Manistee, Michigan

MANI STEE , MI CHIGAN exemplifies the Manistee slogan: Soul of the Water. Spirit of the Woods. The City of Manistee, itself, offers a historic downtown where the community has taken great care to retain the architectural heritage and old world feel. The central business district has more than 150 locally owned and operated shops and boutiques, some that sell necessities and others that sell unique, handcrafted items. The downtown is situated on the Manistee River, with over a mile of stunning Riverwalk, making it a picturesque shopping and dining experience. Marc Miller, Manistee Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director, believes that one of the factors people base their decision on when choosing where to live or where to start a business is based on their experience travelling or where they attend conferences. Miller actually moved to Manistee after visiting because he fell in love with the area. He shares, “The quality of life here, with all of the different ingredients of history, outdoor recreation, natural history, tremendous landscapes and views… and a very rich history of strong people with the grit and determination to be innovating and making things work. It really makes this a fascinating and wonderful place to live, work and play.” Manistee has so much to offer outdoor enthusiasts. Miller boasts that in Manistee, “We have tremendous fishing, and hunting, and hiking, and biking; just absolutely tremendous gold resources in the area that makes it a really great place – not only to work, but also to enjoy. I can literally get out of the driveway in my Victorian 1867 home and be fly fishing for trout within 20 minutes, inside of the national forest. And I have the capability of working from home with the resources we have in town. It just is a different pace of life.” The county seat of Manistee County, the City of Manistee sits on the northwest banks of Lake Michigan, about 70 miles southwest of Traverse