Given that the building used to be used as a State Mental Health Hospital (formerly unpolitely referred to as the insane asylum) I had to wonder about what this place would be like. It was great! Nice little shops with very interesting art, jewelry, local wines, interesting soaps, AND a gem of a restaurant, Trattoria Stella. Not right downtown, but... More

My favorite things at Grand Traverse Commons are 1) The butternut squash grilled cheese sandwich at the Underground Cheesecake 2) The hiking trails at the south end of Red Drive (park off to the side of the road and start at the Orchard Trail trailhead sign) and 3) The creepy 'mental asylum' history. The Orchard trail meanders through land that... More

Visited Saturday, April 6 2013 for the farmer's market and a few shops. Farmer's market was a pleasant surprise: 2-3 years ago did the winter market and was a little disappointing. This time there was a greater variety of booths and products available.

Although we were interested in the restoration of these old buildings and their history, we were disappointed in how few shops were open and how expensive the items were in these few shops. Definitely not geared towards your average tourist. We enjoyed the walking trails, and hope to come back when the ground is dry and the trails are more... More

What a great use for the old asylum!! If you like architecture, history, shopping, and food, this place is definitely worth a visit. Both the merchandise and the shops themselves are so unique.

Great place to spend a few hours!! The food is great and the stores are very nice! Its great the owners are saving such a beautiful place!! The walking paths are fun!

Such a cool place to visit. You always see something new and exciting when you are there. It never gets old.

High end shops, but worth going for a walk around, especially considering the history of the place. We didn't eat here or purchase anything, but it was still interesting to browse the shops and the historic photos.

Mainly go for the building and grounds, But one of the area's best restaurants, Tratoria Stella, is there, a nice bakery, coffee shop, weekend farmers market, Black Star Farms Winery and Left Foot Charlie's tasting rooms, some nice shops for browsing.