What BestPlaces Users Say about Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan is the second largest city in the state, known for its vibrant arts and culture scene and its close proximity to Lake Michigan. It has been consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States, attracting people from all over the country. To gain a better understanding of what it's like to live in Grand Rapids, let's take a look at what some users have to say about their experiences living in this particular place.
According to Jane from BestPlaces, Grand Rapids is "a great place to raise a family." She praises the city for its "good schools, low crime rate, and friendly community." John, another user, agrees with this sentiment and adds that there are "plenty of job opportunities" in the area as well. However, not all reviews are as positive. Sarah mentions that the "weather can be a bit harsh" in Grand Rapids, with "long, cold winters" and "humid summers." She also notes that the cost of living is "higher than expected." Another user, David, shares that the "traffic can be frustrating" in the city, but overall he enjoys living in Grand Rapids because of its "welcoming and diverse community."
based on 62 ReviewsGet to know Grand Rapids with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Grand Rapids
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Weather and sunshine in GR - 6/2/2008
Most of the year seems to be overcast especially during the winter months the lake effect causes clouds over the Grand Rapids area often. As for the summer months a 100% humidity is not uncommon, a remark on the page stated that higher humidity = more comfortable... not in my experience, higher humidity the harder it is to sweat the harder it is to get
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Conservative, safe, affordable, great schools, clo - 3/19/2008
I've lived here for 16 years and I find myself complaining about it all Winter long and never complaining all Summer long. For me, it's not so much the cold and clouds in the Winter, it's just that there is so little to do. We've finally resorted to basically vacationing every other week in the Winter and then stay put the rest of the year. As for the economy, the best thing is it is real steady. We don't see huge rises like some places, but we don't see the big crashes either. Real estate is a bargain so if you want to own a big house for nothing, this is the place. Not a great thing however when you go to sell, there is often zero appreciation to even cover real estate fees.
the schools are second to none. The community supports the schools with lots of tax money and they pay the teachers well. My kids teachers are simply amazing. No need for private schools here. As for singles and meeting people, again the 25-35 crowd here is pretty lame. I would not want to be
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Grand Rapids - 2/19/2008
Grand Rapids.. The people are fairly friendly, but like many midwest cities
they do not on the whole like outsiders. The economy is awful. The city is
very unappealing looking. The city is very segregated. The winters are pretty
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Grand Rapids isn't so bad... - 10/25/2007
I think a lot of the people who have written about the prevalence of close minded intolerant conservatives in GR are mostly referring to the outlying areas and not urban Grand Rapids. Anyone who has spent a substantial amount of time in the downtown area would know about how diverse, interesting and socially responsible the majority of our downtown citizens are. We have a great community of non profits who offer assistance to those who are homeless, addicted etc. We have a brand new Art Museum, public art pieces by Alexander Calder (the first publically funded public art work in the US), Mia Lin, Di Suvero and others, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, Wealthy Street Theatre, the DAAC… The downtown area has voted Democrat since HW Bush and there is a large and growing liberal community in GR. Heritage Hill is one of the largest historically preserved neighborhoods in the country and includes many beautiful homes. Sure, we probably have more than our fair share of lunk-headed
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Possible Job Transfer - 9/23/2007
Hello all,
I currently live in Wisconsin, was recently transferred there from Phoenix. I have another possible transfer coming up, it would be to Grand Rapids. I was wondering if someone could give me some tips as to daycare, areas to live that are safe, yet close to shopping, entertainment, etc. Also, i would like to find out more about the general crime and what neighborhoods to stay out of. THank you in advance for your reponse...
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Nice if you don't mind the snow - 7/20/2007
I have lived in GR for 10 years and have enjoyed my time here. I particularly like the summer months with all the festivals, concerts & lake activities available. Winter gets a lot of snow & the weather can be quite cloudy so don't move here if you have seasonal affective disorder or are a sun worshipper. I particulary like the fact that cost of living is low, traffic is moderate and the recreational oportunities are good. As others have stated,
the economy is weak but GR is stronger than a lot of other midwestern cities that I know of. As for the people, at first, I found them a little cold but they warmed up over time. There is a conservative element of Reformed Dutch here that is clustered mostly in western part of the city and the outlaying areas. However, the city is not entirely conservative & some areas like Easttown are pretty liberal. All in all a decent place to live, I like it better than the other half dozen cities I have lived
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BEAUTIFUL CITY - 6/7/2007
Does the one reviewer have Grand Rapids confused with Antarctica? It is definitely not "dark all but a few days in summer". The fact that it goes from winter right into summer is fairly true. I lived in Grand Rapids for around 7 years and enjoyed my stay very much. There's plenty to do for a city of this size. Museums, minor-league baseball, hockey, soccer, arena football, etc. The conservativeness is appealing to many that wish to raise a family. It still offers many cultural events, concerts, etc. Some of the older neighborhoods have gorgeous brick homes. The traffic is very tolerable.
It's a half an hour from the beautiful sandy beaches of Lake Michigan. The people are VERY friendly. It boasts some incredible hospitals. All-in-all, a BEAUTIFUL
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