West Grand (Grand Rapids, Allendale, Allen: apartment, crime, neighborhood)

[psyche]

Hey everyone! I'm relocated to Grand Rapids (from NY) within the next month and I found a really nice apartment - I'm just not so sure about the neighborhood. It's in West Grand around the intersection of 11th and Tamarack. Any comments about the neighborhood? (I lived in NYC for a while, so I'm not squeamish, I just want it to be safe and not have my car broken into.)

I'm in an awkward situation because ideally I need to find my apartment before I get to grand rapids and while I would prefer downtown or Heritage Hill - I'm having a bit of trouble getting straight answers from landlords I'm contacting. (For the record, I'll be working way out in Allendale, so I'll have a commute no matter what.)

[enigmaingr]

That area is okay. When it comes to the west side, the further away from the river you live the better.

Coming from NYC though, you could live in the most ghetto part of GR and consider it paradise. There is very little random crime here. Unless you plan on becoming a drug dealer or a gang member, you'll be fine.

True story: I completed an internship with two guys from out-of-state. They moved here blindly for the internship and ended up in an apartment in the Baxter neighborhood, a couple of doors down from a local gang house. They kept to themselves and had absolutely zero trouble the whole summer. If they can be okay in that neighborhood, you'll be fine there.

If you'd still like to look around for a place, I'd suggest searching through some of the property management firms in the area.