Shopping for Furniture and Household Items in Ann Arbor

For those of you who are wondering where you can buy furniture and household items for a cheap price, this blog is for you.  The stores listed below have a good selection and/or have good prices.  Please remember that this is not a comprehensive list.

Arborland Shopping Center

3600 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI ‎

Bus route 4A, 4B, 7, and 22

·         Marshalls

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Not a great place to buy furniture because it is expensive

·         Bed Bath & Beyond

o   Can buy almost everything you need for your room/apartment: pillows, humidifier, fan, plates, drying rack, etc.

o   It can be a bit pricey

Carpenter Plaza Shopping Center

Bus route 5C and 22

·         TJ Maxx

o   Very similar to Marshalls since they are owned by the same company

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Not a great place to buy furniture because it is expensive

·         HomeGoods

o   Very similar to Marshalls since they are owned by the same company

o   Unlike Marshalls and TJ Maxx, it primarily sells only household items so there is a much bigger selection

o   You can buy pillows here

Arbor Square Plaza Shopping Center

4039 Carpenter Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Bus route 5C, 22, 6A/B/C

·         Meijer

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Great place to buy furniture, especially this time of year when they have good prices on dorm/apartment items.

o   Can buy a mattress here, but you might have to order it online

·         Target

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Great place to buy furniture, especially this time of year when they have good prices on dorm items.

Briarwood Mall

Bus route: 6, 7, 36

Lots of stores to choose from, so here are just a couple:

·         JC Penny

o   Big store where you can buy almost everything you need (pillows, mattresses, etc.) for a good price

o   Free shipping over $75

·         Sears

o   Big store where you can buy almost everything you need (pillows, mattresses, etc.) for a good price

·         Macy’s

o   Regular items can be pricey but they have great sales

o   Big store where you can buy almost everything you need (pillows, mattresses, etc.)

·         ArtVan

o   Outside of Briarwood Mall

o   Great selection of mattresses in the store

o   Can be pricey

o   425 E Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor, MI ‎

Near West Waters Road and Lohr Road

Bus Route 16

·         Target

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Great place to buy furniture, especially this time of year when they have good prices on dorm/apartment items.

o   2000 West Waters Rd

·         Meijer

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Great place to buy furniture, especially this time of year when they have good prices on dorm/apartment items.

o   Can buy a mattress here, but might have to order it online

o   3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd

·         Kohl’s

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Great place to buy furniture, especially this time of year when they have good prices on dorm/apartment items.

o   Can buy a mattress here, but might have to order it online

o   3160 Lohr Road

Maple Village Shopping Center and Westgate Shopping Center

155 N Maple Rd and 2505 Jackson Ave in Ann Arbor MI

Bus route 12 (Bus route 9 and 8A are nearby)

·         Kmart

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Great place to buy furniture, especially this time of year when they have good prices on dorm/apartment items.

o   In Maple Village Shopping Center (155 North Maple Road)

·         TJ Maxx

o   Very similar to Marshalls since they are owned by the same company

o   Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc.

o   Not a great place to buy furniture because it is expensive

o   In Westgate Shopping Center (2505 Jackson Ave)

Roundtree Place Shopping Center

2321 Ellsworth Rd, Ypsilanti, MI

Bus route 6A and 6B

·         Walmart

o   It is a bit far, but you can buy almost everything you need for your room/apartment at a good price

Salvation Army

·         1621 South State Street

·         Bus route : 6 and 36

·         Great place to buy cups/plates at a really cheap price

·         If you are lucky, you might even find furniture such as tables and chairs.  However, you will need to find your own way to transport the items back to your apartment

           

All the stores listed above except TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Salvation Army have a website where you can buy the items online.  For more information about online shopping in the U.S., please check out the blog from June 11.  If you want to buy something from TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Salvation Army, then you need to go to the actual store.  In addition, since Labor Day is coming up, be sure to check out the sales, especially in the big stores such as JC Penny, Sears, Macy’s, and Kohl’s.  You might be able to get a really good price.  Hope this helps!

Written By: Sonja Grinfeld, UM Pharm D. Student 

‘AS CHANGEABLE AS THE WEATHER'

Coming from a typical tropical climate with temperatures averaging 33 degrees Celsius and immediately entering the frosting cold of Ann Arbor, acclimatizing was a bit of a challenge. Nevertheless, I survived. Michigan and for that matter Ann Arbor is blessed with four seasons Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall/ Autumn, even though one chap said its basically cold for about 8 months.

Winter is basically winter, freezing cold temperatures coupled with snow. Walking from my apartment to my classroom was more of a punishment until I understood the concept of ‘layering’.This involves wearing the right fabric of clothing in layers- an underlayer, a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and finally an outer layer. The insulation layer primarily keeps you warm by trapping warm air next to your body. Also you must layer up such that when you perspire, the layering can quickly transfer moisture to the outermost layer where it can evaporate. So it’s basically up to you to juggle between layers of socks, gloves, synthetic long underwear tops and bottoms, fleece clothing, jeans and jackets. I can vividly remember one Saturday, I was waiting for the AATA bus on Ellsworth road, and it started snowing. Unfortunately I hadn’t layered appropriately. My advice - please master the art of layering.

Spring is the beginning of happiness. It rains a bit, but the brief spells of sunshine offer a glimmer of hope. But don’t be deceived, it’s a bit windy which still gives you some chills. Also present are thunderstorms and a couple of tornado warnings. One thing I realized about spring was how quickly the weather changes. Even the weather application on my phone couldn’t keep up. One minute there’s a downpour, the next minute it’s blazing hot. Can’t the weather just make up its mind already, I thought. So the challenge here is dressing smart. Something casual but don’t forget to carry an umbrella and a jacket.

Summer is bliss. The sun is out with a cool breeze. I’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t enjoy summer.  Everyone is so joyful like children granted permission by their parents to play outside. There are a number of outdoor activities, reading and meeting people at restaurants, etc. I hope you can imagine the picture I’m trying to paint. Yes, the world is suddenly a perfect place.

Unfortunately, I haven’t yet experienced fall. But, hey, don’t be disappointed. I’m well informed that fall is short, somewhere between summer and winter temperatures and without rain. For those of you in tune with Mother Nature, it’s very colorful in Ann Arbor with all the vibrant red, yellow and turning leaves. But winter will come knocking at your door very soon.

Welcome to the University of Michigan!

Written By: Robert Lawson, UM Masters Student in Aerospace Engineering 

Exciting Times for Entertainment, Cultural Learning and Fellowship through the University of Michigan Music Society

 Very important to learning about a country’s culture, is exposure to its artistic traditions. The University of Michigan affords these opportunities through the work of the University of Michigan Music Society (UMS).  Through UMS, you will not only have opportunities to experience elements of American arts but also, you will be exposed to various international artistes that the University of Michigan brings to the campus each year.  This, in addition to the fact that UM hosts many international students/scholars, is confirmation of the University’s welcoming of diversity!

At the start of the winter semester, I attended an excellent Martin Luther King Junior Day concert titled, From Cass Corridor to the World: A Tribute to Detroit’s Musical Golden Age. This show brought together a range of musical styles from gospel, to Motown, rap, to Jazz and featured the sons and daughters of Detroit across the age spectrum.  The renditions were soulful and spirited. The audience was lively and fully engaged. The only problem was that we could only dance in our seats.

A fabulous Saturday night concert by the young American bassist and singer Esperanza Spaulding came at the end of winter semester. Her musical selections were a mixture of traditional Jazz standards and original songs.  Her originals consisted of compositions expressing her deep feelings on human connection, communication, growth and healing. Ms. Spaulding is clearly both a competent bassist and a singer with unique, evocative and highly personal vocal stylings.  She is without a doubt deeply human, deeply thoughtful and a messenger of peace.

Of the concerts I attended, the highlight was that of Gilberto Gil, a famous Brazilian vocalist/guitarist and now, Minister of Culture of Brazil.  While his concert was held during the fall semester, I thought I’d share it with you last because I have so much more to say about this event. Mr. Gil’s show represented one of the best international offerings of the Music Society for the academic year 2012-2013.  This artiste not only performed spectacularly on voice and guitar but covered a wide swathe of the human tapestry of issues, concerns, and emotions. Like Esperanza Spaulding, Gilberto Gil compelled one to think of the depth of human connection across differences.  For much of the concert many people (including me) danced in their seats and afterwards, I felt the need to somehow find time to explore the work of other Brazilian musicians, artists, historians and cultural commentators.

What was also great about this particular concert, was that for UM students, it was an “Arts and Eats” occasion. This means that one comes to the Hill Auditorium at an earlier hour than the show’s start time, have some pizza and hear an informative talk about the performer’s life and work.  The talk on Gilberto Gil and the history of his musical evolution was done by a University of Michigan professor who provided an excellent but simply expressed historical/cultural background to the music. It was both a time to be educated and a time to have fellowship and fun with friends.

The Music Society offers not only music of various genres, but dance, plays and theater!

To view excerpts of performances and hear the excitement of Music Society organizers as they speak about what they offer to students and other patrons, follow the link below:

http://www.umslobby.org/index.php/2013/04/announcing-the-2013-2014-season-12984

Also be sure to go to the “Best of Artists’ Playlist” where you can listen to some great performances: http://www.umslobby.org/index.php/category/listen

What you will see and hear at these links is merely a slice of what UMS offers.

A sampling of this year’s (2013 to 2014) schedule is as follows:

·      September 6, 2013: Jason Moran’s Fats Waller Dance Party at the Downtown Home and Garden

·      September 27, 2013: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Power Center

·      March 30, 2014: Jazz at the Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis at the Hill Auditorium.

For more, go to the full year schedule, http://ums.org/tickets/2013-2014-season-listing  which combines US artists with a range of world artistes – from Mali, Israel, Germany, and Britain, among others.  The shows encompass jazz and classical music as well as Qawwali Music of Pakistan, and many more. 

To get cheaper ticket prices, please be sure to look at the menu to the left of the screen and click “for college students”. Within this section of the website you will find the menu items: “half-price tickets”, “UMS Rush Tickets” and the “Arts and Eats” tickets.  You may purchase online or in person at the Michigan League.

Also, ensure that you pay close attention to the various dates, times and locations of the concerts. Be at the right place at the right time! Whether you attend alone or with a group of friends, many of these concerts/productions can be great cultural learning experiences! 

Written By: Jennifer Pollard, PhD. Student in Higher Education  

Hello Squirrels!

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog! This week, we are going to talk about squirrels! Yes, squirrels living on the University of Michigan Diag J

For those who have never seen a squirrel in your life, here are some facts about this quirky creature. Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and woodchucks. A squirrel has soft fur, four flexible paws, and a fluffy tail. Most squirrels live on the trees. They are widely distributed across North America, especially in the urban area where they can find a variety of foods. Unlike those living in the woods where their foods mainly come from seeds, nuts, and fruits, squirrels living on campus have the privilege of sampling exotic foods like left-over Papa John’s pizza found in the trash can.

At U-M, squirrel feeding has a long and glorious history, as shown by a photograph of the Diag taken in 1913 (see below). As a result, the Squirrel Club was founded by Jason Colman and Justin Hyatt in 2002 after a late-night dorm conversation about squirrels. By 2004, the Squirrel Club was one of the largest student organizations at Michigan.

Squirrel Club meetings are held every Sunday, barring inclement weather, on the U-M campus. Members meet at 4 p.m. on the steps of Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, take a handful or two of peanuts, and usually spend the next half hour feeding squirrels on the Diag. Membership is free, so if you are interested in feeding squirrels, you should check out their homepage.

Here, I would like to share some personal tips on squirrel feeding.

·         When you walk on the Diag and see a squirrel near you, stop walking and the squirrel will come to you for food.

·         Some people feed squirrels with their hands, but I don’t recommend this way because you may get a squirrel bite on your fingers. Remember, some squirrels carry the rabies virus.

·         Squirrels become fairly aggressive in the winter when foods are scarce. You may find squirrels continue to follow you even if you have given them all the peanuts you have.

·         In the Fall, squirrels are very busy because they need to bury food for the Michigan winter. Be generous about the amount of food you give them. They need LOTS of food in order to survive in the winter.

·         DON’T feed them human foods such as a sandwich, chocolate, and pizza. Even though some squirrels are used to eating human foods, keep in mind that they are wild animals. Peanuts are their favorite snacks forever!

Hope you will find this post both informative and entertaining. See you on the Diag in the coming Fall!

Written by Yihan Sun, pharmacy professional student (Pharm.D).

Shopping for Clothes and Shoes in Ann Arbor

For those of you who are wondering where you can buy clothes for a cheap price, this blog is for you.  The stores listed below have a good selection and/or have good prices.  Please remember that this is not a comprehensive list.

Arborland Shopping Center

Bus route 4A, 4B, 7, and 22

·         Marshalls

o   Lot of clothes and shoes at discounted prices

o   Lots of styles to choose from

o   You can find good prices on designer clothes

·         DSW

o   A great place to buy shoes

o   Lot of styles to choose from

o   If you become a member, they will send you coupons

·         Nordstorm Rack

o   Clothes and shoes at a discounted price

o   Lots of styles to choose from

·         Old Navy

o   Cheap clothes

Carpenter Plaza Shopping Center and Arbor Square Plaza Shopping Center

Bus route 5C and 22

·         TJ Maxx

o   Very similar to Marshalls since they are owned by the same company

·         Meijer

o   Clothes and shoes at a cheap price

·         Target

o   Clothes and shoes at a cheap price

Briarwood Mall

Bus route: 6, 7, 36

Lots of store to choose from, so here are just a couple:

·         H&M

·         Macy’s

o   Regular items can be pricey but they have great sales

·         Express

·         Forever 21

·         JC Penny

Near West Waters Road and Lohr Road

Bus Route 16

·         Target

o   Clothes and shoes at a cheap price

o   2000 West Waters Rd

·         Meijer

o   Clothes and shoes at a cheap price

o   3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd

·         Kohl’s

o   Get place to get clothes and shoes at a good price

o   3160 Lohr Road

·         Plato’s Closet

o   Used clothing store

o   It is further away on 860 West Eisenhower Parkway.

Maple Village Shopping Center and Westgate Shopping Center

Bus route 12 (Bus route 9 and 8A are nearby)

·         Kmart

o   Clothes and shoes at a cheap price

·         TJ Maxx

o   Very similar to Marshalls since they are owned by the same company

Salvation Army

·         1621 South State Street

·         Bus route : 6 and 36

·         Great place to buy used clothes

           

All the stores listed above except TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Salvation Army, and Plato’s Closet have a website where you can buy clothes online.  For more information about online shopping in the U.S., please check out the blog from June 11.  If you want to buy something from TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Salvation Army, and Plato’s Closet, then you need to go the actual store.  Hope this helps!

Written By: Sonja Grinfeld, UM Pharm D. Student 

The 10 Things You Must See and Do on Campus

 After being in Ann Arbor for three years, I have learned that there are certain things you have to experience here, unique to this city and to our campus. These include places that will take your breath away, and activities that might be once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Below, and in no particular order, are a list of 10 things to see and activities to do on campus. 

 Wave Field - Located on North Campus next to the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Building, the Wave Field is a fascinating piece of earthwork (also known as landscape art). Designed by Maya Lin, who is best known for her work on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, this piece is a prominent work of art. However, the Wave Field has more than just artistic value. The rolling hills provide a perfect place to have a picnic, initiate a snowball fight or star gaze on a clear night. 

 Football Game - You cannot be a UM student without going to at least one football game at the Big House. Whether you enjoy football or not, watching one of these games live is a tradition, and cheering with 10,000 other people, watching the halftime performance and seeing Michigan win against its opponents are moments you will never forget.  


The Rock - The Rock is the enormous, colorful boulder located on the corner of Hill and Washtenaw. Originally moved to Ann Arbor by Eli Gallup in 1932, The Rock was a memorial honoring George Washington on his 200th birthday. But now, it has become an icon of UM and the voices of the people nearby. Most painters are college students; however, younger students from nearby schools and older townsfolk also frequent this rock. The messages vary from Greek letters to political slogans. Consequently, The Rock is representative of the diversity of the student body and the city of Ann Arbor.

 

Fairy Doors - The fairy doors in Ann Arbor were first discovered at the house of Jonathan B. Wright. A lifelong resident of Ann Arbor, when Jonathan started renovating his house, his kids began discovering tiny doors strewn all over, in their fireplace, in their kitchen and under the stairs. Since then, these fairy doors have started appearing all over downtown Ann Arbor and are just waiting to be found by locals and students.  

 

  Yost Ice Arena - A "cool" place to hang out with a group of your friends is Yost Ice Arena. While the arena is usually used for training and hockey games, it is also open to the public at certain hours for public skates. Times are available throughout the week, with pretty low costs for students sporting UM IDs.

 Gum Wall - Located by Liberty and State, the Gum Wall is in an alley covered with spray paint and filled entirely with gum. If you're daring, feel free to make a contribution and leave your mark permanently on this campus.

Bell Tower - The Burton Tower, commonly referred to as "The Bell Tower," is a landmark on central campus. Erected during the 1935-36 school year, the tower was designed to be both functional and aesthetic. Thus, not only is it a site visible from almost any point on central campus, but it chimes during the day, playing tunes and melodies ranging from Lady Gaga to the UM Victors song. If you aren't satisfied with viewing The Bell Tower from the outside, stop by between 12:00 and 12:30 on weekdays to take a tour of the tower and see the view from the tenth floor.

UM Planetarium - The UM Planetarium offers a variety of live and pre-recorded programs for students, taking advantage of the new digital projection technology that is part of the facility. The Full Dome Experience, for example, usually consists of a 25 minute movie that immerses students in a different environment, turning the entire planetarium into a projection screen. These shows are fascinating and they allow students to experience worlds they couldn't have imagined.

Ann Arbor Hands on Museum - For those of you who like to ignore the “Do Not Touch” signs at museums, the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum is the perfect place to go. Specializing in interactive

exhibits, the museum is a unique place for people of all ages to experience museums like never before and learn about various subjects, including physics, geology and music.  

Written By: Aashana Sunderrajan,
UM Bachelor Student in: Sociology; Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience 

 

Eating as a Vegetarian on campus

After spending 4 years on campus, I have realized that it can be hard for some international students who prefer to have a vegetarian diet to have a meal that gives them all the necessary nutrients that one requires daily to stay fit and healthy. Not only that, I have seen a lot of vegetarian students on campus complain about how they are tired of the having the same food everyday. With this blog I wish to help all my fellow vegetarian friends by providing you with a variety of options to make life a bit easier for you.

Even though in this part of the world few people prefer a vegetarian diet, this town has a lot of options for vegetarians. If you have purchased a meal plan for dining halls in the dorms, that is the best option for you guys. For those who haven’t, don’t worry I shall talk about other options that provide a lot of variety and good taste.

All the dorms on campus have a meal plan designed in such a way that there is a lot of variety for vegans and vegetarians.

I firmly believe that the most important meal of one’s diet is breakfast. Most of the dorms on campus serve breakfast from 7 am to 9 am. For breakfast, there are a lot of options like pancakes, muffins, waffles, bread, a bunch of cereals, milk and a variety of fruits. For those of you who have eggs, some dorms like East quad make you an omelet with your choice of toppings. Make sure that you have a balanced meal and focus more on the healthy breakfast options to get your day started.

Lunch is served from 11 pm to 2pm. For lunch, different dorms serve different cuisines and there is a ton of variety. Try exploring different options at different dorms. For instance, West quad serves Mediterranean food and Mexican food along with the regular fruits and salad. Mosher-Jordan or so called the Marketplace, has options where you can make your own sandwich. This dorm also serves pizza, pasta and provides vegetarian burgers. Also don’t forget to try out the amazing chocolate chip cookies and ice cream at this dining hall. Markley also has this amazing option where you can bake your own pizza to try something different. Each dorm has its own specialty on certain days and to find out more check this site out. http://www.housing.umich.edu/dining/menus

Once again, remember to focus more on healthy options that are rich in protein (such as tofu, a lot of beans and eggs), fiber (from fruits, salad and whole wheat bread) and vitamins and good carbohydrates. A lot of dorms have an amazing salad bar where you can add your favorite dressing and have a healthy salad.

For those who don’t have a meal plan Ann Arbor is filled with restaurants that serve vegetarian food. There are a ton of sandwich shops like Subway,Potbelly, Jimmy-Johns that make amazing vegetarian sandwiches. Having a sandwich for a meal is not only filling but also healthy if you put the appropriate vegetables in it. There are a variety of restaurants that serve good vegetarian food and are not that expensive for students.

Here is a list of some of my favorites that I have sorted out cuisine wise:

Indian
1) Taste of India

2) Madras Masala
3) Shalimar

Mexican:
1) Tios
2) Banditos
3) Chipotle

Mediterranean

1) Pita Kabab Grill

2) La Marsa

3) Pita Pit

Thai, Chinese and Japanese

1) No Thai

2) Sadako

3) Tk-Wu

Written By: Rushikesh Ved, UM Undergraduate Student studying Electrical Engineering and Industrial & Operational Engineering