Ann Arbor — often abbreviated as AA or A2 — is in southeast Michigan, 35 miles north of the Ohio border and 45 miles west of Detroit, near where the furthest exurban fringes give way to country and small towns. Founded in 1824, it was originally named "Annarbour" after the two founders' wives (Ann Allen and Mary Ann Rumsey) and an arbor of burr oak trees on the village site (although some have theorized that the name arose from an arbor of roses or grapes). Today the city has a population of about 115,000 people, not including the transient college students, or the thousands of visitors who come to town for football games and various festivals.
Ann Arbor is a picturesque city surrounding the University of Michigan. It has a strong bent toward the arts, and an attractive and pedestrian-friendly downtown. Although some find Ann Arbor to be overpriced and pretentious, particularly during the Art Fair season, others enjoy the city's wonderful sidewalk cafe dining, unique shops, lots of bookstores, and abundant cultural opportunities.
Understand
Ann Arbor is centered around the University of Michigan . The U-M campus intermingles with downtown, and the whole area is walkable, though day buses run between the campuses and the central business district. General Motors, Ford, Pfizer, Google, Domino's, and Borders Group have a major presence in the area. The University is well known for its medical school complex.
Farther out, the city fades into subdivisions (a mall and business parks in the south), then countryside dotted with towns, and to the east, Detroit suburbs. Buses here are sparse or nonexistent; you'll want a car unless you have several hours to spare. On some autumn Saturdays, transport is difficult as 100,000-odd people pour in for university football games.
Tree town is, as one might expect, full of trees; they line the streets, and from the air, in summer, all that can be seen is a green swath with a few buildings sticking out. (In the early 20th century, after having leveled the forest that once occupied the area, the city instituted an aggressive tree-planting program that's since borne fruit.)
Perhaps surprisingly for being so far north, summers can be hot, with temperatures occasionally hitting 90 degrees, but averaging in the low 80s. Winters, on the other hand, are brutal. The chill starts to set in around October or November, and it usually doesn't warm up until late April, meaning that half the year feels like winter. Average temperatures are generally in the range of 30°F, but particularly around January they can dip below 0°F, and that's without the wind chill factor. Bring fur (fake fur: this is a lefty college town).
Downtown is a solid block of restaurants and art galleries. The university hosts cultural events, and venues such as the Michigan Theater host first-run independent films and high-profile music groups. The original Borders bookstore is also here, as are several good independent bookshops, and the Ann Arbor Art Fair draws a million visitors each summer.
