What is living in Ann Arbor like?

In short, it's a pretty great city.

It is a college town, and most stuff revolves around the University. Either you work there, or you went for school, or you arrange your commute & plans around University events are happening -- mostly stuff like student move-in, or graduation, or Saturday home football games (110,000 people in town for a football game, in a city that's 110,000 people? Enjoy!). People make wedding plans to avoid home football games, because they often cause totally full hotel rooms in a 15 mile radius.

There's plenty of medium-size town entertainment -- multiple nightclubs, fancy bars, dive bars, fancy restaurants, greasy spoon diners, fast food, shopping malls, multiplex movie theatres, independent movie theatres, concert venues, museums, etc. You're not going to have the kind of nightlife that NYC or Chicago or Toronto would offer, but it's pretty good for a city this size.

The bus transit system is ok. Uber and Lyft are everywhere, and so are Bird scooters for rent (especially around campus). Parking is a pain in downtown and campus, but it's available. Traffic can be annoying sometimes, but it's not as bad as people like to whine. There's a train line that runs between Detroit & Chicago with Ann Arbor in-between, but the routes are pretty limited. It's 30 minutes away from a major airport.

It's not a very outdoorsy town. There are skiing locations within about 30 minutes, but you'd have to travel a few hours to find anything resembling a decent ski hill towards northern Michigan. There's hiking trails and nature paths and bike trails in the area, but it's relatively urban -- this isn't a remote mountain area. The Huron River runs through the city, and there is a livery that rents canoes and paddleboats. There's one or two fenced-in dogparks for no cost. There's other areas that are good for walking dogs, but please please please keep them on a leash. There are also multiple "Metroparks" in a 30-mile radius for a reasonable cost where you can go biking, hiking, canoeing, rollerblading, play disc golf, bird watching, or walk dogs. They're actually quite big. Kensington Metropark is about 4500 acres, and Hudson Mills is 1600 acres with a 9-hole golf course.

We also have one big park within city limits that has an outdoor swimming pool, indoor ice skating arena, 5 baseball fields, a playground for kids, entertainment pavilions, 3 tennis courts, and the best skateboarding park in the state. Restaurants and brew-pubs and grocery stores and great public libraries and other interesting stuff all within walking distance. So that's pretty cool.

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I love Ann Arbor; it's more than a "college town" to me. I don't have any particular connection to the university, I just live here and I like it quite well. I'm also "biased," however, in that some of my family live here, and I moved here to get away from Illinois (bleh).

Living in or near downtown is great. You can walk or bus everywhere, there are plenty of small convenience stores (and the food co-op!) so that you don't really need to go to Walmart/Meijer/Kroger/etc., and there is often something going on.

There is a lot of economic activity concentrated here, and there are so many great small businesses. It is easy to just get to know people and get a decent job here.

We have a great local radio station, WCBN, through the university, and The Blind Pig and Michigan Theater are choice spots for live music in the Midwest.

If you're looking for a small house or duplex, Water Hill is my favorite neighborhood. It's right next to downtown, and the houses there are a bit older and have more character than in other neighborhoods.

Cons: Ann Arbor is a gentrified city. There are a lot of douchey businessmen and skeezy landlords around who are honestly kind of a social nuisance. Lots of people here actually prefer Ypsilanti over Ann Arbor, and see it as less phony and pretentious, and I kinda get that. People also sometimes characterize Ann Arbor as being stuck in a '90s hipster aesthetic, or trying too hard to be a "cool city," like Portlandia or something.

The thing that endlessly intrigues me about Ann Arbor is how laid-back and seemingly lackadaisical aspects of the city governance can be. The police don't seem to do anything (for better and worse), I've seen the mayor jaywalking in mismatching clothes (which I thought was awesome), and the city has been making and granting business licenses for federally illegal marijuana businesses since before marijuana was even legal in Michigan (as of this last state election!).

These are the main bullet-points on Ann Arbor that come to my mind, from my perspective and experience. Overall, I'm glad I moved here and I don't plan on going anywhere else anytime soon!

There are positives and negatives. But two big positives for you would be: 1) from most places in the city, you can be out in the country in ten minutes, and all your recreational wishes listed are not far away. The city and county both have good parks systems. 2) Few places in the U.S. are as safe as Canada, but Ann Arbor fills the bill.

I really like Ann Arbor. Tons of great restaurants and events every week. It’s a left leaning town, pretty progressive. The university is intertwined in the city, upside are some great events — academic talks, musical performances, etc... downside for me is football traffic which really limits options a few days a year. Bus system is nice, I can get downtown without a car but I’m not familiar with other systems. Downtown is pretty dog friendly, many businesses let them in and there are water dishes all over. There are quite a few parks you can walk through and a river if you like go kayak or swim (I haven’t done either).

I think people here are nice, but I can sometimes see how it gets a reputation for being uppity. I didn’t know about it until recently, but there’s a brand of coats, I think called Canadian Down or something like that. Stupid things can cost like $800+ and you see them all over. Crazy to me.

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I love it. It's a very small city. So small, in fact, that even an introvert like me runs into someone she knows almost every time she goes downtown. But it has a lot to offer: big variety of good restaurants. World class classical and jazz performances. (The School of Music at the University of Michigan is outstanding.) Cinemas where you can see international and indy films. Lost and lots of parks, and an easy drive to beautiful outdoors. But no mountains. Anywhere. If you are a downhill skier, be prepared to travel for your sport. Lots of outdoor public events throughout the year: the famous Art Fair, the Summer Festival, etc. Lots of clubs and meet-ups ad university groups (open to the community) for activities: social dancing, team sports, book clubs, you name it. Also, a highly educated populace. Politically quite liberal.

If you're into outdoor activities then Michigan should definitely be on your list.

I could have moved anywhere, and I moved here on purpose.

Michigan has had it tough economically for several decades, but you can't squeeze any more jobs out of manufacturing. So that has run its course. Michigan is still a manufacturing place, so economic impacts of recessions matter. Ann Arbor has lots to offer, and it is unknown to most because they cross Michigan off the list without visiting. Sort of like Utah scares non-Mormons (seriously, why aren't the ski slopes jammed like Colorado?)

Because development has been somewhat delayed, there isn't a sea of suburbs yet. You can get out of town in five minutes. Because the state and city spent auto money on parkland, there are tons of great parks real close to the city. Look at a map and the amount of park/forest is pretty amazing.

If you are outdoors oriented , as long as it doesn't involve changes in elevation it's here. So X-country skiing is easy, downhill is limited to hills any West Coaster would laugh at. Rock climbing is basically gyms. We have water. Lots of water. Lakes, streams everywhere you turn.

Ann Arbor punches above its weight in cultural and food stuff because the University draws talent from all over the world. And when it feels too small town, Detroit is down the road, Toronto and Chicago are four/five hours away. Metro airport is one of the best in the USA with directs most places.

Don't tell anyone else though. It will get too crowded.

Been here for 29 years. Came for school and never left! Love it.

There are a number of hiking/biking/MTB trails within the city limits. These aren't necessarily destination trails, but they're very convenient, accessible, and will certainly entertain your dogs (leash required though). These trails are also popular for trail runners and mountain bikers because you can link them together into a big loop. There are also many more trails within a short drive, my favorites being at Pinckney Rec Area or Waterloo Rec Area.

There are a few places locally that groom XC skiing trails when there is sufficient snow, but you'll have to drive a few hours north for reliable snow conditions. There are also nearby trails groomed for winter fat-biking which of course isn't dependent on snow.

You can rent kayaks, canoes, paddleboards etc at Gallup Park, or the Argo Canoe Livery. However, with your own equipment, you have many options along the Huron River that are easily accessible by car. It is easy to portage around the dams if you'd like a longer adventure.

The only downside to Ann Arbor is that it is expensive to live here due to the lack of housing.

Here's the thing, while the A2 area is only so-so for moderate to advanced outdoor activities like skiing and hiking, you are very close to some of the most beautiful and least-crowded nature areas if you are willing to travel a couple of hours. That way you get the benefit of the A2/SEMI economy, and the natural benefits of the state as a whole. You can get a state park pass added onto your license registration here that will get you entry to all state parks.

Close to home here there are the metroparks, which can sate you during the intervening times when you can't get out to the really good stuff.

The Huron River has some fun kayaking, paddle boarding, and tubing during the summer, but can get really crowded on weekends. People definitely take advantage of water recreation here more than anything else.

Lastly, I'll put in my own favorite benefit of living in A2, and that's that you're close enough to Detroit, which has started to become quite a city in the last few years as it's economy has picked back up. It is consistently mentioned in publications as the new "up and coming" food city, and there are always new restaurants opening up (most of which actually blow A2 food scene away imo), and cool events like Theater Bizarre, concerts, etc. If you're a crafty/maker person, Detroit has a very supportive maker community as well. You're also not far from Chicago either, and all that city has to offer as well, and you can catch the train from the station in town.

Some other commenters have mentioned the slightly snobbish/uppity aura, which is definitely one part of life here, but it's a big enough town that you can filter people out if that isn't your thing. UM being here means there are a lot of anxious, overly-self-actualized people, tryhards, etc, but it's mostly only quirky level, and not suffocating. Just be prepared to have every opinion you might ever have be contradicted by someone who happens to have a PhD in the field, lol. OTOH, if you have a heart-attack in Blimpie Burger there's a good chance the guy at the table next to you is a cardiologist at UMHS. So it all evens out, lol.

Casual outdoorsy stuff is plentiful, the Arb is great for a walk in the countryside, Barton is great for shore or small boat fishing. If you want to really get out there, there's plenty of places around the Pinckney area.

Ann Arbor is a Midwestern college city. It's progressive, clean, safe, has a wide array of jobs. It is somewhat insulated from economic conditions the rest of the state/country experience because much of the economy is tied to the university, technology, science, and healthcare. It's been a great place to live for the past 5 years, and that's why we just bought a house here.

Proximity to Detroit is a plus. It's a major city and metro area with many amenities. The city itself has been becoming a better place to visit. We go there often.

As for Michigan itself, if you're Canadian, you know what the weather is. It's the best Midwestern state and nobody could really convince me otherwise. The Northern regions of the state redeem everything undesirable about the struggling rustbelt parts. Access to the Great Lakes is better than anywhere else.

The coasts have their attractions. Chicago has its benefits, but Ann Arbor is a great middle ground between big city and small town. If you can handle Midwestern winters, I think it's worth a shot.

Hey! My wife is Canadian. She is from the Ottawa area, but moved when she was a teenager. I am from California north of LA. We moved from San Diego to Ann Arbor for graduate school.

If you are from a larger metro area in Canada. You may find Ann Arbor somewhat small. But for it’s size it definitely has a lot of great restaurants and things to do. I think it is because the University brings in a lot of interesting people who do cool things. Also Detroit is a short 45 minutes drive (which is not as scary as Canadians think). We also have good public transit if she works downtown.

I love the seasons! We are big on the outdoors and there are hiking and biking trails everywhere. We also own kayaks and go down the huron river most of the spring, summer, and fall. The only thing I miss from California is the mountains. But if you make the drive up to the UP there are some hills they call mountains here.

The roads really suck and Ann Arbor doesn’t get as much snow as most people think. But overall we want to live here for the rest of our lives. It is great for young professionals and for people thinking about starting a family.

https://weatherspark.com/y/16511/Average-Weather-in-Ann-Arbor-Michigan-United-States-Year-Round

You can compare this with wherever you're at to get an idea how it will feel here throughout the year.

For example, it's way way way more humid than I'm used to. And way darker/cloudier.

I’ve been living in Ann Arbor for 12 years now, including college. It was a good place to attend university, and it certainly has more amenities than just about any other city this size, but once you get away from the UofM scene and more into the Ann Arbor scene, you kinda realize that it’s just a bunch of misfits who are afraid of change.

I’ve enjoyed my time here, but with so many other places having better quality of life for less money and generally better people, I’ll probably move elsewhere if we get another economic downturn(or I save enough in the next couple years to retire).

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It's Bitchin'

This is a bit late by now, but I figured I'd add yet another opinion about how great the Ann Arbor area is. I've done a fair bit of traveling by now, and almost every time I do it just reinforces how completely amazing it is here. I didn't travel much when I was younger so I figured I was just sheltered, but it turns out I was just ridiculously lucky to grow up around here.

Awesome things:

• LOTS of great late-night food options, and even 24/7 food options. Plus 24/7 grocery shopping. New York City is the only place I've been to that's better in this regard, but that leads me to my next point.

• It's SO cheap to live here. Granted, if you're trying to get a place right downtown you're going to be paying a fair bit, but still MUCH less than almost any other city worth living in. And it gets substantially cheaper if you go even a little bit out of town.

• Very safe crime-wise! Obviously there's not zero crime, but it's as close to zero as I've ever seen in an area anywhere near as populous.

• Extremely safe natural-disaster-wise! No significant earthquake activity (I think one time in my life the pans rattled a bit from an earthquake far far away). No worries about tsunamis, hurricanes, or significant flooding unless you live in a pond or something. Tornadoes are about the biggest concern, but our tornadoes are little babies compared to a place like Kansas.

• Amazing/unique craft beer almost everywhere you go.

• The food! Not only does Ann Arbor have the best dish I've experienced in my life (the sablefish at Pacific Rim oh my god!), but they also have tons of kickass restaurants with really low prices compared to anywhere else I've been with comparable quality.

• Easy to get around. Traffic and parking issues certainly exist, but nowhere even close to the level that they do in other highly-populated areas I've been to. Also, it's VERY easy to find several great food options at reasonable prices without having to wait for a table. There are certainly places you will have to wait a long time for if you go during peak hours (like Fleetwood Diner right after the bars close at 2AM), but it's very easy to avoid those situations. Compared to Denver where we had to wait almost every single time for 20+ minutes at every single restaurant we went to AND pay a stupid amount of money for the meal.

• The outdoor stuff has already been mentioned by a lot of people so I won't go into detail. But yeah there's plenty of options there.

• The people! Almost everyone I've met here has been friendly, smart, and somewhat accepting. I say somewhat because people are often harsh and closed-minded when it comes to non-liberal political viewpoints, but I'm not sure a place in the world even exists where people actually give fair consideration to more than just their own political views. So we as humans could all stand to be more accepting and try to really understand people with dissimilar views, but Ann Arbor is the same as any place as far as that goes.

Non-awesome things:

• The winters here can get pretty cold, but since you're coming from Canada I'm guessing this will be an improvement over that.

• The drivers. Other than the Pittsburgh area in Pennsylvania (they are the best/most considerate drivers I've ever seen anywhere), every area seems to have a specific bad-driving habit that happens more frequently than in other areas, like Ohio drivers constantly staying in the left lane without passing. Unfortunately, the bad-habit I've consistently seen in Ann Arbor is obliviousness. I've had to beep my horn WAY too many times at people who are right next to me that start heading into my lane (and often without even using their turn signal) since somehow they don't realize I'm there and they're about to cause a crash.

• Drivers: Part 2. The oblivious factor is bad enough, but the state of Michigan overall has the highest percentage of people I've yet seen that don't use turn signals properly. It's always annoying when people don't since the best drivers are the predictable ones who always use their turn signal properly even if they don't see anyone around (and it's a HUGE help to pedestrians when cars use their turn signals when there are no other cars on the road). However, with the Ann Arbor obliviousness added in you have to stay abnormally alert in all driving situations if you don't want to be surprised by some crazy move. Since many people don't consider how valuable signalling is, when someone is in the right-turn-only lane you'd normally tend to assume that they're turning right regardless of if their signal is on or not. But no, you'd better not fucking assume that here. It's still more common that they'll turn right, but I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone in the right-turn-only lane without a signal and then end up going straight anyway and nearly causing an accident.

There aren't any other significant cons to living here that I can think of though. Hopefully the driving part doesn't scare you too much, but I feel like it's better to know about it now rather than having to find to find out by experiencing it. Also worth noting is that even though these really stupid things have happened far too often in my 12+ years driving in the Ann Arbor area, I've still never actually been in a car accident here (knock on boner wood).

Many people complain about the roads in terms of maintenance and such, but that's certainly not a situation unique to here. I'd much rather have our wide roads that have a rough patch every once in awhile compared to the roads in California Bay Area that are narrow as fuck and if you veer off 3 inches to the right then you're immediately dead from falling off of a cliff with no guard rail.

Seriously though, the more places I visit the better Ann Arbor seems. Plus now weed is legal in Michigan which is a step in the right direction (though it'll probably a year or more before places actually get licenses to sell it recreationally since that change was JUST passed here). As far as the United States is concerned, there are only a couple other places I'd seriously consider living in.

I'm a new resident to Ann Arbor. It seems welcoming to people that have some money (a decent job). Everything is more expensive than what I'm used to. There's low crime rates, plenty of events, and tons of small communities. I hear a lot about the restaurants, but I've never been able to afford a meal at any of them. It might be worth a visit prior to a definitive decision. Seems like a good place to raise a family though.

I just recently moved to Ann Arbor. I'm American but have lived in Germany for most of the past 10 years. We love Ann Arbor because it allows us to do many of the same things we really valued about our life in Germany. We ride our bikes, walk our kids to school, are (bike) close to stores and most things we need, and are surrounded by international people, which was important to us.

Honestly, it sounds like you would rather live near Ann Arbor than in it. Fortunately, the surrounding areas are far less spendy to live in. I personally have about a thirty minute commute, and that's from north of A2 to the south side. All side roads, and the trees are beautiful.

skiing, camping, hiking, paddle boarding

A2 certainly isn't the best place for outdoor activities. Summers here are horrifically humid.

OP, did you end up moving?