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Study in Ann Arbor, The United States


Study in Ann Arbor, The United States

Ann Arbor is a beautiful north Midwestern city located in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Washtenaw County.  Those coming to live and/or study here for the first time, will quickly realize how the city got its colloquial nickname, the “tree state,” as it’s virtually impossible to overlook the stunning foliage that decorates the entire region of Ann Arbor throughout the year.  With a population of just over 113,000 as of the 2010 census, Ann Arbor is by no means a metropolis, but it is the sixth largest city in Michigan, and a component of the much larger Detroit—Ann Arbor—Flint, Michigan Metropolitan area.

Ann Arbor was founded in 1824, but how the city got its name still remains a bit of a mystery.  Some Michigan historians have postulated the city was named after the spouses of the city’s founders, both named Ann, and for the miles and miles of trees in every direction.  Regardless of the name, Ann Arbor’s population continued to grow steadily during the 19th and 20th centuries, and saw a big boost in the 1960s and 1970s.  It was at that time that the city began gaining a reputation as a center of left-wing politics, and quickly became a hub for the liberal activism that was rampant during that time, hosting many events centered on the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, along with many popular student movements that also occurred during those two decades.

The climate in Ann Arbor, as with most of the Northern Midwest, can best be described as humid/continental, and during a couple of its seasons largely influenced by the Great Lakes, which tend to produce gray and cloudy days in the fall and early winter.  Winters are very cold here, with moderate to heavy snowfall, while the summers are typically fairly hot and humid.   The months of the spring and the fall, however, make up for these two polar extremes by offering residents perfect weather for taking in all of Ann Arbor’s beauty.

 In terms of income, the city is largely an upper-middle class community, with an average home value of nearly $240,000, and just over $900 a month paid on average for the city’s rental units.  The economy is based on a number of important industries, with the most prominent being education, medical research, technology and manufacturing.

Ann Arbor has a small municipal airport and an Amtrak station for travelers, and while the most common form of travel within the city is the automobile, the Washtenaw County transportation system offers bus service 7 days a week throughout the city, beginning at approximately 6:00 AM and ending around 10:00 PM.  City services and community conveniences for Ann Arbor residents are plentiful, including two public libraries; a post office, over a dozen banks, including branches of Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase; several parks, hotels and nature preserves, and scores of grocery stores and retail outlets.

Ann Arbor has a very diverse population, representing a number of ethnic and religious groups. As of 2010 census, seventy-one percent of the community was listed as White only, followed by Asian (14%), Black (6.5%), Hispanic (3.1%) and those of mixed descent (4.2%).  Churches and church services are available for people of all faiths and beliefs, those serving Catholics, Protestants (including Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, etc.) and Muslims, just to name a few. 
Residents and visitors to Ann Arbor have plenty of sights, attractions and diversions to help fill their time when they’re not working or studying.  Some of these include the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum, the Museum of Archaeology, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and the Kempf House Center of Local History.  For the sports fan, there are several public golf courses, gymnasiums and fitness centers, and those wishing to watch big-time college sports always have an opportunity to catch a game played by members of the local university.

Unlike neighboring city, Detroit, Ann Arbor is a very safe and wonderful place to live—a college town that displays lots of spirit and excitement for the local schools and offers an abundance of things to do and see throughout the year.