Allen Elementary serves four noncontiguous areas in southeast Ann Arbor, mostly around Washtenaw Ave. and US-23. The school’s immediate surroundings are a compact section of single-family red-brick houses built in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the 103-unit ranch-style Carleton Court apartment complex at Packard. Students also are bused in from three huge rental complexes south of I-94: the 582-unit Pines of Cloverlane and 440-unit Hamptons of Cloverlane, both off Michigan Ave., and the 609-unit University Townhouses co-op off Ellsworth.
Yet Allen students also hail from more bucolic and upscale swaths north of Washtenaw Ave., with unpaved streets and large, wooded lots along Chalmers and Woodland as well as bigger, newer homes in the Woodcreek subdivision. The area includes tract mansions along the river that tower over the smaller, architect-designed homes of the Thornoaks sub, which Pittsfield Twp. designated as a Local Historic District in 2018 to preserve its unique mid-century modern charm. Another upper-middle-class segment is south of Michigan Ave. in Hickory Pointe, a subdivision with sixty-five homes, five parks, and a swim club.
Allen School lies behind historic Cobblestone Farm and year-round city recreation favorite Buhr Park, which features a swimming pool, outdoor ice rink, and sports fields. A new community, Veridian at County Farm, is currently taking reservations for homes; powered by solar, it will be one of the nation’s first mixed-income net-zero energy communities, and a third of the landscape will be dedicated to food production, along with a local farm store.
Allen grads go to either Scarlett or Tappan middle schools, and from there to either Huron or Pioneer high schools.
Bike lanes: Platt, Packard, and Stone School Rd. have bike lanes. Washtenaw Ave. has an off-street path. The school’s immediate neighborhood is well-connected with bike-friendly streets that make it viable to ride from E. Stadium on Brockman Blvd. and St. Francis Dr., across Medford, Towner, and Easy St., all the way to Packard or through Buhr Park. In the northern segment of the zoning district, dedicated bike lanes run from Gallup Park south on Huron Pkwy. to Washtenaw Ave.
Walking: Allen School has a Walk Score of 32. The Woodcreek subdivision area is close to Arborland-area shopping, with groceries and more, but many areas are not within walking distance of retail.
