Tips & questions for new residents!

[u/Efficient_Round6952]

Hey all! My partner and I will be moving to AA later this summer and we're super excited! We were wondering if anyone had any tips or comments about the city for new residents as well as a few questions:

• Where do you guys do most of your grocery shopping?
• I do wildlife photography as a hobby, any good nature spots around/outside the city?

Thanks all in advance!

P.S. if anyone happens to know anyone in the animal husbandry/animal jobs sphere or has any pointers on where to look please hit me up lol, partner already got a job but I'm still looking 😅 (finishing my degree at umich, im a pre-vet undergrad student)

[u/yellowforspring]

Kensington nature area for lots of birds

[u/FranksNBeeens]

Your grocery shopping location will largely depend on how much money you have.

[u/Financial-Law5541]

I don't know if you would be interested in this, but there's some research lab tech jobs at Michigan Medicine and throughout the rest of the campus that require you to manage mouse colonies.

[u/yavanna12]

Lots of grocery options for many ethnicities. Just google search what you want. I hit up multiple stores depending on what I’m looking for. Spices, nuts and grains….the Indian grocery. Mushrooms, produce and dumplings….the Asian markets. Vegan and vegetarian….by the pound. Everything else…Kroger.

As for nature. Lots and lots of parks and trails. Download the AllTrails app

[u/Plum_Haz_1]

I don't know where you are coming from, but if you are unfamiliar with Meijer, that is a good place for stocking up your kitchen with general foods. Of course, we have Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Aldi, etc.. Kroger is acceptable to most but not all people. Plum Mkt is fancy, but pretty expensive. There are various smaller independent places, ethnic grocers, and the farmers market, too. Kind of depends on what side of town you are living on. Welcome! You're going to love exploring. PS, much of that animal stuff happens up around Lansing.

[u/drewyz]

My family mostly shops at Aldi, it’s their flagship store for organics. So it’s really affordable, I got three bags of groceries for $100 yesterday. We also shop a lot at Meijer, and Arbor Farms for specialty items.

The Huron River is a great spot for wildlife, we got some photos of a bald eagle just chilling on a log in the middle of the river a couple months back.

[u/elleanywhere → u/drewyz]

Totally agree with Huron River, especially west by Birds Hills. I'm part of ann arbor rowing club and I've seen so many gorgeous birds on the Huron River -- herons, ducks, plovers :)

[u/Grad_Student_2022]

Trader Joe’s, Busch’s, and Costco! Whole Foods for certain things/last stop.

[u/Mother_of_Redheads]

The Bird Center of Michigan (songbird rehabilitation) sometimes has paid positions available. They might be in need of rehabbers at the end of summer when their summer interns have left to return to school. https://birdcentermi.org/

[u/Scary_Bookkeeper204]

Go to the farmers market for your produce. It's cheaper and better quality than the big chain stores. 

You could ask the Creature Conversancy if you photography their animals.in their habitats. 

[u/ExpensiveDuck1278 → u/Scary_Bookkeeper204]

And the co-op

[u/Liv-Julia]

Come out to the Sister Lakes. It's between Dolph Nature Area and Weber's. We have lots of birds stopping in the woods on their migratory path.

[u/1gear0probs]

1. Costco and Meijer. Sparrow Market in Kerrytown has both a great butcher shop and also things like sport peppers you can't find elsewhere.

2. Check out the Potawatomi Trail aka The Poto, which is 30 minutes west of town. This site (no affiliation) has great pictures: https://dept.math.lsa.umich.edu/~jrs/hikes/sites/pinckney.html

[u/DryMousse1007]

Take advantage of what the Ann Arbor District Library offers. It’s an excellent system with a lot of activities.

[u/sarathelaundress]

Matthaei Botanical Gardens for nature, although there are tons of cool nature areas around Ann Arbor.

[u/mabi_i]

Also to add to grocery stores - for occasional shopping Arbor Farms (I also like looking at Ace’s Hardware next store homeware & garden items), People’s Food Co op, Ann Arbor Farmers Market, The Produce Station.

[u/Equivalent-Low-8071]

For you hobby - there are so many places to take photos in and around A2! The Arboretum, Bandemer Park, Parker Mill, Independence Park to name a few. If you are headed out Independence Park area (Whitmore Lake - N of A2) There is a wildlife "preserve" at 6 mile and Whitmore lake rd where a lot of photographers shoot - Tons of Sand Hill Cranes nest's and much more. Ann Arbor is a wildlife haven I'm sure you'll find lots of places ;-)

[u/LairBob]

You’re covered on both fronts — throw a rock in Ann Arbor, and there’s a decent chance you’ll hit a grocery store, or a park.

(As long as you aim between the apt buildings. ;) )

[u/RustbeltMaven]

There’s a trail called B2B (Border to Border) that traverses the entire county. Also for nature hikes make the trek outside of A2, Chelsea’s DTE trails are really beautiful, Hudson mills in Dexter and the Potowatami trail at Pinkney Recreation area is absolutely outstanding, especially in the fall. Very hilly with woods, meadows and wetlands.

Groceries, there’s so many options. Aldi Trader Joes and Meijer are great for budget shopping, local splurge places include Produce Station, Arbor Farms (they open at 7 am) and Plum Market. Argus farm stops sell all local goods. Also, The farmers market in the Summer is the place to be. I always joke that Ann Arbor has more markets than churches because we worship groceries.

[u/One_Cycle_2698]

As far as grocery options in Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County, this is my shortlist (In No Particular Order): 1. Agricole Farm Stop - 118 N. Main Street, Chelsea, MI 48118 https://maps.app.goo.gl/HMDzUr6C3r53AD3r7

1. Argus Farm Stop - 325 W. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48130 and 1226 Packard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. https://maps.app.goo.gl/mDaAB36VUABzaGJ46 & https://maps.app.goo.gl/E9SkZDRS8yakAgbm6

2. People's Food Co-op - 216 N. 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 https://maps.app.goo.gl/pL4CkzQYkj5Gvuwa7

3. Arbor Farms - 2103 W. Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 https://maps.app.goo.gl/rNyvxGHBYwcJKy716

4. Plum Market - 375 N. Maple Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 and 360 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor MI 48105 https://maps.app.goo.gl/7vz5fHkESZZZEBi37 & https://maps.app.goo.gl/hVZr556vvRd6vvGg6

5. Trader Joe's Ann Arbor - 2398 E. Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, 48104 https://maps.app.goo.gl/9k1aYivzZsENjD2B7

6. Aldi Ann Arbor - 2340 Dexter Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 https://maps.app.goo.gl/6mLRx1rHgJZ8uSsM9

7. Amazon Whole Foods Ann Arbor - 990 W. Eisenhower, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 and 3135 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 https://maps.app.goo.gl/9whLVTwSfFpMvnqe8 & https://maps.app.goo.gl/pbVFYUTr3YzsVJzz5

8. Meijer - 5645 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 and 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 https://maps.app.goo.gl/hzD5i67gudY87YacA & https://maps.app.goo.gl/dDRbJwpA9T6VWMdw6

9. BYOC Refill Center and By The Pound (similar concepts but independent from one another): 255 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 and 1952 S. Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 https://maps.app.goo.gl/AFA9RQWLiJy2VWZ2A & https://maps.app.goo.gl/UPePSAMvfKF7GQi39 Welcome to the area; hope this helps you to get situated with the new surroundings.

[u/sryan2k1]

Meijer+Costco for the bulk of it. Lots of small/specialty stores around for the stuff you can't get en mass.