Living in Plymouth

Maybury State Park – One of Northville’s Natural Treasures

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

maybury state park

Maybury State Park, located at Beck and 8 mile, offers an incredible natural respite from city and suburban life in Northville and Plymouth. A former Tuberculosis Sanatorium, you can still see the foundations of the institutional buildings scattered throughout the park. There are also helpful placards with historical photographs and explanations at many sites. Nowadays, the park has hiking paths, mountain bike trails, play structures, covered picnic areas, horseback riding, and even a beautiful fishing pond. It’s a great place to go trail running or just to enjoy a picnic lunch. The park is never very busy and sometimes, you can have it all to yourself  if you get there early enough. Maybury State Park is open year round to enjoy the fall color or cross country skiing in the winter. I’ve spent many hours running and riding the trails here and always appreciate the sights, smells, and sounds of the forest so close to home. For more information about Maybury, click here.

New Ironwood Grill Now Open in Downtown Plymouth

| BAKE REAL ESTATE
Ironwood Grill Plymouth
Ironwood Grill Plymouth

Update: May 14th, 2010 – it’s been several months now and the Ironwood Grill has really come into it’s own as a Plymouth establishment for lunch, dinner, and drinks. The food and service are excellent – especially the thin crust pizzas! And it’s now smoke free too.

Update: December 18th, 2009 – and now the Rock Bar and Grill is open too!  

Update: November 12, 2009 – I can personally confirm that the Ironwood Grill (840 West Ann Arbor Trail Plymouth, MI 48170-1602 – (734) 667-5614) is now open. They had a ‘soft’ opening last night for friends/family and tonight they were open to the public for the first time. In fact, they starting serving food at 6pm just after we got there. It’s a big space with plenty of TVs adorning the walls. There’s a big bar area in addition to the sit down restaurant area. We had the BBQ Beef Brisket, Caesar Salad, and kids meal. Everything was fine but the team there were still working out a few bugs with their system (to be expected for a new establishment). The pizzas also looked very good and I think I’ll try one the next time. The Ironwood Grill wil begin opening for lunch tomorrow and plan to expand their menu in the weeks to come. The place was full and every table was taken. We even noticed quite a few friends and neighbors stop by to check the place out. So after many months of waiting, it’s here! So come on down and support another new local business helping to make Downtown Plymouth the destination of choice.

For more information, please call the Ironwood Grill at (734) 667-5614‎

Update November 8, 2009 – site visitors are reporting that the Ironwood Grill is now open for business! Update: Walking past the new Ironwood Grill today at the Fall Festival, you could see the new interior which is nearly complete. Things are looking pretty good – let’s hope the food looks just as good!

While strolling through town today (Kidapalooza!), we noticed the new bar/restaurant had it’s windows open. They still have quite a ways to go but it looks like a promising space and start for the new Ironwood Grill! Our main mission today was to check out the Genuine Toy Co. store on Forest which was only open for sneak peek. The big opening is on Monday August 3rd!

As  you can see, Plymouth is thriving so if you are considering a move here, please feel free to give us a call (Carrie at 734-788-2398) or email (carrie@bobbake.com) and we can tell you more about this wonderful little town. You can also visit our official homepage at www.carriebake.com.

IMG00157-20091112-1751ironwood grill plymouthIMG00026-20090912-1113ironwood grill

The Genuine Toy Co. Store Now Open in Plymouth Michigan!

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

genuine toy co

Update: May 19, 2010 – This wonderful in town Toy Store has been a regular destination for our family. It’s a great place to pick up the last minute birthday gift and card. They can even wrap the gift too. In fact, we’ll be stopping by today (again).

The children of Plymouth continue to eagerly await the opening of a new toy store in downtown. Located on Forest, the Genuine Toy Co. is on the verge of opening and helping to bolster Plymouth’s position as a retail and entertainment destination with an All-American small town atmosphere! What a positive statement to see so many new and diverse businesses continue to open and flourish despite the overall economy.

Plymouth’s Art in the Park 2009 is as Big as Ever

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

IMG00203-20090712-1149IMG00205-20090712-1154It’s that time of year again when downtown Plymouth streets are blocked off, white tents spring up, and parked cars clog all the neighborhood roads. Art in the Park is back and as strong as ever with vendors selling their goods as far as the eye can see. It was a good day for everyone – including the kids on our street selling lemonade and homemade cookies. Hopefully all the sellers and buyers did as well today too!IMG00198-20090711-1006

Plymouth Michigan’s Historic Penn Theatre

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

new PennOne of Plymouth’s most historic attractions is also someplace to see exotic foreign locations, classical music, and futuristic science fiction.  The Penn Theatre has movies (second run), Plymouth Symphony concerts, and various other forms of live entertainment throughout the year.  As one of metro Detroit’s few remaining old theatres, the Penn has quite a history (open 1941) which you can read about here. The Penn is on Penniman Avenue directly across from Kellogg Park and there’s plenty of free parking close by. So instead of driving to the 20 screen megaplex and parking your car a mile away for a movie, you can come to Plymouth, park your car steps away or just walk, buy a cheap ticket with no lines, and walk right in. If you are lucky enough to live nearby, the Penn makes a great spontaneous evening out since you can travel from the couch in your home to a seat at the Penn in a few minutes! The photo above shows the new “PENN” letters and marquee.  Let’s hope the Penn will continue to be one of Plymouth’s lasting attractions. For more information about the Penn including coming attractions, click here. winter penn

Nico and Vali Italian Eatery and Market in Downtown Plymouth Michigan

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

nicoandvaliAlthough we’ve been to Nico and Vali several times, today was especially nice since we indulged in a dessert after lunch. I had the Triple Chocolate Mouse and it was superb! The owners, Paul and Silvia DePalma, have done a great job designing their building with both indoor and outdoor seating. They offer a wide variety of food including freshly prepared items for dining it or taking out. It’s a wonderful dining experience just off downtown and really offers something new to Plymouth.

Loft Living in Downtown Plymouth

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

IMG00253-20090805-1951

With all the historic Victorians, Cape Cods, Craftsman Bungalows, and Colonial homes surrounding downtown Plymouth, you might be surprised to learn that Plymouth also offers modern, contemporary, loft living combining sophisticated stainless and granite kitchens with exposed duct work, plumbing and plenty of brick, concrete and galvanized steel. The Daisy complex shown above even offers heated underground parking. Call Carrie at 734-788-2398 or email at carrie@bobbake.com or call Patrick at 734-272-8375 or email at patrick@bobbake.com  if you’re interested in learning more about these affordable condo units within walking distance to downtown.Loft Plymouth

IMG00055-20090507-1258

New Toy Shop and Fine Food Market Opening Soon in Downtown Plymouth, Michigan

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

img00042-20090507-1153Plymouth’s historic city center seems to be bucking the trend as more and more new businesses keep OPENING! While having lunch today at the Burger Spot, I noticed workers were busily preparing several new business openings including the Genuine Toy Co. and  Avenue Market Fine Foods. It’s hard to keep track of all the new openings with Kilwin’s opening on May 13th at the corner of Penniman and Main and more new businesses on the way! It’s img00039-20090507-1150nice to see that small town America is still thriving right here in Plymouth, Michigan where you can walk to town and have dinner outside — and soon be able to buy gourmet fresh meats, speciality toys, and so much more!

Plymouth Green Fair 2009

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

It was a beautiful weekend for this year’s Plymouth Green Fair. The number of tents and people seemed to be down a little this year but there was still plenty to do, see, eat, and learn about. The kids could enjoy a petting zoo, build homes using recycled materials, and have some organic food. While adults could learn about green building materials, cleaning products, hybrid cars. There was even environmentally friendly pet products – truly something for everyone! This is one of the nicer and quieter festivals that we have in downtown Plymouth.

Where It All Began – Robert Bake Realtors

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

robertbakeRobert Bake Realtors of Plymouth on the corner of Ann Arbor Trail and S. Harvey was where it all began.  Bob (Robert) Bake started his business on this site in 1967 and later merged with Coldwell Banker Schweitzer-Bake on Main St.

Today, both Bob and his daughter Carrie are experts and specialists in the Plymouth and Northville communities. You can learn more about them at www.bobbbake.com. The building is no longer there unfortunately but their legacy and ongoing service to home buyers and sellers continues.

Preparing Your Home for Sale

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

dsc_1875Here’s a list of items you may want to consider doing when selling your home. Obviously, the more you do to prepare your home for sale, the more and higher offers you will get.  And even if you aren’t selling, some of these ideas will help you enjoy your home to the fullest.  One of life’s biggest regrets is updating a bathroom, kitchen, or basement, just before you sell it and never enjoying that new kitchen or finished basement!

  1. Remove clutter from basements, closets, extra bedrooms, garages, decks, and everywhere.  Get rid of the extra stuff through garage sales, charitable donations, or storage. Potential buyers should see vast open storage areas and closets when they go through your home – not shelves stuffed full of junk. You want buyers to notice how much storage your home offers vs. how much stuff you have.
  2. Use rooms for what they were designed for. Bedrooms should have beds in them and not extra computer or exercise equipment. Den’s should have desks and  books in them and not be a play room for the kids.  The more you can help buyers visualize how a space should be used – the better. For example, when there’s a pool in the backyard, buyers will have a hard time liking the size and privacy of the year.  Instead, they will remember the pool and that can work for you or more likely, against you.
  3. Clean, paint, and refinish as required.  Any cosmetic imperfections are easy eye-catchers and also easy to repair. Old and out-of-style wall paper should be removed and walls repainted a neutral color. Avoid bold colors unless you have a great sense for color.  Often, a bold color will have buyers commenting about your color sense vs. the size and functionality of the room. Walls, door handles, light switches should all be cleaned. Floors, furniture, wall hangings, everything inside and out should be spotless. Make sure to clean all your light fixtures and light bulbs. You’ll be surprised how much brighter your rooms will look!
  4. Neutralize the decor by removing personal items such as family pictures.  You want the potential buyer to see the home and picture themselves there.  You want to paint a picture where they buyer can easily imagine living there and not spend time noticing your personal belongings or what your kids look like. Imagine a nice upscale hotel lobby or a great model home. It’s ok obviously to keep a few things out – enough to add warmth and comfort.

There’s plenty of more things that can be done of course.  This list is just a start. When you list your home for sale, we’ll share more things you can do to really set your home apart from the competition. Contact Carrie at 734-788-2398 for more information.

Save the Stone Wall at the Plymouth’s Veteran’s Memorial Park!

| BAKE REAL ESTATE

wallHere’s my open letter to Wendy Harless, Plymouth Preservation Network dated January 27, 2009

Dear Wendy,

As a resident of the City of Plymouth and a local Realtor, I’d like to voice my support for the preservation of the stone wall located in the Veteran’s Memorial Park. Old stone walls like this are rare, and this particular one was built as a WPA project during the Great Depression. It is an historic wall, and is now a beautiful element of the wonderful new Veteran’s Memorial Park. It is my opinion that restoring the historic wall would be much better than demolishing the wall and replacing it with a new structure. So much of what makes our town of Plymouth a special and desirable place to live has to do with the preservation of these types of historic elements and their quiet presence in our daily lives.

Sincerely,

Carrie Bake-Wong
Realtor
Coldwell Banker Schweitzer-Bake
Phone: 734-788-2398
Email: carrie@bobbake.com