Grand Rapids very quickly became Michigan’s second-largest city, behind Detroit. There’s a lot to love here, but perhaps the best thing is that it’s a fast-paced, modern city. First, Grand Rapids is committed to sustainability. The city uses hybrid electric buses; the Rapid Central Station has a green roof, it’s home to the world’s first LEED-certified microbrewery, art museum, and more, and is committed to eliminating net carbon emissions by 2050. 

Second, the city is an impressive agriculture hub, featured every day at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. The agribusiness industry has been growing steadily for the past decade, and GR is a great place to find local, seasonal produce. Lastly, the city is a bustling hub of activity and culture for western Michigan. In addition to being the location of the yearly ArtPrize competition, there are countless museums, theaters, and gardens in the city. Finally, and maybe most importantly to some, it is nicknamed Beer City USA because it has over 80 breweries, many of which offer world-class brews. 

If you’ve never lived in the Midwest, you’re going to have a hard time adjusting to the weather in Grand Rapids. For what they lack in numerical heat, the summer makes up for in humidity. Whatever you do, do not start arguing with a local Michigander about the summers. They do not care if you’re from Florida, they will win the humidity argument. In the opposite season, the winters can be brutal. Lake Effect snow is no joke, and the high precipitation the city sees turns into mountains of groan-inducing snow from November to sometimes March. If you’re not a fan of or are not used to the snow, it will be a hard adjustment. 

It’s a 21st century city

LookyLOO Review of Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is a fun, lively town with a lot of that Midwest charm you hear so much about. It also comes with a modern convenience that is largely unmatched across the region. All four seasons mean there are a ton of activities year-round, from skiing and snowboarding in the winter to biking and boating in the summer. Grand Rapids is known for many things, but the two biggest are going to be the art culture and the beer scene. The city is home to ArtPrize, the world’s largest annual art competition, where the winners are chosen by the public. The fair has been going since 2009 and brings over half a million people to the city every fall. The winner receives a cash prize of $250,000 as well as the chance to have their pieces featured around the city. Besides the art scene, breweries are another thing Grand Rapids does well. The city has been voted Beer City USA multiple times and is home to many famous breweries like Founders, Grand Rapids Brewing Co., and more. 

We highly recommend visiting Grand Rapids and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.

 Lifestyle 

Grand Rapids used to be known for the large number of furniture companies that called the city home, even going so far as to be called “Furniture City” in its heyday. The economy has shifted away from furniture and towards medical and retail. The city’s largest employer is [**Spectrum Health**](https://www.spectrumhealth.org/), and there is a very impressive stretch of medical buildings called the “Grand Rapids Medical Mile.” 

It’s home to world-class medical facilities that focus on health sciences, some of which are associated with state universities. Major headquarters in the city include Bissell, Meijer (your new favorite grocery store), and GE Aviation. In recent years, the expanding agribusiness industry has been garnering attention as it’s been growing over the past 10 years, and the city now accounts for ⅓ of Michigan’s total agricultural sales. The lower unemployment rates, coupled with a lower cost of living, make Grand Rapids a great place to work and live.  


Worklife

Grand Rapids is what every city should be. The city is committed to sustainability, it’s LGBTQ+ friendly, there is a huge food and drink scene, and it’s a great place for everyone from young professionals to retirees. You should move now because there’s no telling how long it’s going to take for cities across the US to realize that Grand Rapids is the new standard for modern cities. 

On The Way Up!

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**HariSeldonwaswrong**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I'm leaving the area at the end of the summer. This is why I wish I wasn't.
I lost my wallet in Rosa parks circle during a crowded Sat. It was not only returned to me with everything in it, but my bank said no one tried to use the cards.

If you live downtown, the city is incredibly walkable. Everything I need is within 1.5 miles.

Festivals. GR gets the right proportion of festivals for me. There's enough during the summer that I always have something to look forward to, but there's not so many that it shuts down the downtown all the time.

Most of the reasons I'm leaving are just my particular situation (dogs always barking in my building, my boss didn't pay my city taxes last year so I ended up having to hand over $700 I wasn't planning on, etc).

I will add one thing. If you drive a Kia or a Hyundai, sell it and buy something else. There's a flaw in some models that kids will bypass and steal your car for a joyride (lookup Kia boyz). Even if your car isn't one of the models they can steal, they will still break in and try anyway.

For more reviews of what living in Grand Rapids is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/grand-rapids/reviews).





The weather is very…Midwest

Reviews of Grand Rapids from Locals

There is a huge nightlife hub in Grand Rapids, also dubbed “Beer City” and if you’re looking for a laid back, day-drinking, chilling with friends vibe, check out these neighborhoods:
- Midtown
- Eastown
- Westend


College Students

Midtown

Grand Rapids is a great alternative for anyone who graduated from a big 10 school in the Midwest and wants a city, but not a huge city like Detroit or Chicago. These neighborhoods have nightlife, are close to work, and have a variety of apartments and condos.
- West Grand
- Creston
- Monroe North


Young Professionals

West Grand

Grand Rapids is an extremely inclusive city with tons of community-friendly spots. Downtown tends to be the center of the scene and is home to the Apartment Lounge, Michigan's oldest gay bar. The whole downtown is fun though with plenty of LGBTQ+-friendly entertainment, dining and boutique shopping all within a ten-minute walk. Dance clubs, karaoke, drag shows, and general fun, alongside plenty of apartment, condo and housing options makes it the first neighborhood to check out. 
- Downtown

LGBTQ+

Downtown

Grand Rapids will give you a chance to start a family without giving up the excitement of a big city. There are plenty of areas that are under development and destined to be the new “it spots” in 5 or 10 years.
- East Grand Rapids
- Eastown
- West Grand


Young Families

East Grand Rapids

There are a ton of amazing neighborhoods with affordable housing and great yards. Grand Rapids has the perfect amount of things to do on the weekends, while also giving you that suburb feel.
- Knapp Corners
- East Grand Rapids
- Garfield Park


Established Families

Knapp Corners

Retirement never looked as good as it does in Grand Rapids. There’s enough to do that you will never get bored and family will be begging to come visit when they see how awesome the city is. You’re going to want great walkability, food options, and shopping.
- Heritage Hill
- West Grand
- Midtown


Retirees

Heritage Hill

Grand Rapids

**KnightsOfREM**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I love Grand Rapids.

The private sector here pays terribly, and if I didn't work remotely, most likely I wouldn't live here.

People's comments on housing generally compare Grand Rapids in 1995 with Grand Rapids now, and seen that way, it's expensive. Compared with cities of similar size and with similar amenities in 2024, though, housing here is a steal if you're buying. People who say otherwise haven't lived elsewhere lately. Renting is less favorable.

Crime is medium low. The handwringing about it is pretty ridiculous, and sometimes comes from people who get panicky if they see someone who isn't white. Nowhere is immune to crime, but compared to other cities of similar size, it's pretty safe unless you're engaging in really risky behavior.

City government is well run, efficient, and pretty responsible.

Outside of Reddit, Rapidians are kind and welcoming. A small number have this superstitious belief that it drives up their COL if they aren't assholes in public to people who want to move here. Ignore it - I did and I'm really happy here.

**GrandmaSandles**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Where do you live currently? Traditionally the winters were pretty rough but thanks to climate change they’ve gotten a lot more mild. We still get a good amount of lake effect snow / weather but not nearly as much as we used to. We have a healthy job market albeit a little bit specialized. The city and surrounding area provide a good balance of city and outdoors and it’s a very aesthetically pleasing place to drive around and be in overall especially compared to the east side of the state imo. We have a good music scene here, but one downside is no professional sports teams besides ahl hockey and aaa baseball (griffins and whitecaps respectively). But we also have lake mi 30 minutes away, up north is beautiful like m22 or similar places and lots of good trails for biking, hiking and running. Since I was young the city has grown tremendously so one downside is increasing traffic due to population. And during the summer construction is a little brutal (like other Michigan cities) but still your commute is much better here as compared to metro Detroit. Hope this helps let me know if you want any more info! 

**HariSeldonwaswrong**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I'm leaving the area at the end of the summer. This is why I wish I wasn't.
I lost my wallet in Rosa parks circle during a crowded Sat. It was not only returned to me with everything in it, but my bank said no one tried to use the cards.

If you live downtown, the city is incredibly walkable. Everything I need is within 1.5 miles.

Festivals. GR gets the right proportion of festivals for me. There's enough during the summer that I always have something to look forward to, but there's not so many that it shuts down the downtown all the time.

Most of the reasons I'm leaving are just my particular situation (dogs always barking in my building, my boss didn't pay my city taxes last year so I ended up having to hand over $700 I wasn't planning on, etc).

I will add one thing. If you drive a Kia or a Hyundai, sell it and buy something else. There's a flaw in some models that kids will bypass and steal your car for a joyride (lookup Kia boyz). Even if your car isn't one of the models they can steal, they will still break in and try anyway.

**5 Pros & 5 Cons of Living in Grand Rapids Michigan & things to know before you move to Grand Rapids**

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Beer City

Looklyloo Score: 90

Reviews

What's it like to live in Grand Rapids?