Empire’s Neighborly New Community

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor
Norm and Cile Plumstead could easily picture themselves sitting on a front porch in Empire’s New Neighborhood and enjoying the pristine view of the forested ridge from lot number three. Prior to 2004, the couple had lived in cities near Lake Michigan with a similar small-town feel, such as Libertyville, Ill. (population 21,000), boasting century-old buildings, and East Grand Rapids (population 10,800), with recreational Reeds Lake as its centerpiece.
“We always knew we wanted to move north,” Norm says. “We were working our way around Lake Michigan.”

When Norm’s job necessitated a move to this area, his online research and reconnaissance trip to Empire (population 400, depending on the season) to “tool around the streets” brought him to the then-fledgling New Neighborhood community. While the couple liked the neighborhood concept, it was the commanding view of that hill in the National Park and proximity to Lake Michigan that helped clinch the sale.
“With a half-mile walk to the lake, it really has it all,” Norm says of his not-quite-three-year-old digs.
The family’s two-story home has a wide, south-facing front porch, just as they imagined, and their view of the neighborhood park across the street is uncluttered by homes or parked cars. Alley access and parking behind the houses mimic the original village design and are two of several Empire features the New Neighborhood developers sought to emulate.
Cile said the setting is perfect for their sons, three-year-old Henry and three-month-old Brody. “We spend a lot of time outside with Henry,” she says of her tricycle-riding, toy truck-playing oldest son.
On Saturday mornings in the summer, the family strolls down sidewalks a couple of blocks to buy fresh veggies at the farmers’ market. Many times, they’ll return downtown in the afternoon for ice cream at Tiffany’s. Evenings typically find them walking in the neighborhood, at a time when other families are doing the same. In another month, when Lake Michigan warms, Norm, Cile and the kids will spend a few hours each weekend along Empire’s sandy shoreline.
“We’ll take an early walk down to the beach with the wagon before the crowds get going,” Norm says.
On a Friday night, after an exhausting workweek, they sometimes head to the Friendly Tavern or the Village Inn for pizza.
Cile says living close to a large city like Chicago had certain advantages — such as more dining choices — but that it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. “When we do go out, we see people we know,” she explains.
Meeting and enjoying the company of neighbors is another aspect of small-town living the Plumsteads appreciate about Empire.
“We know just about all of our neighbors,” Norm says. Good friends with a young child live down the street. In fact, while sitting on their front porch describing their lifestyle, a couple of familiar faces — Jennifer and Chris — walked by, pushing a stroller, and Norm exchanged greetings with them.
“We had ‘game night’ last night,” Norm continues. “Next-door neighbors and other Empire residents walked over and back home.”
A “pretty casual” neighborhood street party is held annually but, in the meantime, residents sometimes dine at each others’ homes, and dogs greet each other on early morning walks around the block.
Very early morning is when Norm rises to run on park trails or fire roads before driving 12 miles to work at Honor State Bank.
“It’s great because we’re right in the middle of the (National) Park,” Norm says.
Both Norm and Cile enjoy running in marathons, and Cile plans to participate in an event held during Cherry Festival. Still on maternity leave from her part-time job at a Traverse City cardiology office, she says the half-hour commute isn’t a big deal when, in their experience, it was nothing to have an hour’s commute to Chicago from their Libertyville home.
Though the couple finds that they don’t sit on their front porch as much as they would like, (with two young sons to raise), as Norm says, smiling and glancing at Henry with his toy trucks, “There will be plenty of time for that later.”
For more information about the New Neighborhood, visit www.newneighborhoodempire.com or call Stapleton Realty at 231-326-4000.