Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Buy Local in Ann Arbor: Kerrytown Area

13. December 2007 • Juliew
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Don’t think you can do anything with paper? Hollandar’s has classes to help. Buy a sheet or two of their breathtaking hand-created papers and then walk down to Treasure Mart to find frames to put them in. Inexpensive, but a lot of wow!

True to its name, Found is always different, but always fun. V2V (formerly Vintage to Vogue) is a hip clothing and home furnishings store in the former Kitchenport space.

Kerrytown is really an epicenter of great food. From the high-end Eve to quick take-out at Kosmo. The Aut Bar, everyday wines and everyday cook (new classes have been announced), Monahan’s Fish Market, Sparrow Meats & Produce, Tracklements, and Zingermans are all fabulous. Of course, there is the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays through Christmas and Saturdays all year and the People’s Food Co-op.

Check out the Kerrytown Concert House on Fourth Avenue. Common Language Bookstore and Motte & Bailey Booksellers are very different, but both carry books you won’t find in a mall bookstore, Fourth Avenue Birkenstock, Fourth Avenue Sleep Shop and Bellanina Day Spa will do what they can to relax and comfort you or your favorite friend. Dogma Catmantoo has everything for a special pet. You can stuff a cupcake in a stocking with Cake Nouveau’s not-so-messy Cuppy Cards. Around the corner, Vicki Honeyman’s Heavenly Metal is a great place to get jewelry, bags, and even a haircut. If you are looking for something interesting for kids or parents, a membership to the Hands-on Museum is a perfect gift, and their museum store has all the cool presents for kids and adults too. Where else can you get Giant Microbes (we have the flu, but I’m looking at yeast now for my cooking friends, and that stomach ache is cute!), a Slinky, and Power Putty Slime in one spot?



  1. Juliew, thanks for the “think local” posts. I have found them really helpful!
    And, if anyone has any extra money lying around, there is a great, beautiful, wonderful (and way too expensive for me) red coat in the window of Mathilde’s in Kerrytown. I heard that great, beautiful, wonderful red coats make great gifts for special ed teachers (like, uh, me). Just kidding! Seriously though, if anyone is going to get that coat, I hope it’s one of us on AU :)
    Happy local shopping!
    Patti


       —TeacherPatti    Dec. 13 '07 - 07:33AM    #

  2. The second floor in Kerrytown is a great spot for those with kids in their life … Elephant Ears has great clothes, shoes, accessories, and gear … Mudpuddles has awesome toys and games. And the owners of both stores are very, very helpful. My kids love both stores (they have lots of stuff for kids to “try out” while you visit) ... it’s not possible for us to make a trip to Kerrytown without visiting upstairs … in the glass elevator, of course!


       —Jennifer Hall    Dec. 13 '07 - 08:12AM    #

  3. Not too far from Kerrytown is the Museum on Main Street at Beakes and Main. It has a nice exhibit about celebrating the holidays and a great gift shop with books about local history and gardening. I think it is open on SAturday and Sunday from noon-4.


       —susan wineberg    Dec. 14 '07 - 10:38AM    #

  4. I really like the window selections at Motte and Bailey.


       —Fred Zimmerman    Dec. 14 '07 - 10:17PM    #

  5. The other place I like is Collected Works for women’s clothing (in the Marketplace building next to the Farmer’s Market). I only discovered this place. I think I assumed it was only high-end clothes, and while they do have some of that they also have some great affordable classics too. I believe there is a flower shop next to them if you need flowers.


       —Lisa    Dec. 14 '07 - 11:44PM    #

  6. Well known on the net, barely known in the neighborhood: One of my favorite Kerrytown residents makes Sappycards basement – they are for sale online, but he’d probably let you pick them up (since i don’t think you can get them in Kerrytown anymore, and all gifts need cards!)
    His site is sappycards.com…the cards are quite funny.


       —andrea    Dec. 17 '07 - 06:16PM    #

  7. Heavenly Metal, Teahaus, Cake Nouveau, Dogma Catmantoo, Motte & Bailey, and 4th Ave Birkenstock are having a “NOFU (N. Fourth) Neighborhood Open House” this Friday, December 21 from 6:00-9:00pm with “drinks and treats and local holiday shopping.” Stop on by, it should be fun. I’m wondering if Friday is going to be the first day open for the Teahaus.


       —Juliew    Dec. 19 '07 - 08:18PM    #

  8. Go to www.ThinkLocalFirst for a list of locally owned independent businesses, and patronize them all year round – not just at the holiday season.


       —Leah Gunn    Dec. 21 '07 - 05:56AM    #