Grand Rapids, Michigan Photo Tour (September 2012)

***Jaybird*** · October 7th, 2012, 07:40 PM

I visited the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan for the first time ever in early September 2012. It is the second largest city in Michigan with about 200,000 people and a metro of over 1,000,000.

I took these photos mainly of downtown and the city on a cloudy Saturday afternoon.

Former bicycle factory converted into lofts near downtown...

Views of downtown Grand Rapids from the bicycle lofts

Grand Valley State University and River House Condominiums

The rest of downtown including the Amway Plaza Hotel Tower and the Plaza Towers

Another converted warehouse near downtown...

Downtown… this building is in Heartside, the warehouse district...

Looking at downtown from the south…

Huntington Bank building downtown...

Plaza Towers, second tallest building in GR.

The Van Andel Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings' AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, has been a great downtown asset and landmark, much like London, Ontario's John Labatt Centre...

Jay Van Andel statue. Jay Van Andel, co-founder of Amway Corporation.

Plaza Towers again...

Grand Rapids Art Museum

Charming commercial blocks on Ottawa Avenue

Looking up at 77 Monroe Center Building…

Select Bank Building...

St. Marks Episcopal Church

AT&T Building

Former Grand Rapids Post Office and Court House, built in 1911, now occupied by Kendall College...

Fifth Third Bank Building

Bank of America Building

Kent County Court House

Kent County Administrative Building and Grand Rapids City Hall, unremarkable

Devos Place, Grand Rapids' large convention center built in 2003. It is named for Richard DeVos who, along with Jay Van Andel, co-founded Amway Corporation.

Civic Auditorium Facade, preserved behind the DeVos Center

The historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, built in 1913

Back of the hotel...

Across the Blue Footbridge, going over the Grand River, we see the rear of the Devos Convention Center...

Riverhouse Condominiums, Grand Rapids' tallest building across the river from downtown...

Gerald Ford Museum, across the river from downtown. The former U.S. president was raised in Grand Rapids.

Skyline

Looking up at the Amway Grand Plaza Tower...

Grand Rapids Public Museum

McKay Place

Rosa Parks statue in Rosa Parks Circle, a city park named after the civil rights movement legend, many city events are held there...

Looking up again at Plaza Towers...

The BOB Building...

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks for viewing!

araman0 · October 9th, 2012, 02:57 AM

What a great looking city! I love how beautifully preserved those old historic blocks are in Grand Rapids.

I wish Michigan would do away with these hideous traffic lights though. These cheap looking wire-strung traffic lights have always looked distracting in an otherwise beautiful, modern setting.

Mudhen419 · October 9th, 2012, 08:51 AM

Thanks for sharing the pics.. GR looks like an awesome place. I've been wantin to check out VA arena for a while now. From the pics I've seen im kinda jealous about some of the features of VA over our arena in Toledo..

In the pic above the Huntington Bank building... Is that a skywalk?

ohpenn · October 10th, 2012, 10:32 PM

That's one impressive looking city.

Paule · October 11th, 2012, 12:18 AM

Loved the thread and Love how Grand Rapids perserved it's historic buildings! And I really like the new modern buildings as well, they look great along the riverfront.

October 7th, 2012, 07:40 PM	#1
*Jaybird* Making Detroit look good! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Mitchell, Ontario Posts: 3,898 Likes (Received): 22	Grand Rapids, Michigan Photo Tour (September 2012) I visited the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan for the first time ever in early September 2012. It is the second largest city in Michigan with about 200,000 people and a metro of over 1,000,000. I took these photos mainly of downtown and the city on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. Former bicycle factory converted into lofts near downtown... Views of downtown Grand Rapids from the bicycle lofts Grand Valley State University and River House Condominiums The rest of downtown including the Amway Plaza Hotel Tower and the Plaza Towers Another converted warehouse near downtown... Downtown… this building is in Heartside, the warehouse district... Looking at downtown from the south… Huntington Bank building downtown... Plaza Towers, second tallest building in GR. The Van Andel Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings' AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, has been a great downtown asset and landmark, much like London, Ontario's John Labatt Centre... Jay Van Andel statue. Jay Van Andel, co-founder of Amway Corporation. Plaza Towers again... Grand Rapids Art Museum Charming commercial blocks on Ottawa Avenue Looking up at 77 Monroe Center Building… Select Bank Building... St. Marks Episcopal Church AT&T Building Former Grand Rapids Post Office and Court House, built in 1911, now occupied by Kendall College... Fifth Third Bank Building Bank of America Building Kent County Court House Kent County Administrative Building and Grand Rapids City Hall, unremarkable Devos Place, Grand Rapids' large convention center built in 2003. It is named for Richard DeVos who, along with Jay Van Andel, co-founded Amway Corporation. Civic Auditorium Facade, preserved behind the DeVos Center The historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, built in 1913 Back of the hotel... Across the Blue Footbridge, going over the Grand River, we see the rear of the Devos Convention Center... Riverhouse Condominiums, Grand Rapids' tallest building across the river from downtown... Gerald Ford Museum, across the river from downtown. The former U.S. president was raised in Grand Rapids. Skyline Looking up at the Amway Grand Plaza Tower... Grand Rapids Public Museum McKay Place Rosa Parks statue in Rosa Parks Circle, a city park named after the civil rights movement legend, many city events are held there... Looking up again at Plaza Towers... The BOB Building... Hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks for viewing! __________________ I'm a kind of person feeling like living back in the 1950s, one who favors and enjoys the Golden-age, rust-belt cities of Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Detroit, and the Gothic skylines of New York and Philadelphia. In my eye, they have more character, soul, and history to be pictured than today's world-class, cosmopolitan, and sprawling cities. Jaybird's flickr page \| Jaybird's ZENFOLIO Photo Galleries \| Jaybird's PBASE Photo Galleries

October 9th, 2012, 02:57 AM	#2
araman0 Purdue U. / Marquette U. Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Madison Posts: 1,348 Likes (Received): 10	What a great looking city! I love how beautifully preserved those old historic blocks are in Grand Rapids. I wish Michigan would do away with these hideous traffic lights though. These cheap looking wire-strung traffic lights have always looked distracting in an otherwise beautiful, modern setting. __________________ "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Ghandi Madison, Wisconsin construction rundown \| My Flickr Page

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October 9th, 2012, 08:51 AM	#3
Mudhen419 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 2,275 Likes (Received): 2	Thanks for sharing the pics.. GR looks like an awesome place. I've been wantin to check out VA arena for a while now. From the pics I've seen im kinda jealous about some of the features of VA over our arena in Toledo.. In the pic above the Huntington Bank building... Is that a skywalk?

October 10th, 2012, 10:32 PM	#4
ohpenn Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 315 Likes (Received): 0	That's one impressive looking city.

October 11th, 2012, 12:18 AM	#5
Paule Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Wausau Posts: 2,002 Likes (Received): 8	Loved the thread and Love how Grand Rapids perserved it's historic buildings! And I really like the new modern buildings as well, they look great along the riverfront.