10 things to consider before MOVING to GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN 

I’d believe that! Thanks for your comment….😊⭐️👍🏻

I miss that city. From November of 1998 to November of 2000, I lived at 15 Lexington Ave NW. I didn't like it in the beginning only because it was unfamiliar. After I learned where everything was, it felt like home. It's been 23 years and the GM plant where I was contracted has since closed and the apartment building I lived in is no longer there.

I left and its the best decision I've ever made.

​@@ChrisRJ I left in 2001 and I said the same thing

Or you’re like me. I moved from Kalamazoo to GR, but I came back to Kzoo area. You get the benefit of our downtown mall and traffic ain’t that bad.

Yes, GR is another great city. Any others you’d recommend?

@@ShouldWeLiveHere How much time do you have? Just made my 20th move (to Detroit!) in November! Top recommendations still remain NOLA and Panama City, Panama! Cheers!

What's the course that you had attended in GVSU?

u are insane gr police force is so corrupt we still have the officer that shot a man dead in cold blood for not getting out of a car working for the force he was never fired and the family has yet to be compensated for any of this

@@user-yj9yo9vx9m I don't judge any city by one event of any kind. only stupid people don't listen to a cop when they order you to get out of a car.

@user-yj9yo9vx9m GR Police been so corrupt since early 2000s, back in 2004, two GR officers brutally beat up my friend's little brother and his Disabled Mom and never was fired, both of them left GR afterwards and never looked back. Now about a week ago, KENTWOOD Police Unmarked car ran over and killed an Black teen. GR is still not a friendly city for Black's, I'm sorry it's why I left to Chicago in 2001 and I still ain't looking back.

I do like Holland and Grand Haven as well. Thanks for the comment!

Is the weather same in Grand Haven/Holland?

Agread, anywhere is better than the leftist dump of Grand Rapids,

This is good advice this man knows what he is talking about. Grand Rapids is a leftist dump that you do not want anything to do with unless you are fat with green hair steer clear.

I am North of Grand Rapids, was born and raised in Grand Rapids. I love this country living and driving through farmlands. Not much for city life anymore. Been in Sand Lake (near Cedar Springs) for 17 years. Our village closes for a week in July for 4th of July events, with carnival. We have many of lakes for fishing, swimming etc. I love driving North. However, we do come through your way in the summers driving the lakeshore.

Thanks for your comment! Glad you’re loving GR😃👍🏻

Nice. Should i move here as a young professional?

@@moizesbrando Definitely. You’d really enjoy living in Grand Rapids.😊👍🏻

@@moizesbrando yes!

I know who you are

A couple of my friends got their cars stolen on Christmas in the DAYTIME!!!! NOT SAFE

Low crime rate huh?

I agree things happen from time to time but that’s anywhere you go. All it takes is a good google search to find out that the crime is lower per capita in Grand Rapids compared to cities the same size.

@@anthonyhampton2991the first result on google search shows it being one of the most dangerous cities to live in. “Safer than 5% of US cities”

@zsuzsibumgarner2522 My Cousin's car got stolen at Muskegon on Mother's Day and she just had her 2nd newborn a week prior to it.

Thanks for your local insight. 😃

It's because the rents have doubled since the ban on evictions lifted during covid but no one is doing anything to get it into controll. The City commissioners have talked about it for years and years yet do nothing. There's Housing Programs but they have not accepted any applications since 2019. A city is never great if it oppresses and discards the most financially vulnerable citizens.

@@audreycampbell9483 its not because of anything rent related its because they dont wanna work. homeless are increasing in numbers everywhere because of government assisted living they dont think they need to work so they dont work.

@@user-yj9yo9vx9m you're ignorant and rude. They haven't had Section 8 housing available since 2019. The programs they do have barely house anyone. How can you get a job if you can't take a shower? How can you get a job if you don't have anywhere to put your belongings? How can you get a job if you don't have transportation? How can you get a job if you don't have a cell phone? How can you get a job if you're sick or old or mentally ill?

Yes, the cold overcast days during the winter are definitely hard to get through year after year. Where did you end up? Hopefully somewhere warmer.

Florida. Love the sunshine state so far.

It's why I live at Chicago, their winter months is little shorter by Month and a half

I love Mad Kap, Common Ground, Bitter End Coffee shops.

Grand Rapids will certainly be more affordable!

def havent been here long enough then

​@ShouldWeLiveHere Too Cold 🥶 !!!

Thanks for your comments. Interesting….

I just visited downtown GR this summer. I have no idea why you say downtown isn't walkable! I covered both sides of the river and enjoyed seeing all of the new developments and changes since the last time I was there. So I had to walk under US 131 for a short distance. That didn't bother me and I'm a 67 year old woman. I also live in Colorado at nearly 6000'. Walking up the Medical Mile hill didn't bother me either. Does it bother you?? Btw, so what do you call all of the arts and cultural events that occur downtown, not to mention the sporting events and outdoor festivals and museums? Just drinking venues?

Oh brother. What city are you comparing GR's downtown to? New York? Chicago? Downtown GR has been designed specifically to be a walking city - and it has been very successful. What does downtown Grand Rapids have to offer - within say, 1/2 mile of ground zero? Several large parks. Four major museums. A 15,000 seat sports arena that is the most profitable in the country. Three universities. Scenic overlooks. Three separate nationally recognized historical neighborhoods, Over 100 restaurants and pubs, taverns and bars. If your issue is bars in general, Grand Rapids also has more churches per capital than any midsized city in the US. If you're a ship captain upset that you can't get your cruise ship up the Grand River, keep in mind that will change for smaller boats when the multi-million dollar project to return the "rapids" to Grand Rapids makes GR a major stop on the collegiate whitewater kayaking tour. (Yeah, it's a thing). Also ready to break ground is a 18,000 seat outdoor concert venue on the riverbank. I'm probably wasting my time telling you this. I think your review of Waikiki Beach would probably read: "Why would anyone go here? It's always too hot! Parking costs a fortune. Couldn't find a 4-star hotel with suites available under $200. Price gouging! Sexist city forces women who can't afford a real skirt dance wearing grass skirts for wealthy tourists! I hate steel guitar! No one told us there were man-eating sharks everywhere until we were already there! Scam! And the kicker: There's a volcano here that could kill everyone at any moment!" HA! :D. Try really hard to enjoy GR. It's cheaper than Hawaii.

The Michigan/Bridge and Pearl st highway crossings are about a 5 min walk apart and they are nearly the ends of downtown north and south. It's not a very big downtown - a Lot of the nice things that aren't bars aren't right downtown, but what do you expect from a place thats known as a beer capital, and is locked into cold, gray winter for 4 or 5 months every year?Obviously you're free to have your opinion, but I think you're in the minority.

@@GoGreen1977 its not walkable because of the wannabe gangbangers insane number of homeless and corrupt cops as well as an insanely high amount of convicts on the run we had a cop literally shoot a guy in cold blood for not getting out of a car and he still works downtown gr with the force. totally a good city tho ive only lived here my entire life and walked home on the streets for 2 years but what do i know.

Yes, you bring up many of the great reasons to move to Grand Rapids for sure! I was just reading too that it will be a climate haven in the future what with the Great Lakes nearby…😊👍🏻

You had me at the first paragraph but lost me in the last two.

the unemployment in gr and homeless is at an all time high actually because of government assisted living people think they dont have to work anymore

Job Market at GR was a different Story 20 years ago especially for African Americans. I disagree with "EASY" part

Thanks for watching!

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@@ShouldWeLiveHere come live here and find out lol I grew up walking these streets going to GVSU and GRCC. Perhaps, since you’re likely not from here, your research is very much based on a few, specific income brackets. Also, living here…you’ll probably visit the Meyer May house ONE time and is not a regular feature to mention when it comes to living here. This whole video is super patronizing 😂 Also, the “hip” factor is probably the most annoying feature lol

I agree. I miss the old days when I lived there. I don't miss what it has turned into today.

Back in the 90s it wasn't

@@knightclassic1 Sure was. I didn't have any issues. Nots as safe as the 70's and 80's but it was safe. Today, well, I avoid GR.

Yes, Grand Rapids is a great city…what do you love about it exactly? Thanks!✌🏻

Thanks for the comment, and for watching. Too bad you got priced out of living in Grand Rapids….

That has nothing to do with the DeVos, Van Andel or Meijer families. It has everything to do with the incredible growth rate in Kent County. A lot of that has to do with he long term strategic planning that GR leadership's been doing since the mid-1960s. GR's legacy industry, and the one that it was founded and originally built on was furniture. Today, Steelcase and Herman Miller are still in West Michigan, building most of the world's office furniture. But most of the fine furniture has left the city for China. Many cities struggle to stay above water when that happens. In GR, a plan was hatched in the mid-80s to shift to life sciences, one of the next huge industries globally. Since the 1990s there has been a nonstop building boom in the city, including the "Medical Mile" centered along Michigan Street that has brought thousands of high paying jobs. A large percentage of these medical research jobs pay near or above $100k. You can prepare yourself for these jobs by attending one of GR's half dozen colleges and universities. Some are liturgical, others are public, not to mention a world class set of affordable community colleges. And in a strong signal that GR's long range strategy to focus on life sciences is paying off in multiples, while Michigan State University is located 60 miles away in East Lansing, MSU's massive new medical college has been built on the Medical Mile in the center of downtown Grand Rapids. As a result of all these factors, housing has become tight. So yes, affordable housing is definitely an issue in West Michigan. There are organizations (both gov't and private industry) working together to address this issue. It can't be solved overnight, and as usual, these groups focus on long term solutions. So what you're not seeing in GR are slap-dash low quality apartments and subdivisions popping up in all the wrong places - the kind that would quickly turn to blight if the economy tanks. It's frustrating for a large group of people. When I moved from suburban Atlanta to GR in 2016, I sold my 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 3,300 sq. ft. home for $350k. After living in an apartment for $2000 a month for two years as I looked for a house, out of desperation I finally I bought a 3-bedroom, 1,800 sq. ft. home in the very nice suburb of Ada for $325k. I was shocked that property values in metro GR, with around 500,000 people, are by some measures virtually the same as they are in Atlanta, with its 5 million people in the metro area. Finally, I would make two overarching points here to directly respond to your main complaint: 1.) The billions of dollars in investment made by the families you mentioned (and there are others as well) have made Grand Rapids a VERY attractive place to live. Schools, sports, recreation, its proximity to Lake Michigan (25 miles), and a very healthy arts community have all been in some ways underwritten by our local billionaires - and we have a few, for sure. If you don't like billionaires just because they have money, I can't help you. But if you're going to have super-wealthy in your community, you certainly have a right to expect that they invest in their hometown. 2.) I often shop at Meijer. It's a mega grocery store like many others around the country. But I feel no pressure to do so. In fact, in true GR style, the Meijer family has reinvested billions of dollars in the area that benefit everyone in Kent County, no matter where you shop. Hundreds of miles of state-of-the-art walking/biking/equestrian trails link city, suburbs, parks, Lake Michigan, and beyond. Meijer family has built a world-class botanical gardens and outdoor concert venue. They invest in scholarships, parks, and much more. But GR also has a community of smaller, locally owned grocery stores, and we also have Whole Foods. You have many choices, and Meijer does not put small companies out of business like Walmart and Home Depot have a reputation for doing. And perhaps even more surprising is the DeVos family. There's no question that patriarch Richard DeVos started a culture of giving back in the late 1950. However, I have never felt any pressure to patronize any Amway products. In fact, it's almost odd that it's very difficult to find an Amway product in the wild in West Michigan. I drive by the Amway HQ every day, but I've only encountered Amway products while traveling in Europe. In fact, other than the DeVos and Van Andel names that you see on many new buildings, I don't think anyone in this community feels beholden to them. They love their city, and they put their money where their mouth is. Criticizing values like that would sort of call you out as pretty quickly not liking much of anything, right? I'm sure that's not you, but for those who want to complain about a name on a building, they can take that attitude to a city that whines about having no good jobs, or places to take your kids. There are PLENTY to choose from. GR ain't perfect, but it gets a LOT more things right than most mid-sized cities.

@@davethompson6570 Wow. All good to know! Thanks again….⭐️

​@@davethompson6570 - You, sir, are a Gentleman and a Sholar, and I salute you for your excellent take on the local scene. Spoken like a lifelong West-Michigander.

@@SamM-gl9zc Thanks, Sam. My family moved here from the England and settled just east of Ada - in 1836. So this town is starting to feel like home! 😄 I’ve lived in many other huge cities as well as medium sized cities & towns as I followed my career over the last 30 years, but like so many GR kids, I came back! Sometimes it takes some time experiencing other markets to realize how good we have it here in West Michigan.

Didn’t know that about the castle. Glad you enjoy living there. Do you live downtown or on the outskirts? ✌🏻😊

@@ShouldWeLiveHere Suburb

Thank you for all your comments. Where did you end up moving to after leaving GR?

@@ShouldWeLiveHere Arizona, in the middle of a small desert town.

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Yes, Grand Rapids would be a great place to live…👍🏻

Thanks for your comments. We appreciate hearing from someone who lives there.

Nah. GR is rapidly going blue and the American Taliban are going to be a minority with no power

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Snow is at 11:28. We aren’t fans of winter either!

Michigan winters are overhyped.

Where would you head to next?

Thanks for letting us know about the housing market there!

@@ShouldWeLiveHere The ones I know about that are like this are west of GR, in Ottawa County. But I wouldn't be surprised if the housing market is similar in other nearby areas.

Wow! Thanks for sharing….

Very high crime? Maybe you should call it "relatively more crime than usual." I've lived in plenty other places that have actual high violent crime. GR is one of the safest middle sized cities in the US. Between COVID and the NRA attempting to mandate that every American carry concealed weapons 24/7, we're seeing too many instances all over the country where for the last 200 years, two drunks in a bar get in a fist fight. Now, far too many of those drunk idiot fights end in gunfire.

@@davethompson6570 Thanks for your comment!😎👍🏻

It’s always on the SE side. Downtown isn’t really an issue

Thanks for your comment!

I don't even live in GR, but I could find all sorts of things to do downtown besides drink. Wake up!!

@@GoGreen1977 go ahead and walk downtown. You tell me.

Well there's lots of churches then.

@@davethompson6570 gosh. So good.

Here is a video from another RU-vidr that may answer your questions. Hope it helps! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5qp0lhlAVTg.htmlsi=11z2XPZ9Lnl11eO8

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I’ve just read that a new iteration of ArtPrize will be held Sep 14-Oct 1 - under a new executive director…. Should be a great event!

@@ShouldWeLiveHere - I had not seen that. Trying to Google it and see only an email contact on their website. Does your source indicate if the DeVos/VanAndel clan is still involved? Baby boy's handling of the org seemed to be a death knell.

@@markcinco8405 “The steering committee for ArtPrize on Wednesday tapped Catlin Whitington, a longtime organizer of South by Southwest, to replace Craig Searer as executive director” grbj.com/news/arts-entertainment/nothing-is-off-the-table-for-new-artprize-head-including-renaming-the-event/

@@ShouldWeLiveHere That is true. You really do your follow up research well.

😄🍻

Thanks for watching, and your feedback. Much appreciated!

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Interesting. I just read that more than three dozen UFO reports have been filed in Michigan in 2023.

Grand Rapids is nicknamed Beer City USA 🍻

Thanks for comments! We really appreciate your input….

You’re being a bit dramatic

i just looked at houses in low-crime neighborhoods of GR and they were Cheaper than any large city in my state of TN

@@moizesbrando Good to know. Thanks for watching.

Definitely better than California

That’s terrible! Hope you’re okay now.

Why?

Glad I left grand rapids now I live in Port Huron it more peaceful 😇 it only ppl do drug and run into but it not that bad tho

😁 may need to go to Orlando for that!

Thanks for watching!

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So what’s wrong with that? All cultures tend create community hubs within their culture.

@@dharmaram7527 What's wrong with that?.. White people are boring: the more of them in your city, the less interesting and urban the city becomes. I'm not trying to be racist but, it is true. A good example is to compare Boston to New York City. The problem is not White people moving to the city; it is the fact that the Gov. will not enable other cultures to move and prosper in the city at the same rate as they allow Whites.

We’ve never eaten at one but google shows they have some…

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Stay away from Lansing, after GM/ Olds Plant shut down, their crime rate done went up ever since 2011.

It is nicknamed Beer City USA…

Why? Any of the things we mentioned or do you have more? Thanks for watching btw!

@@ShouldWeLiveHere too expensive for rents and houses.

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What areas exactly?

@@ShouldWeLiveHere Southeast side, especially along Division Ave, is probably the worst section of the city. It's certainly no 5 mile and Vandyke, but it's a bit run down and has a lot of open air drug sales and prostitution issues. And homeless. Lots of homeless. Especially after they broke up the camp near Wealthy Str. last year.

We mentioned in one of our Detroit videos that compared to other states Michigan is at very low risk for earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes.

😳

Hopefully spring is right around the corner!😉

Ha! True! Last night the local news said that since 1/1/23, we have had five minutes of sunshine. January can be a little gloomy between two Great Lakes.

Thanks for watching! Appreciate your comment…👍🏻

Sports are dumb

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Ha ha. I see the resemblance!

First thought that popped in my head; Great video by the way hahah, moving from SC to 10 minutes west of GR and I appreciate the info you gathered and put out!

Ha ha. 😉👍🏻 www.grmag.com/people-places/city/grand-rapids-ranks-within-top-30-of-worlds-most-hipster-cities/

It's actually a pretty hip city. The video does it little justice. And if you stoop to a comment like, "put the crack pipe down", it shows ya how un-hip you are.

@@michaelpacker561 We will have to return in the summer when we can get some better video! Unfortunately we filmed on a grey day in the off season. Any suggestions of what we need to include?

It's a dump..toilet bowl

@@Scott-pg3ut juvenile response

Where do you live that’s better? Just curious….

Bro lives in warren😂😂