Downtown businesses in Mount Pleasant relatively unknown to much of younger student population
In the famous lyrics of Petula Clark, things will be great when you are downtown.
But only if you can find it.
Tim Brockman, owner of Max and Emily's, 125 E. Broadway St., said his clientele consists of 35 to 40 percent Central Michigan University students, most of whom are older.
"I think the biggest issue with students is it takes you until about your junior year to find out where downtown Mount Pleasant is," he said. "People have to get out and walk around and explore and see where they're living."
Brockman said once students move out on their own into apartments, they realize Mount Pleasant has a downtown area and begin to discover local attractions.
"And then we see them for four or five years," Brockman said.
Okemos senior Adam Jordan said the first time he realized there was more to Mount Pleasant than the immediate surroundings of the university was in his freshman year.
Jordan was spending time with his club soccer team when they went downtown to eat at Max and Emily's.
"That was the first time I've ever been actually downtown," he said.
Jordan did not know Mount Pleasant even had a downtown area prior to attending CMU.
He said he thinks the restaurants there are better than the ones on Mission Street, and feels Mount Pleasant should put more effort into advertising to students.
Though Shelby Township freshman Mike Panone has occasionally wondered what lies north of Bellows Street, the road which forms the northern boundary of campus, he has never been to the downtown area of Mount Pleasant to find out.
"I just never had a reason to go there," he said. "All the people I hang out with never go there, so I just never went."
He said he will probably check it out before he graduates.
Kim Lovejoy, owner of Emma's Basement Boutique, 111 S. University St., said about 10 to 20 percent of her clientele consists of students.
She relies on Facebook and word-of-mouth to advertise her business.
"I was shocked when I went into business to find out that a lot of juniors and seniors never knew there was a downtown," she said.
Lovejoy said the fact that many freshmen and sophomores do not have access to vehicles is one of the primary reasons the downtown area does not see a lot of student business.
She said she sees an increase in foot traffic on weekends, when mothers come to visit their daughters at CMU, and want to bring them downtown to shop.
"The moms always come downtown," she said. "They don't want Kohl's or Target, they want the boutiques"
