The Backstory: Sandy Argo Beach
Winter frost leads to dreams of sunny summer days and lying on a sandy beach. Which everyone knows ain't possible in Ann Arbor. But it once was. Or so says Concentrate's resident history buff Patti Smith.
Ann Arbor
Breaking up the concrete: Innovation and rejuvenation in Ann Arbor office parks
The suburban office park is often regarded as the pinnacle of drab functionality, and rightfully so. But a few local innovators are pushing the envelope of what these sprawling eyesores can be.
Michigan Angel Fund hits 100 members, invests in local startups
Michigan Angel Fund is hitting some significant milestones over the last year with even bigger ambitions for 2016. The Ann Arbor-based angel investor group has 100 members between its two investment funds. It finished 2015 by sending out $2.91 million in investments, of which $1.5 million was made in the fourth quarter of last year.
Upland Green wraps up construction on Ann Arbor’s north side
The Great Recession stalled a lot of local projects and now the last of them is on course to be completed. Upland Green at 1771 Plymouth Road will soon be welcoming residents to its newly finished apartments.
Arbor Brewing Co expands in India market with new production plant
Arbor Brewing Co made headlines a couple of years ago with its expansion into India, opening a brewpub in Bangalore. Today it's capitalizing on that success by working to open a production plant in Goa then follow with taverns that stretch across the continent.
Pointless Brewery & Theatre opens in Ann Arbor
The Pointless Brewery & Theatre opened on the east side of Ann Arbor a few weeks ago, but the craft brewery and improv stage is anything but pointless. Tori and Jason Tomalia started working on the project a little more than a year ago in response to Tori’s diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer. The young couple were able to fight off the cancer so that is now under control. Their next move, open the theater and brewery they always talked about building.
Michigan Cyber Range: Saving the virtual world
Welcome to Alphaville, a virtual reality cyber defense training ground! It's part of the Michigan Cyber Range, a cutting edge program where expert volunteers band together to fight cyberattacks.
Facebook, data and the battle against institutional racism on campus
When U-M's Dr. Daphne C. Watkins looked into what kind of research was being done on the mental health of young, black men in college she discovered, well, very little. This inspired a social media-based project that seeks to provide support, information and conversation about the issues that affect what Dr. Watkins calls "a minority within a minority."
The Backstory: Ann Arbor’s Bloody Corners
Did you know that the northwest corner of Main and Huron used to be called "Bloody Corners?" Why? Concentrate's Patti Smith roots into the nooks and crannies of Ann Arbor's past to find the answer.
Rescued from the ashes: Discarded trees find new life as handcrafted products
Still looking for that holiday gift? You might consider local artisanal wood crafts made from Michigan's urban forests.
