City Lights
As recent trends have shifted focus back on downtown areas, Grand Rapids has succeeded in not only revitalizing and creating an architecturally stunning cultural and business center, it has become a national model for mid-size cities looking to do the same.

Whether restored to their original grandeur or built new, buildings of the downtown area are amazing. Mingled with cobblestone or bricked streets, twenty-seven outdoor sculptures, sixty restaurants, high-end shopping, theatre guilds, world-class ballet and orchestra companies, museums, gardens, a zoo, the powerful Grand River, outstanding colleges and universities, historic and lively churches and the number one entertainment venue in the U.S. (in the 10,000 to 15,000 seat category according to Amusement Business magazine), you’ve got one of the most beautiful cities in the nation.

Want to live here? Our downtown area boasts hip lofts, sprawling apartments and a historic neighborhood filled with breath-taking houses and apartments still in perfect condition from the early 20th Century. The entire city is walkable, but parking abounds if you’d rather take your car.

Quiet Nights
Move outward and you’ll find equally impressive suburban and rural areas. With the Grand Rapids’ metro area’s easy drivability, you’ll never have the headaches you’ll get in other cities’ traffic, so living away from the bustle of downtown is no problem.

Whether you’re looking for a historic home, a new subdivision, an apartment near great shopping malls or your own piece of tranquility in the country, the metro Grand Rapids area has them all.

Elegant dining, casual coffeehouses and your favorite franchises are always nearby, as are shopping centers featuring the best retailers as well as quaint and unique shops. Excellent schools and neighborhood parks make our suburban areas and smaller towns great for families, while the peace and quiet make them perfect for medical students.