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October 16, 2005In-town living looking more attractiveHomes close to downtown are snapped up fastByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Since moving to Traverse City's new Midtown neighborhood, Gary and Carol Silverman walk almost everywhere. Being able to stroll to the post office, the bank, the coffee shop and the pharmacy was a powerful attraction to the neighborhood, Gary Silverman said. In-town living is becoming fashionable around the region as construction projects boom. It's unclear yet what's fueling the trend - demand for central housing or construction in cities. But homes and condos within walking distance of downtown areas are snapped up almost as fast as builders can say "turn-key." Besides Midtown, which features 38 condominiums in duplexes along 1,100 feet of the Boardman River between Cass and Eighth streets, recent in-town or edge-of-town building projects include Bay Street Cottages in Harbor Springs, The New Neighborhood in Empire and Bay Park Condominiums in Traverse City. While it's too soon to tell if recent gas hikes are influencing their decisions to move closer to town, buyers are concerned about fuel costs, said Traverse City realty agent Mike Street of Mike Street and Company. "They're more concerned about distance to town, distance to schools," Street said. "I think people still enjoy their vehicles, but there are a lot of people talking about gas prices. "When the prices went up to $3.50 it really got everyone's attention and now that they're down, I think people aren't trusting of what's going to happen. People are going to make changes according to prices." Being close to town has always been important to renters, Street said. Now waterfront buyers seem to be adopting the same philosophy. "Waterfront sales are down because people don't want to drive far out," he said. Situated on 31 acres within Empire's village limit, The New Neighborhood is a 10-minute walk from the business district and a 20-minute walk from the beach on Lake Michigan. Developer Bob Sutherland said 16 of the 84 planned single-family homes there have been constructed and are already occupied. 'We don't think anyone moved with the idea that it was going to save them gas or mileage getting to work but they see this as a savings with all those little errands within grasp in town and saving those car trips," Sutherland said. The Silvermans moved to downtown Traverse City from a large waterfront home in Omena in order to downsize their lives and help revitalize the city. Gary Silverman said Midtown appealed to them most because of its "in-town living, being able to walk, not having to drive anywhere." Now that they get around mostly on their own two feet - the couple sold one car and plans to trade in the other for a more fuel efficient model. "If we're going to drive a gas-eater like this, we're going to have (just) one," said Carol Silverman, a dedicated conservationist and board member of the Botanical Garden Society of Northwest Michigan. "I feel like I need to practice what I preach. No more SUVs." See Related Stories: Driving habits change as gas prices soar - October 16, 2005 Getting innovative in response to high gas prices - October 16, 2005 Riding planes, trains - and scooters - October 16, 2005
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