My Route
I inherited the family business from my older brother, Neil. He steered it well during his...
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2021 July
Rebuilding the MRF
When it opened in 1995, Ann Arbor’s Materials Recovery Facility put the city on the leading...
Read MoreRegister Your Bike?
Q. Do I have to register my bicycle with the city?A. No. City council terminated Ann Arbor’s bike registration program in 2010. The U-M will register bicycles (and electronic devices) for members of the university...
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Maniacal Meads
A new artisanal product popped up among the flats of flowers and greenhouse lettuces at the Ann...
Read MoreA Tearoom Reopens
July 6 will mark the beginning of more normal operations for the TeaHaus Cafe on N. Fourth Ave.During Phase One of “our big, grand reopening,” owner Lisa McDonald promises more outdoor seating, more indoor seating,...
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Pop-ups and Food Trucks are Here to Stay at York
Tommy York, founder and co-owner of artisanal market and deli, YORK, was overwhelmed by the support his business received from the community this past year. “People were calling morning, noon, and night for carry-out food,...
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Tiny Galleries
Little Free Art Galleries, which in size and mission resemble Little Libraries and Little Free...
Read MoreFrom Bookbound to Booksweet
In May, Peter and Megan Blackshear announced plans to close Bookbound Bookstore in the Courtyard Shops. But to their delight, a new owner is now in the process of taking over.”When the word got out, we were very surprised...
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Melissa Schacht
On a picture-perfect morning in June, bees buzz, birds nest, and a massive lawn mower gives the...
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Buying Boysville
In May, one gigantic dream started to come true: their nonprofit Hive Project signed a $2.3...
Read MoreKanbu Asian Mart Open
Ann Arbor is well served with big, Asian-focused grocery stores, but it’s mostly lacked the smaller convenience-style stores which the Japanese call “conbini” and Koreans “pyeon uijeon.” Now,...
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Peace Powers On
Last year’s pandemic lockdowns and economic dislocations took a toll on everyone’s...
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Wild Swan Song
Covid forced theaters to shut down mid-season in 2019, but that isn’t why the Wild Swan...
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The Instant Art Fair
Update: The map in the July 2021 Observer missed two important changes: there is no Art-Go-Round...
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ADUs Unbound
Other cities and states have long permitted ADUs–small units attached or adjacent to...
Read MoreHomes Selling at or Above Listing Price
Eight million-dollar sales on this month’s map bring the year-to-date total to thirty-two–as many as sold at that price point all last year. According to InfoSparks, which gathers information from the Ann Arbor Area...
Read MoreQuality 16 Is Dark, Again
West siders and people who like to watch movies in comfortable seats were delighted when the Goodrich Quality Theaters group opened Quality 16 on Jackson Rd. in 1999. Along with big studio pictures and independent films, Quality...
Read MoreHard Talks
One of the most difficult conversations people are having these days is about Covid-19 vaccines. What starts as a hopeful conversation can quickly turn into an unproductive argument that damages relationships. One common...
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Amtrak Comes Back
On a June weekend, masked folks filled Amtrak’s Pontiac-to-Chicago train both coming and...
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Caregiver Crisis
Mickey, forty-two, is one of more than 6,600 Michigan residents receiving long-term care and rehab...
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