Holland Michigan (Grand Rapids, Atlanta: mcmansions, travel, income)

[chef3430]

Can anyone give me some info on Holland as far as racial mix, housing etc..?

[michiganmoon]

Originally Posted by chef3430

Can anyone give me some info on Holland as far as racial mix, housing etc..?

There is a growing Hispanic community. I've heard that 50% of the people under the agoe of 18 are Hispanic. There is a strong Dutch presence in the area as well, hence Holland. There are very nice areas of Holland, especially near the Lake, and some run down areas. A very good mix in both regards.

[allbusiness]

Housing stock in the central city is aging and some of it is deteriorating, turning into rental houses, etc. However, the majority of homes inside the city are beautiful and affordable. Outside the city, there also is a mix of "good and bad"-- but with a lot more of the two-acre McMansions, etc.

If affordability is important, there are lots of good options as it is truly a buyer's market right now.

The racial mix -- which didn't exist 30 years ago -- is complete. You will find people from all races, all ages and all walks of life in Holland these days. It truly is a diverse city, with many of the challenges inherent to that type of change.

And, if you're really a "chef" there are a lot of great new restaurants if you're looking for a job.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by michiganmoon

There is a growing Hispanic community. I've heard that 50% of the people under the agoe of 18 are Hispanic. There is a strong Dutch presence in the area as well, hence Holland. There are very nice areas of Holland, especially near the Lake, and some run down areas. A very good mix in both regards.

I could tell there was a Dutch presence. The name "Holland" kind of gave it away. That and I have read about it's lovely Tulip Festival.
As far as the racial mix goes, I wonder who everyone gets along, white, black, hispanic, asian, the whole mix?

[allbusiness]

On a professional and business level, very well. On a neighborhood level, it sort of depends on where you live. There area areas (mostly low income areas) where assumptions are made about people that aren't necessarily true. I think it comes down to behavior patterns, values and how you takle care of your property much more than race. It's always easy to point to skin color as a major factor, but in my experience, it's "the content of a persons character" that matters to most people.

Sadly the typical "gang activity" that many mid-size towns have to deal with is almost entirely by Hispanic or Asian gangs, which causes a lot of life-long Hollanders to judge the rest of the race based on the action of the few.

Anyway, enough rambling. Racism is everywhere. But Holland is changing and adapting as well as can be expected.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by allbusiness

On a professional and business level, very well. On a neighborhood level, it sort of depends on where you live. There area areas (mostly low income areas) where assumptions are made about people that aren't necessarily true. I think it comes down to behavior patterns, values and how you takle care of your property much more than race. It's always easy to point to skin color as a major factor, but in my experience, it's "the content of a persons character" that matters to most people.

Sadly the typical "gang activity" that many mid-size towns have to deal with is almost entirely by Hispanic or Asian gangs, which causes a lot of life-long Hollanders to judge the rest of the race based on the action of the few.

Anyway, enough rambling. Racism is everywhere. But Holland is changing and adapting as well as can be expected.

Holland doesn't sound horrible. I asked because my father had a job opportunity back in the 1990's for an engineering job in Holland(or Grand Rapids), but took another job instead. I was 8 years old back then and I wonder what life would have been like being a black child in Holland,MI. No regrets, just a road not traveled thought.
You have a point. Racism is everywhere. The difference between MI and GA is the economy. Most of Michigan went through economic horrors during the wake of the Rust Belt while Atlanta prospered. While crime and racial prejudice exist i both places, the loss of jobs resulted in alot of people(black and white) to leave. Bad economy makes everything else seem really bad. Georgia's economy didn't go so badly, so whatever racial tensions there were made hidden and imperceptible by a good economy.