hooray for another UofM-er!

I'll be starting the 3g track in june (!).

my boyfriend is in the law school at UofM, so we are living together in an apartment (really, a house divided into apartments) near the law school (central/south campus).

the architecture school is on north campus, which i have found to be a vapid place. i will plan to bike/bus/and occasionally drive from where i am to TCAUP.

for the summer session, i'm subletting a place in kerrytown, which is north of central campus. it's more or less generalized as a place where older/grad students are. very cute neighborhood, people's co-op, zingerman's, farmer's market, etc. (and cupcake station! so close!)

i imagine you would want to avoid fratty residential areas - typically south campus... i'm sure if there's a current student of UofM around, they can give you bad streets/boundaries.

huron towers is right across from the architecture school. it's a nice modern apartment building, very convenient, but there is relatively little going on in and around north campus.

kerrytown is great and close to bus stops to take you to north campus, but tends to be quite studenty. the old west side has great neighborhood atmosphere, but you will likely have to drive to school. i lived in the summit street area in the northwest and really enjoyed it. there are also some nice places right downtown, look for fourth and fifth avenue locations.

Willowtree Apartments on Plymouth Road has to be the cheapest apartment complex within walking distance of the architecture school. They are not luxurious, but I lived there for 2+ years and would say they're comparable in quality to others in the vicinity. When I was there, they were <$500/mo with a roommate.

The best housing though is a house in town if you can find a good one with suitable roommates. You gain the convenience of nightlife in AA, but you lose the convenience of being able to walk to class and it will be more expensive. I lived on North Campus for most of my time in Ann Arbor, and honestly I don't think you are missing much not living in town. The bus systems are actually really good, and for the most part free (the city bus was free for students when I was there and obviously so is the student bus), plus there are bikes, cars, cabs, and rides from your friends.

Honestly, North Campus isn't that far away from downtown. It's actually rather peaceful and there is great access to the Arb, Fuller Park, Furstenberg Park, and all the other parks/trails/paths and preserves that connect together along the Huron River all the way to Yipsi. People bitch about North Campus, but if you get outdoors once and a while it's actually a high quality of life. Lots natural beauty and deer frolicking around.

i guess by best housing i meant the house itself

I was carless and lived near Angelo's/ and the Medical Center. It was an easy walk to and from school every day - It's only about a half hour walk if you are like me and don't do buses except under duress.

Huron Towers has a Jacques Tati quality to it that some people like, and since a lot of visiting faculty and fellows end up there it can be amusing to run into them in the elevator after they've spent a boozy night out. Especially when they are accompanied by someone in your studio.

houseofmud makes a good case for Huron Towers!

But I also was carless and lived near Angelo's, on Catherine Street, and it was a wonderful and quick bike ride home. When it was snowy, I took the bus, which honestly wasn't bad.

I'm pretty impressed by the bus system already, having used it on a number of occasions while visiting law school boy (and UofM students can still ride the city buses for free). The worst part was how hot they are in the colder months! There you are all bundled up because it's cold out and they're trying to play hotbox once you step on the bus. I have this same gripe about all the stores along michigan avenue in chicago.

Was able to get my pre-req mess sorted out, as well as graduate a month before this semester ends in order to scoot on over to Ann Arbor in time to start their/my m.arch I this year!

Found a 2br sublet in huron towers from June till July, planning on looking for another place during that time, since I'm moving from Japan (with wife and 6 m/o baby) thought it'd be less stressful to have a place to make the transition.

Plane tickets are booked for June 22nd, looking forward to getting started in 7 more weeks!

glad you were able to shake things out watanabe

see you in june ;)

. live in detroit & commute via amtrak instead.

you know if that guy hates ann arbor so much he should move the fuck away.