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Ann Arbor, Michigan

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   Ann Arbor, Michigan
   Skyline of Ann Arbor, Michigan

   Official seal of Ann Arbor, Michigan
   Seal
   Nickname: "A-squared, Ace Deuce, A-2"
   Location of Ann Arbor within Washtenaw County, Michigan.
   Location of Ann Arbor within Washtenaw County, Michigan.
   Coordinates: 42°16′31.26″N, 83°43′51.02″W
   Country United States
   State Michigan
   County Washtenaw
   Mayor John Hieftje
   Area
    - City 71.7 km²  (27.7  sq mi)
    - Land 70.0 km²  (27.0 sq mi)
    - Water 1.7 km² (0.7 sq mi)
   Elevation 256 m  (840 ft)
   Population
    - City (2000) 114,024 (city proper)
    - Density 1,629.9/km² (4,221.1/sq mi)
   Time zone EST ( UTC-5)
    - Summer ( DST) EDT ( UTC-4)
   Website: www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us

   Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat
   of Washtenaw County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total
   population of 114,024, of which 36,892 (32%) are college or graduate
   students. Supposedly named for the spouses of the city's founders and
   for the stands of trees in the area, Ann Arbor is best known as the
   location of the main campus of the University of Michigan, which moved
   there from Detroit in 1837.

   The city's economy, which was once noted for production of agricultural
   implements, carriages, furniture, pianos and organs, pottery, and
   flour, is now dominated by education, high-tech, and biotechnology.
   Average home prices and property taxes are well above the state and
   national medians. The city is also well known locally as a destination
   for dining out and entertainment, as it contains a wide and eclectic
   variety of restaurants and performance venues.

History

                             Historical populations
      Census  Pop.                            %±
      __________________________________________________________________

       1860    5,097

                                      —

       1870    7,363                                                 44.5%
       1880    8,061                                                  9.5%
       1890    9,431                                                  7.0%
       1900   14,509                                                 53.8%
       1910   14,817                                                  2.1%
       1920   19,516                                                 31.7%
       1930   26,944                                                 38.1%
       1940   29,815                                                 10.7%
       1950   48,251                                                 61.8%
       1960   67,340                                                 39.6%
       1970  100,035                                                 48.6%
       1980  107,969                                                  7.9%
       1990  109,592                                                  1.5%
       2000  114,024                                                  4.0%

   Ann Arbor was founded in January 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey,
   both of whom were land speculators. There are various accounts
   concerning the origin of the settlement's name, but one states that
   Allen and Rumsey decided to name it "Ann'sarbour" for their spouses,
   both named Ann, and for the stands of burr oak in the 640 acres (260
   ha) of land they had purchased for $800 from the federal government.
   The Native Americans of the region knew the settlement as
   Kaw-goosh-kaw-nick, after the sound of Allen's grist mill.
   A view of Ann Arbor toward Liberty and State Streets, showing the
   Michigan Theater, the Borders bookstore #1, and several buildings of
   the University of Michigan
   Enlarge
   A view of Ann Arbor toward Liberty and State Streets, showing the
   Michigan Theatre, the Borders bookstore #1, and several buildings of
   the University of Michigan

   Ann Arbor later became the seat of Washtenaw County in 1827, and was
   incorporated as a village in 1833. The town set aside 40 acres (16
   hectares) of undeveloped land and offered it to the State of Michigan
   as the site of the state capitol, but it lost the bid to Lansing in
   1836. In 1837 the unused land was given to the University of Michigan,
   forever linking Ann Arbor and its history with the university. The town
   became a regional transportation hub in 1839 with the arrival of the
   Michigan Central Railroad. Ann Arbor was chartered as a city in 1851.

   During World War II, Ford Motor Company's nearby Willow Run plant
   turned out B-24 Liberator bombers. The population of Ann Arbor exploded
   with an influx of military personnel, war workers, and their families.

   The city gained a reputation as an important centre for liberal
   politics over the course of the 1960s and 1970s. Presidential candidate
   John F. Kennedy unveiled his Peace Corps proposal in 1960 at the
   University of Michigan, and there in 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson
   first called for a " Great Society." The city also became a locus for
   left-wing activism, serving as a hub for the civil-rights movement and
   anti-Vietnam War movement, as well as the student movement. The first
   major meetings of the national left-wing campus group Students for a
   Democratic Society took place in Ann Arbor in 1960, and in 1965 the
   city was home to the first U.S. teach-in against the Vietnam War. Over
   the course of the ensuing fifteen years, a plethora of countercultural
   and New Left enterprises sprang up and developed strong constituencies
   within the city.

   These influences washed into municipal politics during the early and
   mid-1970s when three members of the local, progressive Human Rights
   Party (HRP) won city-council seats on the strength of the student vote.
   During their time on the council, HRP representatives successfully
   fought for measures ranging from pioneering antidiscrimination
   ordinances to measures decriminalizing marijuana possession to a
   rent-control ordinance – many of which remain in effect in modified
   form today.

   Alongside these liberal and left-wing efforts, a small handful of
   conservative institutions were also born in Ann Arbor. These include
   Word of God (established in 1967), a charismatic inter-denominational
   movement of national scope; and the Thomas More Law Centre (established
   in 1999), a leading religious-conservative advocacy group.

   The economy of Ann Arbor underwent a gradual shift from a manufacturing
   base to a service and technology base over the course of the 20th
   century, a shift which accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s. At the same
   time, the downtown has transformed from one dominated primarily by
   retail establishments dealing in staple goods to one comprised mainly
   of eateries, cafés, bars and clubs, and specialty shops.

   Over the past several decades, the city has increasingly found itself
   grappling with the effects of sharply rising land values and
   gentrification, as well as urban sprawl stretching far into the
   outlying countryside. On November 2, 2004, voters approved a greenbelt
   plan under which the city government would buy development rights to
   pieces of land adjacent to Ann Arbor to preserve them from sprawling
   development. Since then, a vociferous local debate has hinged on
   whether, and how, to accommodate and guide development within city
   limits.

Geography and climate

   Ann Arbor's many trees are the result of a reforestation campaign in
   the early 20th century.
   Enlarge
   Ann Arbor's many trees are the result of a reforestation campaign in
   the early 20th century.

   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
   of 27.7  square miles (71.7  km²); 27.0 square miles (70.0 km²) of it
   is land and 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²) or 2.42% of it is water, much of
   which is part of the Huron River. Ann Arbor is approximately 40  miles
   (64  km) west of Detroit, a 45-minute car ride on I-94. Ann Arbor
   Charter Township is adjacent, on the city's north and east sides.

   Ann Arbor is situated on the Huron River, in a productive agricultural
   and fruit-growing region. The landscape of Ann Arbor consists of
   rolling hills and valleys, with the terrain becoming steeper near the
   Huron River. The elevation ranges from about 750  feet (230  m) along
   the Huron River to about 900 feet (275 m) above sea level in southern
   and northeastern Ann Arbor. The elevation is about 839 feet (256 m) at
   Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, which is located at 42°13.38′N 83°44.74′W.

Cityscape

   Ann Arbor's "Tree Town" moniker stems from the dense forestation of its
   parks and residential areas. The city holds almost as many trees as
   residents, with more than 50,000 trees sited along city streets and an
   equal number in city parks. In recent years, the emerald ash borer has
   destroyed many of the city's approximately 10,500 ash trees.

   The city contains 147 municipal parks, ranging from neighbourhood
   vest-pocket parks to large recreation areas, with several large city
   parks and a university park bordering sections of the Huron River. The
   largest are Argo Park, Riverside Park, County Farm Park, and Gallup
   Park (near the Huron Parkway), while Fuller Recreation Area, near the
   University Hospital complex, contains sports fields, pedestrian and
   bike paths, and swimming pools. Nichols Arboretum, which is jointly
   owned by the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan (and
   known locally as "The Arboretum" or just "The Arb"), is a 123-acre (50
   hectare) preserve containing hundreds of plant and tree species on the
   east side of the city near downtown.

   The Kerrytown Shops, Main Street Business District, the State Street
   Business District, and the South University Business District are
   commercial areas in downtown. Three commercial areas south of downtown
   include the areas near I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Briarwood Mall,
   and the South Industrial area. Other commercial areas include the
   Arborland/Washtenaw Avenue and Packard Road merchants on the east side,
   the Plymouth Road area in the northeast, and the Westgate/West Stadium
   areas on the west side. The downtown contains a mix of 19th and early
   20th-century structures and modern-style buildings, as well as a
   farmers' market in the Kerrytown district. The city's commercial
   districts are mostly comprised of two to four-story structures,
   although the downtown and the area near Briarwood Mall contain a small
   number of high-rise buildings.

   Ann Arbor's residential neighborhoods contain a range of architectural
   styles, from classic 19th and early 20th-century designs to ranch-style
   houses. More contemporary-style houses are located farther from the
   downtown district. Surrounding the University of Michigan campus are
   houses and apartment complexes occupied primarily by student renters.
   The 19th-century buildings and streetscape of the Old West Side
   neighbourhood have been preserved virtually intact; in 1972, the
   district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it
   is further protected via city ordinances and a nonprofit preservation
   group.

Climate

   Ann Arbor has a typically Midwestern temperate seasonal climate, which
   is influenced by the Great Lakes. There are four seasons, with winters
   being cold with moderate snowfall while summers can be warm and humid.
   The area does experience lake effect, primarily in the form of
   increased cloudiness during late fall and early winter. The highest
   average temperature is in July at 83 ° F (28 ° C) while the lowest
   average temperature is in January at 16 °F (−9 °C). However, summer
   temperatures can top 90 °F (32 °C), and winter temperatures can drop
   below 0 °F (−17 °C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from 2 to 4
   inches (44 to 92  mm), with the heaviest occurring during the summer
   months. Snowfall, which normally occurs from November to April, ranges
   from 1 to 10 inches (3 to 25  cm) per month. The highest recorded
   temperature was 105 °F (40.6 °C) on July 24, 1934, while the lowest
   recorded temperature was −22.0 °F (−30 °C) on January 19, 1994.

Demographics

   South University Avenue caters to young people.
   Enlarge
   South University Avenue caters to young people.

   As of the census ² of 2000, there were 114,024 people, 45,693
   households, and 21,704 families residing in the city. The population
   density was 4,221.1 people per square mile (1,629.9/km²). There were
   47,218 housing units at an average density of 1,748.0 per square mile
   (675.0/km²), making it less dense than inner-ring Detroit suburbs (and
   Detroit proper itself) like Oak Park and Ferndale, but denser than
   outer-ring suburbs like Livonia. The racial makeup of the city was
   74.68% White, 8.83% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American,
   11.90% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races, and 3.05%
   from two or more races. 3.34% of the population were Hispanic American
   or Latino of any race. Because of the pull of the university, the city
   has one of the highest foreign-born population percentages in the state
   sitting at 16.6%.

   There were 45,693 households out of which 23.0% had children under the
   age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together,
   7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.5% are
   nonfamilies. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and
   6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
   average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.

   In the city the population was spread out with 16.8% under the age of
   18, 26.8% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and
   7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years.
   For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age
   18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

   The median income for a household in the city was $46,299, and the
   median income for a family was $71,293. Males had a median income of
   $48,880 versus $36,561 for females. The per capita income for the city
   was $26,419. About 4.6% of families and 16.6% of the population were
   below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.1%
   of those age 65 or over.

   Ann Arbor's crime rate is below the national average. Compared with
   that average, the violent crime rate is much lower than the property
   crime rate: 50% and 26% less than the national average, respectively.
   Violent and property crime statistics
    Comparison with national averages

Law and government

   The Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building houses the city hall and
   police station
   Enlarge
   The Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building houses the city hall and
   police station

   Ann Arbor has a mayor- council form of government. The mayor, who is
   elected every even-numbered year, is the presiding officer of the City
   Council and has the power to appoint all Council committee members as
   well as board and commission members, with the approval of the City
   Council. The City Council has ten members, two from each of the city's
   five wards, with the mayor wielding the tie-breaking vote. Council
   members serve two-year terms, with half the council elected in annual
   elections.

   Ann Arbor is located in the 15th Congressional district, and is
   represented by Representative John Dingell ( D), the longest-serving
   member of the U.S. House. On the state level, the city is in the 18th
   district in the Michigan Senate. In the Michigan State House of
   Representatives, the city of Ann Arbor is in the 53rd district, while
   northeastern Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor Township are in the 52nd district.
   As the seat of Washtenaw County, the city is the location of the
   county's trial, civil, and criminal courts. Ann Arbor is also the site
   of a United States district court, whose downtown building also houses
   a post office.

   Left-wing politics have been particularly strong in municipal
   government since the 1960s – an orientation evident in the passage of
   rent-control and strong antidiscrimination ordinances, as well as
   voter-approved charter amendments that have lessened the penalties for
   possession of marijuana (1974) and that aim to protect access to
   abortion in the city should it ever become illegal in the State of
   Michigan (1990). In 1974, Kathy Kozachenko's victory in an Ann Arbor
   city-council race made her the country's first openly gay or lesbian
   candidate to win public office. In 1975, Ann Arbor became the first
   U.S. city to use instant-runoff voting for a mayoral race. Adopted
   through a ballot initiative sponsored by the local Human Rights Party,
   which feared a splintering of the left/liberal vote, the process was
   repealed in 1976 after use in only one election. As of February 2006,
   Democrats hold the mayorship and all ten council seats. The city is
   often considered to be the most liberal area of Michigan.

Sister cities

   Ann Arbor has seven sister cities around the world:
     * Germany - Tübingen, Germany, since 1965
     * Belize - Belize City, Belize, since 1967
     * Japan - Hikone, Japan, since 1969
     * Canada - Peterborough, Ontario since 1983
     * Nicaragua - Juigalpa, Nicaragua, since 1986
     * Senegal - Dakar, Senegal, since 1997
     * Cuba - Remedios, Cuba, since 2003

Economy

   The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy, both directly
   and indirectly. It employs about 30,000 workers, including about 7,500
   in the medical centre. Other employers are drawn to the area by the
   university's research and development money, and by its graduates. High
   tech, health services and biotechnology are other major components of
   the city's economy, with numerous medical offices, laboratories, and
   associated companies located within the city. Companies associated with
   the automobile industry, such as General Motors and Ford, also employ a
   large number of residents. Other major employers include Pfizer,
   Google, Borders Group, and Dominos.
   Nickels Arcade interior, looking towards the east
   Enlarge
   Nickels Arcade interior, looking towards the east

   A number of high-tech companies are located in the city. Ann Arbor
   Terminals was, during the 1980s, the manufacturer of a video-display
   terminal called the Ann Arbor Ambassador. Other high-tech companies in
   the area include Arbor Networks (provider of Internet traffic
   engineering and security systems), Arbortext (provider of XML-based
   publishing software), MediaSpan Media Software (provider of newspaper
   publishing software and ASP services), and ProQuest, which includes
   UMI.

   Websites and online media companies located in the city include All
   Media Guide, Everything2, and the Weather Underground. Ann Arbor is
   also the site of the Michigan Information Technology Centre (MITC),
   whose offices also house Internet2 and the Merit Network, a nonprofit
   research and education computer network. On July 11, 2006, Google
   announced plans to open a 1000-employee Ann Arbor office for its
   AdWords program later in the year.

   Pfizer, the city's second largest employer, operates a large
   pharmaceutical research facility on the northeast side of town. The
   facility was previously operated by Warner-Lambert and, before that,
   Parke-Davis. The city is the home of other research and engineering
   centers, including those of General Dynamics and the National Oceanic
   and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other research centers sited in
   the city are the Environmental Protection Agency's National Vehicle and
   Fuel Emissions Laboratory and the Toyota Technical Centre.

   Ann Arbor serves as the headquarters to several major companies. The
   original Borders Books was opened on Ann Arbor's State Street in 1971
   by brothers Tom and Louis Borders, and began operating other outlets
   around the region beginning in 1985. The Borders chain is still based
   in the city, as is its flagship store (although not in its original
   location). Dogs are allowed inside the flagship store, and the cashiers
   have a stock of treats for such visitors. Domino's Pizza's headquarters
   are in Ann Arbor on Domino's Farms, a 271-acre (109 hectare) Frank
   Lloyd Wright-inspired complex in the northeastern portion of the city.
   Flint Ink Corp., another Ann Arbor-based company, was until recently
   the world's largest privately held ink manufacturer (in October 2005 it
   was acquired by Stuttgart-based XSYS Print Solutions). Another Ann
   Arbor-based company is Zingerman's Delicatessen, which serves
   sandwiches and Jewish foods, and has derived and developed a variety of
   businesses under different brand names.

   Many cooperative enterprises were founded in the city during the 1960s
   and 1970s; among those that survive today are the People's Food Co-op
   and the Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan, a
   student-housing cooperative. The North American Students of Cooperation
   (NASCO) is an association of cooperatives, headquartered in Ann Arbor.
   There are also three cohousing communities ( Sunward, Great Oak,
   Touchstone) located just outside the city limits to the west.

Education

   Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan
   Enlarge
   Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan

   The University of Michigan is the dominant institution of higher
   learning in Ann Arbor, providing the city with a distinctly
   college-town atmosphere. Much of the campus is adjacent to and
   intermixed with the city's downtown district. Because the campus and
   the city expanded side-by-side, there is often no firm divide between
   the two, with university buildings scattered through much of the city
   centre.

   Other colleges and universities located in the city are Cleary
   University, a private business school; Concordia University, a Lutheran
   liberal-arts institution; and Washtenaw Community College. Ave Maria
   School of Law, a Catholic institution established by Domino's Pizza
   cofounder Tom Monaghan, opened in northeastern Ann Arbor in 2000. There
   were plans to establish Ave Maria University on land occupied by
   Domino's Farms. However, due to conflicts with local zoning
   authorities, the new campus is under construction near Naples, Florida.

   The Ann Arbor Public School District – which enrolls a total of 16,885
   students (2004/2005 September head count) – consists of twenty-one
   elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools (two
   traditional, Pioneer and Huron, as well as three alternative schools:
   Community High, Stone School, and Roberto Clemente). The district
   operates a K-8 open school program, Ann Arbor Open, out of the former
   Mack School. This program is open to all families who live anywhere in
   the district. Ann Arbor Public Schools also operates a preschool and
   family centre with programs starting as early as birth for at-risk
   infants and other programs for at-risk children before kindergarten.
   The district has constructed a new preschool centre to open in
   September 2006, with both free and tuition-based programs for all
   preschoolers in the district.

   Due to overcrowding problems at the two traditional high schools, a
   third traditional high school is under construction. Originally slated
   to open for the fall of 2007, the school is now slated to open in
   September 2008.

Culture

   Mural outside a restaurant on Liberty Street. Further down the street
   (right of image) is the Borders bookstore.
   Enlarge
   Mural outside a restaurant on Liberty Street. Further down the street
   (right of image) is the Borders bookstore.

   Ann Arbor has a number of cultural attractions and events, many
   sponsored by the University of Michigan. Numerous performing arts
   groups and facilities are located on the university's campus, as are
   museums dedicated to art, archaeology, and natural history and sciences
   (see Museums at the University of Michigan). The Matthaei Botanical
   Gardens, located on the northeastern edge of Ann Arbor, is operated by
   the university. Performing arts groups not associated with the
   university include the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre; the Arbor Opera
   Theatre; the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra; the Ann Arbor Ballet
   Theatre; the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established in 1954), which was
   Michigan's first chartered ballet company; and Performance Network,
   which operates a downtown theatre frequently offering new or
   nontraditional plays.

   The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, located in a renovated and expanded
   historic downtown fire station, contains more than 250 interactive
   exhibits featuring science and technology. Artrain, located on North
   Main Street, is a traveling art museum located on a train. A number of
   other art galleries exist in the city, notably in the downtown area and
   around the University of Michigan campus.

   Near the State Street area are three major theaters: the State Theatre,
   the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium, and the Michigan Theatre,
   a renovated 1920s movie palace that hosts live performances,
   independent films, and classic movies. It also serves as the home for
   the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra In the Main Street area, the Ark hosts
   folk and acoustic music, while a number of smaller venues and
   nightclubs serve up jazz and other live music. The Main Street area, as
   well as South State Street and South University Avenue, is also the
   centre of a large restaurant scene in the city.

   Among U.S. cities, Ann Arbor ranks first in the number of booksellers
   and books sold per capita. The Ann Arbor District Library has four
   branch outlets in addition to its main downtown building, and a fifth
   branch is set to open in 2008. The city is also home to the Gerald R.
   Ford Presidential Library.

   Ann Arbor is known for college sports, notably at the University of
   Michigan, a member of the Big Ten Conference. Several well-known
   college sports facilities exist in the city, including Michigan
   Stadium(The Big House). Theoretically on college football game days,
   Ann Arbor can become Michigan's second most populous city (114,000 Ann
   Arbor residents plus the 110,000 seating capacity at Michigan Stadium).
   Crisler Arena and Yost Ice Arena play host to the school's basketball
   and ice hockey teams, respectively. Concordia University, a member of
   the NAIA, also fields sports teams.

   A person from Ann Arbor is called an "Ann Arborite," and many long-time
   residents call themselves "townies." The city itself is often called A²
   ("A-squared") or A2 ("A two"), and less commonly Tree Town (or, usually
   tongue-in-cheek, The People's Republic of Ann Arbor). Recently, some
   youth have taken to calling Ann Arbor Ace Deuce or simply The Deuce.
   Ann Arbor is also referred to as "28 square miles surrounded by
   reality" a phrase originally coined by Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfus
   to describe Madison, Wisconsin.

Events

   A number of annual events – many of them centered on performing and
   visual arts – draw visitors to Ann Arbor from around the state and the
   region. The Ann Arbor Folk Festival, an annual benefit concert held in
   late January for the Ark, features many folk musicians. The Ann Arbor
   Film Festival is held for six days in March at the Michigan Theatre.
   EdgeFest is a multi-venue festival of avant-garde and progressive jazz,
   held each autumn since 1997.

   One unorthodox annual event is Hash Bash. Held on the first Saturday of
   April since 1971, the Hash Bash is an event in support of the reform of
   marijuana laws. It includes speeches, live music, street vending, and
   occasional civil disobedience. Another unorthodox event is the Naked
   Mile. Since 1986, it has featured students running naked through the
   streets in late April to celebrate the end of the winter semester.
   Originally police blocked off the streets to allow the run, but
   beginning in 2000, a crackdown by university and city police citing
   safety concerns has forced participants to adapt, with the event
   appearing in various reduced forms since.

   Many large-scale events occur during the summer months. These include
   the Taste of Ann Arbor, a one-day event held during the first week of
   June in the downtown area; and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, a
   three-and-a-half-week series of concerts, plays, and films typically
   held from mid-June through early July at the Power Centre and atop the
   adjacent parking structure, which is host to the free "Top of the Park"
   events. In 2006 the "Top of the Park" events were moved from the top of
   the Power Centre parking structure to a nearby courtyard near Rackham
   building due to construction.

   The Ann Arbor Art Fairs, a set of four concurrent juried fairs held on
   downtown streets, began in 1960. Scheduled on Wednesday through
   Saturday in the third week of July, the fairs draw upward of half a
   million visitors from across the nation. The oldest and most
   competitive of the four fairs is the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.

   Other summertime events include the Blues and Jazz Festival
   (established in 1969), which is usually held in mid-September at Gallup
   Park and also at various venues around town. The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run
   is a running race from Dexter to downtown Ann Arbor along the Huron
   River. In late August the Shopping Cart Race, an unofficial and
   somewhat underground competition, has been held since 1998 as part of
   the annual Seize the Week series of events, known through 2004 as "Punk
   Week".

Infrastructure

Health and medicine

   The University of Michigan Medical Centre, the preeminent health
   facility in the city, is considered one of the nation's best hospitals,
   taking the #11 slot in the 2005 U.S. News and World Report. The
   University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) includes University
   Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital in its
   core complex. UMHS also operates out-patient clinics and facilities
   throughout the city. The area's other major medical centers include a
   large facility operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ann
   Arbor and Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in nearby Ypsilanti.

Transportation

   An AATA bus, with the blue-roofed Blake Transit Center in the
   background.
   Enlarge
   An AATA bus, with the blue-roofed Blake Transit Centre in the
   background.

   The city is belted by three highway-grade roadways: I-94 (which runs
   along the southern portion of the city), US 23 (which primarily runs
   along the eastern edge of Ann Arbor), and M-14 (which runs along the
   northern edge of the city).

   The streets in downtown Ann Arbor conform to a grid pattern, though
   this pattern is less apparent in the surrounding areas. Several major
   roads branch out from the downtown district like spokes on a wheel to
   the highways surrounding the city. Some of the major surface arteries
   lead to the I-94/M-14 juncture in the west, US 23 in the east, and the
   city's southern areas. Also, a large network of bike paths crisscrosses
   the city.

   The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA), which brands itself as
   "The Ride," operates public bus services throughout Ann Arbor and
   nearby Ypsilanti. A separate free bus service operates within the
   University of Michigan campuses. Plans have been floated several times
   to operate a trolley service between downtown and Briarwood Mall along
   disused rail tracks, although these have not come to fruition as of
   2005. A downtown bus depot served by Greyhound Lines provides
   out-of-town bus service, and is the city's only remaining example of
   the Streamline Moderne architectural style.

   Ann Arbor Municipal Airport is a small aircraft general aviation
   facility located south of I-94. Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the
   area's large international airport, is located about 28 miles (45 km)
   east of the city, in Romulus. Additionally, Willow Run Airport in
   nearby Ypsilanti serves freight, corporate, and general aviation
   clients.

   The city was a major rail hub, notably for freight traffic between
   Toledo and ports north of Chicago, Illinois, from 1878 to 1982, though
   the Ann Arbor Railroad also sold 1.1 million passenger tickets in 1913
   alone. The city was also served by the Michigan Central Railroad
   starting in 1837. Currently, Amtrak provides service to Ann Arbor,
   operating its Wolverine three times daily in each direction between
   Chicago and Pontiac, via Detroit. Rail service is provided at the Ann
   Arbor Train Station; the present-day station neighbors the city's old
   Michigan Central Depot, which was renovated as a restaurant in 1969.
   There have been plans to build a commuter rail link between Ann Arbor
   and Detroit, with the U.S. federal government providing $100 million to
   enable its development.

Utilities

   One of 39 downtown fire hydrants painted by students. This hydrant's
   artist was in elementary school; others were in high school or college.
   Enlarge
   One of 39 downtown fire hydrants painted by students. This hydrant's
   artist was in elementary school; others were in high school or college.

   The city provides sewage disposal and water supply services, with water
   coming from the Huron River and groundwater sources. There are two
   water-treatment plants, one main and three outlying reservoirs, four
   pump stations, and two elevated tanks. These facilities serve the city,
   which is divided into five water districts. Along with these
   facilities, the city's water department also operates four dams along
   the Huron River, two of which provide hydroelectric power. The city
   also offers waste management services, with recycling being handled by
   Recycle Ann Arbor. Other utilities are primarily provided by private
   entities. Electrical power and gas are provided by DTE Energy,
   Consumers Energy, and MichCon. AT&T, the successor to Michigan Bell,
   Ameritech, and SBC Communications, is the primary wired telephone
   service provider for the area. Phone service is also available from
   various national wireless companies. Cable service is primarily
   provided by Comcast.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Arbor%2C_Michigan"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
