Today is an unofficial holiday, known as Black Friday, when major realtors make enough money to put them “in the black” financially for the rest of the year. Many of you may have already hit up the biggest sales, many of which offer early morning or Thanksgiving afternoons doorbuster specials. However, most of those big, advertised sales are run by international corporations and businesses which have few ties to local communities. When many people think of Black Friday or holiday shopping, it is all too often the mall or big box stores that benefit from gift-giving. Although there are some great shops in the two Grand Rapids area malls and the outlet mall located in Byron Center, many of the big chain stores all carry the same thing.
Thankfully, there is plenty of small, local shopping around the West Michigan area that offer the chance to buy something unique that will be treasured. As we discussed in our blog last week, to the east of town, there is Lowell, with its Main Street lined with small, locally-owned and operated businesses. While their holiday shopping event is over, the potential for finding unique, incredible gifts in their shopping district is not. From antiques to art, there's a lot of awesome stuff to be found in Lowell.
If you'd prefer to stay closer to town, there are plenty of engaging, unique businesses across the city of Grand Rapids itself. Downtown Grand Rapids has a brilliant collection of diverse businesses, from the comic shop on Monroe Center, called Vault of Midnight, to the myriad small restaurants that offer gift certificates as the perfect gift for your foodie friends. There are locally-owned clothiers, as well as record shops and jewelers.
If you head just a mile or so east of downtown, into the East Hills/Cherry Street shopping district, there's a lovely collection of local shops. From locally-made ice cream flavored with Michigan ingredients and sustainable clothing made from hemp, silk, bamboo, and other natural fibers in fair trade environments at Clothing Matters to the beautiful gifts and plants on sale at Ludema's New Design Floral to the Michigan-made toys available at Hopscotch, this quaint, brick-paved shopping district is a great place to find gifts and enjoy yourself while doing so. Another half mile east lands you right in the heart of Eastown, where you'll find used bookstores and other great gift-buying locations.
If you're more north of town, consider visiting the historical shopping venues of downtown Rockford. From jewelry boutiques carrying Pandora and Brighton to used books to tween and teen couture and skateboards, there's a little bit of everything in Rockford as well. Stop in at Dam Dogs or the Corner Bar for a chili dog after you fill your vehicle with bags of perfect presents for your loved ones.
There are plenty of other neighborhoods with amazing shops for you to explore and discover, tucked away across West Michigan's many communities and neighborhoods. The diverse, locally-owned businesses are part of what make the West Michigan area so desirable for living. If you're looking to buy or sell a home, get in touch with the professionals at Pyxis Realty, who know and love the area where they work.