loftliving

Urban Living Takes Center Stage in New BH Loft Hop

loftliving

Here’s a random number that might actually startle you, depending on how well you know the downtown Benton Harbor scene. There are now upwards of 75 loft apartments in and around the Benton Harbor Arts District, and the demand for more is on the rise.

Your next move can be upstairs…or downtown…or best of all upstairs downtown. In fact, the New Territory Arts Association will host its 2nd Loft Hop Fundraiser on Friday, August 23rd in the Benton Harbor Arts District, running from 6pm until 9pm that evening.

The Loft Hop will provide the public with an opportunity to walk through five Arts District loft apartments located “Upstairs” in historic “Downtown” buildings within the Arts District, to share a snapshot of urban living in the Harbor.

The tour celebrates the growth and evolution of living opportunities in the popular Arts District neighborhood. Over the past 20 years, once abandoned and neglected buildings have been gradually reclaimed and repurposed to provide creative urban living spaces for a growing population of ‘urban dwellers.’ Where once there were empty second floors devoted to nothing more than storage, there are now residents enjoying a walkable neighborhood of artists, shop owners, restaurants, breweries, and quaint parks.

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James Galbraith, an Arts District resident himself, and co-owner of the new Houndstooth Restaurant, points out, “There are now upwards of seventy-five loft apartments in and around the Benton Harbor Arts District,” and adds, “The demand is there, I just wish there were more lofts available. Young people love it down here.”

Printed programs for the “Upstairs, Downtown Loft Hop” will be sold at the Phoenix Coffeeshop at 132 Water Street in Benton Harbor or at EventBrite.com. The programs will serve as tickets and provide the patrons with a map and description of the featured lofts. Price for the event will be $15 in advance, or $20 on the day of the event. Colorful flags will mark each destination and volunteers will be present to guide and assist the patrons at each site.

The New Territory Arts Association was founded in 1999, with a mission to create and support a dynamic Benton Harbor Arts District. Proceeds from the “Upstairs, Downtown Loft Hop” help support events and programs produced by the NTAA and other Arts District organizations.

The NTAA thanks the following program sponsors who helped make the tour possible:

  • Pier Realty
  • Houndstooth Restaurant
  • Mason Jar Café
  • Phoenix Coffeeshop
  • The Livery
  • 3 Pillars Music
  • ARS Gallery
  • The Artists at 210 Water
  • Water Street Lofts
  • Brooks Architectural
  • Citadel Dance & Music Center
  • Water Street Glassworks
  • Aveline Gifts
  • Silver Beach Pizza
  • The Cornerstone Alliance
  • GhostLight Theater
  • Prairie Real Estate
  • Second Story Development
  • Thayer
  • Emma Hearth and Market
  • Fresh Décor
  • Greenspan Construction
  • Pipestone Indoor Golf
  • Adagio Properties
  • The Collective

The loft image accompanying this story on Moody on the Market, created by Ken Ankli of the New Territory Arts Association, is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to depict one of the lofts being showcased this month.