Ann Arbor is located in the southern part of Michigan, on the Huron River. A large education center housing the University of Michigan, the city has a distinct college-town atmosphere. The University of Michigan sponsors several cultural and arts events; about 32% of Ann Arbor's population is composed of college or graduate students. Boasting an array of restaurants, Ann Arbor's liberal atmosphere appeals a large number of people to relocate here, keeping local Ann Arbor movers busy. Ann Arbor is sometimes referred to as "A2" or "A2."
Ann Arbor's economy is focused around manufacturing, research, technology, and commerce. Manufactured products are mostly in the fields of electronics, medicine, and transportation. Research is conducted in general education, aerospace, and nuclear areas.
Domino's Pizza, Borders Books, and ProQuest are all based in Ann Arbor. Other major companies in the city include Pfizer and Toyota.
History:
John Allen and Elisha Rumsey founded the area in 1824. The name Ann Arbor was chosen because both men's wives were named Ann and there were numerous oak trees in the area. The University of Michigan was chosen to be built in 1837 in Ann Arbor. Two years later, the Michigan Central Railroad reached the city. The city was officially incorporated in 1833. Many immigrants came to the city during the 1800's, with the largest amounts coming from Germany, Ireland and Canada.
The city grew quickly during World War II as it became a major military supplier. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon both gave election speeches in Ann Arbor during 1960. In the coming years, Ann Arbor was a hotbed of the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. Additional riots and protests went into the 1970's and police were forced to break up the activities through physical means. More recently, the city has continued to progress away from manufacturing industries to service and research fields.
Tourism:
Ann Arbor is serviced by Willow Run Airport which is located fourteen miles from the city. There are no major professional sports teams in the city, but several collegiate teams, most notably those at the University of Michigan, are well-known in the city.
Destinations include the Gerald Ford Presidential Library, and numerous museums, focusing on art, science, and archaeology, among many other fields. Annual events in the city include the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, and a Summer Festival.