Traverse City does a great job of lighting up its downtown area. Front Street is always well done, but let’s not overlook the J. Smith Walkway.

J. Smith Walkway in Traverse City

J. Smith was Jay Smith, an editor of the Traverse City Record Eagle and the co-founder of the National Cherry Festival, one of the defining events in Northern Michigan. It’s an easy piece of real estate to overlook as a connection between Front Street and the parking lots to the north, but it’s a neat little park.

There was once a fountain, but that was removed last year – it hasn’t worked in several years.