historic gaslight district

ERosewall

Lots of small towns have historic districts, but few are as beautiful and charming as Petoskey's Gaslight District. On a hill overlooking stunning views of Little Traverse Bay, the area's signature gaslights, charming awnings and unique, locally owned stores combine to make this a wonderful place to visit. Allow enough time to wander and enter all of the shops - they are not the usual touristy souvenir places (although you will be able to find lots of the area's gem, the Petoskey stone). Have lunch at City Park Grill, where Ernest Hemingway's seat is still reserved at the bar, then wander down Lake Street for a taste of jam at American Spoon, some gourmet cheese at Symon's General Store, and pie at Jesperson's. After that, you'll be full enough to head to McLean & Eakin, the city's award-winning indie bookstore, or to wander down to the Pier for a gander at the boats.

Bog97th

Petoskey is a nice town and clean. Crazy in the summer months with traffic and people. The Gaslight area of downtown offers some good places to shop with a wide range of prices from $$-$$$$. There are several good places to eat and the parks are very nice.

DanK984

Petoskey is blessed in that they have a great historical society and a large tax base. this has given them the opportunity to have a vibrant waterfront, good parks and athletic fields, and to make improvements to and keep up their downtown area. There are many of the same ole/same ole tourist shops but there is also a great mix of unique shops, book stores, coffee houses, bistros, restaurants and breweries.I am not one for shopping but I often shop downtown to support the owners and not the big boxes that have moved in close to town. Restoring and keeping our history is important to our generation and this downtown with its' paver brick, restored storefronts, and gaslights keeps the past alive. It is especially nice to come downtown to eat in winter when the know is falling and the gaslight are on.

dan3048

There is something here for everyone. Lots of shops, restaurants bars, and night clubs. We spent the afternoon strolling about stopping in here and there to have a coffee, a craft beer, have supper and enjoy listening to live music. A very enjoyable day.

DavidaA8744CK

It is always a pleasure to visit downtown Petoskey - beautifully well maintained, and full of interesting shops, restaurants, galleries....it makes a GREAT place to stroll and explore, even on a rainy day. Somehow there IS adequate parking - be sure to feed the meter.

adrianna24sings

Hanging out in the historic Gaslight District is like being inside Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." I just love the gaslights that make it feel like the 1800's. This town is so picturesque and a pleasure to walk around. No wonder Petoskey has attracted famous people like Ernest Hemingway.In the evening it's especially nice to walk around Petoskey and enjoy the lighted buildings and gaslights….truly a classic kind of place.

Mermaid_at_Heart2014

I love strolling through the gaslight district no matter when I am in town. Prices can be high at some of the specialty shops but there are bargains to be had. Even if you don't intend on buying anything, take a stroll and browse the shops. It's worth it!

JET468

Will go back! Loved all the stores. Ben franklin store had neat stuff in it! Not many Ben Franklin stores around anymore.

AimeeW344

This was a great shopping adventure. The toy store was great, you can smell fudge and caramel corn from Murdick's, you'll find the only "Life is Good" store in Michigan ("It's Always Good"), and they have the BEST souvenir clothing shop- Momentum Outfitters. I'll be bringing extra money next year to shop there specifically. GREAT value.

Ohio_couple_movin_on

We walked around the area and stopped in at the Red River Stage for a music jam.Lots of art shops and some nice places to eat.

Hoosierpal

Nice area, easy walking, nice collection of quality shops. Not an overwhelming number of restaurants - just enough to make the rounds over a long weekend. People are friendly, it's safe and picturesque.

richardf600

We ate lunch just off the main street at the Polish Restaurant. We had to take a walk afterwards since we ate so much and a walk around the Historic area was just the ticket. We stopped in to several of the local shops which were very nice. We couldn't stay for the nighttime to see the lights in action but, we hope to return again soon.

dsj5777

Set off US 31 in downtown Petoskey this is a nice downtown area with a wide variety of shops and some places to eat. We enjoyed the Ace Hardware store on Mitchell Street - combination hardware, kitchenware, and souvenir store with a friendly staff.

Drift3r

Our plans fell through one afternoon during a week long vacation to Northern Michigan so we decided to check out the Historic Gaslight District of Petoskey. If you plan to drive there make sure you bring some quarters for the parking meters. We couldn't seem to find any free parking anywhere and we didn't have quarters. I had to run into a store and buy a trinket to break a larger bill. Maybe there is a parking secret that we couldn't seem to find??? Once we parked we really enjoyed this town. It has a great ambiance and the stores were really nice. The people were all very friendly and helpful. We will definitely return to this area again!

Earthlyone

Lovely and quaint shops. Such a nice stroll. Unfortunately did not go at night to see the gas lights. Maybe next time. We had rain.