The Village at Grand Traverse Commons

Near my parents house in Traverse City there is a group of historic buildings that used to be a hospital and asylum.  It is a huge area that back in the day seemed like it's own little city.  They had their own farm, their own source eletricity, even one building entirely dedicated to peeling potatoes.  Pretty impressive!  Now it's been restored into restaurants, cafes, condos and shops.  Before I left Traverse City I wanted to take a walk around, so one sunny day that's just what my Mom and I did.  

First stop was Pleasanton Bakery, where they make all of their baked goods in a brick oven. 

Many choices available it was tough to pick one! 

We decided to share a gingersnap cookie, it was amazing!  They offer really great stuff and a large variety.  Breads, cookies, pies, you name it!  They also have baking classes.  If you're in the area make sure you check them out.  The people are uber-friendly too, which always makes the experience that much better. 

Next we decided to walk around on the bottom floor of some of the buildings.  There are shops and restaurants in abundance.  They also have pieces of the building's history lining the hallways.  

I was really impressed with how nice and cute the inside was! 

This is one of the buildings that they have turned into condos. 

Last stop was the Underground Cheesecake Company.  I had already tried some of their cheesecakes, so we opted for lunch which was just as good.  I had to take some pictures of how great their cheesecakes look though.

They were tough to turn down.  Next time I'm going crazy ;)

If you're in the Traverse City area make sure you stop by the Village, and check out their website here.  In addition to shopping and great food they have a variety of events going on that you don't want to miss.