The Michigan Daily’s Campus Life Beat organized an interactive map of places to visit throughout campus and Ann Arbor, along with important traditions to participate in before graduating. Find the rest of the project here.
Capturing the essence of a college town, the University of Michigan’s campus has many well-known landmarks. Yet, there are places around Ann Arbor, some just ten minutes from campus, that encompass the cozy and comfortable townie side of the city. Unbeknown to many first-year students, these places are the perfect afternoon escape for when the bustle and academic strain of campus becomes a little too much.
Ann Arbor Farmers Market
Open all year long, community members flock to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market to buy local produce, baked goods, flowers, jams and other artisanal goods. Located in the Kerrytown neighborhood, the market is adjacent to Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea and Kerrytown Market & Shops, all you could need on a Saturday afternoon is right there.
Gracias’ Greenhouse is a family-centered business which sells flowers at the market every week. Gracias’ Greenhouse has been a vendor at the Market since the 1950s and also sells their florals at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, the Northville Farmers Market and the Eastern Market.
Bessie Newbery, the owner of Gracias’ Greenhouse and daughter of company founder Doloris Gracias, spoke with The Michigan Daily about her experience selling flowers at the market.
“My favorite part about the Farmers Market is seeing regulars come in,” Newbery said. “I am also still learning so many things about flowers. You can get anything you want or need here, plus things you don’t even think you would need. There is such a variety of different foods you can get here as well. Everyone should definitely come to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.”
Strolling around the market on a Saturday in March, Public Policy graduate student Abby Johnson told The Daily she is a regular at the market because there is so much to buy.
“I have been to the market before to get produce, flowers and baked goods,” Johnson said. “You can get really anything here. If I had to pick my favorite spot here, and this is hard to do, I would pick (Gracias’ Greenhouse). I love the fresh flowers that they have year-round, but they are especially beautiful in the fall and make a great treat to bring home.”
Shinola Detroit
Shinola Detroit, located on Main Street just a few blocks away from the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, is quickly becoming a favorite spot for students and locals. The watch and leather goods store has a cafe located in its basement, which offers a cozy atmosphere that’s perfect for studying or catching up with friends. With its dim lighting, black interior and speakeasy vibe, the cafe is an ideal place to relax and unwind.
Originally located in the main storefront of the Main Street location, Shinola Cafe moved to the basement in 2016. Skyler Faerber-Karain, a barista at the cafe, told The Daily the cafe switched spots to expand both the menu and seating area available to customers.
“We started upstairs just taking up the little corner next to the Willard bar, serving a very basic list of drinks,” Faerber said. “And then after about a year, we moved down into this space because it was just being used to display the Shinola furniture. And then we’ve been here ever since, and that was in about 2016.”
Faerber also spoke about what he enjoys when working at the cafe: getting to know customers and his coworkers.
“I think my favorite part about working here is just how chill it is all the time,” Faerber said. “There’s a couple of regulars that come in pretty frequently. … The atmosphere is really great. All the coworkers are amazing.”
LSA sophomore Katerina Garcia-Chope visited the cafe with her friend on a Sunday in March. The duo told The Daily they found the cafe while window shopping and returned the next day to study.
“I really liked the lighting and the music here,” Garcia-Chope said. “The coffee here is also amazing. We’re just gonna go get another one. But definitely, just coming to read or having a conversation, I would totally recommend (the cafe).”
Gallup Park
Just a 10-minute drive from Shinola is Gallup Park, one of Ann Arbor’s most popular recreational spots. The park, located along the Huron River and Geddes Pond, boasts breathtaking walkways that meander through small islands and connect via pedestrian bridges, forming a delightful loop for visitors to explore.At the boat rental office, visitors can find amenities like food and drinks, outdoor seating by the river, and complimentary wireless internet access. The park offers a range of recreational facilities, including playgrounds, rentals for water activities, picnic spots with grills throughout the area and over three miles of smooth trails that are well-liked by cyclists, rollerbladers, walkers and runners.
Engineering sophomore Sandy Chang shared her kayaking experience last summer. She said she knew about the park from people’s kayaking posts on Instagram and decided to go with friends before the fall semester and she likes the environment of the park as it is.
“I think the rates for kayaking were pretty reasonable,” Chang said. “The river was wide and well preserved. The water was pretty clean and there were a lot of ducks, butterflies, and all other sorts of natural creatures. I would definitely do it again during the summer or just visit in general for an afternoon stroll.”
Daily Staff Reporters Emma Lapp and Yu-Hsin Chen can be reached at emmalapp@umich.edu and yuhsin@umich.edu.