I'm getting ready to go back to school soon, so I've been thinking about my hometown, Commerce Township, Michigan. I've lived here my entire life so I've had plenty of time to consider the things I love and the things I don't love so much about my town. Here's a list of things specific to my home.
1. Giving directions is nearly impossible.
Whoever named the roads in Commerce was not creative. There's East Commerce Road, West Commerce Road, South Commerce Road, North Commerce Road, and Commerce Crossings to name a few. Giving directions often sounds like this: "start out on Commerce and turn right onto Commerce. If you hit Commerce you've gone too far, and you need to turn around immediately."
2. The Lakes Area is where it's at.
We're called the lakes area for a reason. You can barely drive a mile in any direction without hitting a body of water. That's why our roads are so curvy. While it may be difficult to build roads here, I wouldn't trade the lakes for anything. They make for some magnificent views and some really wonderful summer times
3. Explaining the size to non-locals is a challenge.
It's so hard to explain what kind of area Commerce is to people who have never been here. To me, it feels like a small town. I can see my old high school from my backyard and on my way there I pass the local farm and the hospital I was born at. On top of that, there's a lot of nature to experience here but if you want to do anything else you need to drive into Novi or Milford. Despite all of that, there are a lot of neighborhoods in Commerce so I still had a sizable graduating class with about 400 students. That's why no one ever believes me when I say I'm from a small town.
4. Long's Farm makes fall the best time of year.
Long's is our beloved local farm complete with apple orchards, cider and doughnut barn, sweet corn, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and more. Their produce is incredible and the farm provides many seasonable activities making it a landmark in our town. The best time of year in Commerce is definitely autumn because you can go to Long's to pick apples, eat doughnuts, drink cider, and find the perfect pumpkin. We even love their goat, Snickers who occasionally wanders across the street to CVS to grab a few of his namesake.
5. Creamy Freeze has the best ice cream around.
If you live in Commerce and you don't wait all winter for Creamy Freeze to open, what are you doing? Creamy Freeze is a mom and pop outdoor ice cream shop right in downtown Commerce. Not only is there soft serve delicious, but for many of us it invokes childhood memories from Commerce Elementary walking field trips.
6. Families stick around.
One of my favorite parts of my home town is the fact that many of the people who are born here stay here. Many of my friends parents went to high school with my parents. A lot of the people I run into at the grocery store are friends of my grandparents or parents. I really love living in a town where I know the people around me and they know me.
7. Even this town has some history.
Commerce is home to a very old burial ground housing soldiers from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, The Korean War, and The Vietnam War.
8. We still have old school vibes.
Commerce still has a lot of it's old charm. The sign that marks the old drive-in theater still stands. Many think it's an eyesore but the locals love it. It marks our home. In addition, the original downtown Commerce still stands. It may be just one road with a few shops on either side, but to me, it feels like home. Commerce will always be my home.
