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ANN ARBOR

The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Fall 2004 - 3F

Shopping in the city: A girl's guide

By Alison Go
Daily Staff Writer

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Between
studying, sleeping
and partying, we
girls sometimes
(but not often)
overlook one
thing - what to
wear to class,
bed or the club. Even more baffling is where to buy
these most fabulous clothes.
Sadly, fashionable clothing boutiques and shops
are nearly outnumbered by Starbucks in this over-
achieving and hyper-caffeinated city. Fortunately for
you, The Daily did some research and, $208 later,
has compiled a list of some of Ann Arbor's best
shopping locales.
If you're ready to melt plastic all over the city, slip
on an appropriate pair of shoes and book it to well-
accessorized heaven.
Distance: Mid-heeled, pointy-toed Jimmy Choos
Poshh
535 E. Liberty St. (734) 222-9600
Now, if you're already wearing Jimmy Choos, then
Poshh is right up your alley. Relatively high-end, this
boutique is always stocked with the latest styles.
"We're trend inspired, not name driven;' store owner
Wendy Batiste-Johnson said. Speaking of names,
some of Poshh's more popular brands include BCBG
Maxazria, Blue Cult and Frankie B. The store is also
one of the few in town that exclusively features local
designers like University alum Martine Schwartz, who
creates watches for her company La Mer Collections.
YCI
1119 S. University Ave. (734) 747-8272
Nothing describes YCI better than unadulterated soror-
ity girl heaven. They have complete Juicy track suits,
Harv6 Chapelier shoulder bags and Von Dutch accessories
- all ingredients for the standard sorority girl joke.
Despite the supposed stigma that the rest of us might per-
ceive, YCI stocks a dizzying array of brands, especially
in jeans. Because Yercho, the store's owner, said she
wants YCI to be a "specialty boutique and not a
department store," she carries a considerable

number of brands, but each piece comes in low quantities.
Consequently, because the shop doesn't stock more than
three of any dress, it should be easy to avoid the embar-
rassing, same outfit at the formal, worst-case scenario.
Bivouac
336 S. State St. (734) 761-6207
Strangely adjoined to a rather un-chic outdoor and hik-
ing gear store, Bivouac actually carries an extensive array
of jeans. Along with standbys from Chip and Pepper,
James Jeans, Diesel and Mavi, the store also has selec-
tions from Three Dots and James Perse. A word of warn-
ing to Kiehl's junkies - within its rustic exterior,
Bivouac contains the entire line of Kiehl's products.
Urban Outfitters
231 S. State St. (734) 994-5500
Perhaps the most affordable of the on-campus shops,
Urban Outfitters, while unique, remains slightly overpriced.
But if you are willing - and even eager - to fork over your
cash, then you might as well start with their ever-changing
selection of Free People, Puma and even Lacoste. Unlike the
other nearby shops, Urban is a chain, complete with a web-
site. If they're missing a size or color, limitless options are a
click away. Unfortunately, this type of mass distribution cre-
ates a new problem - their unique offerings are only unique
when compared to other stores. Just don't be surprised when
you pass your urban-ly outfitted twin on the Diag.
Distance: Velcro-strap Mostro PerfPumas
Voila
211 S. Main St. (734) 930-0994
While the Main Street area is an obvious choice for an
evening on the town, finding a gem of a boutique is a bit
more challenging. Although there are several thrift stores and
matronly shops scattered through the district, Voila is the only
boutique that appeals to girls who plan on going to Orgo lab
in a $400 Ted Baker pantsuit. Granted, with their impressive
selection of dresses and outfits by Nanette Lapore, Trina Turk
and Nicole Miller, Voila might be a little high-end for every-
day wear as a whole, but their broad assortment of Michael
Stars tees still makes the trek well worth the worn soles.
Distance: Any shoe, just bring bus fare
Briarwood Mall
.100 Briarwood Circle (734) 761-9550
Need the ultimate mall shopping experience? Head
northeast for 45 minutes to Somerset Collection in Troy or
fly out to Minneapolis for some liberating Mall of Ameri-
ca action. But if you can settle for mediocrity, bus it down
State Street to Briarwood Mall. Briarwood's anchor
department stores are Marshall Field's, JC Penney, Sears
and Von Maur. The rest of the mall is comprised of stores
in which prices and quality vary from dirt-cheap (Forever
21 and Gadzooks), to affordable (Hollister and American
Eagle), to Hilton sister-acceptable (Abercrombie and Fitch
and J. Crew). Then again, Paris and Nikki probably don't
shop at Abercrombie.

Bus driver Steve Cain drives The Link bus on Sept. 4, 2003.

The Link eases
shoppers' burden

September 8, 2003
By Adam Supernant
For the Daily

The new line of sleek city buses
inscribed with the words "The
Link," along with the University's
modifications to its bus system, has
been troubling some Ann Arbor
commuters who have yet to master
the new routes.
The Ann Arbor Transportation
Authority began The Link mass-
transit system, which joins The
Ride program, in August. The new
bus system's purpose is to provide
tourists and Ann Arbor residents
the ability to commute through the
city's various shopping districts
with less hassle. The bus system
runs every eight to 10 minutes
between Kerrytown, Main Street,
State Street, Central Campus and
South University Avenue, with 13
of the route's 24 stops located with-
in campus boundaries.
"The Merchant Associations (rep-
resenting area businesses)
approached AATA several years ago
with a desire to provide a service to
help people get around downtown,
making it a little easier to get from
one shopping district to another,"
AATA spokeswoman Mary Stasiak
said. "The bus system also travels
within one block of all major park-

ing lots in the city."
Despite the fact that The Link is
free in September and 25 cents for
a standard fare after that, a slow
start has hampered the program's
popularity.
Another objective of the pro-
gram was to encourage less
reliance on personal transportation
in the downtown area, Stasiak
said. The Link was financed by a
federal grant designed to relieve
traffic congestion and improve air
quality in cities reliant on mass
transportation.
"You don't need a car to get
around Ann Arbor" Stasiak said.
The Link encompasses only the
downtown area of Ann Arbor, and
some people find The Ride to better
suit their transportation needs.
"I don't know The Link, and it
doesn't go to the (south) commuter
lot," bus patron Derrick Phillips said.
"My wife works at Community
High School and we thought she
would be able to commute to work
using it, but because it doesn't start
until 11 a.m., it doesn't help us,"Ann
Arbor resident Larry Maciag said.
Still, some regular riders of The
Link had positive comments regard-
ing the service, speed and efficiency
of the bus network. "I think it's very
good. I depend on it," Ann Arbor
resident Julie Chaplin said.

FOREST CASEY/Daily

HOOKED ON PHONICS


Crazy Wisdom melds spirituality
and tea on the bookstore circuit

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FOREST CASEY/Daily
Norm Harris explains the finer points of graphic novels at the Vault of Midnight
booth during the Ann Arbor Book Festival on April 24, 2004.
naugmral book festival
kics off in Ann Arbor

By Ashley Dinges
Daily Staff Writer
Passing through Ann Arbor on any given night, it's
difficult to miss the brightly lit, two-story Crazy Wis-
dom Bookstore and Tearoom on South Main Street.
Upon entering the store, the customer is greeted with
mahogany and cherry wood-lined walls, filled with
books covering topics ranging from psychology to cul-
tural studies.
Founded in 1982 on North Fourth Avenue, husband
and wife Bill Zirinsky and Ruth Schekter, who are both
University alumni, purchased the bookstore in 1989. In
1999, they moved to the current location on South
Main Street and added the second-floor tearoom.
"It's a store which specializes in psychology, spiritu-
ality and holistic health. We are really a bookstore for
people who are searching in their own lives," he said.
The shelves and displays are not only adorned with
books and other reading materials, but jewelry, incense,
candles, music and instruments. Zirinsky said about
half of the items the store sells are not books.
"We have ritual objects, prayer shawls - there's
something here for anyone. You don't just have to be
interested in the books," Zirinsky said.
Because of their interest in the topics covered by its
books, Zirinsky and Schekter purchased the store. The
store's previous owner was specifically interested in
Tibetan Buddhism and women's spirituality.
"We ourselves had a very strong interest in subjects
like Buddhism, meditation and psychology and differ-

"We are really a bookstore for
people who are searching in
their own lives."
- Bill Zirinsky
Crazy Wisdom Bookstore
and Tearoom owner
ent types of body-mind therapies. Plus I had a back-
ground in journalism and editing" said Zirinsky, who
worked for the New York Times.
"My interest in these kinds of books was a great
fit. I feel very lucky to be running a store that serves
the community in the way that this store serves the
community. We both love working at our store,"
Zirinsky said.
Another way Crazy Wisdom gives back to the com-
munity is through its tri-yearly publication, the Crazy
Wisdom Community Journal. The newspaper includes
a list of all classes and workshops held in the bookstore
and is distributed throughout the city to 25 locations
like Shaman Drum Bookstore and Kerrytown.
Zirinsky said the store does not compete with larger
retailers like Borders and Ulrich's, but instead draws
customers from around the state.
"This bookstore is just full of books on conscious-
ness, on one's life, on one's life journey, on the depths

of human relationships. So this is not really a general
interest bookstore,'he said.
Customers have traveled from locations around
Southeast Michigan, surrounding states and even
other countries to visit the bookstore and tearoom,
Zirinsky said.
"We have a lot of repeat customers. We've been
around for 22 years. If you're interested in our subject
areas, you're going to come back. They form an impor-
tant part of our business, but at the same time, we get
new people in the store every single day," he added.
Upstairs, the tearoom carries 100 different types of
herbal, black, green and oolong teas, as well as selec-
tions from Seva, one of Ann Arbor's vegetarian-friend-
ly restaurants.
Seva dishes include enchiladas, spinach lasagna and
fresh guacamole and cost anywhere from $4 to $7. In
addition, the tearoom also features a pastry and dessert
menu including cheesecake, apple strudel and vegan
cocoa cake.
Also located on the second floor of the store behind
the tearoom is a conference room complete with large
windows providing views of the city. Inside the room,
the store sponsors seminars and classes nearly every
day of the week.
Classes appeal to a wide variety of customers. They
offer aerobics and pilates sessions and spiritual class-
es concerning topics like hypnosis and astrology,
among others.
A full list of classes, including times and prices, can
be found at www crazywisdom.net.

April 21, 2004
By' Melissa Runstrom
Daily Staff Writer
"I wanted to do something posi-
tive," said Julia Dickinson, the
executive director for Ann Arbor's
inaugural Book Festival.
The event spans four days and
promises to be an experience with
many events featuring authors.
A primary objective of the festi-
val is to raise illiteracy awareness in
Washtenaw County.
"It is to make people more aware
of the problerm around us," Dickin-
son said. "Twelve percent of the
population in this county struggle
with (illiteracy)."
An informative guide about how
to get involved will be distributed
by volunteers that Dickinson jok-
ingly dubbed the "literacy-guide
SWAT team."
She pointed out that the city is
home to more than 30 bookstores
and four of the largest book printers
in the nation.

were still on campus.
"We looked at a number of dates,
and we wanted to have the students
and the University involved," Dick-
inson said.
According to Dickinson, sponsors
wanted to "make sure we engage
the next generation ... to really
keep it front and center."
Launching the festival is a panel
discussion about the transformation
from book to screen at the Michi-
gan Theater.
The event will culminate on Sat-
urday with author discussions in the
Modern Languages Building and a
street fair on North University
Avenue between the Michigan
League and Michigan Book and
Supply.
According to Dickinson, the festi-
val will feature more than 70 exhibi-
tion booths, as well as a number of
pavilions highlighting many topics
including comic books, poetry, pub-
lishing, songwriting, book arts, book
groups and literacy promotion.
The comics stage will feature


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