There’s something about Cherry!

    329
    Furniture City Creamery. Photo by Tylee Shay.

    On the east side of Grand Rapids, tucked in the East Hills district, sits a red brick road with a colorful community. Cherry Street has always been a popular spot to shop, sip, and dine, and its recent new additions have made it even more of a desirable destination. This corner of town may be quaint, but it holds a wide range of small businesses with big hearts.

    Shopping on Cherry

    Commune is located at 954 Cherry St SE. Photo by Tylee Shay.

    Commune

    As soon as its doors opened a few years ago, Commune quickly became a local favorite. Commune is a modern trendy home decor shoppe. Their wide selection of home goods, artwork, kitchen and dining accessories, coffee table books, and more is beautifully curated. Commune recently moved to a bigger and better location on Cherry Street, and its new space is even more inviting and inspiring than before. If you’re redecorating a corner of your home, hosting a dinner party, or searching for the perfect gift, stop by Commune and explore their wonderful collection.

    Honey Jewelry Co

    New to town, Honey is a high-end jewelry company founded by Nick Ahlberg. Ahlberg believes that everyone should have access to fine jewelry, and he decided to move his family to Grand Rapids from California and dig roots into the West Michigan community with his flagship store on Cherry Street. Honey Jewelry Co offers high-quality jewelry ranging from wedding rings to everyday accessories complete with ethically sourced diamonds. Plus, their beautifully designed space is a true reflection of the gorgeous customizable jewelry they create.

    Books & Mortar

    This popular neighborhood bookstore recently jumped across Cherry Street to a larger storefront. The added space has opened up more opportunities for events like book signings, book club meetings, children’s book readings, and more. Plus- there’s no shortage of plush armchairs sprinkled throughout the shop providing an open invitation to curl up with a good book. Their focus on stocking the shelves with progressive and consciously curated titles creates an atmosphere of endless stories to get lost in.

    Adored Boutique

    Adored is a clothing boutique with a mission to end human trafficking and support local artisans. In 2015 owner Emily Smith felt called to create a women’s boutique with purpose, and Adored has been bettering our community and the world ever since. The boutique is dedicated to fairly made products from vendors whose manufacturing practices are thoroughly assessed. In addition, a minimum of 15% of profits are given back to organizations in West Michigan and the greater United States. Stop by Adored and shop apparel, accessories and home goods, and know that your purchase is making a difference.

    A few more shops to visit along Cherry Street are Gemini Handmade, Covet, Iris Boutique, Hopscotch Children’s Store, and Metal Art Studio Fine Jewelry.

    Sipping on Cherry

    Cherry Street is located in one of the City of Grand Rapids’ newest Social Districts, where alcoholic beverages sold by multiple qualified establishments may be consumed by purchasers in a shared, specifically designated zone. People can walk freely within the district with alcohol purchased from a participating bar or restaurant. The businesses included in this district are Paddock Place (on Lake Drive), The Meanwhile (on Wealthy Street), and on Cherry Street: Pickwick, Grove, Greenwell, Brewery Vivant, Less Traveled and Maru Sushi.

    Less Traveled by Long Road Distillers is located at 959 Cherry St SE. Photo by Tylee Shay.

    Less Traveled

    The brand-new cocktail lounge by Long Road Distillers features a modern ambiance and eclectic drinks. Long Road was the first craft distillery to open in Grand Rapids, and they quickly made an effort towards sustainability and contributing to the community by connecting with local farmers. Each spirit at Long Road Distillers has been made with ingredients sourced from local farms, and you can now enjoy these spirits shaken into signature craft cocktails at Less Traveled on Cherry Street. Some of their exciting new cocktail recipes include 30 Seconds to Summer, a sweet citrusy drink with raspberry liquor, raspberry purée, lemon, and rosemary. A more savory option is the Heart of Darkness cocktail, a deep-colored drink made from dry gin, dry vermouth, cuttlefish ink and dill. You can end the night with the Float On, a decadent dessert cocktail made with vodka, almond milk, root beer and star anise. Stop in for a sip in their upscale space, or enjoy your beverage under the string lights of their outdoor patio.

    Le Bon Macaron

    This Parisian cafe is the perfect escape for an afternoon treat. Their made-from-scratch macarons cover a wide array of flavors, including popular options like Tiramisu, Sugar Cookie Lavender, and Passion Fruit. Order a specialty drink from their coffee and espresso menu, or slowly work your way through a kettle with their gourmet tea selections and cozy up in the sunny window seat with some French-inspired treats.

    Brewery Vivant 

    One of the city’s most popular microbreweries is based out of a refurbished historic funeral home on Cherry Street. Brewery Vivant has been an advocate for good beer, great vibes, and community sustainability for many years. Stop in to sample their variety of culturally inspired beers, and pair it with one of their from-scratch food menu items. Stop by on Sunday evenings to play Pub Quiz or visit on Monday evenings for $5 Stein Night.

    Another place to sip something out of the ordinary on Cherry Street is Kava Kasa. Kava is a beverage or extract made from the Piper methysticum plant, a shrub of large leaves of South Pacific Islands. Chemicals called kavalactones that are found in kava are said to reduce stress and anxiety.

    Dining on Cherry

    Partage

    A new culinary experience is coming to Cherry Street in 2023: Partage. What started as a food truck will soon become a trendy cafe located on Cherry Street. Partage will offer a grab-and-go food menu, coffee drinks, as well as prepped to-go meals for families so that dinner can become a way to reconnect around the table at home like it was always designed to. Construction has begun on the café and it is scheduled to open in summer, 2023. In the meantime, Partage is offering “Sidedoor Sammies.” Think of it as a neighborhood sandwich speakeasy. Order a sandwich to-go from their secret sandwich society, and keep an eye out for the café doors to swing open soon!

    The Green Well

    A longtime favorite local restaurant has been recently remodeled with a fun retro-inspired interior. With the remodel, The Green Well also revamped their hours and are now open Mondays so you can dine daily! Stop in Monday through Friday from 3 – 6 p.m. for one of the best Happy Hours in town, and enjoy the new colorful and nostalgic diner vibes.

    Furniture City Creamery

    No meal on Cherry Street is ever complete without a scoop or two from Furniture City Creamery. Made-from-scratch ice cream flavors are served daily, with fan favorites including Cookie Monster, Carrot Cake and Peanut Butter Oreo. Vegan and Gluten Free options are always available, as well as a mini fridge that is fully stocked with pup cups and to-go pints. Furniture City Creamery is also known for giving back to our community. They often feature ‘fundraiser flavors’ where a portion of all sales from a particular flavor are donated to organizations within West Michigan. So stop in for a cone, ask if they’re scooping a fundraiser flavor, and enjoy a cone for a good cause!

    A few more places to dine on Cherry Street include Cherie Inn, Grove, and Maru Sushi.

    The next time you’re deciding where to go for a date night, a family outing, or a weekend stroll, pay a visit to Cherry Street and support some of these wonderful local businesses. By supporting them, you’re supporting their missions. This crimson-colored road may be a small part of our city, but it has a big impact.

    Facebook Comments