aaamichfan

April 21st, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^

Ann Arbor is definitely a good place, but I disagree with the "Best Place for Recent College Grads" item. I would say the 23-30 age group is the one Ann Arbor caters to the least.

JHendo

April 21st, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^

As someone who is still in that age group and is someone who moved back to Ann Arbor 1 1/2 years ago after experiencing how other places cater to that same age group, I disagree (and obviously that 2010 Forbes list does as well).

Edit: To elaborate, there's plenty of eating of all varieties, lots of job oppurtunities (especially in the tech industry), shopping, 3 different types of bar scenes, different types of neighborhoods for different familial needs, plenty of single people if your still looking for a mate, and tons of schools and daycare options for families that are just starting out.  Nothing about this town does not work for the 23-30 age range.

Doc Brown

April 21st, 2013 at 10:52 PM ^

As someone in that age group, I COMPLETELY disagree. Of all the places I have lived Ann Arbor is by the most friendly to young professionals. The diversity of clubs, breweries, resturants, shopping, music, art, and athletics makes Ann Arbor a very fun place to live. 

Bb011

April 22nd, 2013 at 12:07 AM ^

Really? I have always felt Ann Arbor is a great place for recent college grads. If anything I would say the 23-30 group is one of the best times to be in Ann Arbor(Just behind the 18-22 undergrad age).

WolvinLA2

April 22nd, 2013 at 12:28 PM ^

I definitely love Ann Arbor, but I also definitely agree with aaamichfan on this. He didn't say it was a shitty place to live for people of that age group, just that it's the group least catered to. We can all agree that AA is an incredible place to live as a college student, and it's also a great place to grow up and to raise a family, which covers the 0-22 and 30-50ish age groups.

Now, as far as the 23-30 group - what sets AA apart from any other big-ish town? Every city has good restaurants and some good bars. That doesn't set Ann Arbor apart from Royal Oak or even Grand Rapids, let alone the places I would consider "great" cities for that age group. There's no major nightlife, there are no big living areas for people of that age group and there are a relatively low number of others at that age group.

For the people who think AA is a great place for 20-somethings, what sets it apart? I'm honestly curious.

Double Wolverine

April 22nd, 2013 at 1:29 PM ^

As a recent grad and someone in the 20-somethings age bracket there are a lot of things AA has to offer:

  • Restaurants/bars: I know other mid-sized cities have a similar volume of good places, but AA really has a greater breadth of places. There are Cuban, Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, German, Italian, Southern BBQ and a ton of others, each with their own unique style.
  • Integrated town/university: I have several friends in AA who did not attend UofM, yet they can enjoy the successes of our Wolverines. There was an electricity around AA during the Final Four run, whether you were affiliated with UofM or not.
  • Art Fair, Summer Festival, shows at Hill, Kerrytown/farmers market and numerous other activities: These help make AA a unique experience tough to replicate elsewhere.

It is tough to find a place with that level of activitiy and excitement in the small town feel AA is able to achieve.

Double Wolverine

April 22nd, 2013 at 5:21 PM ^

I think it's the fact that AA still packs a punch for its size. True larger cities have a lot going on, they also (generally) have higher crime rates and the really nice cities have crazy high rent. I can see how people would make the case for a number of other cities, that's why they made a top 10; I can also see why AA was on that top 10.

WolvinLA2

April 22nd, 2013 at 6:28 PM ^

I guess this is where we have to agree to disagree.  If you have to put a qualifier on the end like "for the money" or "for it's size" then it's not really the best.  Or Forbes should just name the list as such.  But if I'm looking to buy the safest car in the country, there is a huge difference between what is the safest car for it's size or the safest car for the money and what is actually the safest car period.  As for the crime rate portion, I hope that wasn't taken into account, as that's not a big factor for 20-somethings (I'm not saying anybody likes crime, just like young people are attracted to the hustle bustle at the expense of a little crime all the time).

That said, lots of bigger cities don't have the rent like NYC or SF but are still a much better fit for a 25 year old than AA.  I tried to look up the list to see what other cities are listed or to see the methodology, but when I googled "forbes best places for recent college grads 2010" it didn't show up, and the 2012 list didn't have AA.  

LSAClassOf2000

April 21st, 2013 at 10:41 PM ^

All of those numbers are reasons my wife and I are working hard to offload the house in Romulus and return to the area. I grew up near Ann Arbor and it has been a rather profound influence in my life. I miss not being able to stroll through the streets every day. 

gotohail

April 22nd, 2013 at 1:09 AM ^

Agreed...



I'm originally from Romulus and while not bad when I was a kid it's really slipped the last 10 years.



I sold my home in Ohio to be able to come back here and stay with my mother until I can buy what I want in Ann Arbor... 1 step back, 2 steps forward I suppose.

uniqenam

April 21st, 2013 at 10:54 PM ^

So depressing that I won't get to stay in AA for the next 7-8 years for grad school and instead have to move to the golden city of Cleveland. : (

DrunkOnHiggins

April 22nd, 2013 at 7:00 AM ^

Awesome numbers. I do not live in Ann Arbor but make sure to visit ever weekend to every other weekend. Whether it's to grab a beer at Ashley's or Jolly Pumpkin or grab some food, AA is a great town.

Great town, great school, great athletics.

goblueSD

April 22nd, 2013 at 10:51 AM ^

I tell my friends out here all the time that if Ann Arbor had San Diego's weather it would be the best city in the country bar none. It still probably is, second time recently MGOBLOG has made me really homesick haha. 

(The other time was when I saw the video of fans greeting the bball team on their return to A2, I wished I was there so badly). 

Ponypie

April 22nd, 2013 at 11:12 AM ^

Galluup-Healthways Well-Being Index:

http://well-beingindex.com/files/2013WBIrankings/2012WBICompositeReport…

If you look on pp. 1 and 7, Ann Arbor ranks 6th among medium-sized cities, and 8th overall (having slipped from #2 last year, but we know how fluid these rankings among certain cohorts can be from year to year).

Interesting - and perhaps obvious - that many medium-sized areas are in the top quintile, with several being college towns. I have lived here for a good part of the past 40 years, and can say both that A2 is phenomenal at every stage of life, and that, in most respects, it has improved by nearly every measure (perhaps with the exception of the recent proliferation of student high-rise apartment buildings).

I look forward to my children living out the same longitudinal experience.