Grand Rapids a good fit?

[beachmouse]

Ada is trying to build the cute little downtown area but it’s still mostly suburban and the housing options under $400k are pretty limited.

If you’re not ethnically Dutch and a member of the Christian Reformed Church, the Jenison/Hudsonville/Zeeland area can be tough to get into. It can still be pretty insular- parts of my Mom’s side of the family live out there and she still feels like their neighbors have attitude about her because she married a Polish Catholic.

[michigan lizard]

Originally Posted by Tardigrade1

Yes, we'd most likely be commuting to GR if we live outside the city, as that particular parish has a Sunday Latin Mass! It's good to know about other options for daily Mass etc, however!

The forest preschool that we found is in Ada -- so would be a bit of a longer commute from western communities. If the area has a walkable downtown that's (ideally) within biking distance, with more of a suburban-but-still-walking-distance-to-parks feel in the immediate area, that'd be great for us also. We're looking at Rockford, Lowell, Jenison/Hudsonville as well as some of the more easterly city neighborhoods (Eastown, Fulton Heights, Eastgate, Ottawa Heights)... really we're not too picky as long as we're not isolated from neighbors and can remain physically active within our neighborhood (and there are some cute shops/restaurants nearby, maybe in a local downtown or within GR itself).

I think you're on the right track. It can take 1/2 hour or longer to travel from one side of GR to the other, and you don't want too long of a drive to preschool. I'd check Google maps during the times you'd be traveling different routes to the preschool to get an idea of your drive time.

[michigan lizard]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Ada is trying to build the cute little downtown area but it’s still mostly suburban and the housing options under $400k are pretty limited.

If you’re not ethnically Dutch and a member of the Christian Reformed Church, the Jenison/Hudsonville/Zeeland area can be tough to get into. It can still be pretty insular- parts of my Mom’s side of the family live out there and she still feels like their neighbors have attitude about her because she married a Polish Catholic.

Hey, what's wrong with a Polish Catholic?
(I married a 1/2 Dutch guy, but not CRC)

[Tardigrade1]

If you’re not ethnically Dutch and a member of the Christian Reformed Church, the Jenison/Hudsonville/Zeeland area can be tough to get into. It can still be pretty insular- parts of my Mom’s side of the family live out there and she still feels like their neighbors have attitude about her because she married a Polish Catholic.

Yikes! We'll keep this in mind -- we are English/Irish Catholics but really get along with everyone However, we would like to join a community that our family can integrate into and make good friends with everybody.

We've been exploring the area more and are actually really liking Lowell -- it's probably our favorite of the places we've looked at so far, and the location is great for what we need (plus my husband has a good friend there who's been quite persuasive ). Ada is awesome but a bit above our budget generally. We also really like Rockford/Cedar Springs. I think all of those places have a nice blend of some limited walkability in the downtown area combined with a conservative/hometown feel and lots of nature opportunities. My husband is getting more and more interested in some acreage (he grew up with backyard chickens and loves them) and says he'd be willing to go up to $400k if the property is in a good area and has an acre+, so that may expand our options a bit.

We're definitely aware of the well water issue though -- I talked to the city managers in Rockford and Lowell proper and they said they may be able to hook up outlying properties to municipal upon request (depending on the property), but I'm still waiting to hear from Lowell Township. Our realtor has ironclad rules around sales involving well water and has told us that the seller must take responsibility for having well water rigorously tested/remediated prior to sale, but we're still jumpy about the issue. Anyone have experience trying to get a property on public water, or dealing with filtration?

You guys are all so helpful, thank you so much!! We're really appreciating the input!

[aislinn00]

I would definitely consider GR! Grand Rapids is very up and coming, some places say in 10 years it will be looking more like Chicago haha. East Grand Rapids is a very nice area, a little more pricy but doable. Grandville is a really nice area. I am a local realtor, so let me know if you have any questions!

[GrandRapidsNative]

I would lean towards Rockford for the running/biking trails and the rogue river for kayaking and canoeing. There are several trails to use and one even grooms the trail in the Winter for fat biking. The local ski hill (Cannonsburg Ski area) also has a wonderful following in the Summer with its Taco Tuesday events where many bikers and trail
Runners come from all over West Michigan to hit the trails then gather with like minded people. Of course the Ski hill is nice to snowboard and ski on in the Winter as well.

Most Neighborhoods in Greater Grand Rapids area will have some availability with homes in tour price range with a few exceptions. The housing market is tough for buyers and will continue to be that way for the next few months to year. (I never project my housing market opinion longer than that) Multiple offers are the norm and in my opinion the market will be crazy next Spring as well. Get yourself an experienced agent to guide you on that.

As far as acceptance, i find All of Grand Rapids accepting. I am sure you will find a few friends rather easily. I can’t speak from experience about Family activities since I dont have young kids but I observe Families exploring at Museums, Parks, beaches, biking/hiking trails, rails to trails, snow sledding hills, camping areas, lakes and ponds for swimming, fishing & boating. Ski hills….There are a ton of activies to explore and have fun with here within a 30 minute commute.

If you do move here, come say hi at Taco Tuesday at the Ski Hill. Hopefully this was helpful.

Oh one other thing. In response to the Well water in Rockford. Yes. Its a thing. I have been telling all homebuyers to get a water purification system no matter where they are when it comes to well water. Sadly PFAS and PFOA is not just a Rockford thing. Its found throughout the nation now. Rockford brought awareness to it. Also its really sad the amount of things we test for in a well at the time of sale. A well test only needs to have a small few things to have it pass. But this is from an opinion from a guy who has a Reverse Osmosis system on his city water also. So there is that. I guess i just like having clean water.

[mercury12]

So many contradictions. It’s hard to find a thriving art scene in a conservative environment. Small town, yet walkable with urban amenities. Why not just stay in in a further out Chicago suburb.