Glass is Always
Shopping bongs and bowls in A2 7nJ (ByJulian Aidan and Akshay S
42 Degrees
Arguably the best known glass or head shop
on campus, 42 Degrees offers a huge selection
of, uh, accessories to anyone willing to visit its
E. Williams location, demarcated from its neigh-
bors in purple and green. Approaching its 15-year
anniversary, 42 has secured itself a position in
Ann Arbor stoner culture as a reliable source
of diverse quality goods. The cheekily-named
store's psychedelic staircase opens into a smok-
er's playground, the walls lined with pieces in
every shape and size - functional glass art, 42's
primary merchandise.
Cases exhibit high-quality accessories blown
primarily by local artists, with smoking acces-
sories in extravagant and bizarre shapes. Prid-
ing themselves on being able to offer a smoking
piece at every price, 42's selection is one of the
best in the city: casual or discreet individuals
have their choice of hundreds of cheap small
pieces, from spoon-shaped bowls to the smallest
of one-hitters. Those looking to make more of an
investment have plenty of options: bongs with
more diffusion than you know what to do with,
bubblers, fixed and handheld vapes and every
accessory that could possibly be needed. Behind
the counter, fifty different brightly colored roll-
ing papers sit alongside hemp wick, lighters, glass
screens, pokers and equally cheekily-named
cleaning and "smell removal" products. The
usual fare - incense, vaguely Buddhist trinkets
- round out the selection. While the more inter-
esting, bigger and less mass-produced pieces can
be thousands of dollars, it is difficult to imagine
someone feeling constrained among the panoply
of paraphernalia.
Despite a number of other options, most stu-
dents either haven't heard of or don't care to try
anywhere else: Many are won over by 42's selec-
tion, pricing and service. Knowledgeable, friend-
ly and accommodating, the crew is comfortable
managing interactions with all kinds of clientele
and matching them with their desired product.
Without fail, the equal part art gallery and candy
store charm wins over visitors and locals the first
time the top of the stairs is reached - often turn-
ing them into lifelong customers. Supposedly
unrivaled in product diversity in the Midwest, 42
is the place to go if you're looking for your first
piece or you're buying yourself a little-too-nice of
a birthday present.
See GREEN, Page 4B
I Ir