Travel Muse Magazine is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And guess, what — we have lots of tips of great places to see, eat, explore and experience here too. So that’s what you’ll find in this section, we like to call “Closer to Home.” Most of our contributors have lived many places before landing in Ann Arbor. (Though you don’t have to have lived here to write for us.) These guides are for everyone, whether you’re here now or thinking of coming to Ann Arbor for school, work, a game, a conference, a vacation, or just passing through on a road trip… whatever! We hope you enjoy our ideas. If you want more recs or tips, hit us up on Instagram & just ask!!
Ann Arbor, Michigan – Closer to Home Guides
Kalamazoo Top 5
by Josephine & Payton Located at the heart of southwest Michigan, Kalamazoo is the perfect city to spend an inspiring and relaxing weekend. With multiple college campuses, a thriving music scene, famous beer, and a strong sense of community, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable time, especially if you take our advice as two locals,…
Shinola Cafe’s Quiet Luxury in a Cup
The best cup of coffee in Ann Arbor is located in the basement of the quietly luxurious lifestyle brand Shinola. The Detroit-based company’s Main Street building is squat and black with glass doors and an orange-lit interior. It has a large black clock hanging outside a corner of the building. Inside, there are gold and…
Hazel Coffee: ‘There’s No Wrong Way to Enjoy It’
“There’s no wrong way to enjoy it.” That’s the motto of Ann Arbor’s new eatery Hazel Coffee Co., which opened its doors this fall, bringing the one thing we were missing: a coffee shop with southern charm. The staff greet you with a smile and the smell of warm coffee and cinnamon invites you into…
Charmed by Ann Arbor’s Eat Thai
“Good food is at the heart of a wholesome lifestyle,” says Ann Arbor’s new downtown restaurant Eat Thai. This charming addition to the South Main Street food scene is a lovely, locally owned restaurant that far surpasses expectations. Eat Thai Ann Arbor, which opened in late 2025, was started by chef Teerawat “Apple” Pho-On, who…
The Welcome of Adeni Chai at Socotra Coffee House in Ann Arbor
Nothing soothes the throat, calms the nerves, nor drives you to focus on the beauty around you like a cup of chai. The warmth you feel when you sip on a cup of warm, spiced tea isn’t a figment of your imagination; its roots reside in hospitality, slowness, and appreciation. I took a trip down…
Chapalas Brings Mexican Flavor & Spirit to Ann Arbor
You can instantly sense the vibrant environment before you step inside. Upbeat music, lively paintings on the windows, and the bright blue color of the building draws in the diverse community of Ann Arbor. Students, families, and tourists gather in Chapalas Mexican Restaurant, sharing laughs and tasty food. This eatery is the embodiment of how…
BO’s Bagels Brings NYC to Ann Arbor
Snappy, pillowy, steamy goodness. That’s what you’ll find seven days a week at BO’s Bagels, the new New York City eatery on South University, right across from a fellow NYC-turned Ann Arbor student-loved spot: Joe’s Pizza. These Big Apple-beloved carb delights are perfect for students needing comforting and quick energy boosts. And thanks to UM…
Where Tteokbokki Meets Memories: Dining at Miss Kim
Tucked away in the Kerrytown neighborhood of Ann Arbor, Miss Kim combines Korea’s rich culinary traditions into a cozy dining experience. Just steps away from the city’s farmers market, the restaurant has been a staple here since opening in 2016 as part of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. On weekends especially, the space fills quickly…
That Delicious Thai Spice
My roommates ordered No Thai! for the entire house once, then did it again, and again, and again. And every single time, without fail, I was left with a burning mouth. That didn’t mean it wasn’t good. Far from it, in fact. But after the fifth time we’d sat around our dining room table chowing…
Korean Comfort Food with an Appetizer of Karaoke
Dinner and a show is a wonderful way to spend a night with friends. But entertainment and good food in one place can be rare these days. However, Ann Arbor’s Bori Kitchen & Bar attempts to do exactly that by pairing Korean comfort food with an appetizer of karaoke. You can belt out your favorite…
Hyperion: The Titan of Ann Arbor Coffee
After working as a barista for a summer in Philadelphia, I’ve found myself increasingly selective about where I will spend $7 on a latte. Now that I’m living in Ann Arbor with an endless number of local cafes to choose from, I still find myself planted at the same one each weekend: Hyperion. The Ann…
Seva: Ann Arbor Comfort in Food and Atmosphere
You can feel a fresh perspective just by walking through the doors of this hidden plant-based gem in Ann Arbor, where the experience of dining begins before you are even handed a menu. Approaching Seva (say-vah), there is a golden glow illuminating the front windows. Greeted by friendly faces, plants, and pride flags — an…
Zingerman’s Delicatessen: A Sandwich, A line, A Tradition
Handwritten menu boards crowd the walls, layered with descriptions that read more like short stories than sandwich labels. Shelves overflow with jams, olive oils, tins of fish, specialty mustards, and loaves of bread that look like they belong in a European market. There’s a line (there is always a line), and instead of feeling impatient,…
A Slice of Spice and Everything Nice at Tomukun
When I think about a comfort restaurant in Ann Arbor, my mind dashes to the Tomukun Noodle Bar. It is a must-visit restaurant and a place I return to multiple times a semester. The warmth of this place begins before the food even arrives, it’s where conversations spark beneath the soft white fairy lights near…
Ann Arbor’s Local Hot Spot of Charcuterie, Coffee & Cafe Culture
Charcuterie connoisseur heaven. That’s how Ann Arbor’s YORK Food and Drink could be succinctly described. Opened in the 1950s by Tommy York, a Michigander looking to buy from independent merchants while creating a space for locals to call their own, this welcoming space has stood the test of time. York was looking to open a…
Amadeus, Where Time Forgets to Rush You
For those who have taken extended stays in Europe, particularly Americans, the churches, outdoor eateries, flaky pastries and winding staircases may have all begun to blur by the end of your trip. Pubs that look like artifacts and cafes with gilded mirrors and crisply pleated drapes become fixtures of daily life. There is something difficult…
Soup, Sausage, and Staying Power: Le Dog on Main Street
In a college town where restaurants often come and go every four years, Le Dog has quietly stayed the same since 1979. Located inside the historic Pratt Block on Ann Arbor’s Main Street, the small counter-style shop has built its reputation not on reinvention, but on consistency. The entrance is easy to miss. A narrow…
The Warmth of Community, Coffee, and Chocolate at Zingerman’s Next Door Café
I’m sitting at a patio table sipping a spicy hot drink, and the smell of meat wafting from the side door of the deli is mixing with the cool winter air that’s pretending to be spring today. Two ladies behind me are discussing their life stories as families distribute different sandwiches to each other from…
Argus Farm Stop: A Taste of What’s Local
Local, local, local! That’s the word on my mind as I walk into Argus Farm Stop, a cheery chime on the door welcoming me, while notes of cinnamon find their way to my nose and a colorful display of seasonal, Michigan produce brightens my mood. I love Argus because you can do your grocery shopping…
More than a Coffee Shop – Find Community and Yemeni Culture at Bun Chai
Are you tired of your usual spots around Ann Arbor and looking for a new place to enjoy? I’m constantly on the lookout for new cafes within walking distance of UMich’s campus, especially if coffee, tea, or sweet treat is involved. Enter, Bun Chai Yemeni Coffee and Tea, which opened this fall on State Street. …
Sushi at Tabe: Where Tradition Meets the Table
Many dishes find their way around the world, but few have managed to balance their traditions and become global favorites as well as sushi. From its origins in Asia to the Tabe restaurant in Ann Arbor, this favorite has maintained its influence on culture, craftsmanship, and ritual. My first time visiting Tabe was a pleasant…
Fries on Top, History Beneath: Finding Cuba in A2
Frita Batidos hums with layered sounds of blenders, laughter, and orders being called out simultaneously. The space feels immediate and alive. Ivory picnic-style tables fill quickly in ceaseless waves, carton plates slide across wooden surfaces, and the scent of toasted buttery buns and spiced meat lingers aromatically in the tender air of the downtown Ann…
My Saturday Morning Tradition: A Trip to Durham’s Tracklements and Smokery
If you walk too fast, you just might miss this piece of New England right here in Ann Arbor known as Durham’s Tracklements and Smokery. Situated in a small outpost near Ann Arbor’s Farmers Market, this unique smokery brings community and thoughtfully smoked dishes to the Ann Arbor food scene. It’s one of those “if…
Detroit Street Filling Station: Plant-based eatery, People-based Ideals
My favorite part of Kindergarten was reading time when my teacher would share inspirational books with the class, such as Carol McCloud’s Have You Filled A Bucket Today?, that reminded us about the value of making someone’s day with small acts of kindness. Little did I know that I would find an outward manifestation of…
Art-Nature Walk to Up Your Mental Health for Free in Ann Arbor
“Live in the sunshine” and “drink the wild air.” These words of the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson are ones to live by. Add them to these by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “Only thoughts that come by walking have any value,” and you’ve got a recipe for mind-body success as art, nature, and exercise all have…
Get in on the Full Michigan Fall Experience with a Trip to a Cider Mill & Orchard
There’s something about reaching up into a tree, picking a ripe apple directly off a leaf-lined delicate limb, polishing it to shine on your jeans and biting right into its crimson skin as sweet juice bursts on your tongue that is quintessential Michigan. It’s even better when the trip down the orchard lanes starts with…
International Eats in Ann Arbor
You can travel the world on your taste buds as you eat your way around the city of Ann Arbor. It shouldn’t be a big surprise that there’s a variety of international cuisine here, given that the University of Michigan is said to have the largest international student population of any U.S. research university. There…
5 of the Best Free Fun Things to do on the University of Michigan Campus in Ann Arbor (For All)
There are so many cool things to do on the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor central campus that cost zero dollars. And not just for students, faculty and staff. They’re for everyone, locals and visitors alike. Take advantage of these five free yet awesome things, no matter if you’re in town for a few hours…
- Also check out:
- Ann Arbor recommendations from the UM student-produced “Our A2: Food + Culture Magazine“
- Stories about names on the UM-Ann Arbor campus from the “UM Name Stories Project“
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