12 posts tagged “ann arbor mi”
Patrons at the downtown Ann Arbor Library will soon find it easier to find parking, as work has begun on an underground parking structure next to the main library branch. The parking structure, which is expected to be open by the Art Fair in 2011, will have 677 parking spaces. The former surface lot had spots for 200 vehicles. (The library’s parking lot is closed, but public parking spaces can be found at the 5th and William parking lot, the 4th and William parking structure, and at meted parking spots on the street).
The City of Ann Arbor and the Downtown Development Authority are working together to build the 3-story underground lot with an emphasis on being environmentally conscious. The structure is being paid for with parking revenues from the public parking system.
The new parking garage will utilize natural light as much as possible, and will use dimmers on lights, as well as LED lights, to save electricity. Electric cars can recharge while they park at the power outlets that will be installed. The DDA is looking into additional energy-saving measures, including using geothermal heating systems, solar panels, and reusing building materials from the excavated cement.
The city is seeking proposals for development above the parking garage, and several uses are being discussed, including building a large structure with a hotel, offices, a convention and residential spaces. No decisions have been released yet about the suggested uses, but prime Ann Arbor real estate such as this is generating a buzz of interest from investors.
Motorists will find it even easier to locate a parking spot downtown once this project is finished. Downtown Ann Arbor is a popular destination for both residents and visitors alike, with a multitude of restaurants catering to all tastes, boutiques full of unique gifts and theatres offering live shows and indy movies, there’s always something to enjoy in the city.
For information and construction updates on the parking structure project, visit:
a2dda.org/current_projects/s_fifth_ave_parking_structure_project
The United States House of Representatives voted last week to pass a bill that would extend the tax credit for first-time homeowners for a year for military personnel currently serving overseas. The bill, which was passed by unanimous vote, would give military serving overseas for at least 90 days in 2009 an additional year to take advantage of the tax credit. The credit, which was part of the President’s economic stimulus package- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act- gives first-time homeowners an $8,000 tax credit. The bill would also waive repayment requirements for military families, intelligence agents and Foreign Service officers who take advantage of the tax credits, but need to move or sell their house for job-related reasons. The bill, called House Resolution 3590: The Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009, will be sent to the Senate for their vote. Many first-time home buyers in Michigan have taken advantage of this bill, buying both new and older, historic Ann Arbor homes. The University of Michigan, several hospitals in the area, as well as auto manufacturing plants brings new residents to the city every year. Many students decide to stay in Ann Arbor after graduation, and buy their first home as they settle into their new hometown. The first-time homeowner tax credit provided extra incentive for many would-be homebuyers to purchase their first home.
Recycling and waste reduction will be the topic of an upcoming seminar to be hosted by the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Recycling Coalition this Tuesday. The Michigan Recycling Coalition’s Master Business Recycler Training is designed to help businesses design and implement a successful waste reduction and recycling program.
Program participants will learn about the benefits of recycling, details about the City of Ann Arbor’s business recycling program, how to conduct a on-site waste audit and understand the flow of waste through the operation, how to gain the support of management and staff for the program, as well as and how to promote the business’s sustainable materials management practices.
The training will be held Tuesday, October 6, from 2- 5 p.m. at the Kensington Court Ann Arbor, located at 610 Hilton Boulevard, Ann Arbor. The cost for registration, which includes a workbook, CD, and a $25 coupon towards the Michigan Business Recycling Certification application fee, is $25 for chamber members and MRC members, and $35 for prospective members. Questions? Contact Lindsay McCarthy at lindsay@annarborchamber.org or call 734.214.0109.
Our city is known for being environmentally friendly, with recycling programs, zip cars, bike paths, bus service, and farmers markets all helping in the quest for a green lifestyle. Making Ann Arbor homes and businesses energy efficient is a big step in reducing our energy footprint.
Cooley Law School, a private law school based in Lansing, Michigan, opened a campus in Ann Arbor earlier this week. The Ann Arbor campus will be located on Plymouth Road, on the north side of Ann Arbor, in the building that formerly housed the Ave Maria School of Law.
“Cooley Law School opened in Lansing a little more than 100 years after Thomas M. Cooley became dean of the University of Michigan Law School,” said Cooley Law School President and Dean Don LeDuc. “That we will open a campus in Ann Arbor is one of the most exciting events in our school’s history.”
The opening of the new campus brings with it an influx of students into the area, along with those who already call Ann Arbor home. Many were busy last week and over the long holiday weekend, moving into their Ann Arbor condominiums and apartments to be ready for the start of classes on Tuesday.
The largest law school in the country, Cooley also offers classes on its campuses in Lansing, Auburn Hills and Grand Rapids. The Ann Arbor location will admit incoming classes three times a year- January, May and September. Some of the courses will be offered during the evening, to accommodate the schedules of working professionals.
“More than 1,000 students earning undergraduate degrees in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti apply to law school each year,” said LeDuc. “We believe that many of those graduates will jump at the opportunity to attend law school in Ann Arbor. When the opportunity came to obtain the Ave Maria facility, we decided that we would add this location to our campuses in Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Auburn Hills.”
Cooley Law School was founded in 1972. Today, Cooley Law School has more than 13,000 graduates around the world, and offers joint degree and master of laws programs.
Image courtesy Flickr: Joe Gratz
Cutting down on the electricity you use to cool your house, heat your water and cook your food can make a big difference in your electricity bill. Not only is it earth friendly, saving energy is budget friendly as well. Here are ten easy ways to reduce energy consumption in your Ann Arbor home or downtown Ann Arbor condominium.
- Weatherize your home by using insulation, caulk, and storm windows to keep the inside air inside, and the outside air outdoors.
- Clean or replace the filters on your furnace and air conditioner regularly to keep the machines running at their optimum.
- Use insulated drapes or blinds to keep out the heat and sun during the day and to keep out the cold during the winter.
- Close fireplace dampers when they’re not in use.
- Run your dishwasher, washing machine and dryer only when they’re full to make the most use of the water and energy they’re using.
- Use cold water to wash clothes that don’t need hot water to be laundered.
- Install low-flow showerheads to cut down on water use.
- Repair leaky faucets right away.
- Use a toaster oven if you’re cooking just one small dish.
- Plan your meals so you can cook multiple dishes at the same time in the oven.
For more tips on reducing your energy usage, visit:
The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth
The U.S. Department of Energy
Image courtesy Flickr: PetroleumJelliffe
Michigan has many beautiful wineries, and summer is the perfect time of year to take a few days to explore them. Concentrated on the west side of the state, but also sprinkled throughout, the wineries grow Michigan fruit that is turned into amazing wines made right here in our great state.
The state’s abundance of plump, juicy blueberries, bright sweet grapes, and rosy strawberries make beautiful fruit wines. A winery tour is a great “stay-cation,” a vacation close to home. Take a few days to take a winery tour through the state, and enjoy one of the things that make Michigan a wonderful place to live. Many wineries are only a few hours from your Ann Arbor home.
Michigan wines continue to grow in popularity. This year, more than 800,000 tourists are expected to visit Michigan wineries. Linda Jones, executive director of the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council, attributes this trend to two factors. “Wine consumers across the U.S. are embracing local foods and wines as part of a growing movement to ‘buy local,’” said Jones. “In most cases, the grapes are grown near the winery, providing winery visitors with a sense of ‘place’ that enhances the enjoyment of the wine.”
For more information on Michigan wines and wineries, check out the new edition of Michigan Wine Country magazine, which is a guide for touring Michigan’s 64 wineries. The 2009 Michigan Wine Country magazine features 48 pages of the latest news and information on Michigan’s world-class wines and wineries—including eight new wineries--plus maps, activities and events. The magazine also offers a winemakers’ list of favorites, as well as information on newly released wines and unique tasting rooms throughout the state.
Complimentary copies of Michigan Wine Country are available at Michigan wineries, Travel Michigan Welcome Centers and wine retail stores. The publication can also be requested online at www.michiganwines.com, or by calling 517-241-1207.
Photo courtesy Flickr: bcbeatty
If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, consider taking advantage of an offer from DTE Energy. DTE is offering to pick up refrigerators from DTE customers and recycle the old fridges for free. Along with the free pickup, they are offering a $50 rebate to residents who replace old refrigerators with energy-efficient models. In addition to hauling away your fridge, they will also pick up old room air conditioners and dehumidifiers at the same time, and are offering a $20 rebate for them.
Upgrading old appliance to new, energy efficient models can save you hundreds on your electricity bill each year. If you’re moving or thinking about buying a new Ann Arbor home, consider installing appliances that are gentle on the environment and friendly to your wallet.
Even little changes in your energy consumption can make a big difference. Hang laundry outside to dry, set your dishwasher to air dry instead of heat dry, do laundry in larger batches, use a toaster oven instead of a large oven. Keep lights off when they’re not in use, unplug appliances when they’re not being used, and keep shades closed when heat is streaming in the windows to help keep your home cool.
For more information on recycling and energy efficiency in Washtenaw County, visit the county’s website.
Photo courtesy Flickr: Miek37
If you love the hustle and bustle of city life, the convenience of walking to nearby restaurants, and an endless array of entertainment, then living downtown Ann Arbor would suit you perfectly.
The Ashley Terrace Condominiums are a beautiful, upscale living environment located downtown Ann Arbor, and are within walking distance to The Earle, Pacific Rim, Real Seafood Company, Café Zola, and Zingermans Deli, among other fine restaurants. Also located nearby are Goodnight Gracies, the Firefly Club, Espresso Royale, and the State Theatre.
With so many dining and entertainment options literally right outside your front door, you’ll have something fun to do every night of the week. The trouble will be deciding whether to see a movie, enjoy a cup of espresso with a friend, dance the night away at a jazz club, or people watch at a restaurant on Main Street.
Condo living offers many advantages; you don’t have to mow a lawn, you can live close to your downtown business, which saves on commuting costs, you save time and gas by shopping downtown rather than driving somewhere, and you have a front-row seat to all the football festivities in the fall.
Contact your Ann Arbor realtor for more information on the Ashley Terrace Condos and other downtown Ann Arbor condominiums.
Midwest Living Magazine recently recognized something all of us Ann Arborites have known for a long time- that Ann Arbor’s cuisine is top-notch. The magazine recently rated Ann Arbor among the “Best Midwestern Food Towns.” Zingermans was listed prominently in the story, and Sparrow Meat Market and Vinology got a shout-out, as did Logan and Gratzi. I thought the editor’s comments were spot-on, I just wish they’d had more time to eat their way through our glorious city. Perhaps a stop at Café Felix, Zola, Schakolad, Cake Nouveau, and TeaHaus, all located downtown on prime Ann Arbor real estate.
Okay, so their two-day eating adventure would have turned into a two-week culinary excursion, but who’s to blame? Ann Arbor is full if hidden dining treasures. Lucky enough we’re tasked with the job of finding them all! Who knows, perhaps after visiting our great city, the editors were so smitten with our charm- and great food- that they decided to ring up an Ann Arbor realtor and stake claim here.
Midwest Living rated Ann Arbor third among Midwest food towns. The article reads:
“Rarely has a city's culinary reputation been so intertwined with one restaurant as is Ann Arbor's with Zingerman's Deli. What began in 1982 as Michigan's best place to get a Reuben has grown into a mini-empire of deliciousness, with a bakery (Jewish rye), creamery (homemade cream cheese), coffee roaster (single-origin Brazilian peaberry), mail-order catalog (sour-cream coffee cake) and sit-down restaurant (smoked chicken mac 'n' cheese). Make no mistake. We love Zingerman's.
But we also love how Zingerman's has invigorated the larger food scene in Ann Arbor. Bob Sparrow, owner of Sparrow Meat Markets and Produce, says that eliminating chemicals and using fewer, fresher ingredients means you can actually taste the cherries and duck meat in his gourmet sausage.
For years, University of Michigan students and faculty have sipped beers and lattes at downtown's sidewalk cafes. The city retains that college-town vibe, but the dining scene has grown up. You'll find fried local squash blossoms at Vinology, a ginger-glazed salmon burger at Logan and tender gnocchi at Gratzi.”
Yes, we know it’s only June, and you just got done with school and are now spending your time relaxing by the pool. Hard work, the life of a college student in the summer.
We hate to burst the summer fun bubble, but put down the lemonade for just a minute.
University will start up again before you know it, and now is the time to line up your housing for next year. Ann Arbor is loaded with great student housing, you just have to know where to look.
Your first move should be to find a top-notch Ann Arbor realtor. Find someone you’re comfortable working with. Next, sit down and make a list of what you’re looking for in housing.
Do you want an Ann Arbor home, a downtown
, an apartment, or do you think you might even want to snatch up a piece of Ann Arbor real estate to call your very own? With the first-time home buyers credit, buying your first home may be more affordable than you think.
Think about where you want to live. Do you want to be downtown, close to school, in a quiet neighborhood in a historical part of town, near a bus line, near stores, surrounded by open fields and trees? Daydream a little and figure out where you’d like to put out your welcome mat.
Check your bank account and determine what you want to spend per month on housing. Consider asking your best bud to be roomie for a year, cutting your housing costs in half. Have more than one BFF? The more the merrier.
Ask your realtor to send you places to check out online, then keep track of the ones you like so you can check them out in person. Keep in mind how many bedrooms you’ll need, and also how many bathrooms the place has. Check out the parking situation- will there be ample room for your cars, bikes, mopeds or skateboards? When you visit the condo, house or apartment, take a quick walk around the area to get a feel for the environment and the neighborhood.
Before you know it, you’ll have fallen in love with the perfect place, and now you can chill by the pool, home decorating magazine in hand, feeling blissful that now you really can enjoy the rest of your summer!
