Well, it USED to be a nice place to live.

I was born, raised, and currently reside in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the second largest city in our state. Although with the way things are going, we may end up as the largest city before long. 

Don't mind my title's sarcasm. Grand Rapids is still a nice place to live, for the most part, in spite of our state's lingering recession (which has been going on for years, long before the nation's economy took a nosedive). Unfortunately, most of the small businesses that once graced this metropolitan area are now closing at an alarming rate. It's heartbreaking, really. A lot of my favourite shops and restaurants, some of which had been around longer than I've been alive, are now gone. It's hard to patronise local small businesses when there aren't very many left.

Aside from our economy being in the toilet, Grand Rapids has a lot going on: we can claim President Gerald R. Ford as one of our own; we have a lot of festivals, there are several very nice parks, a world-class botanic garden, and a pretty nice zoo; downtown has been revitalized over the last decade or so bringing entertainment, restaurants, businesses and residential developments to the area; we have a symphony, an opera, and the only professional ballet company in the state; we even have the Griffins, an AHL farm team for the Detroit Red Wings, and the Whitecaps, a Class A minor league farm team for the Detroit Tigers. The best part, however, is Heritage Hill, our historic district.

Comprised of over 1300 homes, some dating back to 1848, and more than 60 different architectural styles, Heritage Hill is one of the largest historic districts in the United States and quite a treasure. But it wasn't always that way:  many of the large homes were converted to apartments in the '40s, and the neighbourhood fell into disrepair in the '50s. Several urban renewal projects were planned for the dilapidated neighbourhood in the '60s but the Heritage Hill Association managed to stop most of them. The area was placed on the National Historic Register in 1971 and since then, hundreds of dedicated homeowners have repaired and restored the properties. I lived down there for a number of years in various houses, and I loved every minute of it. I'd still be living down there if I could, happily occupying an apartment in some old mansion. Unfortunately, I now have to settle for ogling the interiors of the homes during the annual "Tour of Homes" that takes place the first weekend in May.

Recently, Grand Rapids has become home to a large international art competition, ArtPrize.  For this event, downtown Grand Rapids is taken over by art, artists, and art lovers for three weeks in the fall (usually late Sept - mid-Oct). Not my thing, but if it benefits the community and our economy, that's great.  If the numbers are any indication (nearly a quarter million visitors), people love it.