Grand Beach, MI

Grand Beach is a small, quiet village set along the Lake Michigan shoreline, right on the southwest corner of Michigan. With only about 300 year-round residents, it stays peaceful for most of the year, though summer brings a wave of second-home owners and visitors from Chicago. Founded in the early 1900s as a resort getaway for train travelers, the neighborhood still holds onto its vintage cottage feel. Shaded residential streets wind past historic homes, including three designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and golf carts are the go-to way for neighbors to head down to the local nine-hole course.

ATTRChicago Tribune / Public domain

Daily life here revolves around the water and the close community. Because the village manages its own beaches for residents, the shoreline stays much quieter and less crowded than the public parks in neighboring towns. It offers a secluded, easygoing atmosphere while keeping you just minutes away from restaurants, grocery stores, and the marina in New Buffalo. For anyone looking at Southwest Michigan, Grand Beach delivers a relaxed beach-town lifestyle just over an hour's drive from Chicago.