Holiday Inn Ann Arbor Our Neighborhood

Ann Arbor - often abbreviated as AA or A2 - is a city 35 miles north of the Ohio Border and 45 miles west of Detroit, near where the furthest exurban fringes give way to country and small towns.  Ann Arbor offers all the advantages of big city living with the feel of small-town friendliness and easy lifestyle. There are many ways to enjoy the area such as the University of Michigan, Art Galleries, Museums, Theatres, Cafes, World Class Restaurants, and More!

Please check out our Special Events at the bottom of the main page or our Community Calendar for upcoming events in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Area!

Check out these links for more information on Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti

GETTING INTO ANN ARBOR

By Car:
Ann Arbor is bounded by I-94 (between Detroit and Jackson) on the south and west, US-23 (between Flint and Toledo, Ohio) on the east, and M-14 (which leads to Detroit) on the north.

By Plane:
The nearest major airport is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (IATA: DTW, ICAO: KDTW), about 25 minutes away, from which it will probably be necessary to rent a car or have a friend pick you up.  A taxi will cost you in the neighborhood of $45 one-way; alternatively, several shuttle services offer pre-booked trips for $30-35 one-way and $55-60 round-trip, with the cost per person decreasing as the size of the group increases.  There are quite a lot of airport shuttle services & car rentals, but the following will give you a place to start:

Custom Transit
4-Star Airport Service
Avis Car Rental (Located in Lobby)
Hertz Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Auto Key Vehicle Rentals Incorporated
Thrifty Car Rental

By Train:
Amtrak 

By Bus:
Greyhound
Megabus
Michigan Flyer 

GETTING AROUND ANN ARBOR

Downtown Ann Arbor is not large, so it's easy to get around just by walking.  In fact, free parking is almost nonexistent, especially when the town is full of students, so you'll probably prefer to walk anyway.  Occasionally you'll find an unused parking meter; you'll have to feed it money between 8:00am - 6:00pm on weekdays and Saturdays, otherwise they're free.  There are parking lots and buildings scattered around downtown; they're free on Sundays, otherwise you can generally expect to pay around $0.80 to $1 per hour.

By Bus:
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) 
University of Michigan Buses 

By Taxi:

Ann Arbor has several reliable 24-hour taxicab companies.  Note that you can't hail a cab from the sidewalk, although there are certain spots in town where they often hang out waiting for passengers, notably in front of the Michigan Union on State Street, and the Federal Building on Liberty Street.

Amazing Blue Taxi 
Ann Arbor Yellow Cab Company
Blue Cab Company

By Segway:
Wonder Wheels Segway Rentals, Tours, Sales 

WHAT TO SEE IN ANN ARBOR

If you want to know what's going on in town, the best guide to the entertainment scene in Washtenaw County is the Current.  Click on the link to find out more

Downtown Ann Arbor
Michigan Theater
State Theater
The Ark
University Musical Society
University of Michigan Stadium
The University of Michigan Law School Quadrangle
University of Michigan Diag
The Ann and Robert H. Lurie Tower
Domino's Farms
Ave Maria Fine Art Gallery
Domino's Petting Farm
Ann Arbor Alpacas

PUBLIC ART IN ANN ARBOR

Ann Arbor has a number of public sculptures and murals that can be viewed both on campus and downtown.  Of these, several are particularly well-known:

The Cube - A 15-foot-tall, 2400-lb glossy black cube created by Tony Rosenthal; there's an identical one in the East Village of New York City.  The Cube spins on its axis when pushed, which is a tradition among U-M students.

The Wave Field - Created by Maya Lin, the Wave Field is an earth sculpture, 90 feet by 90 feet square, consisting of a series of fifty grass waves in eight rows.

Alley Mural - The alley mural began as a one-man project in the 1980s and became a popular spot for graffiti artists.  The city took the spot over in 1999 by hiring artist Katherine Tombeau Cost to paint over the original mural and graffiti with a new 5,000-square-foot mural.

Bookstore Mural

Painted Fixtures - throughout downtown.  Fire Hydrants and transformers, painted in bright colors by local artists and schoolchildren

Fairy Doors

PARKS AND GARDENS IN ANN ARBOR

Ann Arbor has 147 city parks, ranging from less than a block wide to over 100 acres.  Some of the more prominent ones include:

Nichols Arboretum
Matthei Botanical Gardens
Gallup Park
Buhr Park

MUSEUMS IN ANN ARBOR

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
Artrain USA
Cobblestone Farm Museum
Kempf House
Leslie Science Center

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUMS

Open to the Public

Exhibit Museum of Natural History
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
Museum of Art
U of M School of Art and Design
Work Gallery
Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry
Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments

Closed to the Public

Several of the University collections are hosted by institutions that are primarily research-oriented, and so generally don't have exhibits on permanent display.  However, it may be possible to arrange to view the collections through contacting the curators.

Herbarium
Museum of Anthropology
Museum of Paleontology
Museum of Zoology

THINGS TO DO IN ANN ARBOR

University of Michigan Athletics
Blue Karaoke
Pinball Pete's
Makielski Berry Farm
Planet Rock
Zap Zone
Canoeing

LEARNING IN ANN ARBOR

University of Michigan 
Eastern Michigan University 
Concordia University 
Cleary University 
Washtenaw Community College 
Ave Maria College

WORKING IN ANN ARBOR

University of Michigan 
Google

SHOPPING IN ANN ARBOR

Bookstores
Aunt Agatha's
Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room
Motte & Bailey
Shaman Drum

Music
Encore Recordings
Wazoo Records

Art and Gifts
16 Hands
Dixboro General Store
Four Directions
John Leidy
Middle Earth
Occasionally
Selo/Shevel Gallery
Ten Thousand Villages

Other
Acme Mercantile
Downtown Home and Garden
Morgan and York, Fine Wines and Specialty Foods
Vault of Midnight

Shopping Centers
Kerrytown Market
Ann Arbor Farmer's Market and Artisan Market
Nickels Arcade
Briarwood Mall

EATING IN ANN ARBOR

A Knife's Work
Amadeus
Blue Nile
Cafe Felix
The Chop House
The Earle
The Fleetwood Diner
The Gandy Dancer
Gratzi
Heidelberg Restaurant
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger
Madras Masala
Mediterrano
Metzger's
No Thai!
New York Pizza Depot
Paesano's
Palio
Pita Kabob Grill
Red Hot Lovers
Rush Street
Shalimars
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
Washtenaw Dairy
Yotsuba
Zanzibar
Zingerman's Delicatessen
Zingerman's Roadhouse

COFFEE, DRINKS & NIGHTLIFE IN ANN ARBOR

Arbor Brewing Company
Ashley's Restaurant & Pub
Blind Pig
Brown Jug
Conor O'Neill's
Firefly Club
Good Time Charley's
Goodnite Gracie
Necto
Schakolad Chocolate Factory
Starbucks
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea

And there is plenty more, click here.

CONTACT IN ANN ARBOR

Internet
Free wifi access is plentiful at local cafes.  Additionally, a county government project is underway to bring free or low-cost wireless Internet access to all of Washtenaw County, starting with downtown Ann Arbor.  

Digital Ops
Espresso Royale Caffe
Ann Arbor District Library

GETTING OUT OF ANN ARBOR

The rest of Washtenaw County has quite a few charming little towns and villages that you might enjoy visiting

• Ypsilanti is about 15 minutes east on I-94, but practically contiguous with Ann Arbor if you're driving down Washtenaw Ave.
• Dexter is about 15 minutes west on I-94
• Saline is about 15 minutes south on US-23
• Chelsea is about 20 minutes west on I-94 (home of the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory & Chelsea Milling Company)
• Manchester is about 30 minutes southwest on I-94 and MI-52
• Milan is about 30 minutes south on US-23 (home of the Milan Dragway)

If you'd rather get out of the county, there are some larger cities and towns a short drive away.

• Dundee is about 30 minutes south on US-23
• Detroit is about 45 minutes east on either I-94 or I-96
• Lansing is about 1 hour west on I-96
• Frankenmuth, which bills itself as "Michigan's #1 Tourist Attraction", is about 1 hour north on US-23.
• Toledo, OH is about 1 hour south on US-23

MORE ANN ARBOR INFORMATION

ANN ARBOR REAL ESTATE:
Prudential - Snyder & Company, Realtors

ANN ARBOR BOWLING:
Colonial Lanes Bowling Center

ANN ARBOR LOCAL HOSPITALS:
University of Michigan Hospital
Motts Children's Hospital
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital
Ann Arbor Health Care Systems (VA Medical Center)

ANN ARBOR BANKS:
TCF Bank (734) 213-2265
Bank of Ann Arbor (734) 662-3800
Flagstar Bank (734) 994-7800
Chase Bank (734) 995-8090