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About Ann Arbor

Why Students Love this City

Ranked consistently as one of the best college towns in America, Ann Arbor offers an eclectic mix of world-class culture with all the perks of a fun, small city. Ann Arbor is a broadly diverse, welcoming community that boasts a lively year-round community events calendar, beginning with movies and music acts to suit every taste. You can take part in an active local-food movement, awesome rock shows, Outfest (a block party at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market celebrating diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation), and top performers at the yearly Ann Arbor folkfest (such as Iron & Wine, Ben Gibbard and the Avett Brothers).

Sports enthusiasts find an array of activities, from canoeing to cross-country skiing--and of course watching one of our very own Wolverine teams at the Big House stadium. Restaurants run the gamut, most with three-season outdoor seating to take advantage of Michigan's beautiful evenings. Cultural events like book fairs, restaurant weeks, music festivals, and nationally recognized juried art fairs transform downtown streets into pedestrian malls (including Ingalls Mall, at left, at the heart of campus) many weeks of the year.

Ann Arbor's "best of both worlds" urban/rural landscape is a delightful blend of...

• tree-shaded single-family homes / walkable districts and open-air markets
• high-end and casual restaurants / festivals, fairs and parties
  
• arboretums, parks and open spaces / arts, music, intellectual life, sports
  
• community and affordable housing / boutiques and shopping malls
  
• 19th-century theaters and modest modern skyscrapers
  
• gorgeous panoramas of tree-lined hills, rivers and trails
  
• bike-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, ample public transportation
  
• one of the world's greatest universities (Michigan!)

And don't forget the rankings, where Ann Arbor rocks...

• American Institute for Economic Research ranked Ann Arbor the No. 1 small metro area to attend college.
• Princeton Review and Livability.com named Ann Arbor among Top 10 College Towns in August 2012.
• The Daily Beast ranked Ann Arbor as America's 6th Most Creative City, largely because of U-M's influence.
• www.officialbestof.com named Ann Arbor as the best arts-and-cultural destination in Michigan.
• Ann Arbor named among U.S. Dept. of Transportation's top 5 "walk-friendly" cities nationwide, for being "comfortable and attractive... with sidewalk furniture, planters, wayfinding signage, fountains."

A video love letter to Ann Arbor: from our friends at U-M College of Engineering:

SPH Students on the Town

Witnessing history...

Working out...

Volunteering...

SPH student bloggers have plenty to say about their current home town..

Local Info

• Arborweb
• The Michigan Theater
• University Musical Society
• Ann Arbor Visitors Bureau

• Google Street View (search for "Ann Arbor" then click "Street View")

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