Local Shops offer relief from busy commercial centers

Thursday morning I had my Monthly Mason Economic Development Committee meeting. It was very interesting looking at the goals and objectives for the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce for 2008. As could be expected, one of the topics discussed was new businesses being drawn to the area. No Surprise here, as Michigan’s economy tightens more and more municipalities are fighting for smaller pieces of the economic growth. Mason has really separated itself with its hometown values and buy local campaign. In fact, it is one of the few communities in the area that have more people that work in the community than live in it.
If you haven’t been to downtown Mason in a while, it’s worth the drive. Especially with all of the lights up around the courthouse, you truly feel the hometown spirit when you walk through the downtown. Kean’s store, small restaurants, and quaint bookstore and coffee shop all make this a great destination to spend some time. All of these shops and the others downtown really work hard to show the value of what shopping in a small community has. It is nice to get out of the crowded big boxes for a few hours and enjoy what these types of communities have to offer.
I know this blog doesn’t exactly fit into a real estate website, but in a round about way it does. Keeping our money in local companies helps our communities grow. It will bring more businesses and growth, which directly effects commercial and residential property values. I am not naïve enough to say that shopping at local businesses for everything is even possible. There are many conveniences that come with going to large commercial districts for shopping and some items are now only available through large retailers. Even so, at the malls and other large commercial districts there are still local shops selling many items that the large retailers have. These shop owners are our neighbors and do a lot to support our local community. In Meridian Township the Meridian Area Business Association is a major supporter of the fireworks every year. In every town in this area, small businesses and local community members are investing a lot of time and money into our quality of life. In Mason, a community member and business owner is donating the money to build a long walking trail through out the city, and many charities are supported by individuals who own businesses around town.
As we go into the holiday season, take a few minutes to stop into a local shop and see what they have to offer. There are many unique goods and services that you won’t find in the large commercial districts. It also can make for a great afternoon as it did for my wife and I as we enjoyed a great cup of coffee, wonderful scenery of a small town and the relaxed atmosphere outside of the large malls.