Ann Arbor consistently, and rightfully, winds up near the top of the rankings for best college towns in the U.S. While a big reason for that is the University, what lifts Ann Arbor above the rest is an incredibly healthy job market, a phenomenal restaurant and bar scene, several great markets and festivals, and being one of the most walkable cities in the country with miles of parks and trails to keep you healthy and happy. 

One of the downsides of living in an area that’s a lot more than just a college town is that it costs more than just a small college town. The thriving economy and incredible amenities have driven housing and general cost of living well above state and national averages. It’s still cheaper than mega-cities like nearby-ish Chicago, but, as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” and in getting much more here, be prepared for prices that reflect that.


The Wolverines

LookyLOO Review of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor provides more kinds of living options than you might expect. Downtown has fewer homes, but its proximity not only to all of the businesses but the University, the lively neighborhood of Kerrytown, and massive West Park provides several additional social opportunities as well. Neighborhoods like Hailsey are extremely family-oriented, and neighborhoods like Burns Park are known for their great restaurants and parks. Angell, which is home to a lot of student housing, also has large, high-end homes if that’s more your price range, with great proximity to the school and “The Big House” (The largest football stadium in the country).

If you're interested in seeing what's happening in Ann Arbor check out the [calendar of events](https://www.a2gov.org/pages/calendar.aspx).

We highly recommend visiting Ann Arbor and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](https://expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.

Lifestyle 

Cities like this, with big homes, tons of social and cultural options, and plenty of outdoor spaces, are perfect for a world in which more and more people work in front of their computers all day. 

More than just the Wolverines

Why You Should Move Here Now? 

**ghosteagle**
5mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉

I go to U of M, and absolutely love it there. I've mentioned a few times that I'm looking for places that are "Ann Arbor, but warmer" to move to when I graduate. Things of note for me:
-The State Theater is incredible if you like watch older/more obscure movies on the big screen. The sometimes play "The Room" for instance, and will have Greg Sestero give talks afterward.
-The bars are going to be filled with students for the most part, so if you don't like that...
-There's a lot of places to take walks/mountain bike. I live in Livonia though, so I do my hiking elsewhere. I'm not really an expert on the trails there.
-It's very walkable, as a consequence of being a Uni town.
-Lots of dispensaries everywhere.
-Even with the students, IME as long as you stay away from the campus on the weekends, the parties aren't too nuts.
-Michigan Football is HUGE. People go nuts on gameday, which again I like, but it's not for everyone. Last year when we won the championship, people were blasting music and throwing shit all night all over the place.

For more reviews of what living in Ann Arbor is like from locals, check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/ann-arbor/reviews).

Reviews of Ann Arbor from Locals

**The Best Thing About Ann Arbor?** The Wolverines

No, not the animal. No, not the superhero. I’m talking about The University of Michigan Wolverines. This city’s greatest obsession and the rallying point for a city composed of a variety of different people from different walks of life, Ann Arbor consistently, and rightfully, winds up near the top of the rankings for best college towns in the United States. While a large reason for that is the Wolverines and University itself, what lifts Ann Arbor above the rest is everything else that comes with it. Ann Arbor has an incredibly healthy job market, a phenomenal restaurant and bar scene, a number of great markets and festivals, and a claim to being one of the most walkable cities in the country with miles of parks and trails. Wolverine central is more than just a college town too.

**The Worst Thing About Ann Arbor?** The Cost

It’s tempting to say ‘the weather,’ but I wanted to do something different than the typical midwest complaint. One of the downsides of living in an area that’s a lot more than just a college town is that, well, it costs more than just a small college town. Due to the thriving economy and multitude of amenities, housing and living prices have climbed well above state and national averages in recent years. It’s still cheaper than mega-cities like nearby-ish Chicago, but, as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” and in getting much more than a small stagnant midwest city, be prepared for prices that reflect that.

**How You Living?** Access to Everything

Ann Arbor provides more kinds of living options than you might expect. Downtown has fewer homes, but its proximity not only to all of the businesses but the University, the lively neighborhood of Kerrytown, and massive West Park provide a number of additional social opportunities as well. Neighborhoods like Hailsey are extremely family oriented, and neighborhoods like Burns Park are known for their own great restaurants and parks. Angell, which is home to a lot of student housing, also has large, high end homes if that’s more your price range, with great proximity to the school and “The Big House” (The largest football stadium in the country).
	

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** More than just the Wolverines

Cities like this, with a lot of spacious houses, local amenities, and plenty of outdoor spaces, are ideally situated for a world in which more and more people work in front of their computers all day. That’s just one of the many reasons that more and more people have relocated here in recent years, and there’s still plenty of room. Go Wolverines!


There is plenty of off-campus housing for students in Ann Arbor. If you want to live near the football stadium then Elbel is a popular choice. You also get easy access to Elbel Field, an athletic complex that includes a football field, volleyball courts, softball fields, soccer, cricket, rugby, and ultimate frisbee fields. So if you want to play or are an athlete this is a good choice. Tappan is a good choice if being near the Greek houses is important to you. The Law Quad and Ross School of Business is also in the area so you’ll find plenty of older grad school students in the area. 
- Elbel
- Tappan
- Old Fourth Ward
- Oxbridge

Check out the University of Michigan [Off-Campus Housing site](https://offcampushousing.umich.edu/) for school-vetted listings: 


Students

Elbel

Ann Arbor has a growing downtown business district with plenty of small tech and creative businesses filling the commercial real estate. For that reason, young professionals love to live in the apartments and condos downtown for a simple walk to work. 

Add an awesome restaurant and bar scene downtown to the in-town business district and you have the basics covered. Throw on top of all that the Art Galleries including the Ann Arbor Art Center, the jazz and other live music clubs, the bookstores, the AA Hands-On Museum, theaters, ice cream shops, and too many other things to list, and you can see why the area is popular for those looking for a good walk score to work and play. 

Check out the [Main Street Ann Arbor "things to do" ](https://mainstreetannarbor.org/thingstodo)site for a wrap-up of the area's places and activities: 



Young Professionals/DINKs/SINKs

Downtown Ann Arbor

Old West Side is a beautiful historic district that borders downtown. Families can choose from smaller Cape Cod-style homes and much larger older homes to get the best of both worlds. Live on quiet streets but have just a short walk to all the great restaurants, and the culture and social experiences of downtown. You also get to live near the Pioneer High School, state-wide renowned for academics, sports and overall excellence. 

Another great options is Burns Park. Also filled with tree-lined streets and old beautiful homes, the draw to Burns is the historic Burns Park which offers year-round play for families including a great playground, basketball courts, softball fields, tennis courts and a sledding hill for winters. 
- Old West Side
- Burns Park 
- Lowertown


Families

Old West Side / Burns Park Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor

**neatokra**
5mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I know AA well and I adore it - it has a ton to offer which you’re probably already aware of.

My one caveat for you is that the university RUNS the town. What the university says goes as far as city policy is concerned. Sometimes thats whats best for full-time residents, and sometimes its not.

For example, there is a ton of conflict right now because the city is trying to build tons of massive dorms/luxury student housing everywhere to increase enrollment, and the city pretty much lets them build whatever wherever.

I do recommend visiting AA 1) On a game day and 2) in the middle of the summer when no one’s around. The two of those together will give you a good idea of both sides of the coin.

**ghosteagle**
5mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉

I go to U of M, and absolutely love it there. I've mentioned a few times that I'm looking for places that are "Ann Arbor, but warmer" to move to when I graduate. Things of note for me:
-The State Theater is incredible if you like watch older/more obscure movies on the big screen. The sometimes play "The Room" for instance, and will have Greg Sestero give talks afterward.
-The bars are going to be filled with students for the most part, so if you don't like that...
-There's a lot of places to take walks/mountain bike. I live in Livonia though, so I do my hiking elsewhere. I'm not really an expert on the trails there.
-It's very walkable, as a consequence of being a Uni town.
-Lots of dispensaries everywhere.
-Even with the students, IME as long as you stay away from the campus on the weekends, the parties aren't too nuts.
-Michigan Football is HUGE. People go nuts on gameday, which again I like, but it's not for everyone. Last year when we won the championship, people were blasting music and throwing shit all night all over the place.

Goldentongue
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

As someone who has lived in many different places, lived in Ann Arbor for a while, and left a couple years ago, I can't stress enough how great I realized Ann Arbor is once I moved away. It's by far the easiest place to live for someone in the middle class (the rising cost of living Ann Arbor is unfortunately a trend found all throughout the country). It's low crime and peaceful but with the energy and resources of the closely interwoven campus. It's relatively biking and walking friendly, has decent public transit for its size, has tons of parks and decent access to nature and nearby areas for recreation.  Good art and culture for a city its size, and more to be found in nearby towns and of course in Detroit.

It's of course not perfect, and a lot of valid criticisms are found in this thread. But I encourage anyone struggling to enjoy their time there to embrace what if has to offer. 

**waitingForMars**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Look at [Ann Arbor Family](https://annarborfamily.com/) and [Ann Arbor Observer](https://annarborobserver.com/) for local events, many family-oriented. Lots of Latino food options here and a decently-sized community, too. Housing locations with lots of walking options can be pricey, but sidewalks and parks are plentiful, both in Ann Arbor and in surrounding communities. Winters get colder, but they’ve been warming up and it’s not like it used to be. I’ve spent time in Florida and recognize the problems that you describe. Ann Arbor is a much nicer area. 

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