From ArborWiki

Several of Chelsea's prominent features, including the depot, Clock Tower, and Jiffy Mix in the background.

A small town to the west of Ann Arbor, Chelsea grew up as a German farming community, rail stop, and home to some notable industries. The village was settled in the 1820s-30s by Cyrus Beckwith and Elisha and James Congdon, and named after Congdon's hometown of Chelsea, MA. In 1848, the Congdon's provided land to the Michigan Central Railroad, which helped build the town's economy.

Chelsea, and the surrounding Sylvan and Lima Townships have seen significant growth in recent decades, as a result of its proximity to Ann Arbor along I-94. As a result of this recent growth, the historic downtown and surrounding neighborhoods stand in sharp contrast to the strip malls and commercial development south of downtown, between Old US 12 and I-94, and to the condo and large-lot home developments of recent years. The contrast between old and new (and the even newer, more upscale status that the Common Grill and Purple Rose Theater exemplify) seems remarkably stable, with the contrast enforced by a zoning ordinance that basically enforces the status quo of both the downtown and the strip. While many small historic downtowns have suffered from the migration of commercial traffic to freeway-oriented strips, or have had "practical" businesses gentrified out for art galleries and cafes, downtown Chelsea maintains family-owned hardware, furniture, and home appliance stores, as well as the Chelsea Milling Company industrial complex, alongside its galleries.

Several routes lead to Chelsea. Amtrak's Wolverine line to Chicago passes through downtown Chelsea, but passenger service to the Chelsea Depot ended in 1981. I-94's Exit 159, at M-52, is at the south end of the newer commercial strip, and Exit 157, at Jackson Road/Old US 12, takes traffic along the south edge of the more historic portion of Chelsea. The Dexter route, following the railroad, is popular with cyclists - Dexter Road leads from Ann Arbor to downtown Dexter, and Dexter-Chelsea Road to the north end of downtown Chelsea. All of these routes are perpendicular to M-52, which is called Main Street in downtown Chelsea.

Notes:

• Chelsea voted to "upgrade" itself from a Village to a City in 2004. See Local Government Units.
• The entire city is within the Chelsea School District.
• Chelsea's former City Manager, Mike Steklac, runs a personal blog, The Chelsea Report, at http://thechelseareport.blogspot.com/ , though it has not been updated since his resignation from the City.

Attractions:

• Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theater
• The Common Grill
• Chelsea Milling Company, home of Jiffy Mix
• The Chelsea Fair

Events:

• Things To Do In Chelsea - A comprehensive list of events and resources in Chelsea, MI