Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is the county seat of Washtenaw County.  Supposedly named for the spouses of the city's founders and for the stands of trees in the area, Ann Arbor is best known as the location of the main campus of the University of Michigan.  It also boasts a major teaching hospital connected with the University of Michigan.

The city's economy, which was once noted for production of agricultural implements, carriages, furniture, pianos and organs, pottery, and flour, is now dominated by education, high-tech, and biotechnology. Average home prices and property taxes are well above the state and national medians. The city is also well known locally as a destination for dining out and entertainment, as it contains a wide and eclectic variety of restaurants and performance venues.

Ann Arbor is situated on the Huron River.  The landscape of Ann Arbor consists of rolling hills and valleys, with the terrain becoming steeper near the Huron River. Ann Arbor's "Tree Town" moniker stems from the dense forestation of its parks and residential areas. The city holds almost as many trees as residents, with more than 50,000 trees sited along city streets and an equal number in city parks. The city contains 147 municipal parks, ranging from neighborhood vest-pocket parks to large recreation areas, with several large city parks and a university park bordering sections of the Huron River. The largest are Argo Park, Riverside Park, County Farm Park, and Gallup Park (near the Huron Parkway), while Fuller Recreation Area, near the University Hospital complex, contains sports fields, pedestrian and bike paths, and swimming pools. Nichols Arboretum, which is jointly owned by the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan (known locally as "The Arb"), is a 123-acre preserve containing hundreds of plant and tree species on the east side of the city near downtown.

The Kerrytown Shops, Main Street Business District, the State Street Business District, and the South University Business District are commercial areas in downtown. Three commercial areas south of downtown include the areas near I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Briarwood Mall, and the South Industrial area. Other commercial areas include the Arborland/Washtenaw Avenue and Packard Road merchants on the east side, the Plymouth Road area in the northeast, and the Westgate/West Stadium areas on the west side. The downtown contains a mix of 19th and early 20th-century structures and modern-style buildings, as well as a farmers' market in the Kerrytown district.

Ann Arbor's residential neighborhoods contain a range of architectural styles, from classic 19th and early 20th-century designs to ranch-style houses. More contemporary-style houses are located farther from the downtown district. Surrounding the University of Michigan campus are houses and apartment complexes occupied primarily by student renters. The 19th-century buildings and streetscape of the Old West Side neighborhood have been preserved virtually intact; in 1972, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is further protected via city ordinances and a nonprofit preservation group.

Ann Arbor’s climate is a typically Midwestern temperate seasonal climate, which is influenced by the Great Lakes. There are four seasons, with winters being cold with moderate snowfall while summers can be warm and humid. Ann Arbor's crime rate is below the national average. Compared with that average, the violent crime rate is much lower than the property crime rate: 50% and 26% less than the national average, respectively.

The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy, both directly and indirectly. It employs about 30,000 workers, including about 7,500 in the medical center.  Other employers are drawn to the area by the university's research and development money, and by its graduates. High tech, health services and biotechnology are other major components of the city's economy, with numerous medical offices, laboratories, and associated companies located within the city. Companies associated with the automobile industry, also employ a large number of residents.  A number of high-tech companies are located in the city.  On July 11, 2006, Google announced plans to open a 1000-employee Ann Arbor office for its AdWords program later in the year.

Ann Arbor serves as the headquarters to several major companies. including Borders Books, Domino's Pizza, and Flint Ink Corp (in October 2005 it was acquired by Stuttgart-based XSYS Print Solutions). Another Ann Arbor-based company is Zingerman's Delicatessen, which serves sandwiches and Jewish foods, and has derived and developed a variety of businesses under different brand names.
For current activities and information, visit http://www.AnnArborChamber.org.

Milan
Turn-of-the-century, two-story homes are prevalent. About one-quarter of the homes in Milan were built before World War II, and 21 percent built between 1940 and 1959. Since 2001, there have been a number of new developments including Eagle Springs, Glendale Farms, Uptown Village, and Meadowbrook, adding approximately 350-400 new single family homes to the City. There have also been some new condos built in this same period, Milan Crossing and Cherry Lane.

Despite the increase in development, Milan is still equated with country living. It's not unusual to find a home with a barn and a kennel sitting on a couple of acres outside the city limits, and a hand-built wooden organ factory is housed in a relocated barn tucked along the Saline River. The small town began to develop its industrial base in the 1960's. Currently, a great deal of its tax base is from the former Ford facility. Downtown Milan boasts a place on the National Register of Historic Places with fine examples of Italianate, International, Art Modern, and other architectural styles. One corner features a fully restored Fire Barn once used as a library, jail and as city hall over the years. It now houses the Visitors Center and Chamber of Commerce offices.