| Traverse City Michigan has long been an addictive | | | | leave a lot of people in the dust for good that just |
| destination for travelers over the years which begs | | | | waited too long. If you know where you really want to |
| the question, why do travelers find Traverse City to be | | | | live long term or retire, dig in now and look around or it |
| such a memorable experience when recalling their | | | | may be you that's left behind wishing you'd picked up |
| visits to the area? Literally speaking there have been | | | | your bargain retirement pad. |
| numerous articles with top ratings written on the area | | | | Honestly though what can you do here in Traverse |
| over the years, and they speak to some points of | | | | City? Is it right for you? Well from my experience in |
| why this area is so appealing. In reality though, there | | | | travel, culture and amenities I can tell you that its simply |
| are no limitations to the reasons for appeal when you | | | | much easier to list what you cant do. You cant climb a |
| look at the variety of the articles, and still these articles | | | | mountain or walk across a desert, you cant go deep |
| just lightly scratch the surface of what's really here. | | | | sea fishing although the great lakes fishing can |
| The natural beauty, the water and beaches, the | | | | compare in a lot of ways. Michigan is in fact the Great |
| climate, the culture, the medical care and hospital, the | | | | Lakes State with the largest supply of surface fresh |
| many major and minor annual events and festivals, the | | | | water in the world. It is surrounded by a staggering 84 |
| fishing, the golf courses, the award winning wineries, | | | | percent of North America's surface fresh water and |
| the outdoor recreation, the friendly people and on and | | | | about 21 percent of the world's supply. In reality |
| on. | | | | whether it be indoor or out, Traverse City has so |
| A few of the many great articles written on Traverse | | | | much culture and outdoor activity that it rivals cities of |
| City's appeal are | | | | a much grander scale and territories from around the |
| - Relocate America's top 10 places to live 2007 | | | | globe. |
| - Top places to live at age 50+, 2007 | | | | The trails for skiing, hiking, biking, snowshoeing and |
| - CNN.Money best places to live 2007 | | | | sightseeing are endless and growing. Local favorites |
| - Forbes cheep places to live rich 2006 | | | | include the Grand Traverse Commons property trails |
| - Fly Rod & Reel's top 12 fly fishing retirement | | | | that overlook the city and the VASA Pathway, |
| towns 2005 | | | | Boardman Lake Trail, Leelanau Trail and TART trail |
| But these articles simply do not give justice to the true | | | | system that is a continuously growing network for |
| rapid growth of culture here, and more so, what's to | | | | pedestrian travel. But don't think for a minute that that's |
| come. | | | | it, actually its just the tip of the iceberg as the saying |
| Over the last several years the corporate dollar has | | | | goes when it come to the enormous amount of hiking |
| been flooding into the area poising it for extended | | | | trails around. |
| growth. One of the major advantages that Traverse | | | | So what about shopping and dining? Well over the last |
| City has is that it's a tourist destination for many | | | | 15 years Traverse City has sealed itself as the |
| reasons all year round, this is obvious from the | | | | shopping Mecca of the north. Anybody who's anybody |
| moment you arrive. | | | | has looked into the area and the big boxes along with |
| Major events like the National Cherry Festival, the | | | | the specialists and specialty shops have set up camp. |
| Traverse City Film Festival, and the Traverse | | | | In some ways there is more variety and competing |
| Epicurean Classic bring thousands of visitors to the | | | | business here than you see in much larger scale cities |
| area for the first time along with continual repeat | | | | like Grand Rapids to the south. That's businesses |
| visitors. The Traverse City Film Festival a landmark for | | | | taking their hold for what they see is the future here. |
| instant record setting success is just in its infancy and | | | | Fortunately it is a controlled growth, as mentioned |
| no doubt will always be one of the grandest of | | | | earlier the public population does create an |
| festivals in the north. | | | | environmentally friendly atmosphere. A few years ago |
| Traverse City itself is a very environmentally friendly | | | | the public shot down a vote on a parking garage in |
| population with strong desires for community property | | | | downtown. Not because they don't need another one, |
| enhancements and accumulation. Hundreds of acres | | | | it's obvious that with the growth of Traverse there will |
| have been acquired through grants, tax assessments, | | | | be more and more needs to condense and control the |
| and non profit organizations for the purpose of being | | | | traffic. Its just that this public is not going to be forced, |
| preserved. Development rights are being purchased | | | | bullied or steered into something that isn't the best |
| from farmers for the same purpose. The City itself | | | | choice and value for the community. It's all part of |
| has grand plans in the works for the downtown | | | | loving where you live and making sure growth doesn't |
| waterfront, a focal point for Traverse City's beauty. A | | | | ruin it. |
| detailed study and plan for the waterfront by the | | | | Downtown Traverse once a floundering shopping |
| states colleges visits the history and trends of | | | | district when the new mall opened up, has now |
| Traverse City to create what can only be described | | | | become the shopping and activity center of TC. |
| as paradise waterfront plan for the city. | | | | Highlights are it's relation to the downtown waterfront |
| Real estate values currently across the country are a | | | | and annual festivals, along with the grandest variety of |
| mixed bag of tricks with some areas like Florida due to | | | | mouth watering cuisine found anywhere in the north |
| higher taxes and insurance costs pulling at the values | | | | that will surely appeal to even the most select of |
| for homeowners and investors alike. What you have | | | | appetites. Downtown itself is a hardened atmosphere |
| to ask yourself is where do I really want to live and | | | | with strong roots in traditional foods, flavors, wines and |
| are the values wherever this may be going to stabilize | | | | service that will surely bring you back. |
| and increase. Traverse City rated as one of the | | | | Venture off to the sand dunes on lake Michigan, cast |
| happy porch swing communities best value (Cheep | | | | your rod and reel on the rivers of the great lakes |
| Places to Live Rich) by Forbes Magazine article July 16 | | | | state, spend the afternoon in the winery tasting rooms |
| 2006 is in fact immune to a lot of the depressed | | | | of the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsula's, hike, bike |
| financial situations most areas find themselves in these | | | | ski or snowshoe the trails of the north. bask on the |
| days. Simply put the prices here were still very | | | | numerous golden sandy beaches, Lay back to gaze at |
| reasonable prior to the economic slide so the values | | | | the stars and northern lights, Golf the lush green |
| now can be quite the steal, and with the ever | | | | forests and fairways, spend the day kayaking, canoing |
| increasingly up and coming culture and appeal this area | | | | or tubing the rivers, bays and lakes. It's endless... You |
| has always had its just getting better. There's no doubt | | | | may leave, but you will want to come back. |
| that when this market takes off again its going to | | | | |