The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 6, 1984 - Page 5C Walking along tree-lined Main Street gives the impression that Ann Arbor is still the small town that it once was. Small town America in the big city By KAREN TENSA Main Street. It conjures up images of anytown, USA. One can picture the mixture of stores, the tree-lined, three-lane road, and the variety of people wandering down the street. Main Street, Ann Arbor, is no different than most Main Streets around the coun- try-especially those found in small towns. But Ann Arbor, with a population of over 100,000 residents and students, is hardly a small town-which makes Main Street all the more interesting for those willing to venture five blocks off campus. BUT SINCE Briarwood Mall, which ironically enough is located at the end of Main Street, was opened in 1973 and the need to ven- ture downtown decreased, Main Street businesses have had to adapt to the increased competition. Several department stores and specialty stores either shut their doors or moved into the mall. Other stores renovated their buildings or updated their inventory to attract the business of students-the most lucrative market for any business within walking distance of campus. Despite these changes, many of the displays and clothing are stright out of Gen- businesses lining the street could never even tlemen's Quarterly. hope to attract a large student clientele. But The partner stores both display their clothes the mixture of stores is still diverse enough in huge windows that closely resemble fashion that there is something that will appeal to all magazine spreads. The neon signs in the win- types. dow are very small, but done in up-to-date let- WITHOUT A DOUBT, Lovin' Spoonful is the tering and flash purple. main attraction for students on Main Street. In stark contrast to these new stores, the Featuring Oreo cookie ice cream, students department store Kline's, still sporting a 50s swear by Lovin' Spoonful, saying it is worth the style facade, has less to offer than a major walk from even the farthest corner of campus. department store chains, like Hudson's or any More or less across the street from Ann Ar- others at Briarwood. bor's finest ice cream parlor, is Ayla, a store "WE'RE NOT really here for the students," for women which caters to the trendiest of said one employee who requested anonymity. student tastes in clothing. The prices, however, "Even though they are a big market, we've are extremely high and the employees at- always been here for the residents of the town titudes tend to reflect that. and we can't realistically change our inventory "We're very much in business for the studen- constantly to attract (students)." ts," said Susan, an employee. "But we're not Another store that looks painfully out of place for everyone-our clothing is for the fashion near a college campus is Hutzel's, a women's conscious and for those special occasions." clothing store, which, based on its' window displays, has probably only one set of men is patrons-professor's wives. AYLA'S COUNTERPART forendos Main street is also a haven for those with a located up the street. The window passion for sweets. Dom Bakeries is the only true bakery located anywhere near campus and features doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, and birthday cakes. FOR THOSE who prefer not to eat on the run, Main Street offers a few of the nicest restaurants in the area, like the Real Seafood Co. But the real food treat downtown, at least during the warm months of the year, are the outdoor cafes. Both Complete Couisine Ltd. and The Full Moon provide sidewalk seating for their diners. Complete Cousine is renowned for its rich deserts, coffee, and a comfortable seat after a long day of walking. "The best attraction on Main Street is in the summertime when (Complete Cousine) serves outside," said Lisa Han, senior in natural resources. "The food is the best-but of course you have to learn to ignore the trucks passing by." THE FULL MOON is more of a light din- ner/drinking place just two blocks up the street. Strangely enough, both restaurants have the same white wire lawn furniture, although the Complete Cousine is a bit fancier with white and blue tablecloths. In addition to restaurant patrons lounging in the sun on Main Street, the business employees frequently lean out their front doors, adding to that small town, comfortable atmosphere of the area. "It's so nice, just watching people walk and drive by," said Don Matthews, who works in a men's clothing store and has been there for years. "The town is such an interesting collection of people and all types come by-students, professors, street people ... I simply love working here," he said as he watched the steady flow of traffic streaming down the Main Street. Aside from the summer, when people wat- ching is a prime activity on Main Street, the best time of year for the area is Christmas when the trees lining the street are decorated in white lights, and the drab appearance of some of the buildings is somehow not as noticable. Smart shoppers search out specialty stores, City streets offer wide variety of merchandise By GEORGEA KOVANIS Dad just sent you some cash for your birthday. So, like any good American, you're dying to spend it on some trinket that you really don't need. Well, you're in luck. Besides the many stores selling food, clothing, and the necessities, Ann Arbor has plenty of outlets for items of less social relevance. ON LIBERTY Street, stands Kilwin's, the city's premier shop for chocolate lovers. Bunny rabbits, chocolate kisses, and sweet things in all shapes are all sold here. It may be a bit pricey, but some sweet tooths demand attention. If you're searching for the perfect book, the best bargain around is Af- terwards. This Main Street bookstore carries only publisher's remainders and editions which have gone out of print. The prices are downright cheap and there are seemingly millions of books from which to choose. Kiddie Land, also on Main, offers everything a child or the young at heart could want. Their wide selection of huge stuffed animals and games is enough to make anyone want to be a kid again. ON SOUTH Ashley, Saguaro Plants wants to make your home a garden. Selling hundreds of kinds of ferns, flowers, trees, and bushes, this store has everything a plant lover could want. Cynthia's Astrology Shop is located on Liberty Street. An astrologer is on hand to read tarot cards, palms, and even a crystal ball. It's a great place to go to see how you're going to do on that upcoming physics test. Also on Liberty, Otto's Crispy Corn offers the best caramel corn, sour- cream-and-onion corn, and other- flavored corn in the area. MAISON EDWARDS in Nichols Ar- cade carries a number of brands of tobacco and imported cigarettes for all you serious pipesmokers. On Maynard, Eden's serves everything for the health food freak. Prices are a tad high, however. J.B. Chocolate Chip on State Street has about the best chocolate chip cookies around. And right near J.B. Chips is Make Waves, which carries a complete selection of new wave sundries in- cluding sunglasses of all kinds and hair coloring. Rows and rows of glass jars filled with a never-endingsupply of old but delicious candies lines the shelves of Drake's on North University. By MARLA GOLD In the search for the perfect gift, Ann Arbor's local stores may be as far as the footbound student has to go. Whether you're in the market for a hot pot, a bizzare novelty, or just a new pair of socks, chances are you'll find these items in shops along South University, State, and Liberty Streets. SOUTH UNIVERSITY, running from the Michigan Union into the heart of fraternity and sorority row, is a veritable haven for student shoppers. Middle Earth specializes in greeting cards of all kinds, from avant garde to X-rated. The store also has an enor- mous collection of post cards featuring the works of famous artists and por- traits of obscure writers. Nearby Logos Book Store carries a wide assortment of Christian literature, stationary, and posters. Mary Dibble and the Bagpiper offer perhaps the city's widest assortment of preppy outfits for women. Also check out New Image, an Espirit-infested women's boutique. FOR THE MEN, there's the Steeplechase and Tice's Men's Shop, featuring an uninspired but full line of clothing. After checking out the stores on S. University, take a walk over to State Street. This shopper's paradise boasts a fine selection of both new and used clothing stores, bookstores, and gift shops. For an alternative look in clothing try Cat's Meow and Vintage Clothes. Located on top of Lake's Gallery, both offer lots of trendy used clothes at somewhat expensive prices. ON THE OTHER side of the fashion world, the Bivovac has a huge selection of the latest fashions including lots of expensive designer jeans. Tice's, Marshall's, and State Discount are a favorite with students for sundries and necessities. The Crown House features many gifts: stuffed animals, mugs, candles, novelty items, and cards. More unique gifts can be found at Lake's Gallery which offers vases, porcelain masks, and Japanese ivory statues. Kresge's, on the corner of State and N. University is the area's resident five-and-dime throwback. The cafeteria has some real bargains, however, from 99 cent breakfasts to frozen cakes y Heading south on Liberty, Jacobson's carries many yuppie favorites, slightly expensive clothes, and kitchenware. For natural looking men's and women's clothing made mostly out of 100 percent cotton, try Collected Works. Down the road, Pappagallo is another preppy hangout, but nearby Sam's offers some clothing relief with jeans and jackets at reasonable prices. L'ar yrnotoe Dy sLppen nLI .Ayo cn Imgie, I Otto's Crispy Corn, selling more kinds of popcorn than you can imagine, is Musa une vi one many specialty ewi es nriermg uinneat items in cne city. ioil Newspapers spread the word to students i s i By DAVID VANKER As though it really mattered, there is more to read in Ann Arbor than just text books. Much more, in fact. .STUDENTS CAN stay abreast with news of the world through any one of the larger newspapers distributed locally. Though the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, The New York Times, and' USA Today are the most widely available of these, the Blue Front at the corner of State and Packard and Community Newscenters around town carry the principal newspapers of many large American cities and even a few foreign cities. The Michigan Daily is one of the few college dailies in the nation that is managed, edited, and reported by a student staff with no regular guidance from the University. Six-days-a-week during the school year, the Daily features coverage of the campus and city with special secions published to start off the football and basketball seasons. The Ann Arbor News, with weekday circulation of over 40,000 copies, remains the local favorite because of its thorough treatment of Ann Arbor news and events. AN ALTERNATIVE to the traditional newspapers, published monthly in magazine form and distributed free in the Ann Arbor area, is the Ann Arbor Obser- ver. Lengthy, in-depth features and lists of upcoming local events fill the Observer's pages, and its monthly entertainment guide remains an essential for anyone seeking fun in this town. But the Observer shies away from editorials and reviews. "The Observer name was a conscious choice, because it expressed our view of our material," said Mary Hunt, co-editor of the Ann Arbor Observer. "We would like our readers to understand and then they can draw their own conclusions." For information on movies alone, students are referred to the Michigan Cinema Guide, a com- prehensive listing of campus films available free all over town. The company that puts out the Cinema Guide also published the Michigan Basketball and Football Guides, distributed free before home games. These mini-tabloids provide students with complete player listings and feature articles about the Wolverines and their opponents. THE UNIVERSITY Record, a weekly tabloid ser- ving as the leading voice of the administration, provides a good overview of staff and faculty affairs and a valuable calendar of campus events. MSA News is among the monthly publications of the Michigan Student Assembly designed to keep students informed about the activities of their gover- nment and its concerns. The University's undying humor magazine, the Gargoyle, continues to redefine the limits of outrageousness on a monthly basis. A group of students from a number of academic disciplines last year inaugurated Consider, a four- page tabloid covering two sides of one issue each week. This list arely skims the surface of Ann Arbor's body of publications. Anyone who wants to read in this town should have no trouble finding material. The problem is, most professors have their own ideas about what students should read while in Ann Arbor. t WH.ITE MARKET c OJCiC"W~ Oedium BETWEEN S. STATE and MAYNARD Open Monday through Saturday 8 - 6 PM WE SPECIALIZE IN: 0 Fresh Meats * Fresh Produce * Complete selections from the - 1 I