The American Planning Association calls downtown Charlevoix's redesigned East Park on Round Lake one of America's great public spaces. It's a people magnet with a large grassy area, trees, benches, brick sidewalks and an interactive water fountain for kids. The space also features a performing-arts pavilion with natural acoustics; trout pond with pools, rapids and waterfalls; and a 65-slip marina. Surrounded by Lake Michigan, Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix, tourism feeds this picturesque port's 3,000-some population, which multiplies tenfold summer through fall. Festivals and art fairs, quaint shops, fine-art galleries, alfresco dining, sandy beaches, the famous Earl Young stone "mushroom" homes on Park Avenue and in Boulder Park, the 32-mile ferry to Beaver Island and the 1911 lighthouse are just a few attractions.