They're Everywhere and We're the Best

I look out of my front window and what do I see? A street. If you do the same, there is at least a 99% chance that you will see the same thing - well, likely not the exact same thing but some approximate variation. Your mind = blown.

What's kind of cool is that of the 12 total streets in the entire United States, (number is estimated) the American Planning Association of America (I surprisingly did not make this organization up) has organized a list of 10 "Great Streets" in America for 2009 and 20% of this list is comprised of streets found in Michigan. Up yours North and South Dakota! For the non-analytically inclined, 20% of 10 is 2, so that's not all that many, but 2 out of 10 ain't bad. My thanks to Todd M. for the tip* - I'm not sure why is he spending time at the website for the American Planning Association so you'll have to find and ask him yourself, but I think we can all appreciate the combination of planning, organizations for a common purpose, and also America.

I don't know what constitutes a great street to this association, but it's always nice to be recognized for something, even if it is a combination of concrete, vertical concrete barriers (curbs), additional concrete outside of the barriers (sidewalks), and then vertical brick indicating the conclusion of the additional concrete (buildings). First up on the list from Michigan is South Main Street in wonderful Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor both rocks and rolls, and Main Street is the primary artery for the city. I have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours on Main and/or institutions along Main, and it is a perfect place to spend warm afternoons and late nights. Other things that are cool and directly related to Main Street and me are that time I met Jimmy Fallon there, my brother plays Irish music at Conor O'Neill's on Main every Sunday night, and the location of my first date with Maureen. If these three things together don't sell you on the greatness of the street, you are a jerk. Spend some time on Main Street and if you go into any of the bars or restaurants, tell every person helping you out that "Ken sent you." No one will have a clue what you are talking about and you may be ushered out for being peculiar, but wouldn't it be great if someone had a clue who and what you were talking about? Yeah.

Next up on the list is a street I can only assume exists because it is on the list - Front Street in Traverse City. For this one, I feel like Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World the movie trying to sell the positive qualities of Delaware - "Hi, I'm in Delaware" - because I have never been to Front Street and have spent woefully little time in Traverse City. If this makes me a terrible Michigan blogger, so be it. I apologize to Front Street and all the good people of TC (that's what those of us who have almost never been to TC call it) for my ignorance, but I can only assume that you have a great street on your hands because the American Planning Association tells me so. Way to represent the state, and keep up your cherry-loving ways.

We should all feel lucky that we have something 41 other states in the U.S. don't have - great 2009 streets as determined by the best damn planning association in the world, the American Planning Association.

*For everyone else who is kind enough to send me a link and I fail to post about it, I am sorry but thank you so much. I do read everything that everyone shares with me so keep them coming, but I have determined that I must at least give the outward appearance to employers that I do more than just blog.