Grand Rapids

[Docere]

It's a pretty big city (1 million metro) that's barely on the radar. Historically very Dutch American, never a center of heavy industry, now pretty "hipster" apparently for some reason. I'd like to know more about it.

[James Bond Agent 007]

You forgot the exclamation point.

[Steely Dan]

^ but if he put an exclamation point in the title, the he would be fairly accused of hyping the shit out of grand rapids, and we most certainly won't stand for that!

[Docere]

Does it deserve to mentioned in the same breath as...JACKSONVILLE?

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Docere

It's...barely on the radar...

For good reason(s).

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Docere

It's a pretty big city (1 million metro) that's barely on the radar. Historically very Dutch American, never a center of heavy industry, now pretty "hipster" apparently for some reason. I'd like to know more about it.

thats a good question, it seems as if once you get away from the major transportation corridors in the southern part of the state, michigan becomes a world upon itself in a way. grand rapids is sort of in the rainshadow of chicago and detroit i guess, too.

in any case, seems like it has good bones, proper neighborhood commercial districts, lots of healthy neighborhoods. i’ll be interested to hear some coherent contribution from those that are more familiar with it. i actually almost took a brewery focused roadtrip there one summer with some friends (as i have for detroit and other parts of michigan).

[edale]

I've not been to Grand Rapids, but I've heard they have a pretty cool and well known art festival all throughout their downtown each year. A friend of mine flew out from LA to participate in some fashion, and he said he thought the city was pretty cool. They also have Founders Brewery there, which has a pretty great reputation among beer heads. Other than that, I really don't know much about the place. They have a decent skyline for the population, and based on the pictures I've seen, it looks like it has a pretty nice downtown and some cool architecture. I'd be curious to check it out one day.

[JManc]

Founders produces some outstanding beer.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by JManc

Founders produces some outstanding beer.

not just delicious, but also very reasonably priced for craft beer.

i'm a big fan of their 15-packs of 12 oz. cans for 17 dollars.

just over a buck a beer, that's a nice price for craft beer.

[ColDayMan]

In some ways, it reminded me of a smaller Portland, OR with a Milwaukee mix. I like Grand Rapids a lot and it's location near those West Michigan beach towns can't be beat. Underrated? Sure, but most Midwest cities are underrated anyway.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

In some ways, it reminded me of a smaller Portland, OR with a Milwaukee mix. I like Grand Rapids a lot and it's location near those West Michigan beach towns can't be beat. Underrated? Sure, but most Midwest cities are underrated anyway.

funny, i was kind of thinking that too. it's something about the preponderance of small neighborhood commercial strips, perhaps. lots of healthy trees, maybe. and then that "almost coastal" thing going on...hell if the west coast of michigan DOESNT feel properly coastal.

[Steely Dan]

in the mental map in my mind, grand rapids is pushed further north into michigan that it really is. it's at a pretty similar latitude to milwaukee's, but my brain thinks it's further north, like up at green bay's latitude or something.

it's probably because it's on the other side of the lake from chicago and feels "far away", whereas milwaukee is just "right up the road" and feels "close by".

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

in the mental map in my mind, grand rapids is pushed further north into michigan that it really is. it's at a pretty similar latitude as milwaukee, but my brain thinks it's further north, like at green bay's latitude or something.

it's probably because it's on the other side of the lake from chicago and feels "far away" whereas milwaukee is just "right up the road" and feels "close by".

i know, right?...was dragging the curser across the lake to wisconsin just the other day sort of in disbelief.

[Centropolis]

also you hit big forests sooner driving up that way to traverse city than meandering along the lake north of milwaukee. i guess that makes it feel more northerly, sooner.

[Steely Dan]

^ very true.

"developed" michigan really does all sit in the lower 3rd of the LP for the most part. (i know there are a few exceptions, but talking very generally)

if you draw a line from muskegon to flint to port huron, i'd be curious to know what percentage of michigan's population lives south of that line.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

^ very true.

"developed" michigan really does all sit in the lower 3rd of the LP for the most part. (i know there are a few exceptions like, but talking very generally)

if you draw a line from muskegon to flint to port huron, i'd be curious to know what percentage of michigan's population lives south of that line.

i'd bet it's approximately 90%.

[cannedairspray]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

it's probably because it's on the other side of the lake from chicago and feels "far away", whereas milwaukee is just "right up the road" and feels "close by".

So some of my dad's family settled in West Michigan so I'd spend a lot of the summer there when I was little. That's obviously the biggest factor that my mental impression is the complete opposite, but the other is that as a southsider, anything north of like Peterson was a different world. I lived in Milwaukee for a winter and it still feels, mentally, like it might as well be the Twin Cities.* Meanwhile, Holland, South Haven, Saugatuck, Benton Harbor, etc...that's the backyard.

Ironically, I only went to Grand Rapids a few times in my life, and none since maybe 1990. It seems kinda weird to see this topic, know the general area so well, remember the fucking TV channels from Grand Rapids that I'd watch as a kid...but not know anything about it from personal experience .

*Weirdly, Madison, though, feels like home. Madison and Champaign occupy the same place in my mind.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by cannedairspray

So some of my dad's family settled in West Michigan so I'd spend a lot of the summer there when I was little. That's obviously the biggest factor that my mental impression is the complete opposite, but the other is that as a southsider, anything north of like Peterson was a different world. I lived in Milwaukee for a winter and it still feels, mentally, like it might as well be the Twin Cities.* Meanwhile, Holland, South Haven, Saugatuck, Benton Harbor, etc...that's the backyard.

Ironically, I only went to Grand Rapids a few times in my life, and none since maybe 1990. It seems kinda weird to see this topic, know the general area so well, remember the fucking TV channels from Grand Rapids that I'd watch as a kid...but not know anything about it from personal experience .

*Weirdly, Madison, though, feels like home. Madison and Champaign occupy the same place in my mind.

southsider, huh? used to hang out at jimbos and get my face pelted. schallers pump, beverly parade, love the southside. always gravitate there.

this will cause an upsetting but the southside of chicago is the closet analog to st. louis. even got the right kind of pie there down on pulaski.

[Centropolis]

even have the same incoherent drunks like myself. i just sit there and nod at the bar.

[cannedairspray]

I wasn't that far south, but a lot of my friends were from Beverly and I spent a shit ton of time there, especially during my high school years. The Bake was one of the first bars I was a regular at, and I wasn't 21.