So you want to go shopping. Maybe you need a gift for someone or you'd just like to browse around town and find something nice for yourself. No matter what the need, I've got you covered here in the top three places to shop in Traverse City.
Front Street
Downtown Traverse City is the culture, education and business capital of Northwest Michigan. Visitors will find more than t-shirt and fudge shops here. Downtown Traverse City is home to Northern Michigan’s most diverse cuisine, best shopping and great culture.
Some of my favorite stores on Front Street include: Horizon Books, Cherry Republic, and My Secret Stash. Horizon Books has an outstanding three-level store with any book you could ever want as well as a large local section. Cherry Republic features all things with cherries from salsa to candy to cherry butter to cherry ice cream, it's all here. My Secret Stash represents over 100 Michigan designers, makers, crafters, and fine artists right in the heart of downtown Traverse City. And those are just a small taste of some of the stores.
We thoroughly enjoyed walking about downtown Traverse City on a sunny Saturday afternoon, enjoying the murals and historical architecture, doing some people watching, popping into the small boutiques, grabbing a bite here, a drink there. You can move at your own pace, spend a little or a lot of time and/or money. It's up to you!! MidwestKathC
Here is a full listing of all stores found on Front Street in Downtown Traverse City.
The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, where one of the largest historic preservation and adaptive reuse redevelopments in the country is underway. A beautiful solution to urban sprawl, The Village is the unique renovation of dozens of historic buildings formerly known as the Traverse City State Hospital. Here is a summary of a few of my favorite stores at this establishment: Landmark books and B50.
Landmark Books is a book lover's paradise. They even carry a large selection of autographed copies and out-of-print books. While there, I found an amazingly rare book: a uncorrected proof copy of All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. I chatted with the owner about it and he said that he purchased it from someone who used to work at Borders in the '90's. He said Borders used to get proof copies from the publisher as a way to promote new books.
B50 is a great place to pick up t-shirts, glassware, postcards, books and more. They also have snacks, beverages, household items and more. Even beer and wine are available at B50 as well. It's like a modern version of the old general store.
We found this by accident. The history sounds so interesting. We are planning on fitting in a tour the next time we are here. CfoleyM
Here is a list for more info about shopping at Grand Traverse Commons.
Both shopping locations are an amazing experience and I recommend both highly. Have you ever visited these locations?