I lived in GR my whole 45 years and it will always be the place some people get a real thrill out of bashing, but most of them will never leave, and many of those that do end up coming right back.
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 grew up in Detroit. Moved to GR decades ago. I never looked back. This IS a great area to raise a family. The East side of Michigan has nothing on the West side of the State. Detroit is worth 1-2 days of visiting...for sports, culture etc. But GR is for a life time.
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 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.
A nice alternative to moving to GR is to consider the Grand Haven/Holland area. Its by Lake Michigan, if you are between these two small cities, you get the best of both with a short drive to GR. Taxes are lower, less crime, less traffic. I literally commute to my job through mostly farm land.
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.
@@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!
This is such a wonderful place to live. I’m a recent college grad who chose here over my hometown area of Metro Detroit. I now own a home here and have become a Realtor to help others move here! “#1 Beer” hahaha
GR is the perfect blend of big city amenities and entertainment and small town atmosphere in regards to knowing everyone in your neighborhood, and everyone being friendly. There is a low crime rate
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.
I’m watching this from my place in GR. It’s a great little city, especially if you like beer. There are some great restaurants, breweries and tons of music of every kind everywhere and Madcap Coffee is really really good coffee, there are tons of shops, as you showed. It still has a small city feel
One of the things you completely missed was the job market. Grand Rapids has got to be one of the easiest places to find a job in the country. Whether you're a recent high school graduate, a doctor, a construction worker, a factory worker, or anything in between, you can find a job here. Honestly, the unemployment rate should be ZERO! Another is all the suburbs in the area like Wyoming, Ada, Forrest Hills, Rockford, Standale, Grandville, etc. The housing prices are often lower than in the city. Not to mention the abundant apartment complexes to get you started here if you're not ready to purchase a home yet. You can enjoy the amenities of the city while avoiding most of the negatives. They have excellent schools, decent home prices, shopping of their own with malls and shops, relatively low crime, etc. Heck, if you're willing to commute around 10 miles to work, you can live in what amounts to farm country or on a decent sized lake. Lastly, besides beer, Grand Rapids also has several award-winning distilleries and has leaned heavily into the decriminalization of Marijuana to the extent that there are dispensaries EVERYWHERE! PS just for the record, since you brought it up, Grand Rapids has a thriving LGBTQ+ community. There have been several "gay" bars in this city for decades. I have two trans friends, one a trans-man and one a trans-woman. Both were able to have their surgeries done here and have told me that they've encountered very little bigotry since their transitions. BTW there's a lot more to that library story than what you presented.
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…😊👍🏻
Downtown GR is not a walkable downtown, the area is split by two unsightly above ground freeways and many of the recent developments are suburban in style (High rises that are surrounded by massive parking lots). The river is shallow, rocky and not passable by boat. The whole downtown commerce is based on bars and drinking
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.
@@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
Grand Rapids pre riots and Covid was a pretty fun little city. Since then not so much. The homelessness is getting out of control and they're very aggressive and sometimes violent. Mind your 6 walking around downtown.
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.
@@xannil-j7c 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?
@@xannil-j7c thats not true either, these jobs want you to have a bachelors degree and 10 years of work experience but will only pay you near minimum wage, and still will not interview you if you dont have a bachelors degree. rent is increasing but these jobs will only hire candidates who dont exist and will only pay you poverty wage
Grew up and live in the Grand Rapids area. The castle looks out over a floodplain and two concrete plants. Most people here hate it. Overall, great place to live!
In 1972 Grand Rapids had a population of 358,000. In 2022 the population is 196,608. Grand Rapids is now a artsy craftsy city. When a city losses manufacturing jobs you can never replace that loss with service industry jobs. GR has 80 micro brewers? I am from Grand Rapids. Now live in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I don't get the affordability numbers? Wages aren't on par with Cities like New York and Chicago so in reality it's pretty expensive to live there and what you pointed out about the Library reflects the greater culture of this area, it's the Bible belt of Michigan.
Unless you have some prexisting source of wealth this area is not as described. I was born there, I watched this city die. I left and will never return to it. Those who are of average wage income often find themselves with huge amounts of borrowed credit to sustain themselves. Minimum wage workers suffer even more and are relgated to living in poorly maintained and overpriced apartment complexes or run down rental homes where most of the crime occurs. I know that as an actual victim. It was the last straw which led me to sever all physical ties with this city. Alot of those life saving medical techniques were gained helping people who had been the victims of violent crimes as well as drunk driving. Beer and Liquor makes for some unpleasent driving anywhere in the city as well as the poor roads. If you want to feel like James Bond move here. Your going to get more tactical information about people here then in the military and I can say that with personal knowledge as well, as the military was the beginning of my path out of this place. I felt safer on deployments then when back in Grand Rapids. My father was a State Trooper in this area. The city architecture is even demeaning in many ways. It all is meant to look down upon the less fortunate. Beauty does not guarantee morality. All the addictions are there just hidden under the bar scenes and medical treatment innovations. So glad I left, so sad it is still malignant.
What a ridiculous comment 😂😂. Just say you prefer small town life. I do too... that doesn't somehow make Grand Rapids some special example of what a bad city is. I'd be willing to bet that whatever major city you're closest to now has just as many of the problems you listed.
Schooling is not what they are claiming in Grand Rapids for elementary schools. Grand Rapids will never be what it once was. Born and raised there and raised my children there. However, now North of Grand Rapids and I won't return to live. I actually try to avoid it today. I don't drink, I don't do theater and such. The festival used to close down most of downtown, was a wonderful week, today, it is a few blocks. Blues on the mall was great at Rosa Park and the Harleys parked at the Bob (Big old Building). The first years of the ArtPrize were great, today it is a joke, most arts are inside bars or other establishments, and you could never see it all in a week if you can find it all. Crime is all over Grand Rapids and has been. Homelessness has been there for years. I walked all over Grand Rapids, would not feel safe doing it today.
Artprize has been cancelled. Ignoring the RAPID is, well - ignorant. 🤨 Top-notch transit system that does a great job. The true heart of the city is Grand Rapids Community College. 💝
@@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/
I've lived in the greater GR area since 1998 at age 9. It's a bit of a strange place and full of contradictions. It's an EXTREMELY middle of the road Midwest American city. Its had "hipster" cred for decades, but at the same time leans culturally and politically more conservative. If GR was a food, It would be a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (simple but tasty combo)... on pumpernickel bread (the bread in this instance being the clashing flavor to the sweetness of the PB&J. BLAH!) and a side of kettle cooked chips (savory flavor that makes the choice in bread used on the sandwich tolerable). Essentially, GR amongst all its pros and cons is a very "tolerable" city to live in overall, but not a place that I would SEEK out to live in.
I grew up on the SE side of Grand Rapids and have had the privilege of living throughout the USA in big and small cities, and Southeast Asia. Grand Rapids is a good place to visit, but it has far too many creature comforts and breweries that feed unhealthy habits in the long gray winter months. I’m ready to leave again. 😂
I commute through the middle of Grand Rapids. I tended to notice a lot of ambulances, and wondered if there was some sinister reason why---then when I asked about it, I was told it was because that's where the hospitals _were_ full stop. That said, the housing market in some of the nearby suburbs is pretty insane; houses tend to sell before they even get listed on the market---a realtor knows someone is thinking of selling, knows someone who wants to buy, and before the house is even listed, they get hooked up. Talk about high demand!
@@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.
Life long GR resident. The whole city/county Gov't is sort of there for show, There is about three billionaires that control the whole city (Devos, Van andel, Meijer) and own almost all of it. You can find an occasional deal on housing there, especially if you are moving from an expensive coastal area, but any decent house in a remotely walkable area will be 230-300k now, you might get a garage if you're lucky. I had to move to another part of the state to be able to have a dream of buying a house. Very fun being priced out of your home city.
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 - 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.
Recently very high crime in Grand Rapids has forced a few long time establishments to permanently close. The owners stated its just not safe at night, one business has had 4 shootouts in front of it in as many weeks
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.
everyone in these comments is old heads that dont actually go out and interact with people from gr in the city we have way too many homeless and wanna be gangbangers then the corrupt police force is a whole other story, the amount of people on the run from police in gr is insanely high. we literally 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. but its one of the best cities in michigan >??? lmfao give me a break if u wanna see anything actually nice in michigan u go north u dont go south u dont go east u dont go west u go to the UP crime.
Wow, all the health care in ONE area. Such a blessing for people who live around the area. The guy talking about education: wtf? Have you even looked at our school systems? This whole video…dude can walk everywhere…lets see him walk around at 11pm. Do it. I Fucking dare you.
@@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.
Yeah no. Grand rapids is expensive to live in, expensive to shop in, and down right dangerous. My dad had a gun pointed to his head while walking in grand rapids and some drug addict almost threw a brick through our windshield while we were at a red light. There are definitely safer cities in Michigan to move to.
@@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.
The number one reason………….Beer. Are you effing kidding me? 😂😅🤣 “Move to GR, if you’re a recent 30 year old, male, college graduate, with your original beer bottle collection”.
Many big cities had riots and In Grand Rapids case, many that were doing damage came from other states and paid to protest. I am referring to those arrested and investigated. To add, you are pushibg your values on what's nice weather. Not all agree. Some like and embrace seasonal changing weather. You act like warm non seasonal climates are perfect. They have their ongoing seasonal hurricanes, floods, rainy seasons, droughts and in some cases earthquakes. Why not mention that Grand Rapids never experienced that? Why not mention it's one of the most thriving economies in the USA and Forbes rated it number one for best place to raise a family and like Briggs says, their crime is far below national average especially for large cities.
No. There are not a million people here. Between Grand Rapids Kentwood and wyoming, we still have not broken the 1 million people mark. Grand Rapids doesn't have the parking, for 40,000 people let alone...... A million. And no, we don't have 80 breweries anymore, there is no shortage of these breweries, closing up shop, and disappearing under the cover of darkness. There's at least 11, brand new breweries on Craigslist for sale, every month. Beer is an integral part of, what they're actually selling in Grand rapids. Which is communism. And we can see that by the growing number of communist fists, being painted on the buildings, up and down division avenue. Communism, and beer consumption, go in hand in hand. After all, Karl Marx himself, was a falling down drunk. But they don't want the community to understand that. They just keep importing all kinds of little tiny marxists, saddling them full of a lifetime of student loan debt. And then using up those resources, faster than they can create them. I've lived in Grand Rapids my whole life, 50 years. The only three things that they sell here is, dependency, charitable organizations, and student debt. I drive this community as a doordash driver, almost every day. There's more crime here than they will ever tell you. There's more depravity here, after 10:00 p.m., then there's more crime here than they will ever tell you. I mean seriously, if the only benefit to living in this community is the fact that you can carry your drink outside..... There's a problem. I personally, have watched, drunk driver run over two people in the middle of the road. And keep on going. But, I was the only sober person at the entire intersection. So let me tell you straight..... Do you get run over by a drunk driver in the middle of our streets. No one is coming to help you. And it happens, all the time. More times than they will tell you. Because they don't want you to know the truth about Grand Rapids.
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.
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!
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?
I've lived my whole life in michigan but not grand rapids!...Grand rapids is a dump still is...just because they built a couple hospitals and bunch of bars..they think there this great city..it's still a dump. I'll apologize now with the rest of people in michigan about grand rapids
I lived in GR my whole 45 years and it will always be the place some people get a real thrill out of bashing, but most of them will never leave, and many of those that do end up coming right back.
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.
I grew up in Detroit. Moved to GR decades ago. I never looked back. This IS a great area to raise a family. The East side of Michigan has nothing on the West side of the State. Detroit is worth 1-2 days of visiting...for sports, culture etc. But GR is for a life time.
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
@@xannil-j7c 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.
A nice alternative to moving to GR is to consider the Grand Haven/Holland area. Its by Lake Michigan, if you are between these two small cities, you get the best of both with a short drive to GR. Taxes are lower, less crime, less traffic. I literally commute to my job through mostly farm land.
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.
Spent 4 years in GR while attending GVSU! Great place! Cheers, Britt
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?
This is such a wonderful place to live. I’m a recent college grad who chose here over my hometown area of Metro Detroit. I now own a home here and have become a Realtor to help others move here! “#1 Beer” hahaha
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
I love reading all these comments about my home city Grand Rapids. Makes me even more proud to be from this city!
GR is the perfect blend of big city amenities and entertainment and small town atmosphere in regards to knowing everyone in your neighborhood, and everyone being friendly. There is a low crime rate
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.
I lived in A2, Michigan from 94 to 01. if Mi was on my radar again it would definately be Grand Rapids !
I lived near GR for 25 years. The long grey winters got to me. I miss the summers, but 7-8 months of grey cold weather depressed me.
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
Winters are MILD! They’ve been mild for a decade at least.
I’m watching this from my place in GR. It’s a great little city, especially if you like beer. There are some great restaurants, breweries and tons of music of every kind everywhere and Madcap Coffee is really really good coffee, there are tons of shops, as you showed. It still has a small city feel
I love Mad Kap, Common Ground, Bitter End Coffee shops.
No 🚇 & winter can get as much 🌨️ as parts of the Rockies but we do have a Amtrak 🚆 leaves for Chicago at 6am returns home after 11pm
One of the things you completely missed was the job market. Grand Rapids has got to be one of the easiest places to find a job in the country. Whether you're a recent high school graduate, a doctor, a construction worker, a factory worker, or anything in between, you can find a job here. Honestly, the unemployment rate should be ZERO!
Another is all the suburbs in the area like Wyoming, Ada, Forrest Hills, Rockford, Standale, Grandville, etc. The housing prices are often lower than in the city. Not to mention the abundant apartment complexes to get you started here if you're not ready to purchase a home yet. You can enjoy the amenities of the city while avoiding most of the negatives. They have excellent schools, decent home prices, shopping of their own with malls and shops, relatively low crime, etc. Heck, if you're willing to commute around 10 miles to work, you can live in what amounts to farm country or on a decent sized lake.
Lastly, besides beer, Grand Rapids also has several award-winning distilleries and has leaned heavily into the decriminalization of Marijuana to the extent that there are dispensaries EVERYWHERE!
PS just for the record, since you brought it up, Grand Rapids has a thriving LGBTQ+ community. There have been several "gay" bars in this city for decades. I have two trans friends, one a trans-man and one a trans-woman. Both were able to have their surgeries done here and have told me that they've encountered very little bigotry since their transitions. BTW there's a lot more to that library story than what you presented.
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
I lived in GR and now live next door in Walker. I love it here
The jewel of the Midwest
Downtown GR is not a walkable downtown, the area is split by two unsightly above ground freeways and many of the recent developments are suburban in style (High rises that are surrounded by massive parking lots). The river is shallow, rocky and not passable by boat. The whole downtown commerce is based on bars and drinking
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.
Wish I could visit this amazing place.
Grand Rapids WAS a good place to live
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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.
Grand Rapids pre riots and Covid was a pretty fun little city. Since then not so much. The homelessness is getting out of control and they're very aggressive and sometimes violent. Mind your 6 walking around downtown.
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.
@@xannil-j7c 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?
@@xannil-j7c thats not true either, these jobs want you to have a bachelors degree and 10 years of work experience but will only pay you near minimum wage, and still will not interview you if you dont have a bachelors degree. rent is increasing but these jobs will only hire candidates who dont exist and will only pay you poverty wage
Grew up and live in the Grand Rapids area. The castle looks out over a floodplain and two concrete plants. Most people here hate it. Overall, great place to live!
Didn’t know that about the castle. Glad you enjoy living there. Do you live downtown or on the outskirts? ✌🏻😊
@@ShouldWeLiveHere Suburb
Love GR! 👍
In 1972 Grand Rapids had a population of 358,000. In 2022 the population is 196,608. Grand Rapids is now a artsy craftsy city. When a city losses manufacturing jobs you can never replace that loss with service industry jobs. GR has 80 micro brewers? I am from Grand Rapids. Now live in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta would be a great place to live. I still enjoy visiting GR though!
I don't get the affordability numbers? Wages aren't on par with Cities like New York and Chicago so in reality it's pretty expensive to live there and what you pointed out about the Library reflects the greater culture of this area, it's the Bible belt of Michigan.
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
Unless you have some prexisting source of wealth this area is not as described. I was born there, I watched this city die. I left and will never return to it. Those who are of average wage income often find themselves with huge amounts of borrowed credit to sustain themselves. Minimum wage workers suffer even more and are relgated to living in poorly maintained and overpriced apartment complexes or run down rental homes where most of the crime occurs. I know that as an actual victim. It was the last straw which led me to sever all physical ties with this city. Alot of those life saving medical techniques were gained helping people who had been the victims of violent crimes as well as drunk driving. Beer and Liquor makes for some unpleasent driving anywhere in the city as well as the poor roads. If you want to feel like James Bond move here. Your going to get more tactical information about people here then in the military and I can say that with personal knowledge as well, as the military was the beginning of my path out of this place. I felt safer on deployments then when back in Grand Rapids. My father was a State Trooper in this area. The city architecture is even demeaning in many ways. It all is meant to look down upon the less fortunate. Beauty does not guarantee morality. All the addictions are there just hidden under the bar scenes and medical treatment innovations. So glad I left, so sad it is still malignant.
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.
What a ridiculous comment 😂😂. Just say you prefer small town life. I do too... that doesn't somehow make Grand Rapids some special example of what a bad city is. I'd be willing to bet that whatever major city you're closest to now has just as many of the problems you listed.
All the new jobs are medical/pharma industrial complex. Crime is dark and south in kent. Cost of living is getting really high.
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My uncle lives there. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for watching!
I'm packing up rn
Yes, Grand Rapids would be a great place to live…👍🏻
Schooling is not what they are claiming in Grand Rapids for elementary schools. Grand Rapids will never be what it once was. Born and raised there and raised my children there. However, now North of Grand Rapids and I won't return to live. I actually try to avoid it today. I don't drink, I don't do theater and such. The festival used to close down most of downtown, was a wonderful week, today, it is a few blocks. Blues on the mall was great at Rosa Park and the Harleys parked at the Bob (Big old Building). The first years of the ArtPrize were great, today it is a joke, most arts are inside bars or other establishments, and you could never see it all in a week if you can find it all. Crime is all over Grand Rapids and has been. Homelessness has been there for years. I walked all over Grand Rapids, would not feel safe doing it today.
It's been scientifically proven that grand rapids is not only the best city in america but also the best city in the universe
Artprize has been cancelled.
Ignoring the RAPID is, well - ignorant. 🤨 Top-notch transit system that does a great job.
The true heart of the city is Grand Rapids Community College. 💝
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.
I've lived in the greater GR area since 1998 at age 9. It's a bit of a strange place and full of contradictions. It's an EXTREMELY middle of the road Midwest American city. Its had "hipster" cred for decades, but at the same time leans culturally and politically more conservative. If GR was a food, It would be a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (simple but tasty combo)... on pumpernickel bread (the bread in this instance being the clashing flavor to the sweetness of the PB&J. BLAH!) and a side of kettle cooked chips (savory flavor that makes the choice in bread used on the sandwich tolerable). Essentially, GR amongst all its pros and cons is a very "tolerable" city to live in overall, but not a place that I would SEEK out to live in.
Thanks for your input! Never thought of GR before as a sandwich.😎✌🏻
I grew up on the SE side of Grand Rapids and have had the privilege of living throughout the USA in big and small cities, and Southeast Asia. Grand Rapids is a good place to visit, but it has far too many creature comforts and breweries that feed unhealthy habits in the long gray winter months. I’m ready to leave again. 😂
Where would you head to next?
What is the best area to live in Grand Rapids? Where there is not so much crime and much more work?
Here is a video from another RUclipsr that may answer your questions. Hope it helps!
ruclips.net/video/5qp0lhlAVTg/видео.htmlsi=11z2XPZ9Lnl11eO8
Grandville ✊
I avoid going to gr for anything. I drive trk and pass thru but thats all. I'm from 45 ish minutes away and don't go there unless no other choice
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Downtown mostly sucks as someone who doesn't drink.
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.
I commute through the middle of Grand Rapids. I tended to notice a lot of ambulances, and wondered if there was some sinister reason why---then when I asked about it, I was told it was because that's where the hospitals _were_ full stop.
That said, the housing market in some of the nearby suburbs is pretty insane; houses tend to sell before they even get listed on the market---a realtor knows someone is thinking of selling, knows someone who wants to buy, and before the house is even listed, they get hooked up. Talk about high demand!
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.
Life long GR resident. The whole city/county Gov't is sort of there for show, There is about three billionaires that control the whole city (Devos, Van andel, Meijer) and own almost all of it. You can find an occasional deal on housing there, especially if you are moving from an expensive coastal area, but any decent house in a remotely walkable area will be 230-300k now, you might get a garage if you're lucky. I had to move to another part of the state to be able to have a dream of buying a house. Very fun being priced out of your home city.
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.
Recently very high crime in Grand Rapids has forced a few long time establishments to permanently close. The owners stated its just not safe at night, one business has had 4 shootouts in front of it in as many weeks
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
@@stevereyers 4 murders in 1 day recently all within an hour in the same area in the SE side madison and division area
everyone in these comments is old heads that dont actually go out and interact with people from gr in the city we have way too many homeless and wanna be gangbangers then the corrupt police force is a whole other story, the amount of people on the run from police in gr is insanely high. we literally 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. but its one of the best cities in michigan >??? lmfao give me a break if u wanna see anything actually nice in michigan u go north u dont go south u dont go east u dont go west u go to the UP crime.
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💛
Yes, downtown is great if you can avoid the homeless, the panhandling, and the crime. There’s not enough housing, which is getting more expensive.
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
It's weird the dumb things they think matter.
I didn't see any snow pictures.
I hate cold!
Snow is at 11:28. We aren’t fans of winter either!
Michigan winters are overhyped.
Our winters are MILD!!!!
Walker ✊🏻
You’re like a real life Joe Para
😄🍻
I love my 🏙️ 616
Yes, Grand Rapids is a great city…what do you love about it exactly? Thanks!✌🏻
All i think of is Gerald Ford ,and Proctor and Gamble handing Amway their ass on a silver platter in the 70s
Wow, all the health care in ONE area. Such a blessing for people who live around the area.
The guy talking about education: wtf? Have you even looked at our school systems?
This whole video…dude can walk everywhere…lets see him walk around at 11pm. Do it. I Fucking dare you.
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This is an excellent city if you are white! Grew up in Grand Rapids and left when I turned 24. Come back to visit family and it is less diverse.
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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.
Riots and violence => BAD.
Promoting excessive alcohol consumption => BAD.
Investments in healthcare and sports => GOOD.
Thanks for watching! Appreciate your comment…👍🏻
Sports are dumb
Currently rent is in the mid 2000$'s in 2024
Didn't know Iowa had such a place
Thanks for watching!
Just saw a ufo in GR about 45 minutes ago.
Interesting. I just read that more than three dozen UFO reports have been filed in Michigan in 2023.
Yeah no. Grand rapids is expensive to live in, expensive to shop in, and down right dangerous. My dad had a gun pointed to his head while walking in grand rapids and some drug addict almost threw a brick through our windshield while we were at a red light. There are definitely safer cities in Michigan to move to.
..,
Stay away from Lansing, after GM/ Olds Plant shut down, their crime rate done went up ever since 2011.
hold up your top reason to move to Grand Rapids is for the BEER, Wow.
Grand Rapids is nicknamed Beer City USA 🍻
Do they have a dim sum restaurant
We’ve never eaten at one but google shows they have some…
How about the rising Murder Rate........Ive Lived Here My Whole Life And Its Going To Hell In A Hand basket
Don't come here. Crime is out of control.
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.
The number one reason………….Beer. Are you effing kidding me? 😂😅🤣 “Move to GR, if you’re a recent 30 year old, male, college graduate, with your original beer bottle collection”.
It is nicknamed Beer City USA…
Crime is out of control!!!! Grand Rapids is NOT the place to move. Homeless people everywhere!!! 🤣
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Uncontrolled rents
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Tell me you have butterbeer and I am there.
😁 may need to go to Orlando for that!
I wanna get out now.
Why? Any of the things we mentioned or do you have more? Thanks for watching btw!
@@ShouldWeLiveHere too expensive for rents and houses.
Many big cities had riots and In Grand Rapids case, many that were doing damage came from other states and paid to protest. I am referring to those arrested and investigated. To add, you are pushibg your values on what's nice weather. Not all agree. Some like and embrace seasonal changing weather. You act like warm non seasonal climates are perfect. They have their ongoing seasonal hurricanes, floods, rainy seasons, droughts and in some cases earthquakes. Why not mention that Grand Rapids never experienced that? Why not mention it's one of the most thriving economies in the USA and Forbes rated it number one for best place to raise a family and like Briggs says, their crime is far below national average especially for large cities.
We mentioned in one of our Detroit videos that compared to other states Michigan is at very low risk for earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes.
No. There are not a million people here. Between Grand Rapids Kentwood and wyoming, we still have not broken the 1 million people mark. Grand Rapids doesn't have the parking, for 40,000 people let alone...... A million.
And no, we don't have 80 breweries anymore, there is no shortage of these breweries, closing up shop, and disappearing under the cover of darkness. There's at least 11, brand new breweries on Craigslist for sale, every month. Beer is an integral part of, what they're actually selling in Grand rapids. Which is communism. And we can see that by the growing number of communist fists, being painted on the buildings, up and down division avenue. Communism, and beer consumption, go in hand in hand. After all, Karl Marx himself, was a falling down drunk. But they don't want the community to understand that. They just keep importing all kinds of little tiny marxists, saddling them full of a lifetime of student loan debt. And then using up those resources, faster than they can create them. I've lived in Grand Rapids my whole life, 50 years. The only three things that they sell here is, dependency, charitable organizations, and student debt.
I drive this community as a doordash driver, almost every day. There's more crime here than they will ever tell you. There's more depravity here, after 10:00 p.m., then there's more crime here than they will ever tell you. I mean seriously, if the only benefit to living in this community is the fact that you can carry your drink outside..... There's a problem.
I personally, have watched, drunk driver run over two people in the middle of the road. And keep on going. But, I was the only sober person at the entire intersection. So let me tell you straight..... Do you get run over by a drunk driver in the middle of our streets. No one is coming to help you.
And it happens, all the time. More times than they will tell you. Because they don't want you to know the truth about Grand Rapids.
Overcast has been terrible the last few weeks.
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.
This video is hella boring lol. Not a good look for trying to get somebody to move out
😳
1400 a month to live in midwest!!!!!! Wtf?!
was
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Brotherman am I crazy or does this man look like Engineering Explained's lost brother
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!
Wait...did he say "one of the hippest cities in the world?" LOL Uhm....put the crack pipe down.
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
Saliss was right, your city kinda sucks, Erin.
looks extreme dull and lame place
I've lived my whole life in michigan but not grand rapids!...Grand rapids is a dump still is...just because they built a couple hospitals and bunch of bars..they think there this great city..it's still a dump. I'll apologize now with the rest of people in michigan about grand rapids
Where do you live that’s better? Just curious….
Bro lives in warren😂😂