Changes in the city of trees.

[netmouse]

In a response to Mrissa from an earlier thread I go on a bit about ways that Ann Arbor has changed that makes it less fun these days for me to show people around town. I grew up here, and find it much less the comfortable, casual, ideosynchratic and hippy college town it was when I was a kid. Borders has changed from a deep and interestingly unique store to a chain clone. I didn't even go into how the Art Fair has gotten less artsy and fun and more commercial. Even Zingerman's sandwiches are not as good as they once were, since they shrunk them a few years back to keep competitive in the face of Amers and other sandwich cafes.

Would you agree that Ann Arbor is changing for the worse?

What changes do you like? (having Trader Joe's and Whole Foods come in could be counted as positives, for instance).

What do you miss?

Comments

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

I miss specialty stores like Ryders downtown and Afterwords although their leaving has more to do with their respective industries than anything specific to Ann Arbor.

I do miss the quirky old Del Rio co-op restaurant too and having a magazine store across from Afterwords.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about Ryder's moving out of downtown. And Fantasy Attic costumes moved out of downtown as well.

[thatguychuck.livejournal.com]

I miss Del Rio, too. They had the absolute best nachos I've had anywhere, bar none. I used to go there for the nachos alone. It's a shame the place is gone.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

Where was the Del Rio? Was that on State Street?

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

Washington.

And they had "Feed the Poets" on Sundays. And good vegetarian options, which is rare for bar food.

[thatguychuck.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping someone else will respond, because I don't know enough for sure. It was a tiny little hole in the wall near the Fleetwood Diner. It's south-facing on a east/west street directly across from a trendy coffee house / dessert place. Though I can picture it, I don't remember the streets themselves.

Alas, it's a wall with a hole, now. (Though I'm sure it's been filled with something more expensive.)

[shekkara.livejournal.com]

Del Rio was a much bigger restaurant than a "hole in the wall." Steve's Korean was a hole in the wall. Oasis was a *real* hole in the wall (just a tiny counter for standing at) before they expanded to the space next door.

I like Del Rio's calzone like things. They had a different name for them, but they were essentially tomato sauce and cheese wrapped up in bread. And they served Clancy's Fancy hot sauce before the rest of the world ever heard of the name.

[dionysus1999.livejournal.com]

Used to go to Del Rio on Sundays for poetry reading. Miss that.