GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) via WOOD TV 8 — West Michigan is officially home to 2017’s Happiest Seaside Town in America.
Grand Haven is the first community in the Midwest and Great Lakes area to win the designation by Coastal Living.
Editors for the publication announced the rankings live on Facebook Friday morning from Stuart, Florida, which was last year’s winner.
#1: Grand Haven, Michigan
Anyone who has spent summers on the Great Lakes knows that this American playground has specific charms that vary from shore to shore. But life among the historic storefronts, along the bustling waterfront’s boardwalk of this town on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore has an old-fashioned spirit that stands out among so many gems. Known as “Coast Guard City, U.S.A.,” Grand Haven’s embrace of every manner of maritime life, including fishing and boating of all kinds, combines small-town living with big-lake pleasures.