Buchanan, Michigan
One of the things I've enjoyed most about having a place in St. Joseph has been the opportunity to explore other nearby areas. On Sunday, December 6, we took a drive to the town of Buchanan. Buchanan is about 25 miles south of St. Joseph and it took us just over a half hour to get there. 
Buchanan is a charming little town that appears to be going through something of a renaissance. D and I learned this as we strolled through the stores and chatted with some of the store owners. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. First off, we came into town hungry hoping to find some good eats. There aren't a lot of restaurants in downtown Buchanan. We only found one open on a Sunday afternoon and that was Marsooz Pub and Eatery. To our delight, the food was cooked to order and it was really tasty!
I had the ground round steak. YUM!
After lunch we wandered through town stopping in at the couple of stores that were open. Our first stop was Front.
It's a home decor and accessories shop that has more pizazz than you'd expect to find in little ole Buchanan.
Bright colors certainly lent a festive air to the place especially on a dull, gray, December afternoon.
The proprietor was happy to chat with us as we looked around. He told us that he and a couple other guys from Chicago had bought some of the vacant store fronts in town and were planning a redevelopment.
Another store we stopped in was Thomas Jolly, a home furnishings store.
We could see evidence of redevelopment as we walked around the town. The sidewalks looked warm and welcoming with areas of recently installed brick pavers suggestive of an earlier era. Likewise the lamp posts were in keeping with the history of the town (it goes back to 1833) and combined with the vintage sign gave Buchanan a feeling of yesteryear.
The town gazebo, which sits next to the Buchanan Police Department, was festively decorated for the holidays.
Just behind the downtown storefronts there is a farmer's market and a what looks to be an entertainment venue.
Those buildings sat right next door to the historic Pears Mill (c. 1853).
Strolling through Buchanan was like taking a step back in time to small town Americana of days gone by. We enjoyed our visit and I'm sure we'll stop back again one of these days. Ya gotta love small town humor...
Bye, bye, Buchanan! See you again soon!
Buchanan is a charming little town that appears to be going through something of a renaissance. D and I learned this as we strolled through the stores and chatted with some of the store owners. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. First off, we came into town hungry hoping to find some good eats. There aren't a lot of restaurants in downtown Buchanan. We only found one open on a Sunday afternoon and that was Marsooz Pub and Eatery. To our delight, the food was cooked to order and it was really tasty!
I had the ground round steak. YUM!
After lunch we wandered through town stopping in at the couple of stores that were open. Our first stop was Front.
It's a home decor and accessories shop that has more pizazz than you'd expect to find in little ole Buchanan.
Bright colors certainly lent a festive air to the place especially on a dull, gray, December afternoon.
The proprietor was happy to chat with us as we looked around. He told us that he and a couple other guys from Chicago had bought some of the vacant store fronts in town and were planning a redevelopment.
Another store we stopped in was Thomas Jolly, a home furnishings store.
We could see evidence of redevelopment as we walked around the town. The sidewalks looked warm and welcoming with areas of recently installed brick pavers suggestive of an earlier era. Likewise the lamp posts were in keeping with the history of the town (it goes back to 1833) and combined with the vintage sign gave Buchanan a feeling of yesteryear.
The town gazebo, which sits next to the Buchanan Police Department, was festively decorated for the holidays.
Just behind the downtown storefronts there is a farmer's market and a what looks to be an entertainment venue.
Those buildings sat right next door to the historic Pears Mill (c. 1853).
Strolling through Buchanan was like taking a step back in time to small town Americana of days gone by. We enjoyed our visit and I'm sure we'll stop back again one of these days. Ya gotta love small town humor...
Bye, bye, Buchanan! See you again soon!
Buchanan hasn't changed much over the years. There are still a few examples of my gret-grandfather's stone work around town. My great-aunt and uncle owned the Binn's Magnet store on Front St but I'm not certain which building that was. I'll have to show your pictures to my Mom. I didn't think to take pictures around town on my last visit and I'm sure she'd enjoy them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI thought of you the whole time we were in Buchanan. After reading all the letters you posted with the references to Buchanan I almost felt like I knew the place.
ReplyDeleteIf you come to Michigan this year, please come stay with me in St. Joe and we can make of day (or at least an afternoon) of visiting it again!