Are you happy to live in Grand Rapids? (Detroit, Kalamazoo: condos, houses)

[geeram]

Looking to move to Zeeland (20 miles west of GR) in the fall if a job offer goes through. We are DINKs currently living in the DC metro area. So far all the negatives listed about GR don't really bother or affect us, but we have only one real concern - Can someone comment about restaurants/groceries? Will we still be able to get fresh avocados, cilantro, plantains? How about go out for Thai or Vietnamese or Indian food?

I've only lived in rural KY and SF and DC, so I haven't experienced the "in between" that GR represents. I know in KY a lot of those things were not available easily.

Also, I try to research as best I can, but I'd rather hear word of mouth. Here in DC the average 2 BR apt is about 1400/mo. How does that compare to GR and its suburbs?

Any specific comments about Zeeland and surrounding area?

[mackinac81]

Looking to move to Zeeland (20 miles west of GR) in the fall if a job offer goes through. We are DINKs currently living in the DC metro area. So far all the negatives listed about GR don't really bother or affect us, but we have only one real concern - Can someone comment about restaurants/groceries? Will we still be able to get fresh avocados, cilantro, plantains? How about go out for Thai or Vietnamese or Indian food?

Also, I try to research as best I can, but I'd rather hear word of mouth. Here in DC the average 2 BR apt is about 1400/mo. How does that compare to GR and its suburbs?

Any specific comments about Zeeland and surrounding area?

There are plenty of Thai and Indian restaurants, but not so much vietnamese. (all in GR, not Zeeland) And don't worry, you'll have NO problems finding fresh groceries. You should probably be fine with diverse food options. We have a lot of good chains (Meijer! Yay!) that carry everything you mentioned and more. My two bedroom apartment is just over $700 per month (I live ten miles south of the city)

As for Zeeland itself? Very Dutch, quite religious, and conservative. (They JUST legalized the sale of alcohol in November!) There's a little industry, but it's also surrounded by Iowa-esque farmland. It's a nice small town with good schools. They're community oriented, good people, like most of the people in rural West Michigan. And, you're only fifteen miles from Lake Michigan, which is just awesome. It's not the ocean, but it's just really neat and picturesque.

I for one love the area. I have everything I need in a city, without the grotesque sprawl of larger Metro areas. Plus I get countryside, forests, farms (read: Fresh food) AND a huge inland sea to swim in every summer. And it's all in less than an hour's drive from my home. I couldn't ask for much better than this.

Good luck on your job search! Hope you make it here!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by geeram

Looking to move to Zeeland (20 miles west of GR) in the fall if a job offer goes through. We are DINKs currently living in the DC metro area. So far all the negatives listed about GR don't really bother or affect us, but we have only one real concern - Can someone comment about restaurants/groceries? Will we still be able to get fresh avocados, cilantro, plantains? How about go out for Thai or Vietnamese or Indian food?

I've only lived in rural KY and SF and DC, so I haven't experienced the "in between" that GR represents. I know in KY a lot of those things were not available easily.

Also, I try to research as best I can, but I'd rather hear word of mouth. Here in DC the average 2 BR apt is about 1400/mo. How does that compare to GR and its suburbs?

Any specific comments about Zeeland and surrounding area?

There is a large Hispanic population in the Holland area, with some great authentic Mexican restaurants and a few Mexican grocery stores. Authentic Asian might be a bit harder to find in that area, except for your average selection of Chinese restaurants. Maybe a native Hollander might help in that regard. The best area for Asian foods in West Michigan seems to be along S. Division South of 28th Street (in Grand Rapids).

[jessy'smom]

My daughter is moving from South Texas to Grand Rapids, MI next January.
She will be going to college and hopefully be gainfully employed.
Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated regarding, apartment location, safety, and she has never lived north of Austin, TX.

[kimba01]

Originally Posted by mackinac81

Um....the Great Lakes are a pretty significant feature, about as much as Mt. McKinley in AK. Speaking of, Alaska isn't on the way anywhere either--with even fewer big cities.

What I mean is that the mentality that says "if only I moved to __________ my problems would be solved" is foolish. People are only as happy as they choose to be, more or less. If someone prefers another place, then that's great, but that will not be the ultimate source of their happiness. As for me, I've traveled through over half the 50 states, most of europe and a good deal of Canada. And after all that traveling, I always come back to liking Michigan. I love it here for lots of reasons, but if I had to move to Arizona I wouldn't be super depressed. I'd find a way to be happy in AZ (while trying to move back here)

And about companies not wanting to relocate to a place that has horrible weather...how would you explain Canada, or better yet, Chicago, both of which have winters every bit as (if not more) harsh than MI. Believe it or not, some people don't mind winter, or even like it (though it's a definite minority.)

Thanks for the post, but I still stand by what I said.

Love the attitude!! Reps from me!

[suydam]

Originally Posted by jessy'smom

My daughter is moving from South Texas to Grand Rapids, MI next January.
She will be going to college and hopefully be gainfully employed.
Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated regarding, apartment location, safety, and she has never lived north of Austin, TX.

I bolded part of your quote.

She's moving in January. It'll be dark and cold. Bring a coat, winter hat, gloves and some sweaters. Even for lifers, January is cold here. If you've never lived north of Austin, TX January is going to be really cold.

If she's in college, have her talk to her advisor. They can help her find a location that is close to other college kids and they'll have good information about safety.

She'll need a car most likely. Make sure you line one up. If she's never driven in snow, front-wheel-drive is a must, all-wheel-drive is even better. Anti-lock-breaks really help new snow-drivers too. Your daughter will be driving in snow. It's not that bad, but takes a little getting used to.

Grand Rapids is a pretty "standard" mid-sized city. It's not very similar to Detroit, so make sure you're looking at information about Grand Rapids or "West Michigan" when researching culture, etc. for the area.

If this is your first child to go to school, make sure you send her with things to remind her of home. January is a rough time to move to Michigan (it's cloudy a lot of the time) and recently moved-from-home college kids are prone to home-sickness.

Good luck! I went to college in West Michigan and decided I liked it enough to stay when I graduated. Perhaps your daughter will find the same thing.

[mackinac81]

Love the attitude!! Reps from me!

Hey, thanks! Anything to promote my home state!

[toejamfootball]

go to Abacus Chinese Buffet on 28th street, I know its not authentic but that place is sooo good. I crave still and I am in Arizona.

[somuchbetter]

I LOVE Grand Rapids. 3 hours from Detroit, Chicago, and Traverse City. Close to the beach. (Grand Haven and Holland are GREAT) And I agree with you, Meijer is WAY BETTER than stupid Wal-Mart. I still like to buy local either way, but anyway...

I moved to Raleigh recently for school and I would love to go back to GR and live there forever.

The best thing about Grand Rapids are its hidden gems, and all of the festivals and celebrations that go on throughout the year. If you like music, there are a ton of outdoor free concerts. Plus, there are a ton of different types of housing available at a reasonable price.

I love the big city feel but at a small town price. Grand Rapids has a fairly strong community.

I can't stand it when people tell me there isn't anything to do in Grand Rapids. I can think of 30 things off the top of my head without thinking about it.

Nightlife (not JUST bars) is always happening. You just need to do your research. Yes there are a lot of bars around, but there is the Van Andel Museum which has a night laser light show which is fun, there's a drive-in theater in Muskegon (kind of a drive), and late-night restuarants and coffee houses.

National draw for GR? I like the fact that the sports teams here are small and local. We aren't a huge city, and that's what people like about GR. Plus, the Wings sometimes have players playing for the Griffins, and that's always fun and interesting to watch.

The weather is nice in the summer, not too hot. The winters can be a drag through February, but its very charming for the holidays and ice skating! As kids, we always used to make ice rinks in our backyard.

And why stay in Michigan? Because there IS culture here and it IS growing. Grand Rapids isn't that diverse, but its getting there. The community aspect is strong, and very welcoming.

The outer parts of GR are nice too. Plainfield is nice in the fall, Byron Center is a nice country-type area with modern conveniences, and Grand Haven and Holland are great beach towns. I used to live in Jenison, and the school system there is very good.

By the way, the river, is disgusting. Its too bad, because back in the early 1900's it was considered very beautiful.

My only gripe is the snow and of course, the jobs. Oh, and northerners are definitely not as polite as the southerners down here.

[actinic]

Just moved to GR from Arizona and LOVE it, much better than where I came from.

For those of you looking for things to do when here, check it out ...

GRNow :: Grand Rapids Michigan's local restaurant, event, real estate and entertainment guide.