Louie’s Back
When he grew up, Louie partnered with Mama Dux—a brown mallard—and together they raised twelve ducklings: nine were brown, and three were yellow, soon to turn white. Louie was an attentive father.
Read More
Community
A Pioneering Downtown Loft, Puzzling Exits on Primrose, and a Mayoral Legacy
A two-floor, 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath spread in the Heinrich Building at 111 S. Fourth Ave. changed hands last month for $1.75 million.
Read MoreHealthy Living & Wellness
A guide to healthy living and wellness in the Ann Arbor area. Click to read online Click to download a...
Read MoreQuestion Corner | May 2025
Q. The old Washtenaw County Garage (I think) across the street from the YMCA has been demolished except for the chimney which is home to chimney swifts. It is beloved by Ann Arbor birders. Is the chimney being preserved and, I hope, being incorporated into whatever future development might occur?
Read More
Vyshyvanka Day
It’s not easy planning a “cheerful” Ukrainian celebration these days, but U-M statistician Iryna Bondarenko is determined to do just that. The observance of Vyshyvanka Day on May 15 “will not focus on the war,” she says. “ It’s something for people to enjoy.”
Read More
Little Break
“When I said that to a random mom one time, she started crying,” the U-M Stamps grad continues. “She was like, ‘How am I doing? No one’s asked me that!’ And that’s what Mamas Network is about.”
Read More
Sculptures, a Shih Tzu, and Songs
If you have ever walked in Gallup Park, you’ve experienced the animal sculptures.
Read More
To Buy or Not To Buy
My husband and I had been wondering about replacing our own second car, a ten-year-old Buick Enclave SUV with 146,000 miles. As soon as we learned about the tariffs, we, too, hurried to dealer showrooms to see what we could find.
Read More
Sheila Schueller
It’s a cold spring afternoon, but ecologist Sheila Schueller is determined to find signs of life in her backyard pond. She scoops a wiggling alien-looking creature into her net. “Ooh, you see how it has baby wings right there?” she asks. Come summer, she explains, this nymph with the bulging eyes will emerge as a dragonfly and “eat up” any mosquitoes.
Read MoreGrad Season at Tower Plaza, Prices Rise at Bristol Ridge, and a Storied Home in Burns Park
Our map is sparser than usual this month because, as they did last year, the assessors for Pittsfield, Superior, and Ann Arbor townships have temporarily stopped uploading sales to the state’s database.
Read More
Surf Michigan
A small cyclone was predicted to hit Lake Michigan on November 21, 2024. Saint Joseph lay still—no wind, just the occasional whisper of movement—but out in the heart of the lake, the waves roared to life. For the MSurf club at the University of Michigan, it was the perfect storm—an unmissable call to adventure.
Read More
Liberty St. Dunkin’
“Dunkin’ … for breakfast?” questions Mary Adams. “Nah—leave it for the kids. Why have Dunkin’ when the Dairy is less than a five-minute walk away?”
Read More
Kiddie Land
“Us Ann Arbor long-timers know that this is a Fake Ad for a non-fake business, perhaps with some poignance.”
Read More
Echelon Kitchen and Bar
March’s photo shows “a column outside the new Echelon Kitchen and Bar that just opened,” writes Dyke McEwen. It’s on the “southwest corner of Main Street and Washington,” says Debbie Onderdonk. “The building in the background is Cafe Zola.”
Read More
Modern Love
To this day, the stream of applicants from the recovery community has not abated. They are like our very own LinkedIn and Indeed all rolled into one. Over the ensuing ten-year period, while owning and operating a growing vegan food business that now includes a restaurant, a bakery/cafe, and an events venue, I have hired more than 150 people in recovery. As their employer, I have had the privilege of joining them on their life-changing and lifesaving journeys
Read MoreFebruary 2025 Home Sales
Burns Park “bargains,” Bryant homes cross $300K, Inglis House heading back to market, and This Old House of the Month.
Read More
Bookseller Gene Alloway
“I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew I liked books,” Gene Alloway says, seated at his desk in the middle of a shop full of them on a rainy afternoon.
Read MoreObserver Cover Art Exhibit
An exhibit of fifty original paintings from the covers of the Ann Arbor Observer is on display at Office Evolution in Ann Arbor. An Opening Reception open to the public will be held Saturday, April 12 from 1 – 6 p.m. Come meet...
Read More
Doomsday Planning
“We’re dealing with an insane amount of mental health issues and anxiety from our residents,” says Derrick Miller, executive director of the Community Action Network. CAN’s seven community centers provide everything from after-school programs to housing support and emergency food pantries, and its clients are reeling from the Trump administration’s budget cuts.
Read More