POPULATION 778,009
MEDIAN HOME price $136,360
HOMETOWN HERO Nate Phelps, president of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association and champion of local trail building
THE LIVING: Michigan's second-largest city will surprise you. For starters, the regional economy is both more diverse and more robust than Detroit's—and includes everything from furniture (Herman Miller and Steelcase) to health and beauty (Amway) to footwear (Wolverine Worldwide). Plus, despite the state's overall woes and high unemployment, G.R. is, dare we say, thriving. In the past few years, it's gained a riverfront luxury hotel, a medical school, and the world's first LEED-certified museum. What's more, the county recently set aside 1,500 acres for a downtown park, and Grand Rapids' newly established ArtPrize competition—the largest art contest in the world by prize money—resulted in 1,200 works of public art on display throughout downtown.
THE RIDING: Sure, it's snowy much of the year. But it's neither flat nor boring. Don't believe us? In 2004, the last year they issued report cards, the International Mountain Biking Association gave Michigan a B+, the same grade as New Mexico, Washington, and Alaska. And, especially in G.R., it's only gotten better since then. The in-town mountain-bike park has a pump track (think rollers and berms), a skills area, and a new three-mile loop of singletrack in the works. Throw your bike on your car rack and you've got choices: 75-plus miles of trails in eight locations within a 45-minute drive, from beginner-friendly fire roads to technical singletrack—and that's not including mountain-bikeable stretches on the rugged North Country Trail, which cuts through 4,887 acres of national forest just 73 miles away.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Check out the Victorian homes in historic East Grand Rapids: A three-bedroom across the street from Aquinas College or on the shores of Reeds Lake, the town's gathering place, lists for $130K.
Comments
Actually, the bulk of the Victorian homes are in Heritage Hill, an historic neighborhood near downtown. East Grand Rapids is technically a separate city. But, thanks for the coverage!
Flag ThisGrand Rapids is a highly underrated city in my opinion. I travel extensively all over the US and am constantly amazed at how GR really stacks up. I wish I spent more time there, at home..... :-(
Flag ThisNot to mention the miles and miles of connected "Rails to Trails" systems throughout West Michigan, where old railroad tracks have been covered over and made into hiking/biking trails...and the many lakes you can ride around (and kayak on)...and the proximity to Lake Michigan, just a scenic 45 minutes away...yes, Grand Rapids really is a great place to live "outside." Not to dis Detroit, because God knows, it gets enough of that, but it is a much different scene over here...
Flag ThisActive Junky (http://activejunky.com/) likes this!!
Flag ThisReeds Lake is the town's gathering place??? I lived here all my life and I didn't know that (especially since the park closed back in the 50's and there is no public access to the lake). I'm surprised that a lakeshore town wasn't chosen like Grand Haven with better access to Lake Michigan or Traverse City with the Lake and skiing and other winter sports. Maybe they should have just said all of West Michigan. Either way it's relly cool that we got this attention.
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