Artsy idyll dubbed the 'Cape Cod of the Midwest' is a hidden gem ranked among the best waterfront towns in America

A charming lakeshore metropolis has been dubbed 'the Cape Cod of the Midwest' aft winning implicit tourists with its abundance of award-winning beaches, spas and galleries.

Located successful Saugatuck close connected the shores of Lake Michigan, Saugatuck is location to fewer than 900 people. 

But its picturesque harbors and quaint downtown has present seen it compared to the iconic Massachusetts municipality that attracts thousands of visitors each year. 

Just this spring, the city's charm secured it a apical spot on USA Today's 10 champion US coastal tiny towns list - losing retired to conscionable 1 assemblage in Florida.

'This lakeside destination is location to award-winning beaches, spas, breweries, creation galleries, and truthful overmuch more,' the website wrote of its runner-up, which is wide considered a four-season town.

Locals and visitors alike accidental that Saugatuck, which is some accepted and trendy, has adjacent much to offer, including secluded, tranquil stretches of coast.

State parks, booming creation exhibitions and galleries adhd to the allure arsenic well, arsenic does an arsenic awesome culinary scene.

With seafood shacks, and lighthouses, Saugatuck is much reminiscent of an East Coast seaside sportfishing village, but this Midwest municipality is conscionable two-and-half hours distant by car from Chicago and 4 hours from Milwaukee. 

While serving arsenic a romanticist Michigan getaway for couples, it is besides fashionable among families acknowledgment to its Coghlin Park's sculptures and an progressive waterfront, which includes the Ox-Bow School of Art, connected the shores of the Great Lake.

Founded successful 1908 by a brace of artists from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the artist's haven is portion of the town's affluent past arsenic an open-minded creation country that has galleries, studios, and festivals regularly lining its streets. 

In summation to the yearly Village Square Art Fair and Waterfront Invitational Art Fair, visitors tin besides bask watercolors, pottery, and jewelry arsenic they stroll done town.

For those who funny successful moving permanently to the metropolis connected the 'Art Coast' of Michigan, Zillow presently lists astir 50 lakeside properties for merchantability astatine affordable prices.

While immoderate of the much palatial residences boast terms tags successful the millions, a three- oregon four-bedroom determination volition apt tally you betwixt $150,000 and $300,000.

However, there's been a large uptick successful lodging prices successful 2024; the median three-bedroom location sold for $605,000 successful August, a 6.6 percent summation from the aforesaid clip past year.