Petoskey real estate. Don’t know where that is? Hold your left hand up in front of your face, palms out, fingers straight up. With your right index finger, touch the tip of your left ring fingernail where it meets your middle finger. Your hand is a map of Michigan. The spot you are touching is Petoskey. It’s a coastal resort village situated on Little Traverse Bay on the shores of the massive great lake named for the state.
Among the claims to fame of this lovely, small town is that Ernest Hemingway spent summers in the area for the first 22 years of his life (1899-1921) in a cottage his parents built on nearby Walloon Lake. His first novel, The Torrents of Spring, is set in Petoskey, and his short stories featuring the character Nick Adams also contain many references to the town. A Petoskey historical tour will lead you through local spots associated with the literary icon in some way.
Residents here enjoy boating and other water sports, hiking in the abundance of woods, and biking the 26-mile Little Traverse Wheelway that runs along the coast. In the winter, skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, and sledding dominate outdoor activities. The Crooked Tree Art Center is the center of cultural happenings such as concerts, art classes, and events. There’s waterfront housing of all sorts, but what caught my eye was a charming well-priced cottage circa 1899-1921, Hemingway’s Petoskey time. Make the jump for a look at this cozy area and the cute home near the bay: (more…)
