July 16, 2003

Residents delight in living right downtown

Benefits of living high above Front Street outweigh noise, crush of Cherry Festival crowds

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

The scale definitely tips to the positive for Dave Page.
Living downtown, perched high over Front Street, has numerous benefits that outweigh the noise, crowds, drag racing and lack of the American Dream home and yard. When the whole of downtown is your play area - and you have a private, 22-foot by 22-foot terrace and a to-die-for view of West Bay - the downsides quickly shrink.

Herald photo by Garret Leiva
Dave Page, one of a handful of downtown residents, enjoys the amenities of urban living. His third-floor apartment on Front Street gives him a bird's eye view of the bustling stree and a terrace outside his apartment can't be beat for parties, relaxing or watching the National Cherry Festival air show.

Even the rattling garbage trucks that crawl through the alleys in the early morning pale when compared with unparalleled people-watching opportunities.
"Crowds are not that bad and everybody is in a good mood," said Page, who works near the airport and can bike to work on the TART trail. "There are kids laughing, good sounds; few people around are loud ones."
"If you need to do so at night, you can turn on the a/c, put on some good music and not hear a thing," he noted.
Page has lived in his 800-square-foot, third floor apartment for two years. He appreciates the soaring 12-foot ceilings, three skylights, large windows and brick-walled living room. He barbecues on the terrace year round, has container gardened in the past and thoroughly enjoys the space. Plus nothing can beat his terrace for a view of the Blue Angels or the fireworks, he said.
Page relishes watching the seasons change over West Bay, finding he likes the constant changes better than any one season.
"You get to see all the moods of the bay: fog, whitecaps, glassy mornings," he said.
The amenities of living downtown are very attractive to renters, noted Rene VandeKerkhof, office manager of Traverse City Development. Traverse City Development has two residential buildings downtown, one on the 100 block of Front Street and one at Union and Seventh streets. Vacancy is not a problem in these seven apartments, she said.
"They fill up very quickly," VandeKerkhof said. "When we know something is coming up quite often just word of mouth will do it, even before we advertise in the paper."
And once someone gets into one of the coveted spaces, they tend to stay.
"Our tenants seem to be very long term," she noted.
While Page's quarters are a bit cramped with two teenage sons living with him, this is not a new experience. He spent 22 years in military service, including six months serving on an aircraft carrier and ten years living in base housing.
"That can get pretty crowded," he said of military living conditions.
He plans later this year to move to residential space in Building 50, again drawn to a 'happening' place with a close-knit residential and working community. He is incorporating some interior urban design ideas into his new condo, drawing on Europe concepts that more efficiently use the vertical space. While he will miss his downtown apartment, he is looking forward to living in Building 50.
"Building 50 will take the best of downtown and still be accessible," Page noted.
Ted Manseau lives has also been living downtown for two years. Co-owner of The Dish on Union Street, he can stroll home occasionally for a break from the crushing hours and pace of restaurant ownership. He also enjoys the convenient access to what Traverse City has to offer, right at his doorstep.
"You can walk to everything and don't have to drive, especially during Cherry Festival," he said.
In a car-based society, downtown life provides a major obstacle: where to park.
"The parking and parking tickets are drawbacks," Manseau said. "I have a business here now so I pretty much just leave the car there."
Page purchased a pass to city lots and learned to view the parking congestion as an opportunity for some free aerobics. He also rides his bike or walks whenever he can.
"Part of the exercise program is to haul your groceries from the city parking lot and up the stairs," he noted.