Featured Stories
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
With the current debate over whether Ann Arbor should fund a new downtown library, Concentrate's Natalie Burg takes a look at communities around the country that have decided to invest in updating their libraries, not only to meet the changing demands of today but to ready themselves for tomorrow.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A trio of U-M architecture grad students were tasked with envisioning what the proposed $12 million rec center on Ypsilanti's Water Street property might look like. One plan highlights Ypsi's downtown, the other its park. Both are exciting and innovative approaches to urban development.
Doug Coombe
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Aesthetically speaking, the shelter in Ann Arbor's Allmendinger Park is best described as functional. Others might be less generously inclined. This weekend, however, it becomes an example of how public art and community engagement can transform a nondescript building into a vibrant neighborhood asset.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Long seen as a Bermuda Triangle for businesses, Mani Osteria has transformed the downtown corner of Liberty and Division into an Ann Arbor hotspot. Now, owner Adam Baru is adding another eatery right next door. Concentrate's Natalie Burg gets the lowdown on the restaurateur who has worked with not one, but two iron chefs.
Patrick Dunn
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Finding work in today's job market is tough enough. For at-risk teens, it can seem impossible. WorkZone, a program created and run by Ozone House, helps young adults to develop job-seeking skills and hone them through training and paid internships.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
How about adding a little sustainability to your happy hour? Once a month green-minded folks gather in an Ypsi pub or Ann Arbor bar to unwind with drinks and talk eco policy and business. The event is called Green Drinks and it's part of a worldwide social trend.
Richard Retyi
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Ann Arbor is home to a surprising number of foreign-born expatriates. More than ten percent actually. So who better than another expat to chat with them about their experiences living here in the U.S.? Canadian Richard Retyi gets the story.
Concentrate Staff
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
San Francisco, Austin, Portland, OR... and now Ann Arbor. Food carts have been attributed with creating entrepreneurial opportunities for their owners and revitalizing neighborhoods. Concentrate's Speaker Series has invited Mark Hodesh, some of the vendors at Mark's Carts, a food writer and a food cart researcher to talk about this innovative dining trend and what it means for the communities they're in. Sign up now for TOMORROW's event.
Kim North Shine
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Half a dozen Saturdays a year Ann Arbor's population practically doubles, as U-M football brings in Big Ten gridiron fans. Some see the game day influx as an inconvenience. Others see it as an economic opportunity.
Walter Wasacz
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
So what happens to startups and other small enterprises after they're fully baked in an entrepreneurial incubator? That's what we set out to find in this special report from three Michigan cities - Detroit, Lansing and Kalamazoo.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Care for a little Higgs boson with your pint of stout? Once a month U-M's Museum of Natural History plays host to the Science Cafe at Conor O'Neil's. Mixing libations with inspiration, this highbrow happy hour introduces locals to university researchers while addressing the latest scientific hot topic. Think of it as a way to strengthen and lose brain cells at the same time.
Patrick Dunn
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
This ain't just another version of Monopoly. Or another excuse to push a pop-o-matic. Board games have grown up and they're attracting a new and diverse generation of devotees. Employing smarts, strategy, and social engagement, these challenging and often cooperative games have found both popular and economic success in Ann Arbor.
Doug Coombe
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Theremins and hapi drums and stylophones, oh my! Photographer Doug Coombe makes the case for why Ann Arbor's District Library is cooler than a cucumber on ice. Check out his picture du jour!
Constance Crump
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Parvis e glandibus quercus. Translation: "Tall oaks from little acorns grow." It's a sentiment that couldn't be truer for Ypsilanti's Oak Street, a three block neighborhood that has attracted some of the city's best and brightest. Constance Crump gives us a tour.
Doug Coombe
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
In today's picture of the day, Doug Coombe takes a well-known piece of Ann Arbor public art and turns it into a mini photography lesson for phone-cam users.