26 Aug 2011
Michigan

Northville

Today, I fell in love with a town called Northville.

My curiosity in Northville has grown over the past several weeks simply because of random events, shopping, and ad agencies I’ve read about that are in or around the town. This past Sunday, however, Brad and I were watching HGTV (we’re addicted to House Hunters) and a show called Cash and Cari came on. The show features a woman named Cari, who runs estate sales as well as hunts for antiques and vintage items for her store, RePurpose. I was reading a book at the time the show came on, but when I heard Cari say something about Michigan, I got out my laptop–sure enough, the shop was within driving distance. And behold! It was decided–I had too many reasons to visit Northville (and no more excuses not to), so I planned a trip.

I got to the town without any problems (a miracle for me to not get lost while driving anywhere by myself), and after driving through an under-construction street and finding a public parking deck with some actual free spaces, I headed down Main Street with two bags (purse and camera), an umbrella, and my sweater. My first stop was RePurpose, and although I couldn’t take photos in the store, there was plenty of charm on the outside waiting for my new camera when I got done browsing.

     
The store had everything from old clothes to vintage-style stationery; from a 1930’s era stove to a beautifully-painted wooden dresser that was just shy of $3,000. Needless to say, a majority of my favorite finds were way out of my current price range, but it was a little piece of comfort to walk through that place, gazing at the treasures. There’s something about antique shops that makes the room go quiet–as if you have to listen for a minute to hear the stories all of the items have, where they’ve been and who and what they’ve seen.
Afterward, I took a cue from my growling stomach and strolled down the sidewalk in search of food. The town was a little too perfect for me, though, to hurry. So, I got out my camera, took my time, and followed my nose down the brick street sections until I found the perfect place to eat lunch–Great Harvest Bread Company.
After ordering my sandwich, I was asked if I wanted a free piece of bread, to which I gladly requested a sample of the cinnamon swirl. Even better, I got a big ol’ hunk instead of the sliver I was expecting, and voila–free dessert!
On my way out, I had to take a photo of my new friends. I met them while they lunched together at an outdoor table.
I also took a photo of their buddy, who was sitting at the table behind them, but he looked a little too disturbing to post. In simpler terms, he had no eyes.
Do you know how many people stare at you when you take pictures? A lot of people. I guess it didn’t help that I was carrying two bags and kept dropping my lens cap and sweater all over the place just to get a snapshot of some stuffed animals. I’d probably stare at me, too.
The rest of the town center was filled small theaters and gift shops. The kind of places where you go to look around, but never end up buying anything.
I definitely see myself coming back to Northville soon. Even if it isn’t the place where I ultimately find work (it has the perfect combination of historic small-town meets downtown hangout area), it gives off that wonderful feeling of escape. You know what I’m talking about…everyone has that one place they like to go by themselves just to relax and wind down every once in a while.
And, of course, I have a date with Great Harvest to take home a loaf of their cherry walnut bread.
Michigan
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Hi! I'm Jennifer.

Southwest Virginia born and raised, I moved over 500 miles to Southeast Michigan with my husband in 2011. Since then, I’ve been recording my adventures here, bringing you stories as I explore the “mitten state,” the midwest, and beyond.

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