Concentrate - Features

Pure Fantasy In Ypsilanti

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

More than just a place to buy Halloween costumes, Fantasy Attic offers an epic selection of dress-up options year round. It's also an indelible part of Ann Arbor's past, and now Ypsilanti's future. Learn what the coolest shop in Depot Town does the other eleven months of the year.

Bridging The Generational Divide Over Downtown

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

New developments or older housing stock? Young professionals or older residents? Density or sprawl? Last Thursday, Concentrate's Speaker Series Event asked: Can't we all just get along? Here's a short summary for those who missed an intelligent and informative conversation about the future of Ann Arbor's downtown neighborhoods.

Ann Arbor's Beagle Brain Gain

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Ben Falk did what many U-M grads do after graduation - moved somewhere else. But a year and half ago he returned from NYC to open his computer repair business in Ann Arbor's downtown. It's hard not to see Beagle Brain's presence in Nickels Arcade as the perfect metaphor for how the city honors its past while embracing its future.

Sign up for Concentrate's Speaker Series: Downtown Development - A Generational Divide

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Who decides what Ann Arbor's downtown looks and feels like? Are we making it a place where young and talented people want to be? Concentrate will be looking for answers at our very first Speaker Series tomorrow (March 4th) at the Michigan Theater. Slots are filling up fast! Sign up to attend now.

Hole In The Wall Nightlife

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Joints. Dives. Holes in the wall. They're the kinds of bars that trade in cheap beer, cranky rules, at least one customer without a full set of teeth, and a jukebox filled with music you'd better not tell the bartender you don't get. Concentrate steers you toward the best places and nights for an authentic, no frills night of unpretentious bliss.

Pizza 2.0

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It was only a matter of time before pizza went high-tech. From web tracking to on demand orders from your TiVo, Ann Arbor-based Domino's has created a brave new world of snarfing.

Cultivating Cooperation: The Michigan Political Leadership Program

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Can't we all just get along? True leaders understand the value of compromise. Unfortunately, term limits tend to encourage partisan opposition. Every year, the Michigan Political Leadership Program brings together 24 fellows of varying political stripes in order to foster a new generation of solutions-based leadership.

Turning One Into Deuce In Ann Arbor

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Baby, it's cold outside. Need someone to share that blanket with? Finding soulmates (or even just good company) can be challenging for A2's young professionals. In honor of Valentine's Day Concentrate points you toward the best places to discover your significant other.

MASTERMIND: John Rosevear

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Inventor, author, former Marine and Ann Arbor original, John Rosevear has the kind of biography that makes misfits proud. And now, after 45 years of development, his greatest invention --the Skyclock-- may finally earn him his due.

NIGHT & DAY: Who's Got the "Chops"

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week's FilterD brings you cultural events to make out to or break up over. There's stuff to do for both singles and doubles, the lovesick and the lovelorn. Plus editor Jeff Meyers chats with U-M alum and documentary filmmaker Bruce Broder about his love letter to the process of making jazz, Chops. Click on the link and get some!

Zingerman's U

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A bakehouse, a creamery, a coffee roaster, a candy manufactory... As the Zingerman's food empire expands, they want to make you a more informed citizen. From mozzarella cheese-making to four-day baking intensives, the little deli that became a culinary kingdom offers its customers a long list of mouthwatering classes. It's Yum 101.

MASTERMIND: Todd and Janice Ortbring

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

There are citizens and then there are members of your community that are like a force of nature. Meet the Ortbrings, Chelsea's über neighbors. Not only do they run a successful local advertising and marketing firm, they also bring new meaning to the phrase civic engagement.

Big Ideas For Georgetown's Mall

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

All over Michigan it's the same story: Suburban-style shopping malls going under and boarding up. Could the failure of strip centers like Ann Arbor's Georgetown Mall be an opportunity for innovative ideas about mixed-use development and walkablilty? Concentrate talks to neighbors and developers about what could be.

NIGHT & DAY: Park City Comes To Ann Arbor

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We may not have the mountains, but we've definitely got the snow. For two days this week the Michigan Theater becomes a venue for the Sundance Film Festival. It's just one of the half dozen events we spotlight in FilterD.

Know Y: PSA For The D

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Some say Ann Arbor has it all. Kate Rose, Concentrate's generational correspondent, says it's time locals swam across the cultural moat and learned to take pride in what's great about Detroit.

MASTERMIND: Neel Hajra

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It took a bit of bouncing around but Ann Arbor native Neel Hajra finally found a home at NEW Center, where he's the CEO of the nonprofit that lends a hand to other nonprofits. Combining entrepreneurship, organizational guidance, and technological support, NEW has proven to be an invaluable asset for local boards and organizations.

Building A Startup City

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Adversity is the mother of invention. Or so they say. And Michigan is proving them true. While the rest of the country has seen a decline in business formation, cities like Ann Arbor are experiencing a startup spike.

NIGHT & DAY: A Good Start

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Along with a recap of this week's six FilterD selections, editor Jeff Meyers opens the new year with some good news about local arts and culture organizations.

The Best Stories of 2009

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we stand on the threshold of a new decade, it's useful to glance back at the local stories that defined 2009. New innovators, unsung visionaries, evolving technologies, the generational divide over downtown development and a new respect for food were all part of the year that was. Concentrate takes you on a whirlwind tour of this year's stand out stories.

NIGHT & DAY: Theatrical Inspiration

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Amidst the half dozen cultural events spotlighted in this week's FilterD, editor Jeff Meyers finds inspiration from a film about Orson Welles and connection to Ann Arbor's ongoing discussion of public art.

Happy Holidays from Concentrate

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we ring out the New Year, Concentrate wishes you, our faithful readers, the warmest of holiday wishes ...before crawling under the covers for a three-week rest. But fear not, we'll be back January 13th with more tales of creative innovation and new economy developments.

Going Green

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With all the talk of going green and clean, just how sustainable is the Ann Arbor area getting? Since Concentrate launched in April of 2008 we've run across a growing number of businesses, leaders, and initiatives that are trying to nudge Michigan's economy and lifestyle toward the greener end of the spectrum. This week we round up evidence that our region is doing its part.

NIGHT & DAY: Goodnight Keith Moon

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This week FilterD goes locavore with a trio of must-see indigenous acts (amidst its half dozen picks). Then editor Jeff Meyers gets the inside scoop from a local writer-artist team whose spoof of a childhood classic has hit the Internet buzz mill.

Powered By Michigan

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor is all about customer satisfaction. But not the way you think. It's the scientific method behind evaluating customer satisfaction that was developed here at the U-M. and spun off into successful companies. They are reminders of how university, state, and local efforts are working together to transform our region into a breeding ground for innovation and entrepreneurship.

MASTERMIND: Tony Lupo

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In just a few short years, Tony Lupo, Director of Sales and Marketing for Salon Vox, has become the poster child for youth involvement in Ann Arbor's downtown business and social scenes. And he's gearing up to help the city better understand the needs and desires of young professional talent when planning for its future.

NIGHT & DAY: A Shadow Art Culture

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This week's FilterD is filled with secrets and shadows and... gasp!... puppets. Editor Jeff Meyers points you toward six cultural events worth checking out and chats with Shadow Art Fair co-founder Mark Maynard about Ypsilanti's fringe arts scene.

From Scratch: Mandy & Pandy

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A trip to the bookstore becomes a business which may turn into a cross cultural TV phenomenon. Chris Lin, author of Mandy And Pandy, has developed a series of Chinese language books for kids that might just give Dora a run for her dinero.

MASTERMIND: Chrisstina Hamilton

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Penny W. Stamps lecture series brings 24 thought-provoking artists to the Michigan Theater each year to talk to Ann Arborites (and U-M students) about their work, ideas, and inspiration. And Chrisstina Hamilton is the program's director, tasked with choosing who will attend and how to keep it chugging along.

NIGHT & DAY: The Asylum Street Spankers, The Latest Debate Over Funding Public Art

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

From profane old-timey music to hilariously awful film and video footage, irreverent ironic entertainment seems to be the rule of thumb this week in FilterD. Editor Jeff Meyers points you to the best cultural consumables while weighing in on Ann Arbor's debate over the fate of public art.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Or so says Aesop's Fables. Concentrate will be taking next week off for Thanksgiving. We hope our readers enjoy this time with their families, friends, football, and good food. Not necessarily in that order. We'll be back December 2nd.