Siobhan Lyle always wanted a place where artisans and crafters could gather, learn and share. So, she did what any good maker does: she made her own. The Blue House is Ann Arbor's go-to destination for hand-crafted hipness, building a community where do-it-yourself doesn't necessarily mean do it by yourself.
Detroit has Motown. Seattle has grunge. Brooklyn has chamber pop. The Ann Arbor area has become ground zero for a new folk music movement, attracting both topnotch bands and rabid fans. Neofolk, folk-noir, alt-folk, indie folk rock... whatever you call it, it sounds damn good to us.
It's start-up theater! A group of young stage artists have decided to put off their move to bigger, more theatrically-inclined cities like New York in order to build a performance troupe here. Challenging the conventions of local of theater and the mass migration of their peers, The New Theater Project hopes to attract Ann Arbor audiences to the fringe.
Freddy Mercury once sang: "I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like." With that in mind, Ann Arbor's bike-based entrepreneurs are pedaling and peddling their services around town. But they're not just cycling for profit, they see their efforts as a greener, healthier, intrinsically local way of doing business.
Welcome to Hollywood on the Huron! With Michigan's ambitious film incentive package bringing movie sets to Ann Arbor, both U-M and the city have had to develop strategies for accommodating (and capitalizing) on their presence.
Butcher and body builder Josh Johnson demonstrates the kind of quirky entrepreneurship that inspires people to say, "Only in Ann Arbor." Wedged between Kerrytown's beloved meat counter and Sweetwaters Cafe is his Sparrow Gym, a private work out space that attracts a distinctly eclectic Treetown clientele.
Shoot the moon! There are over 900 non-profit organizations in Washtenaw County, and most are headed up by women. Concentrate talks to a quartet of young women about the personal and professional rewards of non-profit leadership.
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.
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.
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.
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