What I love most about this place is that feeling of a community.

Brittany Goode – Aldea

“In Spanish, the word ‘aldea’ means ‘village’ or ‘community’, and for myself, what I love most about this place is that feeling of a community.  

I grew up in Muskegon and moved here about 10 years ago, and I have found that the community of Grand Haven has just been incredibly welcoming. All of a sudden, I started making friends, and I’m still close to those people I met even then. I love that! It’s small and walkable, the beach is close, and we have a woods where we can walk our dogs. It’s building into a place people in our age group need, and that’s a huge win for us. 

Then, here at the coffee shop, I just feel like I’m really lucky that every morning at 7 am, I get to wake up with the same faces. We have a really solid group of regulars that have been a part of this place for a very long time, and it’s a comfort for me thinking, ‘I need to go to the coffee shop because maybe I’m going to see my friends.’ 

The guy at the table next to us is an employee, but he’s here on his day off. The lady down there used to be our banker, and she comes in with her husband every morning. The next guy down we’ve known for about eight years; he’s a writer and public speaker. Then there’s Sam and Marnie and Scott and Trisha and Jean. 

We’re a family, and I love that.”