Blogs from Traverse City, Michigan, United States, North America - page 4

In some ways Traverse City reflects the culture region it is part of - the Midwest Heartland. Its demographics reflect the homogenization of much of the region, and its economy is on hold, partly in transition, as is much of the midwest. But seeds have been planted in the Traverse area, in the hope of avoiding the specialization that historically has cursed much of the region. Not content with cherries, the area is actively promoting the growth of wine as a source of revenue, not only agriculturally but so as to attract tourists as well. And the tourist component, if properly stewarded, holds promise as long as Americans have surplus cash. As the book states, the Midwest Heartland is in a holding pattern, awaiting the inevitable spill-over from other cultural regions whose resources or environmental ... read more

Traverse City offers an array of recreational resources. In the summer it's water time: boating, fishing, swimming. In the winter it's skiing, both downhill and cross-country, (though as Michigan does not have a mountain range its downhill is not a big draw), snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and, of course, ice fishing. Music has a large presence in the area because of the Interlochen Center for the Arts which offers educational, artistic and cultural programs year round. A new additiona to the area is the establishment of Traverse City's first minor league baseball team, the Traverse City Beach Bums, who play just three miles outside of Traverse at Wuerfel Park. The major urban park is the one that extends two or three miles along the bay. It has a walking and biking path along it and is a ... read more

With a population of approximately 15,000 people Traverse City is alternately referred to by its inhabitants as a town, or sometimes an very small city. The comparison is understandable when you consider that 150 miles south of it is Grand Rapids whose population is 197,000, and just south but much closer to it, is the city of Cadillac with a population of 10,000. So, Traverse City is a town in comparison to Grand Rapids, but feels a little more city-like than Cadillac. But any city whose major access is provided by highways that run right through it is, in this day and age, a town. Traverse City is part of Grand Traverse county whose population is 81,000. The fact that the biggest city in the county (Traverse) supplies only 12% of its population speaks to ... read more

Commercial expansion is problematic in the area in and around Traverse City because it is hemmed in by the large bodies of water, notably Traverse Bay. In other words, an efficient grid system is not possible. The expansion of highway systems offer only temporary relief as they become congested as developers build houses around them, with the inevitable commercial support for them following. It is unlikely that freeways will see the light of day as they would necessitate the condemning of alot of scenic land which might alter the image too dramatically of this tourist town. The only idea afloat is to create some sort of bypass around the city. However, traffic study patterns have shown that this idea would not reduce the traffic in town, nor speed up commutes. So for now the highways ... read more

Today the area around Traverse City is known for its cherries. There are 360,000,000 pounds of cherries harvested annually, and they celebrated that fact with the National Cherry Festival, held during the first week of July every year. Other fruits are grown as well: apples, strawberries, blueberries, some plums, but not peaches, as they are to far north to accommodate them. These crops are benefit from the truck cropping districts to be found along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Vegetables as well are grown seasonally. And, of course, grapes for wine are increasingly important to the regions economic well -being. Back in the day (mid 19th century) lumber figured heavily in the areas profile but by 1915 it had been largely exhausted as a commercial resource. Still, there is some significant lumber available in the ... read more