Need Good Bad and Ugly on EGR and Ada (Grand Rapids: sales, new home)

[toleahjoy]

Hello folks,
I am born and raised in NJ, as is my husband. For many reasons, we are seriously considering a relocation in the next two-three years to the Grand Rapids area. My brother-in-law (native MI) has suggested East Grand Rapids and Ada to us. Here are some questions I have for the forum:
-I know the job market isn't fantastic in MI, but how bad is bad? If my husband can't transfer with his company, how hard will it be for him to find an executive-level sales job based in Grand Rapids?
-Which town--ADa/EGR--has the best christian schools and churches?
-Is Ada in the sticks? How far is it to modern conveniences like malls? How would you describe the feel of EGR--is it city-like or is it suburbs with a nice-sized yard, etc. And which is better for people who are accustomed to living in a busy suburb?
-Is there any Italian population at all?
-Is there anywhere to get a decent bagel, pizza pie or california roll (kidding, sort of?
-for anyone who lived out East and then relocated to MI, what do you miss hte most?
Okay, thanks for your input! We are visiting in November and if you have any suggestions on things to see, please let me know that too.
Leah

[suydam]

Ada is a township suburb of Grand Rapids
EGR is a small city technically, but it's really an old-money suburb of Grand Rapids.
If you're coming from NJ, EGR will feel like Montclair. Ada will feel like the many forested suburban areas of NJ.

They're both small enough, as suburbs in the larger metro area, to provide what you need in terms of Churches. EGR is too small to have many, but it has a small non-denominational church (Keystone) and an active Episcopal (Grace Church) congregation.

Ada is bigger in land-size, so there are a few more churches (I don't live there, won't comment).

Both areas send kids to the main Christian school systems in the area. There is Grand Rapids Christian Schools and Grand Rapids Catholic Schools. They're both great, and either town would give you access to these systems.

You should search this board for reviews, I've posted several over the past few years.

In short, Ada is bigger lots (1-2 acres in many cases), new homes, suburban living.
EGR is smaller homes, smaller city lots, older money, there's a lake and a small downtown. The comparison to Montclair is the best I can do for you on that.

Italian - Not a huge population in metro GR but there are some folks around. I'm not of Italian descent so I cannot comment.

Bagel - No.
Pizza - Yes. Start at Big O Cafe in downtown Grand Rapids
Sushi - Yes. Sushi Kuni on 28th St at Breton. Tokyo Grill on Breton at 44th St are my favorites. I'm sure others have theirs.

I've always lived in Michigan but spent considerably time out east in NY and northern NJ. You'll miss the diversity of cultures, selection of ethnic food and for a short time you'll actually miss the faster pace.

If you live in Ada or EGR, you'll tell people you live "in Grand Rapids" as they are both part of the greater metro area. You will find that you like G.R, especially if you're raising a family.

Good luck!

[Jandur]

To respond to a few things...

Job Market: It's not as bad as other parts of MI, but it's not great either. Depending on what type of sales your husband is in, and his salary requirements, he should be able to find a job at some point. Since you aren't moving with a set timeframe, if he looks steadily over the next couple years it should work out at some point.

Churches/Schools: Not sure to be frank, I don't think there are any Christian schools actually within EGR itself, and I'm not sure about Ada either. Churches are everywhere though and regardless of where you live you will have plenty of options.

Ada: It's not the sticks by any means. It's more spread out, but you're still only 15-20 minutes from the mall and 20-30 minutes from downtown.

Italians: There are still some small pockets of Italians, or at least of Italian descent. Most of them live on the NW side of GR though.

Food: Grand Rapids in general has pretty good food. I'm from and live in Chicago now, but I lived in GR for 7 years and there is a good selection, even of pizza.

GR is a good place, it's affordable and so on. The biggest obstacle will be simply finding the right job.

[michigan83]

Churches/Schools: Not sure to be frank, I don't think there are any Christian schools actually within EGR itself, and I'm not sure about Ada either. Churches are everywhere though and regardless of where you live you will have plenty of options.

There is a Christian K-8 school very close to the the village of Ada (Ada Christian School.) Ada Christian School
After 8th grade there are a bunch of Christian high schools in the area to choose from if you wanted to continue down the private school path.

Grand Rapids Christian Schools are not in East Grand Rapids, but they are very close and would probably be your best bet. The elementary, middle school and high school are all located within the Grand Rapids city limits, but are all within a couple of miles of EGR: Grand Rapids Christian Schools - GRCS Home Page

Keep in mind that these schools are all geared towards reformed Protestantism, which is very strongly represented in the Grand Rapids area.

If you are looking for more of a Catholic environment, you should have plenty of options there too, although I don't know as much about where those schools are located. Catholic Central High School is the closest Catholic high school to both East GR and Ada. There are also Catholic schools for the younger grades scattered all over the area. You might want to go here to investigate more: Schools (http://www.dioceseofgrandrapids.org/OUR_DIOCESE/SCHOOLS/Pages/Schools.aspx - broken link)

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by Jandur

Churches/Schools: Not sure to be frank, I don't think there are any Christian schools actually within EGR itself, and I'm not sure about Ada either. Churches are everywhere though and regardless of where you live you will have plenty of options.

Since one of the huge draws for EGR is the school district, a lot of people don't really see the point in buying there and then sending their kids private when you could save a whole bunch of money by buying in a perfectly nice EGR-adjacent part of Grand Rapids (old Ottawa Hills, Michigan Oaks) if local public schools aren't in the plans for you.

There's also Northpointe Christian out thataway towards Meijer Gardens- roots in the Baptist church, but changed its name a ways back to try to seem less sectarian and draw from other Christian denominations.

[suydam]

Beachmouse is correct. Most people who buy in EGR do so for the school system. Not everyone though. We have several friends who bought near us for the neighborhoods, walkability, and the perceived (by them.... I make no comment) stability of property values in a high-performing school district.

Truthfully, the same can be said for Ada. Much of the reason people choose to live there is the great school system (Forest Hills Public Schools), hence the dearth of Christian High Schools in Ada, Cascade and EGR.

[magellan]

Pizza - Big Bog's, Vitale's, Big O's

Bagel - Bagel Beanery and Big Apple Bagel aren't bad.

California Roll - Rockwells/Republic downtown GR has great sushi.

"Ada" defines an area that is about 75 square miles or more of suburban and rural area. There is a "downtown" Ada that is cute, but it has very few homes. Some of Ada is very close to amenities, other parts are 20 minutes of country driving just to reach the East Beltline. And sometimes brutal driving in the winter when country roads are icy/snow-covered.

Ada Christian School is a big, fairly new school in Ada.

To be honest, if I was committed to sending my kids to Christian schools, I'd look at the city of Grand Rapids, East side. Lower taxes and lower home prices than EGR and you get the walkability/city vibe.

[toleahjoy]

Wow, this is fantastic information everyone. Thank you. It sounds like EGR is most what we'd be accustomed to, if it does indeed have a 'Monclair' vibe. So, Grand Rapids Christian School is the largest Christian school (or the only one with a high school)? I'm curious about Grand Rapids, East Side, magellan. Is there a specific district I can look up on realtor.com? How does this area compare to EGR as far as safety and neighborhood stability? To be honest, MI home prices are so reasonable compared to the outrageous prices in NJ that EGR seems like a bargain to us. And what are taxes in EGR for an average sized home? We pay nearly 8K here for a pretty small house!

[michigan83]

So, Grand Rapids Christian School is the largest Christian school (or the only one with a high school)?

I only brought up Grand Rapids Christian because those schools are closest in proximity to East Grand Rapids. I think it also happens to be the largest Christian high school in the area (around 1000 students in grades 9-12), but there are actually lots of Christian high schools in the area to choose from. Here is a list of a few off of the top of my head that I can think of:

Northpointe Christian Schools: NorthPointe Christian Schools - Home
South Christian High School: South Christian High School
Calvin Christian High School: Calvin Chr. School Association - Home (http://calvinchr.org/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1 - broken link)
Tri-Unity Christian School: TCS

[magellan]

Originally Posted by toleahjoy

Wow, this is fantastic information everyone. Thank you. It sounds like EGR is most what we'd be accustomed to, if it does indeed have a 'Monclair' vibe. So, Grand Rapids Christian School is the largest Christian school (or the only one with a high school)? I'm curious about Grand Rapids, East Side, magellan. Is there a specific district I can look up on realtor.com? How does this area compare to EGR as far as safety and neighborhood stability? To be honest, MI home prices are so reasonable compared to the outrageous prices in NJ that EGR seems like a bargain to us. And what are taxes in EGR for an average sized home? We pay nearly 8K here for a pretty small house!

That's tough, because there's no real way to differentiate those parts of Grand Rapids on realtor.com. There are some beautiful areas between East Grand Rapids and Eastown though that are gorgeous. Actually, come to think of it, the area called Ottawa Hills (not the High School by the same name) has a brand new Christian school right in the middle of it.

ottawa hills grand rapids - Google Maps