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    Ann Arbor

    Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan have evolved over their shared history into one of the country's most stimulating intellectual and cultural environments. In a recent Money magazine survey of the nation's best places to live, Ann Arbor was ranked fifth. Numerous bookstores and cafes surround the campus, and a variety of fine restaurants reflect the city's international population. There are abundant opportunities for entertainment, recreation, and extracurricular activities.

    Music

    Music lovers enjoy hundreds of concerts each year: besides the excellent University Symphony, Ann Arbor is home to the internationally recognized Ann Arbor Symphony and two chamber orchestras. The University of Michigan Choral Union and the University Musical Society feature performances by the world's leading orchestras, soloists and chamber groups, and the internationally acclaimed Summer Festival. Ann Arbor is home to the Ark, the nation's premier acoustic music venue; as well as numerous nightclubs featuring jazz, rock, r & b, blues, comedy, and concerts by the leading popular performers. The University's Eclipse Jazz sponsors a renowned performance series; the Ann Arbor Jazz Festival, the Frog Island Music festival and the Ann Arbor Folk festival are widely acclaimed annual musical events, attracting performers from throughout the world.

    Theater & Dance

    The wide range of independent and university affiliated dance and theater offerings provide something for every taste, from the traditional to the experimental.

    Literature

    Ann Arbor is home to a literary scene that includes internationally known poets and writers, and it hosts a constant stream of public figures, journalists, scholars, artists, poets, and novelists.

    Film

    Film lovers are sure to be satiated in the city, home to numerous film societies, commercial theaters, and the historic Michigan Theater, host of the Ann Arbor Film Festival of independent and alternative cinema (the nation's oldest such festival).

    Art

    Each July, Ann Arbor is home the Ann Arbor Art Fair--the nation's largest arts and crafts festival. The city and university feature numerous museums devoted to arts, science, and archeology--the university's Museum of Art is known as one of the nation's finest university-operated collections.

    Sports and Recreation

    The University of Michigan is home to the Wolverines; the famed athletic program is second to none, and the numerous outdoor and indoor recreational opportunities provide something for everyone. Three large intramural athletic complexes include swimming pools, volleyball and racquet sports facilities, basketball courts, weight training facilities, indoor tracks; students, faculty and staff enjoy an indoor ice skating rink, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and numerous playing fields for organized or pick-up football, soccer, ultimate, baseball, softball, etc.

    Outdoors

    The Ann Arbor area is ideal for year-round outdoor recreation, from boating to cross-country skiing. Whether you enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing, fishing, or bicycling through the rolling Michigan farm country, the Ann Arbor area offers beautiful natural settings for your exploration and recreation, while farther afield the Great Lakes beaches and the rugged northern Michigan wilderness beckon.
    Randall Laboratory
    450 Church Street
    Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040
    Phone: (734) 764-4437 -- Fax: (734) 763-9694
    Questions or Comments: physics.web@umich.edu
    Copyright © 2001 Regents of the University of Michigan