The metromode Guide to Northville

Northville may not be the first place you think of when you think "boom town," but you may need to start. Its Norman Rockwell-esque downtown belies its growth and its ever-increasing sophistication.

Investment is everywhere — in its parks and green spaces, restaurants and boutiques, housing, infrastructure and arts and culture. And it is coming from all directions and in all sizes — both private and public — from individuals and non-profits to large developers and corporations. Why does everyone want a piece of the Northville action? It might have something to do with the fact that Northville manages to bustle and grow while still retaining its quiet charm.

Neighborhood options

Northville has the typical suburban condos, some under $100,000, as well as a bigfoot mansion on a couple of acres for $4 million. But it also offers some housing with more personality.

Beal Town is a residential neighborhood just south of downtown, and Cabbage Town is just north, across from Mill Pond. Both feature adorable Victorian homes that can be quite pricey but are sometimes available as rentals.

Just east of Cabbage Town, across the street from Parmenter's Cider Mill, are some new brick townhouses that offer a more modern living space.

Culture, Shopping & Art

This town takes its art seriously. In fact, the first Friday of each month, its Downtown Development Authority hosts a First Fridays Art Walk that opens up its numerous galleries from 6 to 9 p.m. Shops keep their doors open late to create a synergy between the town's art and commerce.

It makes sense that galleries, such as the Sherrus Gallery of Fine Art, time their openings with First Fridays. The exquisite space regularly displays photography, glass, sculpture and paintings.

The city operates The Art House, an historic brick building that includes a gallery that showcases art and a shop that sells work from local artists. The Art House also hosts lectures and classes and supports the Northville artist community in a number of other ways.

A Northville favorite is the Dancing Eye, part gallery, part gift boutique. Another Northville original is Urban Blues, the place to buy the jeans that grace the bottoms of the rich and famous. Other destination shops include Pendleton, American Spoon, and Dueto.

The great outdoors

Northville's access to green space is unparalleled. Its location at the western end of Hines Park puts it at the gateway of 33 miles of parkways, not to mention the three Wayne County parks within its borders. Particularly of note, Cass Benton features a stellar disc golf course.

Other clean and green parks include the Fish Hatchery, with woods and ball diamonds and a stream, and downtown's Ford Field, with walking trails and basketball courts.

And there's Maybury State Park, which draws outdoor enthusiasts from all around Metro Detroit. Its 1,000 wooded acres seem worlds away from city life, and its trails get use from hikers, mountain bikers, cross country skiers and horseback riders. There is a fishing pond for anglers and a working farm that delights kids of all ages.

Not all of Northville's recreation is so active. If gaming is your thing, Northville Downs Race Track is your place. Throw down a bet on the horses and sit back and scream at the top of your lungs.

Day and night destinations

If you're arriving to Northville before noon, stop in for breakfast at the Dandy Gander, a local favorite for eggs and bacon and coffee and pancakes.

Come lunchtime, stop by Poole's Tavern for a burger. If it's nice out, Poole's large patio is a great place to watch people go by on Main Street. Another mid-day choice is Starting Gate, the perfect place to go before or after a race at Northville Downs.

There are several notable dinner choices in Northville, including Little Italy Ristorante, MacKinnon's and NOMI, which has been a hit since opening in late 2006. Genitti's Hole-in-the-Wall is a classic dinner theatre that began as a meat and grocery store in 1971. It was converted into a restaurant after a hole was knocked into the side of the market eight years later.

Northville's evening options will expand even further upon the opening of the Tipping Pointe Theatre. The town's first professional equity theatre company plans to open its doors in late 2007.

Northville resident Christina Johnson hopes that Tipping Point will tip Northville into more of an evening destination. She envisions throngs of theatergoers spilling out onto the sidewalks, looking for a bite to eat or a cocktail.

Investment round-up

Many others agree with Johnson's assessment of Northville's potential. A few of the many examples of serious investment going on all around Northville include:

•    A city-approved $1.7 million town square expansion project will replace the existing downtown gingerbread bandshell with a larger, more-flexible tree-lined entertainment area. Future phases of the plan call for streetscape improvements and an enhanced gateway to Ford Field for a total of $4.1 million in improvements.

•    The Michigan Gift Mart is transitioning into Northville Square, a 90,000-square foot local business incubator. The city block-sized building has 30,000 square feet of common space to be used for food vendors and to accommodate public events.

One of Northville Square's tenants is attracting lots of attention. NOMI has brought urban sophistication to Northville's dining scene, earning raves from The Detroit News and Real Detroit.

•    The city has contracted with New Moon Visions to develop a marketing and promotions strategy for downtown shopping to help it appeal to residents of Northville and beyond.

•    The State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Northville Township and Pulte Homes are chipping in to create Cold Water Springs Nature Area – Linear Park. The project is notable because it will protect and manage Johnson Creek, which is the only cold-water creek or stream in western Wayne County.

•    Meiden American Inc. is investing $17 million into a brand-new 78,000 square foot technical center in Northville Township. Meiden, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meidensha Corp. was enticed to launch the facility, which will test advanced gasoline and diesel engines, with the help of a $1.5 million incentive package put together by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the township.

•    Just north of downtown, Meridien Development is planning a $3.1 million 20-unit condo development called Center Street Square that will transition from commercial to residential units as befits its location's transition from downtown to a residential neighborhood.

It adds up to a phenomenal level of investment for a fairly small burg. But as they say, "Charm is worth more than money or gold," and, "Location, location, location." Northville's got those covered. In spades.