Mostly good, BUT....
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2/12/2015
Lived in Grand Rapids 6 years (moved here for school and stayed for the job I got after graduating). For the most part, GR is great - when I first moved here I was absolutely in love. It's generally a very friendly and down-to-earth city, with a fair amount of culture and local activities (and many free downtown activities!). ArtPrize brings thousands of people in; great farmer's markets; several really nice museums; Van Andel Arena hosts great shows and hockey games; Frederik Meijer Gardens; outdoor ice skating downtown in the winter; neat old houses; distinct neighborhoods that each have their own "feel" and activities. Beer drinking is big here. And coffee. You do have to make a bit of an effort to discover what's going on, because things can be spread out, but if you just subscribe to the local newspaper or follow a few groups on Facebook it's not hard.
Stuff I don't like: It's an extremely Christian city. If you're a strong Christian, you'll love it here. If not, you'll never really feel you belong. It's inescapable. I used to work at a coffee shop and people were hosting Bible study and singing regularly. That kind of thing.
There's not a large variety of people. Most everyone can be classified as conservative Christians or liberal Christians/hipsters.
If you don't like snow, you'll hate the weather. Summers in west Michigan CAN be beautiful, but know that as the temperature rises, so also does the humidity.
The best way to experience Grand Rapids / West Michigan is on the Lake Michigan beach in the summer, or in a local brewery in the winter.
Susannah | Norton Shores, MI