The City of Grand Haven is not just a fleeting summer stopover for tourists anymore. Just ask Terri Zomerlei. The 30-year-old general surgery specialist moved about a year ago to the busy beach town on the shores of Lake Michigan. And since that time she has come to know a community that strives to become a more active four season destination for new residents and visitors alike.
Still rather new to town is the annual Grand Haven on Ice festival in February, which features professional ice sculpting and a 5K run through the city. In a departure from past practice, downtown shops now keep regular holiday hours and hold Christmas open houses. And Vander Mill, which opened in September 2006, is the new hotspot for fall cider, caramel apples, and pies. Heck, there’s even downtown trick-or-treating now to complement the new residential opportunities coming online in the central city.
“All these things are new since I moved here,” says Zomerlei, who works at Hackley Hospital and also serves as director of operations at Be Medical Spa and Salon, a hip boutique offering a variety of cosmetic services.
Grand Haven, of course, remains predominately a tourist-driven community. Along with coastal cousins like Muskegon, Holland, and Saugatuck, the city lays claim to some of the most beautiful freshwater shoreline in the nation, if not the world.
But local leaders now recognize that several demographic, cultural, and economic trends have created an opportunity to appeal to entirely new groups of people. That’s partly why they’re steadily pressing to establish a downtown with new living opportunities and plenty of year-round things to do.
First and foremost, there’s the wave of Baby Boomers, Gen-X’ers, and Millenials – the Internet generation – looking to locate in convenient, energetic central cities with traditional neighborhood living. If the place has ready access to water and water-based recreation, all the better. Lifestyle changes that favor walking, biking, and healthy living are the draw. And the population growth, rising traffic congestion, and other challenges of larger metro areas motivate some people to look beyond these areas.
These kinds of powerful forces are not only luring people like Terri Zomerlei, a graduate of Calvin and Grand Valley State, to coastal communities like Grand Haven. They are positioning the city for explosive growth in the 21st century. In fact, in many ways it’s already happening.
“As places like Allendale, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon grow, we get a lot of people coming to live here and commute to work,” says Steve Loftis, a longtime resident and local business owner. “But we are also drawing in people who want to live and work here. Overall, people want to be in places they feel comfortable. The ambiance of being close to the water gives a great vibe to our community.”
The Community Character
With Lake Michigan on its doorstep, quaint little communities like Spring Lake and the Village of Spring Lake close by, and major cities like Grand Rapids just a half hour car ride away, Loftis says Grand Haven offers the ideal geographical location for a business or a residence.
And he should know. Loftis has lived in the city for more than 20 years. He’s president of Creative Advantage, a private firm that focuses on industry training, customer service, and other human resource issues. And he also owns several of the more popular local restaurants in town, including the Theatre Bar and Dee-lite, a 50’s style diner known for its exceptional breakfast. So he’s not only seen the city evolve into a more diversified community over the years, he has taken an active role in the evolution.
“We are working on capturing our youthful braintrust by creating a lifestyle that people in their 20s and 30s can get into,” Loftis said. “This is such an opportunity: not living in a big area but having access to one; having access to major airports for travel, living in safe and beautiful surroundings. There are some real economic opportunities here to create a lifestyle that feels healthy and appropriate.”
The median age in Grand Haven today is 40 years old, according to the 2000 Census. Other basic census findings include:
- The population is approaching 11,200.
- The median household income is $40,000.
- The typical home costs approximately $180,000.
- The city’s cost of living is more than 6 percent lower than the U.S. average.
Volunteering and a philanthropic spirit are more difficult to quantify. But they play an important role in civic life nonetheless. There are numerous opportunities for residents to get involved in the local community, including the Grand Haven Area Arts Council, the Grand Haven Area Young Professionals, and the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Council. Terri Zomerlei chairs the local Main Street Downtown Development Authority, which helps guide the city’s revitalization effort.
Rich Tradition, New Moves
A typical summer weekend for locals like Terri Zomerlei includes going to the beach and getting pizza from Mr. Scrib’s. But there are plenty of good places to grab a bite in downtown Grand Haven.
The Snug Harbor Restaurant, located downtown beside the channel connecting the Grand River to Lake Michigan, might come off as a tourist trap at times. But it is one of the better waterfront places in West Michigan to enjoy a meal, have a couple drinks, take in a sunset, and maybe even watch a freighter drift by. Bil Mar Restaurant, located on the south end of the Grand Haven State Park, is another fine dining establishment that offers stunning views of Lake Michigan.
Zomerlei also recommended the Theatre Bar, especially for the ladies nights on Tuesday when reasonably priced martinis are paired with free manicures. “It all started about a month ago and it is so popular,” she says. “Women start lining up at 4:30.”
Other dining options include the Kirby Grill, which is owned and operated by the Grand Rapids-based Gilmore Collection, and the Grand Seafood and Oyster Bar, which offers half-priced sushi on Monday.
“We are starting to get a lot interesting things to do downtown,” Zomerlei said. “As well as more stuff to do at night and on the weekends.”
That’s not to say the traditional aspects of Grand Haven are falling by the wayside. Grabbing a Pronto Pup – basically a battered hot dog on a stick – and strolling down the pier that stretches out into Lake Michigan remains a favorite past time. So does watching the Grand Haven Musical Fountain, the world’s largest musical fountain to be exact, which plays nightly in the summer. The city also hosts the annual Coast Guard Festival, which draws vessels from across the United States and Canada and an attendance that can exceed 100,000 people.
But the city is undergoing some pretty significant changes of all size. The Grand Landing project, currently rising on previously vacant property beside the Grand River at the corner of Jackson and US 31, is perhaps the most obvious example. Located within walking distance of downtown and the Lake Michigan waterfront, the 20-acre redevelopment will include an array of restaurants and retail shops, luxury and loft-style condos, and an outdoor amphitheatre that doubles as an ice rink in the winter. The $70 million project also likely will include a hotel, business convention center, and banquet facilities.
Steve Loftis purchased the old Grand Theatre in 1999 and renovated the 81-year old building to include a restaurant, a bar, and 20 new downtown residences. One highlight of the five-story Grand Theatre Condominiums is a 3,000 square foot rooftop deck, complete with a common kitchen area, which overlooks the waterfront Boardwalk, Lake Michigan, the downtown retail scene, and several festival venues. Prices for the units start at $355,000.
A new skate park at the city’s Mulligan’s Hollow Recreation Area is the newest hangout for BMX bikers and skateboarders. The $350,000 park, which opened in July 2007, features quarter pipes, rails and pipes to ride, and stairs to jump reportedly is attracting “kids” as old as 30.
These and other changes are transforming the city for the better and engaging a new generation of people in the community, according to Stacey Bierling, vice president of the Grand Haven Area Young Professionals. “The downtown area is really undergoing an impressive renovation and getting stable businesses to stay in the area,” she says. “It also helps that [local leaders] are getting younger people involved in the city government which brings fresher perspectives to the table.”
Grand Haven has a proven ability to attract young people. But, as Michigan deindustrializes and positions itself to compete in the knowledge economy, the city today is shifting its focus beyond bringing toddlers, teenagers, tourists to the beach three months out of the year. The goal these days is attracting college graduates and young workers and families to build a flourishing year-round community.
Directions to Grand Haven:
From the North:
Take US-31 S. Turn RIGHT onto JACKSON AVE. Turn LEFT onto N 4TH ST. Turn RIGHT onto WASHINGTON AVE. and arrive in Downtown Grand Haven.
From Grand Rapids:
Take I-96 W toward MUSKEGON. Take the M-104 exit on the LEFT toward SPRING LAKE / GD HAVEN. Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto CLEVELAND ST. CLEVELAND ST becomes E SAVIDGE ST / MI-104. Merge onto US-31 S toward GRAND HAVEN. Turn RIGHT onto JACKSON AVE. Turn LEFT onto N 4TH ST. Turn RIGHT onto WASHINGTON AVE. and arrive in Downtown Grand Haven.
From the South:
Take I-196 N / US-31 N. Merge onto US-31 N via EXIT 44 on the LEFT toward LAKE MICHIGAN / HOLLAND / MUSKEGON. Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto FRANKLIN AVE. Turn RIGHT onto S 4TH ST. Turn LEFT onto WASHINGTON AVE. and arrive in Downtown Grand Haven
Liz Klimas is a freelance writer and a Grand Rapids native. She recently wrote about
Muskegon's makeover for
Rapid Growth Media.
Photos:
The boardwalk along the Grand River in downtown Grand Haven
The pier is full of strollers during the summer
The restored Pere Marquette Train and silo
Snug Harbor Restaurant
The famous Butch's Beach Burritos
The Kirby Grill
Pricey Lake Michigan homes on the North Shore of Grand Haven
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved