About Slab Town/Incochee

History

Lumber was king in Traverse City and throughout most of the northern Great Lakes from the late 1800's through the early 1900's.  More money and more millionaires were created during Michigan's lumber boom than during the entire California gold rush.  Grand Traverse Bay, at the time, had a number of very large sawmills that shaped the lumber into useable boards for the building of cities like Chicago and Detroit.  The first cuts of these logs, or "slabs" were used by locals in the area close to the mills to build their homes at very little cost.  Years later those slab homes are gone but the name remains.  

Incochee is a newer development of exclusive homes, most of which feature spectacular views over Grand Traverse Bay and the city.  We paired this development with slabtown for the purpose of our search because the homes here share the same fantastic access to Grand Traverse Bay nearby and a short stroll into Traverse City's downtown district.

Geography

The slabtown neighborhood extends from Grand Traverse Bay on the north to Division Street (US 31) on the East with Front Street making up the southern boundary.  Incochee is a bit farther to the west and can be accessed off of M-72 at it's northern entrance or via a gated entry at it's east end off of Ramsdell Road.

Features

The proximity to the shoreline of Grand Traverse Bay and the fact that Slabtown and Incochee are just a bit out of the main traffic cycles of downtown make both very sought after neighborhoods.  Slabtown is a neighborhood in transition with many older homes being renovated or removed in order to be replaced by more substantial, modern homes.  Most newcomers are going to great lengths to ensure the historic feel of the neighborhood is embraced even with new construction.  Ashton, Darrow and Veteran's Park all offer terrific space to relax and play as well as being home to Traverse City's only off-leash dog park.  Famous institutions like Sledder's Family Tavern and The Dairy Lodge fall within Slabtown's boundaries.  Hickory Hills Ski Area is another wonderful amenity along the west end of Slabtown that is actually owned and operated by The City of Traverse City.

Stats for Slab Town

Stats for Incochee

*Statistics according to Northern Great Lakes REALTORS MLS