Historic Fixer-upper
Koli owns both the Northside Grill and the historic Anson Brown Building next door at the corner of Broadway and Swift. It’s the oldest commercial building in Ann Arbor–so old, Koli points out, that when it was...
Read More2015 January
Roly Poly Retires
In November, R. J. and Nancy Meiring retired their Roly Poly franchise in Lamp Post Plaza with this Facebook post: “Today is the last day to get a Roly! We would like to thank our employees and loyal customers for their...
Read MoreGas Station Changes
Raza Ali is the new owner of the large, fresh, clean Washtenaw Shell gas station and convenience store at the corner of Huron Pkwy. and Washtenaw that finally opened in early November. “People are excited that we’re...
Read MoreEdgy Accessories in Mix’s Annex
Mix, the women’s clothing store in Nickels Arcade, opened an annex across the hall in the former Wendy clothing store, housing accessories that go with Mix’s impeccably tasteful but often edgy clothing. The...
Read MoreMichigan Tea?
“We germinated these in our backyard last year,” says Aubrey, of the camellia sinensis seedlings. “The plant itself goes dormant in winter, and that’s good, because it means we can keep them alive. Our...
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Early Jazz for Moderns
As musical forms go, jazz is not that old. In just a few years we will be celebrating the hundred-year anniversary of what is generally considered to be the first official jazz recording, made in New York on February 26, 1917,...
Read MoreAuto Parts Trio
“After 42 years, SG’s Ann Arbor store is moving to a new location. We are now located at: 3350 W. Liberty,” announces the website of the little auto parts store that specializes in imported car parts that used...
Read MoreScott Campbell
In 1998, Scott Campbell was working for Sprint PCS in Kansas City. The cell phone company had recently launched America’s first digital network, and Campbell was developing new services for it. While excited about the...
Read MoreCIL Reborn
Grawi had worked at the Center for Independent Living for ten years and was vice president of the nonprofit, which aids and advocates for people with disabilities. But the night she was offered the top job was stressful: the...
Read MoreThe Letters in LENA
I Spy “the last two letters of LENA, the Ann Arbor downtown yummy eatery,” writes Kim Perlman about November’s feature. “The characteristic ‘A’ immediately gave it away for me,” shares...
Read MoreSpitting Vulture Casino
Last month’s Fake Ad for the Spitting Vulture Casino on page 101 of the December Observer prompted 135 correct entries. The previous winner’s name, “Waltje,” was hidden in the combination of coming acts,...
Read MoreSava Looks South
Babo Farm Fresh Meals To Go is tucked into a small plaza on Boardwalk, in the shadow of the towering office buildings along Eisenhower and State. Kris Lelcaj, head of all Babo Market operations, expects the somewhat obscure...
Read MoreSuspended Moments
There’s nothing like children to make us wish that life had a pause button. With their tendency to disappear in crowds or climb worryingly high trees or simply grow up, kids embody both the chaos we’d like to...
Read MoreThe Little Book Shop That Could
“As much as I like books–at the moment, well, I pretty much don’t like books,” Rae Ann Weymouth says wryly, surveying the mountains of donated books being processed in the basement of the Ann Arbor...
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