Shopping in downtown Traverse City is a delight. Front Street offers the feel of a classic small-town American city center – brick buildings, tree-lined sidewalks, restaurants, coffee shops, a movie theater, a bookstore and plenty of other shops.

Front Street parallels the waterfront at the south end of West Grand Traverse Bay and is only two blocks from beach sand. Several cross streets allow stollers on Front Street to see miles out over the water. In summer, Clinch Park Marina is a hive of boating activity. You can walk from clothing stores to the water in less than two minutes. The main downtown shopping area stretches about seven blocks east to west, but there’s plenty more shopping available for six more blocks west of Union Street, including popular delis, restaurants and jewelry shops. The east end of Front merges with Grandview Parkway near the Holiday Inn, and loses its downtown feel.

At right angles to Front Street, Union and Cass streets extend the shopping experience southward. Cass hosts restaurants and a nightclub. Union Street has several restaurants and shops within a block of Front, cross the Boardman River, and then forms the backbone of Old Town, another shopping area filed with all kinds of local businesses including a bike shop, bars, restaurants and a flower shop.

Parallel to Front one block south, State Street is a bit quieter and offers restaurants and the venerable Park Place Hotel, the tallest building downtown.

Give yourself an hour just to stroll around and enjoy the ambiance of downtown. Add more time if you plan to shop, dine, catch a film of go swimming.