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Life in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids Reviews Michigan Message Board
City/State
Cory's review of Grand Rapids Michigan
Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Grand Rapids?
WeatherSafetyNeighborhoodsPeople
The weather in Grand Rapids, MI can vary a lot. The summers here can reach eighty degrees. Occasionally it will even reach 90-95 degrees toward the end of July. On the other hand in the cold winter months you may see it down as low as zero degrees. The wind speeds can change quite a bit here. With that being said winter temperatures sometimes will get below zero. The snowfall in the winter months here is usually high. Usually January and February is when they get most of there snowfall. On there nice spring days temperatures will vary from 50-65 degrees with slight winds.Grand Rapids, MI crime rate seems to be going down although you do still see a lot of crimes in this city. Burglary is one of the most common crimes you will see here. There is also a lot of crimes occurring such as domestic violence and drinking and driving. Occasionally you will see a murder or gangs but this happens more often on Grand Rapids Southwest side of town. These more serious cases such as murder or a gang related crime are pretty low though for the amount of population here.Grand Rapids overall is a pretty safe place to live. I would most certainly try to stay away from the southwest side though. This part seems to be where you see the most gangs from. The area of Prospect Ave is where you will find some older homes but it is a nice affordable and safe part of town to live in. There are many new homes going up in Grand Rapids as well. Cielo Dr is where they have some newer houses to live in. Although the homes in this neighborhood can be very pricey you get a lot of house for your moneyGrand Rapids, MI has a mix of race. The most dominate race you will see here is whites. The black race seems to be picking up in this town as well but yet still not as many of them as the white race. You see some Chinese here but they are far and few between. The amount of singles in the area can be high due to the the college here. Everyone seems to bond in this town though and help one another out. There will be a lot of people to donate their time if it is needed to help someone that is in need.
Downtown AreaRestaurantsSchoolsSingle life
Downtown shopping is nice. They have a variety of little stores to check out. Although i believe up town is the better place to be where the have the bigger malls to shop at.They have a lot of great food here. You can be sure to find something you like. They have american, Italian, Chinese, and Mexican restaurants in Grand Rapids. They have a great steakhouse called Ruth's Chris Steak House located on Monroe Ave. It can be a little expensive but if you like steak this is the place for you.The public schools in Grand Rapids have a lot to offer. There are a few different schools to choose from here. They all really run the same way. It really all just depends on what part of town you live in as to which school you will attend. They most certainly have great teachers that make sure you will be ready for your next step that you take in life.There are many options for singles in the area. Grand Rapids has some nice bars as well as clubs to meet new people at. With there being a college here there are always singles looking to meet there significant other.
NoiseCompared to other placesBest hospitalTourist attractions
There is a lot of vehicle noise all times of the day and night. If you are near the college you may here some late night parties going on. They also tend to play louder music on campus.Grand Rapids is a larger town. It always seems to be running smoothly. It is a very fast paced town though. Although the people here are friendly there is a lot of them here. There is a small town called Plainwell with a lot fewer people though. This town is about a half an hour from Grand Rapids. Compared to Grand Rapids the town of Plainwell is a much smaller town. Plainwell does offer a nice park. If you had a family and like smaller places not far from the bigger town then Plainwell is a great place to be.Spectrum Health of Grand Rapids is a wonderful hospital. They always seem to be as fast as possible and always keep a positive attitude for there patients.The John Ball zoo in Grand Rapids is a wonderful place to take your family. They have a lot of animals to see here as well as some hands on activities you can participate in.
General comments   
This town seems to be a more up beat town. There are many nice hotels to stay in. Being a larger town i have been pretty surprised on how clean it is. The landscape here is always kept up and looking nice. The town plants flowers on the side of some roads and this makes for a nice drive through the town. It just makes you feel welcome as a guest. It is always a great experience staying here.   
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