Grand Rapids, MI Reviews

grand rapids . What Fun! - 12/14/2013
Hello, I recently moved to Grand Rapids from Detroit to live with my girlfriend who needed the financial help at the time. Now, being an artist from Detroit and also once living in New York, London and Philadelphia, I was hopeful to find a small yet interesting art scene. Wrong, the city is very very slow, un-stimulating and closed minded. And, I'm not comparing G.R. to the big city's I've lived in (well, maybe unconsciously). Although, I was truly looking for a small and humble scene and was very open to the smallest treasures. ZILCH ! My (now wife) and I have decided to find a real city with like minded, educated, creative young professionals like us to share the place with. I did come in with all the best intensions and truly searched for an interesting bar or gallery or....yeeesh anything. So, if you are thinking of moving here and you love factory work, mega churches, no urban community participation, low residential education levels, and no original art or music then come on Read More

<3 - 8/5/2013
Love this Read More

heath care growth - 5/19/2013
Health care and health jobs are growing in this area with the expansion of "medical Read More

Clean, Beautiful, and Friendly - 4/8/2013
I have lived in Grand Rapids for four years. Grand Rapids is the most friendly, clean, and beautiful city I have ever lived (compared to Pittsburgh,PA and Nashville TN). Grand rapids is covered with beautiful art, from sculptures to paintings to live performances that occur constantly in the city center where a large outdoor open auditorium is located. There are hidden lakes and trails through out the city which is interesting because even if you live there for years you will continue to find new natural beauty at your doorstep. The air is clean and always either smells fresh and crisp or of food that is being prepared at any of the amazing restaurants and breweries located through out the city. The community has established several amazing farmers markets where the best quality local produce and meats can be purchased. While living there you get a sense that you are a part of the community and that everyone who lives there makes it a better place in their own way. Grands Rapids has a Read More

Beautiful natural areas/clean city/DELICIOUS BEER - 3/12/2013
Having not grown up in Grand Rapids, I knew very little about the area when I first moved there for college. I was blown away. May through October, Grand Rapids is wonderful. It is within a 45 minute drive to either of the beautiful beaches at Holland or Grand Haven. The Meijer Gardens are unparalleled in their scope of art or quality of greenspace in the state and arguably the midwest. Downtown is very clean and has a nice park with a bandshell in the heart of the city that offers great concerts in the summer and ice skating in the winter. a decent number of restaurants that offer outdoor seating and patio space. The new downtown urban market (opens this spring) will be a year round contribution to the city which will hopefully be similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle. Artprize in the fall is a brainchild of Grand Rapids and is one of a kind in scope and in the number of differing mediums of art. Quite the experienced!

The city recently tied for the title of Read More

Great Place for families - 12/2/2012
Having lived and raised a family in Lansing, Mi and the Detroit area I was delighted to have the opportunity to move to the "West coast" of Michigan. After 14 years I can readily say that, for family life, the Grand Rapids area is undoubtedly the best place in Michigan and a contender for the best in the country.

A blend of the best of both worlds, city and small town, Grand Rapids offers a friendliness that can be found in no other comparable city and availability of arts, sports and intellectual stimulation only expected in a cosmopolitan area. All this combines with an area where you can drive from downtown to countryside in 15 minutes or less or to the beaches of Lake Michigan in under an hour.

Schools vary among districts but there is affordable housing in the best districts and good education to be found with committed teachers and staff in more affordable neighborhoods and suburbs.

In addition to all this the excitement of Chicago is Read More

West Michigan - 3/6/2012
I love Grand Rapids, MI and West MI in general. It's beautiful, low crime (for the most part) and Grand Rapids has a lot of appeal due to cultural opportunities. However and unfortunately, the economy is not good! I feel that it is time for a move. If it weren't for the job situation, I wouldn't move because I do like it here. Read More

Grand Rapids Area - 5/10/2011
Though you hear lots of negitive about Michigan in general, the Grand Rapids area though is an area of in my mind growth. I have never needed more than two copies of my resume to find a job in this town. Even my son who moved from Columbus (when the factory he worked at closed), found a job right away.
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Grand Rapids (Too Conservative, Not Diverse Enough - 4/28/2011
Grand Rapids is a very strange, conservative, and slightly backwards city. Although the downtown is becoming a little more vibrant than its ever been, the area's quality of life is not all that great. The people here are friendly, but however a lot of them seem to be very close- minded. The city is fairly diverse, but its so segregated, and the metro area isn't exactly the most diverse place. Also if your minority, especially being a middle class African American like myself, there is not a whole lot of opportunities here. So if your cheap, extra conservative in politics, overly religious, or Dutch, then Grand Rapids is the city for you Read More

Overrated Blue Collar Town - 3/4/2011
Grand Rapids owes its "resurgence" if you wish to term it that, to the Devos family who for the most part has provided the funds for making the city look halfway decent by erecting various buildings and funding improvements. Economically, the city is stagnant with shrinking population and a very narrow band of economic growth, particularly in health care. Demographically the city has a very low rate of educated residents for its size, also making it an undesirable place for larger firms and more educated residents. The feel of the city is very blue collar, as a large percentage of the population is employed in the service industry, or small parts manufacture for various industries. The city has taken blows recently with the closure of large manufacturing plants with GM and other companies. Grand Rapids is extremely conservative and the population is largely very religious, as mega churches are a common sight in the urban belt. Culturally, the area (even for the Midwest) is rather Read More