Grand Rapids vs Des Moines vs Madison which would you rather live in? (living, best)

[ColdAilment]

Grand Rapids Michigan
Des Moines Iowa
Madison Wisconsin

3 Midwest states with 3 medium sized cities.

Brighter future:
Crime:
Infrastructure:
Economy:
Nightlife:
Culture:
Restaurants:
Shopping:
Urban Living:
Scenery:
Best Overall:

[mjlo]

Only 1 Des Moines vote so far? I've only driven through Des Moines so I feel I can't really give an educated opinion on it. Though based everything I can tell it's doing really well. My impression and experiences with the other two I'd rate them the following:


Brighter future:

1. Madison
2. Des Moines/Grand Rapids

CrimeBased only on YTD murder totals)

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

Infrastructure:

1. Des Moines
2. Madison
3. Grand Rapids

Economy:

Tie

Nightlife:

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

Culture:

1. Madison
2. Des Moines/Grand Rapids

Restaurants:Couldn't say
Shopping:Couldn't say

Urban Living:

1. Grand Rapids
2. Madison
3. Des Moines

Scenery:

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

Best Overall:

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

I really don't think there's a lot of separation between these three. Madison benefits from being the state capital and seat of major flagship. Des Moines is a state capital/corporate center. Grand Rapids benefits from being home to a disproportionate number of billionaires. They have heavily invested in it to bring it to it's current status and momentum. Without them it would have easily been a distant 3rd in this poll.

[Maintainschaos]

Madison.

[projectmaximus]

I dont know any of em well but I'm going with Grand Rapids. I've long wanted to visit during ArtPrize so that's on my bucket list. Plus it is a good bit larger than the others.

I do think I would like Des Moines and Madison though so this is a bit of a tossup, especially considering how little I know about em.

[Turnerbro]

Brighter future: Probably Des Moines
Crime: Madison
Infrastructure: Madison
Economy: Des Moinse
Nightlife: Madison
Culture: Depends on what you're looking for
Restaurants: Des Moines
Shopping: Grand Rapids
Urban Living: Grand Rapids (Most walkable)
Scenery: Madison
Best Overall: Tossup between Des Moines and Madison. I'd lean towards Madison in part because I like its location better.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by mjlo

Only 1 Des Moines vote so far? I've only driven through Des Moines so I feel I can't really give an educated opinion on it. Though based everything I can tell it's doing really well. My impression and experiences with the other two I'd rate them the following:


Brighter future:

1. Madison
2. Des Moines/Grand Rapids

CrimeBased only on YTD murder totals)

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

Infrastructure:

1. Des Moines
2. Madison
3. Grand Rapids

Economy:

Tie

Nightlife:

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

Culture:

1. Madison
2. Des Moines/Grand Rapids

Restaurants:Couldn't say
Shopping:Couldn't say

Urban Living:

1. Grand Rapids
2. Madison
3. Des Moines

Scenery:

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

Best Overall:

1. Madison
2. Grand Rapids
3. Des Moines

I really don't think there's a lot of separation between these three. Madison benefits from being the state capital and seat of major flagship. Des Moines is a state capital/corporate center. Grand Rapids benefits from being home to a disproportionate number of billionaires. They have heavily invested in it to bring it to it's current status and momentum. Without them it would have easily been a distant 3rd in this poll.

I have only driven through Grand Rapids twice, and stopped there once, however I have heard about the amazing comeback and renaissance the city had on6the 90s and 00s I believe it was. It's only about 2 hours from me now, it's on my list of must visit Michigan cities, along with Ann Arbor Detroit and a few others. Madison I know is a very liberal bastion, I hear it is somewhat similar to Ann Arbor in how progressive it as, albeit significantly larger than Ann Arbor. Des Moines I know the least about, I continue to hear it punches above its weight for a city its size.

[rnc2mbfl]

Madison: Closer to major population centers, not on the lake effect snow side of Lake Michigan, and a major college town.

[mjlo]

Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl

Madison: Closer to major population centers, not on the lake effect snow side of Lake Michigan, and a major college town.

For not being on the lake effect side of Lk Michigan, Madison still averages 53 inches of snow a year. Grand Rapids 25 miles east of Lk Michigan averages 76 inches. The eastern edges of its metro area average 55-60 inches a year(lake shore cities can average 100-140inches a year). It really depends on where you are. Madison can see longer and more harsh periods of cold compared to Grand Rapids because it's on that side of the lake. The reverse of that is how cloudy GR can be during the winter. From a winter misery standpoint I think it's 6 of one, a half dozen of the other.

I'm a Grand Rapids homer so I obviously have bias. But I would choose Grand Rapids because of size, along with it's more accessible and urban core. Also it's location near the lakeshore and access to the north country are appealing to me. Grand Rapids doesn't have the benefit of being the seat of state government or the home to a major flagship university. The fact that it's doing so well in spite of this has been intriguing, and appealing to me since I moved here.

[HueysBack]

I've lived in Madison and spent lot's of time in Grand Rapids, less in Des Moines.

Brighter future: I would say Madison short-term, but I think it hits a ceiling much quicker than Grand Rapids. So GR.
Crime: Grand Rapids then Madison as of late
Infrastructure: Madison would win.
Economy: Grand Rapids with Madison in close second and and Des Moines not far behind, but again, Madison hits a ceiling sooner than the others.
Nightlife: Tie, all three are mediocre at best
Culture: Hmmm... that's hard to define. Toss up depending on who you are?
Restaurants: Grand Rapids, Des Moines, Madison
Shopping: Grand Rapids, Des Moines... Madison
Urban Living: Grand Rapids and Madison tie ... Des Moines
Scenery: Madison ... but Grand Rapids is close to the Gold Coast of Michigan which is amazing!

I'll add some more criteria:

People: Des Moines ... Grand Rapids ... Madison.
Housing: Des Moines ... Grand Rapids ......... Madison.
Climate: Des Moines ... Madison, Grand Rapids
Education: Des Moines (K-12), Madison (Higher Ed)
Cost of living: Grand Rapids/Des Moines tied ... Madison
Diversity: Grand Rapids, Des Moines, Madison

Best Overall: If you're a top earner in technology, gov't or higher ed, or a college student, then Madison. For most others, it's Grand Rapids then Des Moines then Madison.

[NDFan]

Grand Rapids, Madison, Des Moines