THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Stores:
A mixed (shopping) bag
By SUE WARNER
During their first month on campus, stu-
dents are bombarded with an incredible
number of bills-tuition, room and board,
football tickets and, of course, books.
In spite of these financial drains, chan-
ces are that sometime during' that initial
month, the need for some addition to his
or her new lifestyle will arise, perhaps a
plant or a hotplate, and the new student
will be thrown into that mind-boggling
process--shopping in Ann Arbor.'
Local shoppers are faced not only with
the question of what to buy but also
where to find it. The city boasts three
major shopping areas: Briarwood, an
enclosed mall located just off I-94 at
State St.; the downtown district, and
campus shops on State St. and South
University.
Several other shopping areas are also
sprinkled throughout the city.
Briarwgod, which opened its doors in
1973, resembles the glossy suburban shop-
ping malls which have sprung up in cit-
ies all over the country. The mall offers
over 100 stores and services ranging from
Hudson's (a Detroit-based department
store chain), to the always-familiar Pen-
ney's and Sears. Smaller specialty shops,
featuring a variety of goods from canteens
at Camper's World to over-sized pillows at
The Toadstool, also dot the mall.
In addition to serving the shopping needs
of Ann Arborites, Briarwood also serves as
a type of community center, presenting
different programs throughout the year.
Last summer, the mall merchants offered
a concert series featuring various j~z
groups and the Ann Arbor symphony or-
chestra and band. During the fall, various
merchants will display their wares in the
center's multi-level "grand court"' in what
they term a "live magazine."
Aesthetically, Briarwood also offers an
e y e f u 1. Designed in a contemporary
style and accented by natural color, the
mall is illuminated during the day by -
skylights.. A tiered fountain is the focal
point of the grand court where ramps
and steps leading from the different
areas of the mall converge.
Another attractive feature of the mall is
the availability of parking, a rarity in Ann
Arbor. The lot which surrounds the shop-
ping area has space for nearly 7,000 cars
and accommodates m o s t of the 20,000
Briarwood shoppers each week.
Although Briarwood is not within walk-
/ing distance for most students, transporta-
tion is readily available for those who ar-
rive in Ann Arbor- carless. Ann Arbor
Transit Authority buses leave for Briar-
wood from the corner of Fourth St. and
William at half-hour intervals seven days.
a week:
If the atmosphere of a big shopping cen-
ter is not your style, the city also offers
the tree-lined downtown business area,
located, quaintly enough, around Main St.
For the most part, the downtown stores
are older and perhaps not as well-stock-
ed as those at Briarwood. They do, how-
ever, offer a unique atmosphere.
A variety of unusual shops serve stu-
dent buying needs downtown. On Liberty
St., -Sam's Store features jeans and paint-
er's pants for the well-dressed Ann Arbor-
ite. Other stores, such as Earth Shoes and
Soybean Cellar natural food store, are also
student oriented.,
'The downtown area is also the site of
many of the most popular bars and res-
taurants among the city's student popula-
tion.
Downtown stores are generally small,
independently owned and operated, and
offer more personalized service.
THE MAIN ST. area is a "Pleasant walk
from campus. Parking is available in some
areas but is .often crowded and expensive.
For those who have neither the time nor
the energy to venture far from campus,
twfl small shopping areas are conveniently
located along State St. and on S. Univer-
sity. Similar in appearance to many of the
downtown businesses, these stores cater
almost exclusively to students. Numerous
bookstores are located in this area, as well
as several exclusive clothing shops suchr
as Jacobson's and Saks. Unusual specialty
shops also abound.'The Bead Bag on State
St. specializes in-what else-beads and
accessories for creating bead jewelry. For-
eign Matter, also on State, carries jewelry,
clothing, and, pottery from Central Amer-
ica.
Campus area stores are small and often
staffed by students, with prices tending to
be somewhat higher than those in other
parts of the city.
Daily Photo by ALAN BILINSKY
Downtown shoppers stroll along Main St., just a short jaunt
from campus.
Briarwood, at I-94 and State St., draws shoppers of all ages.
The modern, enclosed mail. fe itures over 100 stores and
services.
you've
gotta
shop
around!
. . H
Ofb ob' ct
l ure customersto
local emporiums
By DAVID KEEPSG seller, including what seems to be a first edition collection of !
The display windows get dirty from the vinyl awning that The Valley of The Dolls-.
Slaps against the glass when the winds collide in the State-Hill-
Packard-triangle. Inside, empty boxes and long-forgotten Pepsi THE BLUE FRONT is one of Ann Arbor's last remaining
and Schaeffer pen ads hover over recently added displays whicht newsstands, with a totally unique character and personality.
somehow never fully explain the sign that reads "The Blue l By contrast, the Fourth Ave. Adult Bookstore, and its soul-'
Fronm." mate, The Velvet Touch offers a full line of publications, most
Inside it is dark and musty, split cardboard boxes piled high, wrapped in' plastic, in a spacious and, bright area illuminated by
bits of newsprint and string are scattered on the floor--some winking bulbs advertising peep shows to the rear.
trampled by a multitude of feet. Beyond the glowing neon-lit One store looks as if it's been there forever, the other like it
shelves on the right,, the dark, deadend aisles of the store ,are was built yesterday. Both are testaments to the diversity and
stocked with every conceivable publication and paperback best- originality of Ann Arbor's flavorful merchants:
oftTAKEBO OTUESfr instance. Ann Arbor s chock-ul
burgs have an oriental bookstore. with a subh-cn ialf of n il
more than she sells in a day. Tradirng your old clothes for a silk
bathrobe, however, may involve some extra cash on your part.
But it's well wor h it-Nancy's pri:es are ridiculously reason-
able, and her selection often rivals the higher-priced spreads
available in bid cities like New York and Toronto.
Going from ancient and nostalgic to ultra-modern requires
only a short w a 1 k down Detroit Street to B a ths h eba,
Inc.; a starkly comtemporary specialty boutique housed inside the
trendy Kerrytown Market on Fifth Ave. Bathsheba's bag is the
bathroom, and among their merchandise, which includes towels,
mirrors and soapdishes, is the futuristic 2001 series of see-
through cleaning modules, which look like an exhibit in an expo-
d e ,however, m aint a a firm tandard of taste in t she of e
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. ,LLC. v.ra, I11Qspspeciaity of occult GORESK WanloeteBgTn arytren
literature like the one upstairs at 215 S. State? PckG.OU yo v roubl-W nd inveth igTnPrytren
Pka.IfY uhv rul fnig , just look for the Wean
Or how many have both a classy used and rare bookstore like lights that spell Cheese, Cheese, Cheese a few blocks past
the West Side (113 W. Liberty) and a veritable bargain bin that Stadium. Inside, a carpeted gastronomical Eden awaits, and
houses slightly battered novels and an increasing number of they've got a lot of great booze, too!
houecas ikeTh WodenSpon t 00 . Furh Ae. While on the subject of food, another Ann Arbor original, the
Ethnic stores abound in Ann Arbor, and all seem to carry a natural ice cream parlor, Mountain -High on West Washington,
large assortment of native handicrafts and somewhat similar' serves wholesome ice cream in fab flavors like carob chip. But
haberdashery, along with the perfunctory incense burners and !for those of you who don't like their sweets. messed with, a
batiked cloth. On Liberty, The Feathered Serpent handles Native visit to a, nearby Sander's confectionary, located in .Briarwood,
American crafts in a cool shop on the lower level. Across the Arborland and Maple Village shopping centers is recommended.
street, a stuffed llama, usually on a leash, beckons strangers Although Sanders' cloud-like ice cream and legendary .hot-fudge
to enter the Persian House of Imports. Sangam India Crafts, are available in supermarkets, nothing can beat the ambience
rich with the smell of spices and curries, is next-door neighbor, and aroma of Sanders' pink and gold lunch counters.
to Andoh's African Imports which sells brightly colored caftans' Except maybe the friendly clatter of teacups, the classic tuna
and African carvings on Fourth Ave., between Washington and sandwiches and the white-chocolate covered pretzels at Drake's.
Famed for its all-green decor and the mysterious Martian Room
O upstairs, Drake's sells a variety of domestic and imported candies
OthNE OF THE niftiest eamples of Pop Art in Michigan along; as well as teas which outstrip anything within walking distance
wit the mammoth Unroyb Tire on I-94 near Detroit and the of campus. Conveniently located near Hill Auditorium on f orth
trinity of five-story Redi-Whip .cans 'in Dearborn is Ann Arbor's' University, Drake's is a legend and a truly magical place.
Hallmark Card Center on Broadway at Plymouth Rd. On the'! A steMgcEmoim-nWlim-o h at n
outside, the store looks like a regally wrapped birthday present;' c Astis nte, gcEpru, nWlia -o the leasto n ro' ssmlg f nsad
on the inside it's pure Hallmark, down to the very last Snoopstet agic nttrics, etrofustArbmi's andacssmgoriensare
notecard. ystrsMactrksvetiqusdmmsanacesisar
on sale, and the reigning Houdini is a jovial joker named Hank,
You can try your hand at bartering at Fantasy Fashions and who has wisecracks for the young kids who come in to browse.
Magic Rags, on Catherine at Fifth, a comfortably overcrowded Hank likes to tell customers that a hairy, 'purple puppet with a
one-room shop currently leading the "vintage fashions" scene 1 long rubber nose is a former relative who asked 'one too many
in Ann Arbor. Fantasy's own Nancy buys perhaps as much orI stupid questions.
Daily Photo by CHRISTINA SCHNEIDER
No, it's niot Aunt Bessie's attic, Fantasy Fashions, one of Ann Arbor's mor'e unusual stores, can attire the fashion-conscious
shopper in anything from a 1930's housedress to a bowler derby. Bored with your old wardrobe? Fantasy Fashions will take
your tired, old gauchos in exchange 'for, a feather boa or perhaps a pair of straight-legged pants.
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Pinching the produce
at Farmer's Market
By ANN MARIE LIPINSKI donuts, and it is at these stalls where
chilly grade schoolers in hockey parkasr
Not even the most devout morning adtertedsitdmtestk
joggers are out heel-toeing it when the antheir twed-brtedasthestk
corner of Fifth Ave. and Detroit St.thiSaudybekst
Scomes alive. It's only 3:30 a.m. when In the summer months, when lawna
the ay tart thre.chairs replace coal stoves as the marketr
centerpieces, tart fuzzy peaches and
Trucks and vans piled sky-high with cherry tomatoes are purchased by the ei
enough goodies to grace any Thanks- pound, and rutabaga pies, not' apple
r>-givngcrupabgi nvging dr bread, are the f e a t u r e d delicacy.,
ing that dark morning hour at the open There's no heated cider at this time of j
* r rrf> air produce center which rests in that the year. The sweet, syrupy stuff is
r rr lively corner of the city. It's the Farm- consumed as cold and icy' at it comes,
er's Market-Ann Arbor's own animated and cherry tarts-not donuts--are the
rf fruit and, vegetable bin. accompaniments.
s <.r > FRESH, HAND-TILLED f o o d s of DEPENDING ON the item, you mayJ
every kind and a clientel just as di- car may not save money by purchasing
:f verse, squeeze and get squeezed in each your produce from the market vendors
' r rr of the 132 stalls which shelter the ven- instead of a grocery store. When the
"loafamrhaedors and their tantilizing wares. In the lclfreshv good year and
winter m on t hs, when the market their apples and pears are flowing like
spreadsits banquet oly twicena week- ater from theirbfarms, you' cafn b- i
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