Brad Gorman grew up in southwest Michigan in St. Joseph (next to Benton Harbor), then went to school at
Michigan State University before moving to Los Angeles for a few years. “I was away for a couple of years and missed my family and wanted to settle down,” he explains. He calls it the “5-year post-college boomerang.”
Brad is the Communications and Engagement Specialist for Whirlpool Corporation. He loves Benton Harbor for its burgeoning arts and culture scene that is still very much underground and off the beaten path right now. “Downtown Benton Harbor has an up-and-coming arts district … there are some really cool art galleries downtown.” There is also a huge effort being made towards historic preservation, including at the Candy Company Lofts - a 100-year-old candy factory rehabbed into loft space
which Brad now calls home.
Benton Harbor is the edgier, more culturally-savvy arts town while Brad’s hometown of St. Joseph is still sort of “old-school, small town America.” He says that Benton Harbor to them is “new and interesting … people still think it’s like Detroit or Flint then they come downtown and see and the buildings that are getting remodeled, the galleries … they see it really turning around.”
Which includes a growing foodie scene. The wineries of the
Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail are nearby, and also in downtown Benton Harbor is the independently-owned
Phoenix Café, which serves
Intelligentsia coffee and organic natural foods.
Expressions Gallery & Cafe downtown is a really great lunch spot that’s also a bit of a hidden gem.
The Livery is an excellent microbrewery located downtown. And for a quirky beer-and-burgers hole-in-the-wall kind of place with $2 beer, there’s
River’s Edge.
The first Friday of every month is the
Art Hop in downtown Benton Harbor, which a lot of young professionals and couples come out for to check out the different galleries, restaurants and wine samplings. Benton Harbor is also home to a championship golf course called
Harbor Shores. Over in St. Joseph, the annual
Latin Festival is very popular, and they also have a beautiful boardwalk along the lake. The thriving resort town of
Saugatuck is also very close for that polished tourist feel with tons of bars, restaurants and shopping. “After being in L.A. for so long I love bringing people here from the west coast; they’re blown away!"