A Townie’s Guide to Downtown Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Hello, friends! Happy Friday! I wanted to write this blog because I know that many high school seniors are graduating right about now, so I thought this blog could be helpful for anyone that’s considering CMU.

I’m pretty sure that the word townie is known by most, but on the off-chance it’s just a Mount Pleasant thing, we use it to refer to people who live in Mount Pleasant year-long. It’s generally used to describe people who grew up here and who also went to college at CMU — yours truly.

I wanted to focus on businesses that are local and unique to Mount Pleasant. There are, of course, many other lovely businesses, but I wanted to highlight some of  my favorites!

I present to you, my townie’s guide to downtown Mt Pleasant!

1. Stan’s! If you’re looking for a place to frequent for breakfast, look no further! For anyone as enamored by small-town diners as I am, you will immediately fall in love. This is definitely a diner where everyone will learn your name, should you choose to go often. Bobby and I generally go on Saturday mornings. So yummy! I have fond memories of coming here after first grade soccer games, and thinking that their grilled cheese was the best one I had ever tasted. They also have pictures on the walls of historic Mount Pleasant, which I love looking at!
2. Pleasant City Coffee! First, let me say that Pleasant City Coffee has one of the BEST flavors of coffee ever — their banana-nut latte. I almost always choose this drink when I come here. They also have a punch card system where after ten drinks, you’ll get a free one! For any of my fellow coffee addicts, you’ll get there sooner than you know it. I also love this place because every time I’ve gone, they’ve played the BEST music. I always hear some of my favorites here.
3. Ponder Coffee! Ponder sort of counts for two because they have TWO locations here in Mt Pleasant! One downtown and one on campus. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Ponder to study for exams, hang out with friends, or work on a blog. Both of their locations are also super cute, and I’ve taken more than my fair share of cute coffee pictures here. If you’re in the market for a good study place, look no further! Like Pleasant City, they have a punch card system that works for BOTH locations! Yay!
4. Green Tree! For anyone who doesn’t know, Green Tree was my very first job! Green Tree is a wonderful grocery store that has an abundance of natural and local foods. My personal favorite part of Green Tree is the bulk aisle! I especially love the it because you can bring your own containers in and fill them up with whatever goodies you may find. Bulk spices come in handy too, especially when you need a spice that you may not need very often. You can get a pinch here and there and not feel so wasteful!
5. Pure Vitality! This place offers so many unique things, especially for a small town like Mt Pleasant. They label themselves as a juice bar and a spa. I have yet to utilize their spa, but I have definitely had my share of their food. They have wonderful smoothies that I really enjoy because they don’t feel as heavy as smoothies that you may get at other places. They also have wellness shots, salads, and the best hummus that I’ve ever tried. This place is fairly new to our little town, so I would definitely encourage you to check them out!
6. Redbloom Yoga! This is my absolute favorite place to do yoga. Everyone who works there is SO kind and they are genuinely interested in your growth. The prices are fair, and they have sales and discounts quite often. They provide you with cold water and tea. Every time I’ve gone, the class sizes have been quite small, which is great, especially if you’re new to yoga. A completely full classroom can be kind of daunting. They also sell wonderful homemade jewelry. It’s such a wonderful place to go, especially in the midst of stress-filled college. A nice place to relax. Plus! They have yoga mats at the ready in case you don’t have one, or if you forgot yours!
7. Gray’s Furniture! For those that follow my Instagram, you’ll see that Bobby and I recently bought a table and a set of chairs. This is where we went! Before even talking about the business, I feel compelled to talk about the building. It is the most gorgeous building. It feels like a fancy New York loft. I know that sometimes they’ve held concerts in the upper levels. It almost makes one feel as though they’re in a Victorian mansion. The ceilings are absolutely gorgeous. What I really like about this place is that in addition to having new items for sale, they also have some beautiful antiques. As to be expected, some things are quite expensive, but there are also some things that are quite reasonably priced! They also have the most darling boutique inside!
8. Brass Cafe! If you’re feeling like getting a little fancy, this is the place to go! It’s perfect for anniversaries, Valentine’s day, or even just to add a little glamour to your life! I’ve been going here ever since I was a little girl, and I gotta say, it never gets old! Every time I go, I feel like it’s the first time. The experience is just so wonderful, and lets you feel like you’re living in a much larger town than Mt Pleasant.
9. Headliner’s! Finding a place that you trust to do your hair is difficult, especially when you’re a little shy (like me). I’ve been going to Headliner’s for over a year now, and I was able to go from a very dark brown, to a beautiful shade of blonde hair without ruining my hair. Every single person that works there is SO sweet, and they offer SO many services. I’ve even had them do my eyebrows, and for those that know me, know that this is a BIG deal. I don’t trust just ANYBODY with my eyebrows.
10. Pisanello’s! If you’re looking for some yummy pizza, look no further! This is the BEST pizza in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. I know that this may be a controversial opinion, but not only do I love mushrooms on pizza, I like CANNED mushrooms best on pizza. And they have BOTH!!! Not only that, but they have the cutest little restaurant where you can sit and eat. They generally play oldies too, which I love. They also deliver, for those who are curious!

And that’s that! My top ten favorite places in downtown Mt Pleasant! I hope that you enjoyed, and for those that are new to the area, I hope this helped out!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO,

Mattie Mae