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Alpena has so much to offer.
From the M-32 and South U.S.-23 corridors to the downtown core, the city offers plenty in the way of shopping, dining, and culture.
That includes the part of the city north of the 2nd Avenue bridge, usually referred to as "the north side."
Plenty is happening on that side of town, from the relatively new Old Polish Corner restaurant to the ongoing restoration of the Thunder Bay Theatre after it was damaged by fire in 2020 to the potential for popular Rogers City bakery Tradewinds to open an Alpena location on the north side.
But some north side business owners say their corner of Alpena doesn't get enough love.
"Because we are a little farther out, someone needs to have a reason to come over here," Brian Peterson, who owns Nowicki's Sausage Shoppe, the Old Polish Corner, and another building on 2nd Avenue just past Miller Street, told News staff writer Steve Schulwitz for a recent story. "We don't have the vehicle traffic or the foot traffic other businesses downtown do. We take pride in our product, customer service, and being consistent when we are open and offering a good, quality product is critical."
Peterson told Schulwitz a proposed expansion of the Alpena Downtown Development Authority's boundaries to include the north side would be good for business. The Alpena Municipal Council has yet to make a final decision on that expansion.
In the meantime, we encourage Alpenans and visitors alike to make a trek over the bridge to see what the north side has to offer.
Our region's economy is strongest when every corner of our community is thriving, and shopping and dining local is one of the best ways to spur that economy.
So make a trip over to the north side to see everything it has to offer.