Lament for Ann Arbor's past

[jeffreyab]

I have been thinking about this since I heard that Afterwords remaindered books store on Main Street had closed.

When I first went to A2 back in 1988 and on a regular basis starting in 1990 I found many interesting indpendent businesses to shop and eat in.

Ryder's Hobbies on Liberty was a first stop but it was the first to close like many other shops like it in the Detroit area like The Alcove on Woodward Ave., Comic Kingdom on Gratiot actually in the city of Detroit, Comic Kingdom II on Harper and finally Andy's store on the west side. They have gone the way of many hobby shops a victim of direct ordering and internet stores.

For awhile the Underworld took up the slack like other comic book stores but then it too also closed.

For food we often went to the eclectic and TVless Del Rio, the service was not always the best but it was usually interesting.

Have any businesses I have not heard of come to replace these? The Dawntreader still continues for now for used books but I will miss Afterwords almost new bargains. The chains do not carry the variety that it did.

Comments

[darthparadox.livejournal.com]

I believe there's a place called Phoenix Games on 4th Ave near Liberty. I think there's also still a Ryder's at Carpenter and Ellsworth, out in (or near) Ypsi. And then there's the Vault of Midnight on Liberty, underneath Dinersty (which is some of the best Chinese food in A2, IMO).

Of course, this is as of when I lived there - I moved away a year ago.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Actually, Vault of Midnight has taken over the Afterwords space.

There are still a number of interesting places to eat in Ann Arbor. Jerusalem Garden and Sabor Latino are good sources of cheap eats downtown. Great Lakes is still great.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Any good cheap Thai?

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

There's no Thai right downtown that I know of, but there's plenty of good Thai if you're willing to hit various spots around town. The one in the hotel at Washtenaw and US-23 (Siam Square) is a favorite. As is Tuptim, but it's a little more expensive. There's Bahn Na, a Thai and Laos restaurant on Washtenaw on the way to Ypsi, which comes highly recommended but which I haven't been to.

[tlatoani.livejournal.com]

Au contraire! It's inaccurate to say there's no Thai downtown, because there's actually No Thai (as well as one other, and soon to be two):

* No Thai on South University, which is supposed to be cheap and quite good, but we haven't been there yet

* Siam Cuisine at Braun Court, which is cheap and decent b

* (coming soon) Marnee Thai, in the Ashley Mews building on Main, which is a sister restaurant to Lotus Thai (which is across from Meijer's on AA-Saline, so not downtown) so it probably won't be cheap but will be good

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Ahh, thank you - I figured you'd have a correction for me. I did a quick search on Arborweb and didn't see anything except Siam Cuisine, which I've never liked, so didn't bother to include. I've seen No Thai, but also haven't been there yet, and thought I recollected that Lotus Thai was going to be opening something downtown, but couldn't find anything in quick search. But yes, as you say, unlikely to be cheap.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Thanks this is good to know!

[tlatoani.livejournal.com]

Phoenix Games no longer exists. There is still a Rider's at Carpenter and Ellsworth, though, and there are rumors that another game store may start up very near campus.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

The Carpenter Riders has never had the breadth of sellection the old Liberty Riders did.

Do they still have games?

[tlatoani.livejournal.com]

Some, but not a huge selection.

And yes, the Carpenter Riders used to have the breadth that Liberty did, but it was a long time ago and you've probably forgotten.

[shekar.livejournal.com]

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[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

I found you through livinginiran and I friended you to get a sense of what life is like in Iran.