekend visit range from Ann Arbor (it's about an hour's drive, depending on where in the city you're heading) and features plenty of worthwhile visiting options. I highly recommend the Detroit Institute of Arts which has a remarkable collection and a central courtyard featuring master muralist Diego Rivera's most fascinating work.
You're getting plenty of good advice on Ann Arbor summertime traditions. Top of the Park is a favorite that I miss since moving away and Art Fair is -- well, it's the love-it-or-hate-it activity peak of the summer -- but I haven't seen anyone mention Nichols Arboretum yet.. It's a popular retreat bordering campus, a nice patch of (mostly) woods in the rolling hills near the Huron River, and in June the peony garden in the Arb (as the locals call the arboretum) will be a feast for the senses -- warm summer sun, vivid colors, and the heady fragrance of up to 10,000 peony blossoms. Take a book and a blanket and a picnic lunch and do your studying on the hillside overlooking the field of flowers.
May and June are wonderful months in Ann Arbor, July is transitional, and August tends to be a bit hot and muggy for my taste (something to consider when choosing lodgings -- the importance of air conditioning will increase substantially as the summer progresses.) But in general summertime is a great time to be there -- there's a lot going on in the town but the campus is relatively uncrowded and less hectic than during the rest of the year.
posted by Nerd of the North at 9:41 PM on March 5, 2017
You're getting plenty of good advice on Ann Arbor summertime traditions. Top of the Park is a favorite that I miss since moving away and Art Fair is -- well, it's the love-it-or-hate-it activity peak of the summer -- but I haven't seen anyone mention Nichols Arboretum yet.. It's a popular retreat bordering campus, a nice patch of (mostly) woods in the rolling hills near the Huron River, and in June the peony garden in the Arb (as the locals call the arboretum) will be a feast for the senses -- warm summer sun, vivid colors, and the heady fragrance of up to 10,000 peony blossoms. Take a book and a blanket and a picnic lunch and do your studying on the hillside overlooking the field of flowers.
May and June are wonderful months in Ann Arbor, July is transitional, and August tends to be a bit hot and muggy for my taste (something to consider when choosing lodgings -- the importance of air conditioning will increase substantially as the summer progresses.) But in general summertime is a great time to be there -- there's a lot going on in the town but the campus is relatively uncrowded and less hectic than during the rest of the year.
posted by Nerd of the North at 9:41 PM on March 5, 2017
Response by poster: Thank you all, I managed to find a ridiculously close AirBnb studio, which cost me only a few dollars above $2k, my initial budget. I definitely went over a few other options on Craigslist, but as you said, everyone wanted to sublet their place for the entire summer, and I didn't feel comfortable waiting till last minute. I also felt it's worth it to pay more to have a fully stocked/furnished place with towels, linens, and cutlery. And to have solid reviews to go off of, as I'm an international who would love to avoid any hiccups possible. I am pretty excited for my trip and checking out the lovely things you mentioned.
posted by SkinsOfCoconut at 10:57 PM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by SkinsOfCoconut at 10:57 PM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Others will give you more details, but relax, Ann Arbor is a lovely place and you'll have lots to do.
Check out the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society.
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:08 AM on March 5, 2017