Neighborhood coverage to likely start with six key areas, expand from there
I should have known how tough it would be to define neighborhoods in the city of Ann Arbor when the Community Team and I took on the challenge. But it's proving to be even more of a test than any of us first envisioned.
As I wrote in a previous post, we've been wrestling with how to divide the city up in a way that will help us deliver hyperlocal news coverage and reflect how the community sees itself.
We've decided to start by dividing the city into six key hyperlocal areas, primarily landing on zip code boundaries. We think it's going to be easy for our readers to identify themselves with a directional, geographical area first, and then a specific neighborhood second.
Beyond that, we’d like to subdivide these six categories into more granular areas that go as specific as elementary schools and neighborhoods - so if readers want news very specific to the school district they live in, they should, in the future, have the option of filtering it down that far.
The six main hyperlocal areas we will begin with are:
- Downtown
- Campus
- Central Ann Arbor
- North Ann Arbor
- Ann Arbor West
- Ann Arbor South
From there, we've put together a list of (PDF) of how we think the neighborhoods will eventually break down within each of those six areas. This file is also available as a GIF. It's important to note that this filtering might not be something we can provide right away, but it's what we would like to aim toward. We also hope, and expect, to provide maps soon showing some neighborhood boundaries. Here's a link to the school district boundaries from Ann Arbor Public Schools to start with.
Please let us know in the comments below if we've miscategorized any neighborhoods or missed any big ones that you think we ought to consider. Your input is invaluable.
Comments
Rod Johnson
Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:41 a.m.
Also--as Aash points out, the city boundary isn't necessarily the only definer of what's "Ann Arbor." We live in Scio, but in the AAPS school district, have an Ann Arbor address, and are definitely oriented toward Ann Arbor in terms of shopping, media, etc. Of course, nothing ever happens in Bucolic Scio apart from the odd political scandal or break-in an an auto dealer, but it would be nice to feel like we were part of the family.
Rod Johnson
Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:35 a.m.
One of the things that used to be cool about the Observer's City Guide was that they had a breakdown of the city that actually represented neighborhoods. It wasn't a definitive list, and it wasn't on the micro-scale that some people here seem to be wanting, but it did group areas with a certain amount of neighborhood identity or continuity. When they switched to an elementary school based breakdown that was lost, because elementary schools can represent very diverse areas (look at Haisley, for instance). It might be worth look at City Guides from >10 years ago for a useful take on things.
wlhneighbor
Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 4:07 p.m.
Oops. I typed the link to the West Liberty Heights subdivision incorrectly in my previous post. It's http://www.westlibertyheights.org
Deb Burch
Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 2:52 p.m.
Thanks for trying to sort this out. I think it is much harder than many realize. I just moved here and every time I ask someone what neighborhood this is, they call it something different...
wlhneighbor
Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 11:38 a.m.
Maybe I do not recognize the neighborhood names on the West Side, but you seem to have left out all of S. Maple Road, from where it intersects with N. Maple, W. Stadium to where it intersects with Scio Church Rd. There are a number of sub-neighborhoods along S. Maple that I can think of. West Liberty Heights (see http://westlibertyheights.org), Eagle Ridge Condos, Pine Lake Coop, Walden II, Surrey Park Apartments, Country Village Condos, and many single-family homes. Maybe it would be simplest to divide S. Maple into sections based on intersections. 1) from N. Maple/Stadium intersection south to W. Liberty. 2) from W. Liberty to Pennsylvania. 3) from Pennsylvania to Pauline. 4) from Pauline to Scio Church.
pooh bear
Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 9:49 a.m.
I too would like to see the Germantown area--which is yet undefined--put into the central area like other residential neighborhoods that are not in the DDA like the North Central area and others.
3300gonewest
Fri, Sep 25, 2009 : 9:06 p.m.
Why not just use the divisions of the city used by the Ann Arbor Observer? Like the person commenting from Chapel Hill - that is in N.E. Ann Arbor and N.E. Ann Arbor is a very real place; just ask any real estate agent!
dillymay101
Fri, Sep 25, 2009 : 1:14 p.m.
I live on 7th Street south of Pauline. Where would that area fit in the neighborhood list? Van Dusen, Birk, Pauline, Seventh, Potter, Keech, etc? All of the Almendinger Park area? I also don't have children, so would prefer to see things focused by neighborhood or address rather than school district.
Juliew
Fri, Sep 25, 2009 : 12:43 p.m.
I would categorize Germantown in the same way you characterize the Old Fourth Wardone of the key things about Germantown is that it isnt really Downtown. It is a residential, not business area. You dont have the Old West Side listed as a neighborhood, which I think is a mistake. My neighborhood (and Im sure others) doesnt fit into the categories you have listed (48104 zip, but Bach school) so I wouldnt really know which section applied. Also, as someone who doesnt have children in the school district, sorting by school really means very little to me. I would rather see something where I could search by street and address and have all information within a particular distance of that address.
Aash
Fri, Sep 25, 2009 : 12:40 p.m.
Possibly discussed before... How about The Waterways subdivision? Yes, it is in the Saline School District, but our address is Ann Arbor. If we are not included, maybe you should put a mark on Stonebridge as well, stating the information only applies to 2/3 of the neighborhood.
Haran Rashes
Fri, Sep 25, 2009 : 11:15 a.m.
I am a resident of the Chapel Hill Condominiums. You have our neighborhood, which is located on Green Road north of Plymouth Road categorized in Ann Arbor South. In addition, you have miscategorized several other neighborhoods in in the Plymouth/North Green area, including Orchard Hills/Maplewood and Arbor Hills, which you list as Central.