1. Good Old Number 38, Born And Raised
If you're Gerald Ford's biggest fan, you'll want to live in the city where it seems absolutely everything is named after him, like his library, the airport, the middle school...
2. Great Artists Make Their Mark In Grand Rapids
It's kind of unreal. There are docent-led tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's celebrated Meyer May House. There's a huge abstract sculpture by Alexander Calder at City Hall. It's sort of like a Mecca for art lovers.
3. Meijer Gardens Is Basically Real-Life Narnia
Whether the snow has piled down or the summer is beating down, there are always reasons to revel in the spectacular majesty of the Frederik Meijer Gardens. Even if you're not into just unwinding, there are summer concerts series, a carnivorous plant conservatory and sculptures from famous artists dotting the area. Even more art for those fanatics!
4. You Will Run Along The River With The Rest Of Grand Rapids
The country's largest 25k, sponsored by Fifth Third, denizen of the Great Lakes area, is the River Bank Run. What's fantastic about this particular road race is all the options: There's the 25k for your really crazy friends, a 10k for your less crazy friends, a 5k walk, junior events for the kids and the country's only serious 25k wheelchair race. Last one to the finish is a rotten Gerald Ford!
5. Michigan's Second Best Beer Is Brewed Right Here
As a
Kalamazoo boy, there's no way I could dethrone Bell's, and I'm sure plenty of folks will disagree. Founders is tasty, and the variety is respectable as well. If you're going, you're ordering the Dirty Bastard (if you're a stout-lover like myself). The All-Day IPA is your hop-lover's dream, and Nitro anything must be sipped to be believed.
6. It's The Hot Dog Place From American Pie...
... and people seem to care about that a whole lot! Yesterdog's association with awful movies is as notorious as their hot dogs are delicious, so stop on by and plop down with the best hot dog you're ever going to eat in your entire life. Sorry, Germany.
7. Downtown Grand Rapids Becomes an Art Gallery Every Summer
ArtPrize is an "unorthodox and highly disruptive" internationally-renowned art festival where participants are invited to show off paintings, sculptures, installations, artisan crafts, whatever they call "art"-and compete to win the $200,000 grand prize. That's a lot of money for these starving artists, so they take it seriously.
8. A Musical Fountain That Is Quaint And Still Awesome
Something I thought could really only be found at Disneyland is actually located in Grand Haven. It's visible from across the Grand River and pretty massive in scale and sound, so you can't miss it. Head over for classical epics and brilliant pop songs set to choreographed water and a flashy LED light show.
9. Grand Rapids Warmly Welcomes Romney, Palin and Ted Nugent...
While most of
Michigan swings blue,
Grand Rapids is the coal-black conservative heart of the mitten. You can find refuge on the east side.
10. ... Even Though Pot Is Decriminalized Downtown
There don't seem to be any real tensions to local GRers between conservative Jesus freaks and pot-smoking hipster dips, somehow. This writer is still looking into whether Grand Rapids exists on top of some kind of gas vent. Maybe they're both high all the time.
11. If You Can't Take The Snark, Get Out Of Stella's
The ironic thing about eating at Stella's Lounge is that the only way you won't get hipster attitude is if you're a vegan artist, and while most people would think the burgers are where it's at, the vegetarian options are just as delicious. Maybe you're just here to down whiskey and play video games. Totally respectable.
12. Grand Rapids Has The Lollapalooza of Farmer's Markets, Every Day
The Grand Rapids Downtown Market is just like your run-of-the-mill farmer's market. Except for the fact that it's open everyday. And that they have events with free, local food. And the classes that teach techniques anywhere from braising flank to to making stock. Also yoga classes.
13. You Will Never Be Safer Anywhere Else
All of the dangerous crime happens on the other side of the mitten. Grand Rapids is as suburban-boring as you could possibly get, but that also means as suburban-safe. Some spots south of Wealthy may cause trouble, but if you're out in East Grand Rapids or down towards Grandville, you can probably leave your car unlocked.
14. Rosa Park Circle Is Everyone's Winter Destination
At the heart of downtown, the ice rink at Rosa Park Circle is filled all winter long with people skating with their honeys and/or falling down comically. So whether you're sentimental or schadenfreude-l, you're bound to have a good time. And on New Year's Eve Grand Rapids has their own little ball-drop event here!
Source: Flickr user Steven Depolo
15. You'll Encounter The World's Least Threatening Biker Gang
The Grand Rapids Scooter Club looks like it's full of people who are just really nice and really like their Vespas. If you have a scooter of your own (and are willing to admit to that kind of thing), they take city and country rides every Thursday. Feel free to go do that in public if you want!
16. Grand Rapids Baristas Are At The National Level
At MadCap Coffee, anyway. They buy their beans directly wholesale and have their roasting down to an art, which seems kind of unnecessary, until you actually try the coffee that the uncharacteristically friendly barista just handed you across the counter. It is crazy good.
17. Grand Rapids Keeps Brunch Real
Continuing with the theme of local and organic, the Real Food Café is going to be your favorite hangover cure. Bananas Foster French toast, Irish eggs Benedict. Gerald Ford probably didn't eat here, but I'm sure he'd approve!
Source: Real Food Café via Facebook
18. Crazy Good Guitarists Rock Out On The Mall
The Blues on the Mall at Rosa Parks Circle is a major cultural event in downtown GR. You'll flock there to what essentially amounts to a massive tailgate featuring excellent local musicians.
19. Take A Ride On The Pendulum Side
Outside of the science building at Grand Valley State University, there's a wrecking ba-um, a pendulum that is generally okay to hop on for a ride. Just don't do anything remotely Miley Cyrus-y, or they'll take it away again.
20. The Sports May Be Getting Less Lame
If you're travelling to Michigan to see some winter sports, you're probably wasting your time at a Red Wings game. That being said, you're doing better on the thumb than out in Grand Rapids, whose hockey team, the Griffins, only recently won the AHL trophy. Other than that, nothing too spectacular.
21. You'll Be Glad You Brought Two Winter Coats
It gets really, really cold in Michigan. The MLive site features a weather site (MLive will be your source for all local online news) so give it a spin to see how many socks to wear today. How much are flights to Hawaii going for, right now, I wonder?
22. Grand Rapids Is Greener Than Spinach. Or Asparagus. Really Green.
I really should give credit to the mayor's office for spearheading environmentally-conscious, like installing solar panels all over the city, to help the city retain its standing as a progressive city.
23. If You Don't Eat Meat, Don't Sweat It In Grand Rapids
Turkish coffee, falafel, sweet potato and quinoa burger, pleasant conversation in a friendly environment. There is no dessert. Thank you for eating at Marie Catrib's. Now, repeat.
24. The Children's Hospital is Space-Age
Look at that-it looks like it came from future Atlantis. I'll just say that the medical industry in Grand Rapids is well-known for consistently ranking nationwide, because spending too long on the subject of children's hospitals is a recipe for some existential late-night drinking.
25. You'll Hear Electrifying Classical Music
The Grand Rapids Symphony is constantly reviewed as an incredible regional symphony orchestra (by places other than Yelp). If you don't have a black bow tie already, this would be a good time to pick one up.
26. You Can Get Schooled At The Zoo
It's true. There's literally a school located in the John Ball Zoo, where you can learn more about the environment and get hands-on with the animals. It is too cool for itself. Get it? To cool for... okay.
27. The DeVos Center is De Boss
I feel confident making that joke because it really is true. Whether you're the world's happiest nerd, a music lover or even a businessman looking to "network effectively," this downtown institution is going to be a part of your life.
28. Never Saw "Black Swan?" No Problem
The Grand Rapids Ballet is elegant, dainty, girly, leotardic and something your mom will take you to. And you'll love it for that.
29. You're On The Up and Up In Grand Rapids
Y'all ever hear of this magazine called Forbes? I know I have. And they've definitely heard of Grand Rapids. Turns out, the city has been creeping steadily up since the mid-1990s and now ranks as one of the magazine's up-and-coming US cities.
