Ann Arbor’s Northside neighborhood is just across the Huron River from the rest of the city, separate from downtown and campus in a physical way. The area’s warmth and friendliness brings homeowners together as they enjoy its huge mature trees, the proximity to the Leslie Science and Nature Center, and the romance of the nearby train whistle.
Kevin and Natalie Bradway met at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy, and married in 2013. The couple moved into their four-xADbedroom Chandler Rd. home the same year and are raising their one-year-old daughter Lily there.
“We’re some of the younger people here and the neighbors have been really welcoming,” said Natalie. “I like that we’re near the parks and water.” The Huron River is only 200 yards to the west. About the twenty-five- minute walk to the Kerrytown district, Natalie says, “We’re not too disconnected from the city.”
“I like that we’ve got a park just down the street,” says Natalie, speaking of Beckley Park, which Lily loves to visit. And Kevin and Natalie like that Lily’s in line to get into Ann Arbor’s STEAM school, a big draw for residents.
Lily also loves the story time every Wednesday at Leslie Nature Center. “It’s a nice little program and it’s kind of neat that you can just walk over there and see their hawks,” said Natalie.
The Bradways’ toddler loves a feature of the Northside many might find annoying: the horn of the Ann Arbor Railroad trains that pass within a few blocks of Chandler.
For Kevin, too, the soundtrack is part of his idyllic neighborhood vision. “I also like hearing the soccer games being played across Pontiac Trail at the Northside School field,” he says. “It’s like a complete fall day.”