Cheboygan Main Street: It takes many to make a community thrive
Having been born and raised in Cheboygan, I have always loved our Main Street. It has always been a place to go for a walk, enjoy parades, and see your neighbors and friends.
Unfortunately, not long ago our Main Street went through a tough few years. Empty buildings were beginning to overtake our downtown, and I think we all got a little bit concerned. Then something happened. We brought it back! People have shown up, stepped up, and brought Main Street back to the vibrant, lovely place it was always meant to be. We weren’t going to let it keep slipping downhill. In the last couple of years people have been investing not only their money but their hearts into Main Street, myself included.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to own a salon. In 2017, that dream became a reality; and I opened a salon on Cheboygan’s east side. In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, I decided to add a clothing boutique (I might be a little crazy!).
More: Salon, boutique bring new life to 100-year-old building in downtown Cheboygan
I had an opportunity in 2021 to purchase a building on Main Street and decided to take the plunge. It was scary and overwhelming. My building needed a lot of work, more than most would have taken on. But I knew it would work. I knew it would be worth it. I knew that making a building into a beautiful part of Cheboygan would be one of the most rewarding things I would ever do in my life.
As I tore my building apart and watched my father and many tradesmen/women from the community rebuild it, something occurred to me. Some of the faces were familiar, people who have been a part of this community for a long time. However, there were also new faces, younger people, who care as much as the older ones about making a difference, and a living, here.
You see, it takes us all, the young, the old, and everyone in-between. It takes people who have lived here their entire lives — and people that decided to move here and love it and support it too. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride, not for myself, but for my community. It takes many people, and we are all invested in making this a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind place we live in thrive again.
Cheboygan is seeing a remarkable resurgence these past few years. That is thanks to the people who have bought buildings and opened new businesses, plus everyone who works on them, in them, shops and dines in them and talks about them. We all have a part. We are supporting our town in amazing ways. It is so exhilarating to see our town buzzing again and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it! Way to go, Cheboygan, and thank you!
— Nicki Kryska is owner of 215 N. Main and Hair Design, and co-owner of Shine Boutique with Cherish Wilcome, her best friend of 25 years. She enjoys traveling and doing just about anything outside, with her husband, Joe, and son, Quin. She also loves to spend time with her friends and family and two dogs, Marley and Olive. Her family is very proud to be part of this amazing community and can’t wait to watch it grow! To learn more about Main Street Cheboygan, see cheboyganmainstreet.org.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan Main Street: It takes many to make a community thrive
