This Is The Friendliest Small Town in The Great Lakes
A town called “The Cherry Capital of the World” would have to be a friendly place. That title belongs to Traverse City, Michigan, whose population swells from slightly less than 16,000 to more than 230,000 in the tourist season based on its twin reputation for big-hearted kindness and epic natural beauty.
Major publications have discovered Traverse City's allure. The New York Times and Travel + Leisure magazine have written glowing profiles. The Wall Street Journal named Traverse City one of its “10 Best Places to Go in 2025.” It was one of three U.S. locations given the honor, along with such international destinations as Amsterdam, Malta, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Friendliness, With a Cherry on Top
Tourists arriving by air get an early taste of Traverse City’s cherry-sweet welcome as they land at Cherry Capital Airport. With its location in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula, Traverse City benefits from a cool climate and rich soil that has combined to make the region a major tart cherry producer for the past 150 years.
The town’s celebration of its crimson-bright legacy reaches a crescendo in July with the National Cherry Festival. What began as a “Blessing of the Blossoms” ceremony one hundred years ago has grown into a week-long national event that has been visited by two U.S. Presidents and has broken several world records for the largest cherry pie ever baked.
Parades wind through streets, a newly-crowned Cherry Queen waves happily to crowds, and Air Force Thunderbirds perform aerial ballets against the summer sky. The air is thick with the perfume of cherry pies, cherry cider, and even cherry barbecue.
Discovering Downtown
Downtown is one of the best places to experience the friendliness of residents at any time of the year. Front Street is the vibrant heart of the city, with broad brick sidewalks and nineteenth-century Victorian storefronts, creating a picturesque backdrop that transports visitors back in time. It’s a portal for surprising discoveries along postcard-perfect rows of shops, boutiques, and galleries.
The atmosphere beautifully transforms with the seasons: Spring brings delicate white blossoms to the trees, autumn ignites the landscape with rich fall colors, and winter adorns branches with twinkling lights, creating a magical, year-round appeal.
Downtown is also a center of the arts and culture. In 2018 and 2020, Traverse City was named to the Top 10 Most Arts-Vibrant Medium-Sized Communities list compiled by Southern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research. That’s not surprising, given its exciting music scene, acclaimed local artists, and a calendar crowded with cultural events.
Key cultural institutions include the Dennos Museum Center, the Crooked Tree Arts Center, and the historic City Opera House, a beautifully restored 1891 Victorian building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The State Theatre is a beloved movie house that showcases classic and indie films, along with the newest releases. The Old Town Playhouse offers locally produced plays and musicals for most of the year. And the Traverse Symphony Orchestra further elevates the cultural experience with its magnificent performances.
Restaurants range from upscale fine dining to cozy casual eateries and emphasize fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Trendy options near Front Street include Artisan (renowned for its sweeping waterfront views), NoBo Riverside (perched above the Boardman River), Minervas, the Traverse City Whiskey Co., and Reflect Bistro.
The weekly farmers’ market, held from May to October, further enriches the local culinary landscape. Visitors also have their pick of more than 50 wineries within a short drive from downtown and an ever-growing list of microbreweries, cideries, and distilleries. Popular destinations include Chateau Grand Traverse, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Black Star Farms, North Peak Brewing Company, Right Brain Brewery, and The Workshop Brewing Company.
Bayside and Beyond
Residents are proud of their region’s natural beauty and actively enjoy a broad range of outdoor adventures. In fact, the city’s name is derived from Grand Traverse Bay, a natural harbor extending from Lake Michigan that serves as a gateway to myriad aquatic activities.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a half-hour drive from the town. This must-see destination features towering sand dunes, pristine beaches along the Lake Michigan shoreline, two remote islands, vast wilderness areas, and forests resplendent with beech-maple, hemlock, and white pine.
It was once named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by viewers of Good Morning America. Key attractions within this world-class national park include the challenging Dune Climb, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, and the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail for walking and biking.
Where to Stay
Visitors enjoy extensive lodging options, from high-end luxury resorts to charming bed and breakfasts, rustic cabins, and even Airstreams or cabooses.
Luxury resorts abound. The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is an expansive 900-acre property with three championship golf courses. The Delamar Traverse City is just steps from the town center. Its lobby features dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing bay views. The Cherry Tree Inn & Suites is a beachfront hotel situated directly on Grand Traverse Bay. The Grand Beach Resort Hotel and Sugar Beach Resort Hotel are two other popular choices.
Farther out, Sleeping Bear Resort is close to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. For an adventurous twist, visitors can stay in renovated vintage Airstream trailers under starlit skies, train caboose lodgings with railway-themed décor, elevated canopy cabins set among lush woodlands, or even board a houseboat anchored in a quiet lake.
Recipe for Generosity
What are the ingredients of a friendly town? Sociologists and demographers haven’t yet solved that riddle, but there’s a kind-hearted place that may provide a useful theory: Traverse City, Michigan. There, a small population is closely interconnected with each other and with nature’s gifts which surround them. They cultivate activities and celebrations for every season, from summer’s grand blessing of the blossoms to the kaleidoscopic colors of fall foliage. They see themselves smile in the reflection of crystal lakes, and repose under graceful sand dunes. And to that mix, they add the sweetest ingredient of all—the ruby-red cherry—the blushing fruit that always grows in clusters, and never alone.
