<p>We often list Michigan accomplishments, academic, administrative and athletic alike. I thought I would dedicate this thread to our university's gracious host; Ann Arbor. In my 39 years, I have travelled to close to 50 countries, lived in 8 countries on 3 continents, studied in 3 countries and worked in a multitude of cities, including Paris, London, Berlin, San Francisco and Dubai, and without a doubt, Ann Arbor is one of the most magical places I have ever had the joy of visiting. I would move my family there in a heartbeat. This link lists all the awards and distinctions Ann Arbor has won in recent years. I cannot think of many cities that have been listed among the best for young people, professionals, retirees, foodies etc...</p>
<p>My roommate had to a choice between UMich, USC, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, and UNC-CH.
He said Ann Arbor was one of the main reasons he chose to come here.</p>
<p>AA offered a place with fair cost-of-living, low crime rate, with plenty to do.</p>
<p>A couple more accolades:</p>
<h1>1 among college towns with populations between 250,000 and 1,000,000.</h1>
<p><a href=“https://www.aier.org/article/7841-aier-names-75-best-college-towns-and-cities-2012-2013[/url]”>https://www.aier.org/article/7841-aier-names-75-best-college-towns-and-cities-2012-2013</a></p>
<h1>1 college sports town according to Forbes</h1>
<p>[Top</a> College Sports Towns - Forbes.com](<a href=“http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/05/college-sports-towns-lifestyle-sports-college-towns.html]Top”>Top College Sports Towns)</p>
<h1>5 among America’s “coolest” college towns</h1>
<p>[College</a> Football: Ranking the 31 Coolest College Towns | Bleacher Report](<a href=“College Football: Ranking the 31 Coolest College Towns | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report”>College Football: Ranking the 31 Coolest College Towns | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report)</p>
<p>I am a Michigan native, and my stepson is a U of M graduate. I love Ann Arbor, but I have to respectfully disagree…Portland, Oregon is the best city in my opinion. I sometimes think of Ann Arbor as a “Little Portland”. I suppise one would have to spend some time in Portland to understand what I mean.</p>
<p>Sorry, I meant ‘suppose’…</p>
<p>“Portland, Oregon is the best city in my opinion”
Portland Oregon is one of the worst wannabe “great” cities in the country, belonging in the same category as Berkeley, Austin. Full of hippies and libs in general.
And just like every lib run states in the country (California, NY etc), income tax is high (I think Oregon is at 9%), cost of living is artificially high, gas prices are high (tree huggers love to tax this). If you like to depend on government, or wealthy to the point where $ is no object, then maybe; but if you make multiple times average household income but isn’t exactly very wealthy, it’s one of the worst places to live, almost like the LA/SF. There is a reason why a lot of people live right across in Vancouver, WA to dodge the absurb 9% state tax.</p>
<p>bearcats, while I am neither liberal, nor familiar with Portland, I personally love Ann Arbor and Austin. I think they are great cities, not because of the liberal aspect, but rather because of the creative, young and intellectual qualities those cities possess.</p>
<p>I am more thinking about it from a practical standpoint. While the political environment contributes to the attractiveness of a city, it comes into play more importantly from the economic point of view. </p>
<p>It is not undocumented that liberal run cities/states suffer from high tax and high cost of living due to the socialization of a lot of costs, unnecessary/less business-friendly regulations and idiotic environmentally driven taxation (gas). This is driven by the political ideology and a way to appeal to their base.</p>
<p>As a well off young individual with no deductions to take and no need for welfare, I consider living in such cities poor value. </p>
<p>Austin is a little unique because it’s in Texas, one of the most business friendly and zero state tax states. So it’s livable. It’s the same reason I think NYC is the best city to visit but the absolute worst city to live in.</p>
<p>Same reason I would visit France over Germany for fun any day, but I would live in Germany over France in a new york minute.</p>
<p>Germany is no less socialistic than France bearcats.</p>
<p>bearcats, sorry to break it to you but the Ann Arbor area is considered one of the best places to live for liberals:</p>
<p>[America?s</a> top 20 most liberal-friendly counties | The Daily Caller](<a href=“America’s top 20 most liberal-friendly counties | The Daily Caller”>America’s top 20 most liberal-friendly counties | The Daily Caller)</p>
<p>[Name</a> America’s Most Liberal City - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/name-americas-most-liberal-city/]Name”>Name America's Most Liberal City - The New York Times)</p>
<p>Most major cities, like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC are going to be very liberal. I don’t see anything wrong with that. The most advanced societies in the world are liberal. Switzerland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordics etc…</p>
<p>Knock off the politics, bearcats, it’s a violation of CC’s TOS. Nobody wants to hear your political prejudices.</p>
<p>Good point bclintonk. Let us not discuss politics as it is verboten on CC…and rightly so! All that we need to know is that Ann Arbor rocks!</p>
<p>Bearcats, I simply stated my opinion. Which is apparently shared by a great many people because Portland, Oregon remains extremely popular for several reasons. Like I said already, I am from Michigan. I was born and raised in the Ann Arbor area. My maternal great grandmother even has a school in Ann Arbor named after her–no kidding. Portland is considered one of the most livable cities in the country. Many wealthy people call Portland home. Actually, “liberal” cities tend to rank higher in desirability overall. Gas is not more expensive in Portland, and the cost of living is actually quite reasonable for a city its size. Portland is in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, Mount Hood, and the high desert. Crater Lake is just a four hours distance southeast, Mount St. Helens is 50 miles northeast, and Seattle is less than four hours distance north. Ann Arbor’s reputation is as a college town–not a cosmopolitan city. You really can’t compare a town of 115,000 people to a metro area of almost 3,000,000 people. Oh, and Ann Arbor is actually the liberal hub of Michigan.</p>
<p>I don’t really care to discuss politics. I for one really appreciate it that places like Portland and Seattle care about the environment and other issues. One of many great things about Portland, Oregon is the clean, mass transit system; it is ranked #1 in the nation. Portland is also #2 for foodie capital, (we also have more food carts than any other place), #1 beer capital, (although I don’t drink), and #1 or #2 for coffee. Anyway, Portland is too popular as it is, and so many people relocate here. It doesn’t offend me at all if you would rather be in Ann Arbor. I managed to leave Michigan when I was in my 20’s, and I do not miss the nasty winters or hot and humid summers at all. Regards.</p>
<p>[Cities</a> on the Edge](<a href=“http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/cities_on_the_edge.aspx]Cities”>http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/cities_on_the_edge.aspx)</p>