Apartments In Downtown (Grand Rapids, Monroe, East Grand Rapids: section 8, apartment complex, condo)

[hysty]

Is downtown a good/safe place to live. I have come across some apartment complex like Plaza Tower apartments and The Gallery apartments. Are they safe options if you want to be as close to the hospitals as possible ?

Thanks everyone

[suydam]

Yes. Downtown is a safe place to live. If your goal is proximity to Spectrum Butterworth or St. Mary's I think downtown is a great option!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by hysty

Is downtown a good/safe place to live. I have come across some apartment complex like Plaza Tower apartments and The Gallery apartments. Are they safe options if you want to be as close to the hospitals as possible ?

Thanks everyone

The only real "problems" that occur downtown are when the bars let out at 2am, when all the ruralites from Sparta and Dorr can't handle their liquor.

[redgoast]

Yeah it's safe. You'll still need to travel outside of downtown to grocery shop and things. It's not a place where you can live comfortably without a car like some cities. Heritage Hill is another neighborhood just East of downtown that is also very close to medical mile and the hospitals. I live in HH, I was at St. Mary's yesterday it was a two minute drive from my home.

[Jandur]

Originally Posted by magellan

The only real "problems" that occur downtown are when the bars let out at 2am, when all the ruralites from Sparta and Dorr can't handle their liquor.

Haha this is so true. Stand outside McFaddens for 10 minutes outside of close and you're guaranteed to see a sloppy fight.

To the OP, I lived downtown for 3-4 years and never had the slightest problem. Statistically it's one of the safest parts of GR. There are some crazy people that live in a section 8 building on Monroe Center, but they are generally harmless and the police station is literally right across the street from it.

Like Redgoast said you can't be totally car-less in GR from a practical standpoint, but there were plenty of weekends where I never touched my car and just walked everywhere.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by Jandur

There are some crazy people that live in a section 8 building on Monroe Center, but they are generally harmless and the police station is literally right across the street from it.

Are you referring to Morton House?

[hysty]

Thanks everyone. I do have car and don't mind to go out for grocery shopping or other stuff even if it is a little far off. My main concern is safety and proximity to the medical mile. I don't want to drive more than 2-3 mins to work at 4am in the morning.

If you compare Heritage Hill/East Grand Rapids/Downtown which one is the most safe and closest to the hospitals. I have narrowed down these three options so far. Please let me know IF there are any other options.

Thanks

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Jandur

Haha this is so true. Stand outside McFaddens for 10 minutes outside of close and you're guaranteed to see a sloppy fight.

To the OP, I lived downtown for 3-4 years and never had the slightest problem. Statistically it's one of the safest parts of GR. There are some crazy people that live in a section 8 building on Monroe Center, but they are generally harmless and the police station is literally right across the street from it.

Like Redgoast said you can't be totally car-less in GR from a practical standpoint, but there were plenty of weekends where I never touched my car and just walked everywhere.

They closed that building and evicted all the renters. The new owners are looking at renovating it.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by magellan

They closed that building and evicted all the renters. The new owners are looking at renovating it.

Yep, unless you live in/around Grand Rapids it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything happening lately.

New brewery just opened: Long-awaited Harmony Brewing Company opens with 'more than a hint of whimsy' in Eastown (photos) | MLive.com

[redgoast]

Originally Posted by hysty

Thanks everyone. I do have car and don't mind to go out for grocery shopping or other stuff even if it is a little far off. My main concern is safety and proximity to the medical mile. I don't want to drive more than 2-3 mins to work at 4am in the morning.

If you compare Heritage Hill/East Grand Rapids/Downtown which one is the most safe and closest to the hospitals. I have narrowed down these three options so far. Please let me know IF there are any other options.

Thanks

East grand rapids is further away then the other two. both HH and downtown are safe and close to the hospitals. if you live downtown it's probably a 2-3 minute drive to medical mile.. if you live in HH (depending on which street) it could be a 5-6 minute walk.

We (my wife and i) lived on the corner of lafayette and lyon and i could walk to the hospital in about 5 minutes. On that corner i often saw people in scrubs walking to and from work. When we left that apartment, it was rented to medical students.

Both are close and safe.. do you want to live in a city center in a condo or do you want to live in a victorian style building in a neighborhood? Those are really the only questions you have to ask yourself. either way make sure you have parking included with your place.

I live in HH, i almost never go anywhere other than downtown, EGR, or HH. and as such I fill my gas tank once a month at most. I work downtown and get groceries right up the road at the family fare..... I do have to go to 28th street for cat food, and other crap though... but everyone does. sometimes i go out to meijer on beltline... but its rare. The extra cost of family fare is worth the convenience for me, plus they have better quality meat then meijer.