Is Packard Street a good place to live in Ann Arbor?

Packard Street runs southeast from downtown Ann Arbor through Bryant-Pattengill East, one of the city's quieter residential pockets. Most people asking this question are really asking about the new apartment buildings along the corridor. Specifically Packard Row, a 2025-build luxury rental at 2111 Packard Street.

Short answer: it depends. Packard Street works for someone with a car who wants new construction, a short drive to major employers, and doesn't need to walk to a coffee shop every morning. The fit drops off if you want Kerrytown charm, a walk to campus, or a street where you bump into neighbors on the sidewalk.

Where exactly is Packard Street?

Packard Street is an arterial road that connects downtown Ann Arbor to the southeast side of the city and on to Ypsilanti. The stretch people ask about, the Bryant-Pattengill East section around the 2100 block, sits about 2 miles from downtown and a mile from Michigan Stadium.

A practical location, not a scenic one. You're on a main road with steady traffic during commuting hours. I-94 is under five minutes away and US-23 is about seven. The University of Michigan's Central Campus is a 10-minute drive. Google's Ann Arbor office, Thomson Reuters headquarters on Eisenhower Parkway, and the U-M Hospital complex all sit within 15 minutes. Our moving-to-Ann-Arbor-for-work breakdown walks through which neighborhoods land closest to which employer cluster.

Bryant-Pattengill East has a Walk Score around 26. Most errands need a car. The citywide average is 52. Ann Arbor's Bike Score is 71, so cycling is an option depending on where you're headed, though Packard Street itself isn't a road most cyclists would pick for a leisurely ride.

What's the housing like on Packard Street?

The most visible housing on this stretch is the new apartment development that landed in 2025.

Packard Row, at 2111 Packard Street, is a Class A rental building with 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units. The developer, Cabrio Properties (a Michigan operator), positioned it as a luxury community for professionals and graduate students, not undergrad housing. Every floor plan is named after a Michigan tree: Walnut, Tamarack, Chestnut, Hemlock, and Pine.

What the units look like:

Plan	Type	Sq Ft	Monthly Rent (as of July 2026)
Tamarack	1 bed / 1 bath	608	$2,300
Walnut	1 bed / 1 bath	608	$2,250
Chestnut	2 bed / 2 bath	838	$2,740
Hemlock	2 bed / 2 bath	900	$2,749
Pine	2 bed / 2 bath	1,022	$2,500–$3,015

The mix leans heavy on 2-bed/2-bath layouts. Only two 1-bedroom floor plans exist. That's intentional. Two-bedroom units pull in roommate pairs (common among grad students and young professionals), which generates more revenue per unit and lowers vacancy risk. Pine is the largest 2BR at 1,022 sqft. The 1-bedroom vs. 2-bedroom math breaks down which configuration actually saves money.

Every unit has wood-style flooring, in-unit laundry, a patio or balcony, and energy-efficient appliances. The building has a 24-hour fitness center, a clubhouse with a conference room, EV charging, rooftop solar, controlled-access entry, off-street parking, and a pet-friendly policy (up to two pets, 50-pound max, $250 per-pet fee plus $50/month pet rent).

The building is new. May 2025 was the first move-in. No deferred maintenance, appliances are under warranty, systems are current code. For someone comparing older Ann Arbor rentals with radiator heat and window AC units, that matters.

Who lives here?

This stretch of Packard Street draws a specific crowd. Grad students. Young professionals at the hospitals or tech offices. Dual-income couples in the 25-to-40 range.

Pricing filters out undergrads. A 1-bedroom at $2,250 to $2,300 a month prices out most undergraduate students. A 2-bedroom at $2,749 split two ways comes to about $1,375 each, which is closer to entry-level professional rent in Ann Arbor.

The building markets itself as smoke-free, which appeals to the same demographic. The conference room suggests the developer knew remote workers would be a core renter segment. The EV chargers and rooftop solar signal an eco-conscious resident profile. The kind of person who shops at the Trader Joe's a mile away and cares whether the building has a carbon footprint.

What does rent cost on Packard Street?

At $2,250 to $3,015 per month, Packard Row rents sit in the top tier for Ann Arbor's east side. Below downtown luxury rates, which can push past $3,500 for a 2-bedroom. Above what you'd pay for an older unit in the same neighborhood.

A dated 2-bedroom in a 1970s building a few blocks away might run $1,800 to $2,100. The premium at Packard Row buys you new construction, in-unit laundry, central air, a fitness center, EV charging, and an elevator building. Whether the delta is worth it depends on how much you value those things. Our broader 2026 rent guide for Ann Arbor puts the numbers in context across neighborhoods and building classes.

What's nearby?

The location puts you close to several daily-use spots without being surrounded by them.

YORK Food and Drink, an upscale New American restaurant, is nearby on Packard. The Drip House Coffee, an independent café, is a short drive. Briarwood Mall, the region's largest enclosed shopping center, is about two miles south. Trader Joe's is a mile away on Washtenaw Avenue. County Farm Park, a 141-acre public park with trails, gardens, and a playground, is walkable from the 2100 block.

For commuting, the closeness of I-94 and US-23 makes the location practical for anyone working in the broader Washtenaw County area, including people who drive to Dearborn, Detroit, or the western suburbs. Ann Arbor's bus system (TheRide) has routes on Packard. Most residents in this corridor still drive.

The University of Michigan Golf Course is a mile north. Michigan Stadium is about a mile and a half away. Close enough to hear the crowd on game days, far enough that your street doesn't become a tailgate parking lot. For renters hosting family and friends on game weekends, the football Saturday hosting guide walks through parking, the walk to the Big House, and the post-game exit.

What are the downsides?

Packard Street isn't walkable. The Bryant neighborhood has a Walk Score of 26. You're driving to get groceries. Driving to get coffee. Driving to meet friends downtown. The bus exists, but frequencies aren't high enough for most people to rely on it as primary transit. If walkability ranks in your top three priorities, this corridor isn't your place.

The neighborhood also doesn't have character the way Ann Arbor's Old West Side or Kerrytown have character. Packard Street is an arterial road, not a main street. There's no strip of independent shops you'll stroll. The building itself has amenities, and the surrounding few blocks are a mix of older single-family homes, apartments, and commercial frontage. The kind of area you drive through, not walk through.

The pet policy has limits. Two pets max, 50-pound cap each. Got a 65-pound rescue? You'll need to look elsewhere.

Ann Arbor has cold, snowy winters. Parking at Packard Row is off-street, and you're still dealing with Michigan winter driving. Ann Arbor averages 58 inches of snow per season, with January highs around 34°F. Coming from Florida or California? Know you're signing up for four real seasons, including one that lasts from November through March.

For families with kids, Packard Row is a rental building with mostly 1- and 2-bedroom units. No 3-bedroom floor plans. It wasn't designed for families. Families looking at this neighborhood should look at the single-family homes in Bryant-Pattengill East, not the apartments.

So is Packard Street a good place to live?

Yes, for the right person.

Work at Google Ann Arbor, Thomson Reuters, ProQuest, or U-M Hospital, and want a brand-new apartment with EV charging, a gym, and a 10-minute commute? Packard Street on this stretch is a strong option. The building is too new to have a maintenance backlog. Cabrio Properties is an established Michigan operator with multiple properties. The pricing is high, and it buys what it says it buys.

Want to walk to restaurants, live in a historic building with exposed brick, or sit a five-minute bike ride from campus? Packard Street isn't your answer. Look at Kerrytown, the Old West Side, or Burns Park. You'll pay similar rent for older construction with fewer amenities, in exchange for walkability and neighborhood texture.

One thing to do before signing. Drive Packard Street during evening rush hour. The traffic is real, because the road connects downtown to the I-94 corridor. If road noise bothers you, ask for a unit that doesn't face the street. Moving from out of town? Visit in February. Ann Arbor in summer is easy to love. Ann Arbor in February is the actual test.

Frequently asked questions about Packard Street

Is Packard Street safe?

Bryant-Pattengill East is a residential neighborhood with property crime rates typical of Ann Arbor's east side. The apartment building has controlled access entry. Ann Arbor's overall violent crime rate runs below the national average for cities of its size.

When did Packard Row open?

Move-ins started in May 2025. The building has been leasing for just over a year as of June 2026.

Can students live at Packard Row?

Yes, though the pricing effectively targets graduate and professional students rather than undergrads. A 2-bedroom split between two U-M law or medical students who each pay around $1,375/month is a realistic scenario.

Are utilities included?

The building markets energy-efficient appliances and rooftop solar. Specific utility arrangements vary by lease. Call Cabrio Properties at (734) 822-7445 for the current utility policy on a specific floor plan.

What's the closest grocery store?

Trader Joe's is about a mile away on Washtenaw Avenue. By the Pound, a bulk grocery store, sits nearby on South Industrial Highway. Full-service options include Kroger on Carpenter Road and Whole Foods on Washtenaw, both within a 10-minute drive.