Inviting: A tale of 2 Emmet County families

Dirk Shorter and the Bacigalupi family are living two very different lives.

Shorter lives in the center of 880 undeveloped acres in northern Emmet County, hosting hunting groups and practicing conservation efforts on the property that has long been in his family.

The Bacigalupis — Jeff, Tracy and their daughters Gabriella, 6, and Sofia, 5—live in Bay Harbor, an upscale, gated community east of Petoskey that has a number of neighborhoods, golf courses, its own lake, yacht club and a shopping village.

But while they are worlds apart in their preference of homestead, they do have one key characteristic in common: In Emmet County, there is a place to call home no matter your preferred lifestyle.

The Bacigalupi Family

The Bacigalupis were living in New York City when they began considering where to build a summer house: the Hamptons or their native Michigan. Their parents were already living in the Northern Michigan region, giving the area an edge so their girls could be closer to their grandparents.

Six years ago, they discovered Bay Harbor, a high-end community that was once an abandoned cement plant before it was transformed by developer David Johnson into a world-renowned development in the 1990s.

They purchased a home on the Links golf course, and the more they came, the more they wanted to stay. As the girls began getting closer to school age, the Bacigalupis knew they needed to make a decision. Three years ago, they did.

“We decided New York City was not the place where we wanted to raise our kids,” said Jeff.

“There’s no real sense of community there. It’s not realistic to have a doorman open a door for you when you come home,” added Tracy. “Kids need to be raised in a place where they have a sense of community.”

Now full-time residents, the family enjoys all that Bay Harbor offers them, with the yacht club, beach, shopping, dining and an equestrian center, plus its proximity to Petoskey and other local communities and activities.

Further, Jeff, 40, is able to work from home as managing director of investment banking for Leonard Capital Markets in Troy; it’s a lifestyle becoming more common thanks to technology. Tracy, 39, works as director of sales for Bay Harbor’s Village district.

Now, instead of dodging taxis, the family can be found skiing, hiking, riding bikes, ice skating, golfing, shopping local farm markets and retailers, or sitting in their back yard taking in a brilliant sunset with family and friends.

“You don’t find places like this anywhere,” said Jeff.

“It comes down to simplifying your life,” added Tracy. “It’s about quality of life. This is it. We haven’t looked back since we made our decision.”

Wycamp Lake Club and Dirk Shorter

Quality of life for Dirk Shorter is quite the opposite from a life at Bay Harbor. Instead, it’s about communing with nature at his remote property near Wycamp Lake in the very northern section of Emmet County.

Here, he operates Wycamp Lake Club, a hunting club for all seasons, including pheasant, deer and other native animals.

Touring the acreage in his pick-up truck, the Shorter property is a reminder of the rural character that still remains throughout so much of Emmet County. The land has been in his family for more than 40 years, starting with his parents, Dean and Lynda Shorter, who used it for hunting while they lived in Harbor Springs, where Dirk, his brother and two sisters were raised.

“Initially it was a deer camp with 420 acres, but my parents have added to it,” said Shorter, who has lived full-time on the property for 26 years. “As a kid, we came here to hunt deer and duck and upland grouse.”

Twenty-five years ago, Shorter began releasing 5,000 pheasants for organized hunts, and each year from Aug. 15 through April 15 dozens of hunters take to the woods and fields. The remainder of the year, Shorter tends to the property. The terrain is a mix of open fields, warm season grasses (cultivated by Shorter), thick woodlands, wetlands and marshy shoreline around 600-acre Wycamp Lake itself. He has built two trout ponds and stocks them for fishermen and he manages timber stands for renewable growth.

“It’s a real interesting dance,” he said, about management of such important natural, local resources. “It’s very diverse land.”

But is it good company?

“It’s never bothered me,” Shorter said, “to spend time alone.”

What’s your new address?

From lakeview home sites to wooded properties, downtown apartments to remote cottages, living your preferred lifestyle is possible in Emmet County. Family-friendly neighborhoods teeming with kids and peaceful getaways with only the sound of the birds in the air can often be found within the same mile.

Regional golf courses dot the landscape as well, where homes and condos line the most scenic fairways found anywhere. Many golf course sites are situated within area resorts, like Boyne Highlands, Bay Harbor and Chestnut Valley, which offer membership perks.

There are also many new condo and apartment complexes in the county, some boasting indoor pools, workout facilities and trail networks for easily enjoying the outdoors.

For the retirement years

Emmet County is one of the nation’s most popular retirement destinations, and developers have obliged the trend by building and managing warm, welcoming assisted and independent-living communities.

In Harbor Springs, Perry Farm Village offers a collection of living options for mature residents looking for a sense of community. There are condominiums in the main building, plus duplexes and homes on the acreage, with residents of each able to use the common gathering areas and dining options.

In Petoskey, Independence Village and Sunnybank offer both assisted and independent living as well, with nurses on staff to help with the needs of the aging population. Both also provide residents with many social opportunities, regular and healthful meals and transportation.

In Mackinaw City, Cedarbrook Senior Living touts its friendly care and affordable rates for its independent and assisted living residents.

Bay Bluffs, Emmet County’s medical care facility, provides a place for those requiring more regular skilled medical care. Renovations several years ago transformed Bay Bluffs into an inviting, home-like building with 120 beds, where residents have social opportunities and where families are welcomed. The long-term-care facility is nestled on the bluff overlooking Little Traverse Bay and is just a short distance from downtown Harbor Springs. (baybluffs.org)

Whatever step you are traveling along life’s path, Emmet County has the perfect place to call home.

Emmet County Guide 2010 » Inviting: A tale of 2 Emmet County families