A December 2020 slice of life in Downtown Ann Arbor
53 photos from several walks around downtown Ann Arbor, December 10th to the 15th. There are definitely highs and lows. Home and Garden has expanded and now takes up the whole block. Restaurants are clearly hurting as are music venues and theaters, many stores are looking great and adapting to the times and there are a lot of closed shops and restaurants and vacant storefronts.
In walking around, I am struck by the great merchants with deep inventories of specialized products and their inviting and well-stocked stores. Stores like Today Clothing, Literati Books, Vault of Midnight, and H.E.H. Human Electric Hybrids, and many others are the best in class in the entire midwest! We are glad you are here
I hope you enjoy the pictures and feel free to send me your comments.
Thanks – Andy Piper
126 N. Main St. Ann Arbor, MI.
Downtown Home and Garden is looking good! Expanded now, with a full kitchen store, lots of Holiday home goods. $1 coffee is great too.
Carol Brooks has been selling at the Kerrytown Farmers Market for a long time. In the summer she brings her snow cone machine and we know her as the snow cone lady. The kids at Community High have been stopping by to get snow cones from her forever. She has been at our team picnic two times with her machine and made us all happy on a hot summer day. Very kind. She has the biggest “superjumbo” eggs, frozen blueberries (fresh berries in season), caramel corn, and lots of homemade stuff.
Roos Roast, a local coffee roaster at the Kerrytown Farmers Market.
Tiana Body Care at the Kerrytown Farmers Market. Lovely soaps and body products available at lots of area stores including Plum Market, Argus Farm Stop. Check out their website and read their story. Violet says “sharing my love for science, supporting our local community and living a healthy life by creating safe and quality products made with local ingredients – sourcing fresh ingredients from farms/small businesses and using non-toxic ingredients.
Ratterman traditional sourdough bread. Picked up an awesome loaf of multigrain bread from Raterman Bakers. Regulars at the Kerrytown Farmers Market. Why don’t I buy bread here every week?
Fluffy Bottom Farms. Cheese Yagart and spreads from the Conlin family 200-acre farm near Chelsea. At the Kerrytown Farmers Market. https://michiganfarmtofamily.com/fluffy-bottom-farms
Kerrytown Farmers Market in Ann Arbor on a Saturday two weeks before Christmas.
“Found is a creatively curated shop in Ann Arbor’s historic Kerrytown neighborhood.” I agree! I get my Designworks Standard Issue #03 notebooks there. Found has a just-right comforting and homey feel to it. Great finds and a visual delight.Found
Found. In Kerrytown Shops.
Designworks Standard Issue #03 notebooks. I love them because they open flat, great for lefties and they have thick rugged covers. If you want to journal, give these a try.
I haven’t been in Encore records since they moved to Kerrytown from E. Liberty. A little bit smaller but it feels very well curated. I immediately saw a few things I would like to pick up. Nothing like a good Sun Ra record every now and then.
Nathanial at 16 Hands in Kerrytown Shops.
Frita Baditos at 117 W. Washington. Offering patio service and take out orders. Margaritas to go too. On my list for a fun holiday season meal.
Amadeus restaurant, always understated, elegant, and old world. Very quiet right now.
These little animals are handmade by a local Ann Arbor artisan and are at Today Clothing, Ask Eric for the details. https://www.todayclothing.com/ located at 215 S 4th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. I picked up the Kitty for Marty’s birthday which is this week. Lots of Love here!
Detroit Filling Station (https://thelunchrooma2.com/detroit-street-filling-station-1) has a great website, check out their story and menu. The philosophy behind the business is that “work” should be the pursuit of what you love and should reflect your values and interests. A page right out of my book! A beautiful building but very easy to overlook. You can see how it used to be a service station – the historic Staebler Family Oil Company filling station. Very pedestrian-friendly. Let me know if you would like to get some take out from the Filling Station sometime. Hopefully will be able to dine in soon.
Cottage In on E Liberty. “Our dining room may be closed, but you can still enjoy your favorite Original Cottage Inn dishes! Contactless delivery and curbside pickup are available every day from 3pm-9pm. Call us at (734) 663-3379 to place your order!”
Neo Papalis Makers of Pizza. Nice light pizza’s and good salads. Yum. This one of my favorite quick eats place in Ann Arbor. When available, they have a full bar and usually have soccer on the TVs. Three pizza places within 100 ft – Neo Papalis, Cottage Inn, and New York Pizza Depot. Curb-side service available, online ordering and 7 day availability for service.http://www.neopapalis.com/ 500 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Maynard and Liberty parking structure. Very quit. 320 parking spaces available on Friday afternoon at 4pm. It would normally be near capacity at this time. 324 Maynard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
The Iconic Michigan Theater building looking good. See all that is being offered virtually this holiday season at https://www.michtheater.org/holiday/ . In normal times, I can decide to go to an 8 pm movie at the Michigan Theater or the State Theater and leave the house at 10 minutes to 8 and still be there on time.
“The holiday season is different this year but you can still have a safe, socially distant chat and photo with Santa who will be at the Michigan Theater in the Box Office on Saturday, 12/12, and Saturday, 12/19/2020.”
Pretzel Bell Restaurant. Main and Liberty in Downtown Ann Arbor.
Jolly Pumpkin. Looking forward to a trip here in the not too distant future.
Cherry Republic. If you have been to the Cherry Republic up in Glen Arbor, then you know what this place is all about. Great store. I love the cherry ginger ale.
Vault of Midnight. Loaded full of geeky gaming goodness, A comic shop and a whole lot more. 219 S. Main St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Self-portrait. Fourth Ave. Ann Arbor December 2020. I found my reflection in the doorway. It’s questionable if I am scratching my head and saying to myself WTF 2020! Or looking in on a quiet Ann Arbor business two weeks before Christmas. It’s both.
Elmo’s T shirts since 1977. 404 E. Liberty. Open by appointment. They were open today. Working on holiday decorations. Give Elmo a call at 734-604-5989 for preprinted tees or create your own! Carry on.
Downtown Home and Garden is looking good! Expanded now, with a full kitchen store, lots of Holiday home goods. $1 coffee is great too.
126 N. Main St. Ann Arbor, MI. Always a beautiful sight! Captured in the afternoon sun.
Amadeus restaurant, always understated, elegant, and old world. Very quiet right now.
I had to look at this a few times.
Originally the Karamel Korn Kastle then Le Dog for @ 34 years, now long closed at this location but still going at 306 S Main St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Le Dog La Soup is a gourmet soup and hot dog take out restaurant. Read the back story on Le Dog in this great Ann Arbor Cronicle article from 2014. Soup’s Still ON at Le Dog https://annarborchronicle.com/2014/05/17/column-soups-still-on-at-le-dog/index.html. I imagine this location is ripe for redevelopment.
