Ypsilanti: Ann Arbor's cool little sister
Have you ever told somebody that you go school in Ypsilanti and they try to cut you down by saying, “Oh, Ann Arbor’s little sister,” as if it was some sort of insult?
Just because Ypsilanti is smaller in physical size, it doesn’t mean it’s smaller in culture or in quirks.
Here is a list of five things that make Ypsilanti coolly unique:
Exciting Community Events – Ypsilanti has some pretty quirky events like its Festival of the Honey Bee, a citywide celebration of how bees are vital to humans which takes place Friday, as well as summer’s Elvisfest, and in December, a Depot Town festival devoted to Krampus, the Germanic Christmastime monster.
While these events aren’t as nationally known as Ann Arbor’s Art Fair, Ypsi has art fairs too.
DIYpsi – an indie art celebration of all creations handmade as well as a place to try snag samples of new food and drink offerings in the area.
Ypsi’s got a Water Park – Yes, that kind of Water Park, with slides, a lazy river and tons of splash zones. Ypsilanti’s Rolling Hills Park at 7660 Stoney Creek Road has all of these fun ways to cool off, as well as plenty of trees to catch some shade with extremely reasonable prices; for less than 15 dollars, you can turn “summertime sadness” into waterslide madness.
Sneaker Culture Kicks it in Ypsi –Puffer Reds is a shop that blends the world of hip-hop with style and they have been literally “kicking” it since 1979. Besides seeing great sneakers from the top companies, you might run into celebrities like Outkast or Jeezy, who stopped by November. Puffer Reds is located at 113 W. Michigan Ave.
Foodie Paradise – Michigan Avenue offers great cheap eats. “Dalat” has the bomb pho soup, “Bill’s Hot Dogs” offer homemade root beer, “Hana” for Korean and “Gabriel’s Cheesesteaks” in the red and yellow building. Beware though, lines get huge around lunch.
University Park -This quiet spot is a relax-zone, similar to U of M’s Diag, except instead of getting hit in the head by an “ultimate frisbee,” you might get squawked at by “ultimate” geese, but have no fear, there are friendly squirrels at the park who may eat peanuts from your hand (who may one day fight for you. Just kidding.)
Ypsilanti is a unique place with a little something for everybody. Just because many consider Ann Arbor to be a “top dog” city, it doesn’t mean that Ypsilanti isn’t a “cool cat” type of town -- it truly is. Have fun here and don’t be afraid to explore because you never know what surprises Ypsi has in store for you.