Grand Rapids: bad areas? (Comstock Park: rent, crime rate, bankrupt)

[billu]

can u please suggest safe apartment for a single woman near 32nd street S.E......i looked at arrowhead apartments but am not sure about the safety..pls help

[burgler09]

Originally Posted by billu

can u please suggest safe apartment for a single woman near 32nd street S.E......i looked at arrowhead apartments but am not sure about the safety..pls help

Is it a must to live there? That whole side of town isn't exactly a place I would suggest for a single woman

[beachmouse]

I grew up on the far reaches of the west side(Call it the area west of a line you draw from Valley Ave. to Walker Ave. to Bristol Ave.) in a place that never really got a neighborhood name other than kind of a vague 'up the hill' description. Crime stats always seemed to say it was one of the safest places in Kent County. It's one of the more suburban to almost rural parts of the city proper (I had neighbors that had backyard horses) with a mix of smallish post-war bungalows to bigger homes in 70s and 80s subdivisions with some cool older farmhouses along Leonard, Lake Michigan, and Oakleigh. Blanford Nature Center's also in the area, and we spent a lot of time roaming the trails there.

Pretty good highway access to either the Lake Michigan Drive (I-196) or Walker (I-96) on-ramps and a quick and safe surface street route to downtown if you needed. Alpine Ave. is the nearest bigger shopping district.

Very different from downtown, but a pretty quick commute if you need to be there.

[Maipenrai]

I recently relocated to Grand Rapids. I will be living near Division street between 44th and Kellogg Woods Drive.

Is this side of Division safe?

Safe enough to commute down the road to and from work by bicycle?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Maipenrai

I recently relocated to Grand Rapids. I will be living near Division street between 44th and Kellogg Woods Drive.

Is this side of Division safe?

Safe enough to commute down the road to and from work by bicycle?

I would think so. You can check with the Grand Rapids Police's website and actually see crimes that have been committed in that area over the last year or so.

[Maipenrai]

Thanks for the advice.

[ezmover]

I have lived all over the grand rapids area. Some of the best places are in the East GR area. Its a really safe place to live and raise a family. Lots to do in the summer with the kids as well as a lot of young couples who are very welcoming. Probably the best place to live in GR, but you have huge taxes to pay each year. Also the Ada, cascade, Caledonia ares are nice and provide a safe and affordable homes. These places offer the forest hill school districts which are some of the best. Some places to stay away would parts of Wyoming, around the street Taft as well as any area around downtown division or wealthy. The community is working to make it a better place to live but if you are a single women or have small children its best to stay on the SE side as close to the Ada, cascade, East GR area. The walker area isn't to0 bad, but if you choose to live on alpine be picky! Some of the apartment complexes are shady, so if you have to pay a little more do it! It will almost always be safer. The Alger heights area is nice too. It is close to eastern so make sure you live in the small community on the outside of eastern. Some of that area can be shady. I lived in Alger for a year and loved the small community and the close by shops. Parts of Grandville are nice also! They have nice areas for new family's as well as developments for young couples. Its a nice alternative to the East GR area if you cannot afford it. All in all the best thing to do is go to your local police station and for 6-12 dollars get a print out of local crime in the area where you wish to live and make a judgment for your self. The report will tell you everything from reported break ins for the past year to reported rapes and murder in the area. Its a great investment epically if you have a family. I have done it every time I decided it was time to move and has saved me a lot of trouble. If you are looking to move into an apartment, apartmentratings.com is a great site for upto date info on apartments. The posting are fom people who have lived in the apartments you search and are usually very honest. GOOD LUCK TO ALL HOUSE HUNTERS OUT THERE!!

[kkbzr]

I live in Farmington Hills, MI and my husband may have a job in grand rapids. we have two small children so schools and crime are a huge concern. Can anyone recommend a good place to look?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by kkbzr

I live in Farmington Hills, MI and my husband may have a job in grand rapids. we have two small children so schools and crime are a huge concern. Can anyone recommend a good place to look?

I would suggest starting a new thread laying out your wants and needs: price range, commute (where will your husband work), types of neighborhoods, school preferences, suburban vs. semi-urban, etc.. The more specific the better.

Just saying you want good schools and low crime could mean 80% of the metro area (this ain't Detroit we're talking about). Hope that helps.

[sweetiipie49525]

If you want to live more on the NW side, I would recommend Comstock Park area, it is about 10 mins. to downtown, close to shopping, and dining. The schools are pretty good and there is low crime. I see that someone asked about the Gardield park area, I wouldn't recommend moving there especially if you have a family. I work near Madison and burton and drive past Garfield Park daily, in the summer there are alot of people standing on corners, and I know not all of them are waiting for the bus, if you know what I mean. There are some street pharmacists around that area, and I am sure that crime comes along with that. As far as by Bridge street, by the zoo, parts of that area are really nice, but the closer you get to downtown the worse it gets. Some people call it the "Spanish Hood". Not sure about the crime there, but when I drive by it looks pretty run down. Trash all over the streets dirty diapers on the sidewalk, and yards not taken care of etc...It is hit and miss in that area, some blocks are really nice and some are really run down.