The dirty details.

<p>Haha, NYao never fails. Sorry if Potbelly's, Jimmy John's, Subway, Wendy's, Big Ten Burrito, Mr. Spots, Tubby's, Cottage Inn, Pizza House, Hungry Howie's, Amer's, Magic Wok, Atlanta Bread Co., Villa Pizza, Stucci's, and NYPD aren't good enough for you. Some people just aren't satisfied. If that's not enough to satisfy NYao, I guess we can see why the Uniiversity isn't enough.</p>

<p>LOL to chibears post about Nyao. I do kind of agree with Nyao to an extent. Fine food here is as costly as any large city and really not as good. How dare you call Potbelly's just "alright" though!</p>

<p>Not to mention, there are some great restaurants on Main Street and in Kerrytown. I'm surprised nobody dropped the Z-bomb yet, otherwise known as Zingerman's. It's a bit of a walk from CC and one trip there ate up my last week's salary but it's really, really, really good. There are also good bars, movie theaters and liquor stores. I love me some NYPD but I have never been a fan of Cottage Inn as the food is overpriced and mediocre. Goodness, I paid 9 dollars for a salad that advertised pears as the main ingredient and it came with canned pears. Yuck and no thanks.</p>

<p>People in the physics department love the professors and the professors are super-nice and accessible, from what I hear. The squirrels are huge and cute but they aren't to be hand-fed. I spotted raccoons running down South U. in front of the president's mansion a few times. I was freaked out. Weather is harsh but get a good winter coat, hat and gloves and you're set. Also buy good shoes as tennis shoes get ruined quickly in snow. I learned that the hard way as a southerner. Good luck with your decision.</p>

<p>all the places you just listed are pizza, sandwich, or bad chinese food, basically all trash fast food, with the exception of a few.
I'm from New York, there is so much more variety in food, and they don't really cost much. I guess you have been exposed to bad cuisine your entire life, so this isn't bad for you.</p>

<p>This also brings up another point-diversity. This is one of Michigan's greatest weaknesses, its not diverse at all. Percentages are bad, but diversity is not about percentages. The problem is, Michigan admits a lot of the same type of people.</p>

<p>Well NYao, as you might guess, I'm from the Chicago area and grew up in an Italian family, so I definitely know my good food. It's not a matter of being accustomed to "bad cuisine", it's a matter of not being a little priss and asking for all my food to be made with ingredients right off the farm and served to me on a silver platter. Not all of us grew up somewhere where we could afford to be picky about our food, and if you grew up somewhere where all the places we've listed <em>still</em> aren't good enough for you, I'd recommend you get a taste of what real life is like for those a little less fortunate. Some people are just never pleased. As far as diversity on campus, I think it's just fine. For most students, Michigan is the most diverse place they've ever been because they either came from a very upscale area or maybe a very poor neighborhood. The beauty of Michigan, or any college campus for that matter, is that it draws students from all over, making it much more diverse than any high school that only takes students from one neighborhood could be. For example, I live in a quad, and collectively, we are have white, Hispanic, black, Asian, and Native American blood in us. And that was just a random assortment of 4 guys who wanted to live in a quad. So yeah, I guess Michigan isn't diverse at all.</p>

<p>Word up on what MichWoman said about the shoes. Don't think you'll wear your Chucks through winter here. It's not going to happen, unless for some reason you're into frostbite and wet socks.</p>

<p>There are three levels of pizza in Ann Arbor: Backroom, NYPD (get ziti + fresh tomatoes + mushrooms), Pizza House. Each is delicious.</p>

<p>Zingerman beats all, though.</p>

<p>Raja Rani (down the street from Cottage Inn) for North Indian food (S. Indian food isn't as good, anyway).</p>

<p>Tuptim (not on campus though) for great Thai.</p>

<p>There are a few decent Arabic places, too.</p>

<p>Bubble Island for bubble tea, board games, and Asians!</p>

<p>Where is Big-10 Burrito? And Bell's Pizza is another fine ann arbor pizza place (Bell's is down the street from yost)</p>

<p>Aside from pizza and Chinese food, Tio's is one of the best Mexican restaurants i have ever been to.</p>

<p>Big 10 burrito is on state street just south of hill st. Half way between South quad and IM sports building if that helps at all.</p>

<p>On the subject of resturaunts, i just got back from tk wu. mmmm</p>

<p>Tio's is a step above taco bell.</p>

<p>Okay, I now feel compelled to make an Ann Arbor restaurant list. </p>

<p>Definitely delicious:
TK Wu-authentic, delicious Chinese food that is reasonably priced. They also have the stock American Chinese favorites such as sesame chicken, fried rice, moo shu pork and wonton soup. Go for the authentic Chinese menu on your first visit.
Cafe Zola-best brunch in town. Wide variety of omelettes, light crepes and really good coffee and tea.
Grizzly Peak Brewing Company-wonderful cheddar ale soup, great sandwiches and really nice entrees. They're also quite reasonably priced.
Madras Masala-I used to like Raja Rani myself but I think Madras Masala takes the cake in lighter, flavorful and tasty Indian food. Prices are about the same for both. Entrees run from 8-13 dollars each. Pretty standard for most Indian restaurants.
Zingerman's Roadhouse: the one place in Ann Arbor that could hold its own with any American fine dining establishment. Incredibly fresh, choice ingredients and creative entrees. Beware; a meal here will eat up probably half of your food budget for the month.
Zingerman's Deli-you can make this cheap by sharing sandwiches. Anything is up for tasting. It's nice for a treat once a semester.
Potbelly's-really well-made sandwiches and shakes. Good for a fast, cheap, tasty lunch.
Jerusalem Garden: The hippie crowd is very annoying but they do serve the best falafels in town.</p>

<p>Good, but hit-or-miss:
Seva: they have some truly fantastic salads and the yam fries are to die for. Many of the entrees are rather bland and tasteless and service is pretty lackluster. I'm vegetarian so I feel like I have license to be critical.
Ann Arbor sushi in general: Sadako vs. Totoro is the subject of debate amongst sushi lovers. Sushi.come is denigrated for the silly name and for the old-tasting fish by upperclassmen. It really depends for me.
Cottage Inn: I never understood the hype about the pizza, but it's good. Their entrees are tasteless. Everything is overhyped.</p>

<p>Too expensive to be worth it:
Blue Nile: 17 dollars per person for Ethiopian food? Hmm. I used to like it until I had much, much better and tastier Ethiopian food for 5-7 bucks in DC and SF. Nice if you've never had it and need to satiate your curiosity.
All of those Main Street Mafia establishments, namely Gratzi, Real Seafood Company, The Chop House, La Dolce Vita, Palio's. Mediocre food served in settings so overdone as to be tasteless. You'll leave feeling cheated.
Amer's: Okay, I know everyone is going to hate me for this one but the sandwiches are terribly overpriced and not tasty enough to justify the price. Their middle eastern food is pretty bland as well. </p>

<p>Just gross:
Tio's: I made better Mexican food at home with Taco Bell kits. You can do the same in your own apartment.
Mr. Greek's: once again, same thing could be said for the whole menu.</p>

<p>Go for the hype:
Angelo's: I haven't been yet but I've heard verdicts ranging from "Oh God, yuck" to "Oh God, that was the best ever." I'll update after my first trip tomorow.
Fleetwood Diner: I thought it was pretty low-quality diner food and service outright sucks but it's interesting and part of the Ann Arbor experience.
Stucchi's: It's no Toscanini's in Boston or Bella Ciao in New York but they do make a splendid pumpkin ice cream. </p>

<p>Then you have the standard college food such as Noodles and Company, the burrito places, Pizza House, NYPD and the like. Pizza House, NYPD, Bell's Pizza, Big Ten Burrito, Rendezvous Cafe are all open until 4 in the morning. I was informed that Bell's is open 24 hours by another poster.</p>

<p>Shopping: the only clothing stores near campus cater to a very rich slice of the student population. It's frustrating to see that you can't pay less than 50 bucks for a shirt at most of these stores because they think that all college students are brand-obsessed enough to shell 75 bucks for a Lacoste polo. Briarwood Mall has improved but it's very unpleasant. Save major shopping for home.</p>

<p>Nightlife: Necto is the club of choice for people under 21. Not much else exists otherwise for clubbing under 21. Options really widen then but that seems to be the norm for most places.</p>

<p>Transportation: AATA gives free bus rides to students to all parts of Ann Arbor. There are few routes from campus. It's a big problem and was addressed in this year's student government elections. Cab rides are very, very expensive and you may have to wait 45 minutes at a place before a driver picks you up. </p>

<p>Housing: Landlords are sharks here. You have to be tough. Don't buy into the myth that you're stranded with no housing unless you sign on a place in September. That's just perpetuated by landlords who want students to pay top dollar out of fear. That's true of most college towns, though.</p>

<p>Honestly, Ann Arbor is a really nice town compared to most American towns, especially in the midwest. It's probably not deserving of all of the hype, though. The local government is incredibly smug about Ann Arbor and does very little to improve big problems for students in the city, such as housing or parking. People here are very defensive of Ann Arbor and bristle when someone suggests that maybe it would be nice to have affordable clothing stores nearby or that the city could be improved in any other way. Thus, you have Ann Arbor built up as some utopian haven for college students when it's really a lot of cute storefronts, Starbucks and restaurants knowing that they can charge high prices because people buy into the Ann Arbor hype. With Ann Arbor's desire to be viewed as the cosmopolitan haven of the midwest without Chicago's crime or commutes comes the natives' desire to be as open-minded as possible. That makes Ann Arbor quite accepting and comfortable for anyone. Just make sure that you have realistic expectations of Ann Arbor and you should be fine.</p>