City of Howell in the running for Best Main Street award
HOWELL, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The city of Howell is in the running for USA Today's Best Main Street 2024 reader poll.
"Downtown Howell is great. The community is amazing," said Lynn Elberson, who owns Howell Western Wear. "Here in our Western store, we have people coming from all over the state. It gets crazy in here."
Elberson says that part of what makes doing business in Howell great is how willing each business is to work together.
"Everybody works together as a team, which is amazing. Down here, we have entrepreneurs that collaborate on events, we have the Balloon Fest, we have the Melon Fest, which is in August, which we love," she said.
Howell is in the running against other main streets like East Main Street in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Grand Junction, Colorado.
For Kim Wilson, who owns The Carriage House, a little boutique on Michigan Avenue in Howell, the downtown is something she wishes she could have experienced earlier in life.
"I love having a small downtown. I wish I had grown up in an area with a small downtown. In 30 years, we've seen children come in, grow up and bring in their own children, and it's just neat to be a part of. It's a community," she said.
To Wilson, Howell's ability to hold onto independent businesses has made a real difference.
"As small downtowns sometimes grow, they become more franchise driven, and all of our businesses in the downtown are independently owned, so as you go from store to store, it's like opening a little surprise," Wilson said.
If the retail stores aren't enough, Howell also has some awesome places to eat. The owner at M Street Baking Company said Howell is always changing, which makes it a perfect place to check out.
"It's clean, it's friendly, it's always evolving. It's just a homey feel. It's not too busy, and it's perfect," said Emily Mazaris.
