Welcome to UrbanPlanet - Metro Grand Rapids!

[PBJ]

I've often wondered who all these people are I talk to on the boards, what they do other than surf the site, where they live etc. It really doesn't have much to do with Urban Development, just a curiosity. I've been suprised more than once, so I thought we could all share a little detail about ourselves (if you want):

I'll go first:

26 y/o

GVSU Grad (Class of '01 most likely going for my MBA soon)

Systems Engineer - Global Intel Server Support - Haworth

Lived in GR or surrounding area 26 years

Currently in "East Town, Fuller/Wealthy area"

Love the EGR "community Feel" Would love to live Downtown in a "Loft Condo"

[twoshort]

23 y/o - engaged to be married

Attended GVSU 3 years, finishing at Davenport

Property and Casualty agent at The Paul A. Brouwers Agency in Middleville, MI

Lived in GR my entire life,

Currently live accross the street from Mulick park in SE grand rapids -- possible moving downtown when married.

[Freddy C]

Freddy C, 30 something

-Educated from SLU (the school of life) and hard knocks

-Currently employed as a professional chip, on the shoulder there of.

-Lived in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Atlanta and now currently residing in Utopia.

-Fun fact to know about me: I never smile.

[daniel nudnik]

21 y/o

about to graduate from UM-A2, degree in history

permanent address is on SE side

presently working for an urban developer in detroit

occasional newspaper contributor

not a bad distance biker

[egrguy]

23 y/o

work in insurance

live in caledonia, and will be taking the lady on the dt parade of homes to win her over on dt in time to get a condo like the rsc dev.

'04 grad of wmu in english/com

hobby-making it a point to visit each city i visit tallest skyscraper

[ericnmu]

20 yr old

Junior at Northern Michigan University (Comp. Info. System and Economics Major)

Graduated from EGR HS.

Living in EGR just east of Eastown

Working for Best Buy Geek Squad (hey, its a start in IT)

-- Havent been an active poster, but I've read every topic and reply for 2 months now.

[Rizzo]

Rizzo

20 y/o

Mensa member

Grauated from Crossroads Alternative High

Original ryda from Grandvile ave, Burton heights SW representing!

Currently living 54,000 feet from Fulton and Division.

Recently unemployed, looking for work.

Posing in Playboy for about a year and half now

It's all good....

[peaceloveunderstanding]

moonshield

18 y/o

Lived in Grand Rapids (from Plainfield Ave area), Coopersville, Nunica, Flint, Lansing and now Charlotte NC.

I have about 25 relatives in Grand Rapids

Self Employeed Web Developer / Programmer / Investor

[MJLO]

MJLO,

24 y/o Grad student, Originally from Detroit. Because of my family I have traveled to almost every major city in the country and halfway accross the world. I am one of those statistics nerds who reads the almanac by the Fire, just so that i can point out to the more ignorant, that yes Pittsburgh is Larger than Cinci, and that metro Detroit has more people living in it than the entire state of Arizona. Can you believe it folks I'm still single . I currently live in the northern burbs of GR, and i work in retail management, while I scrape my way thru school. Hopefully in the next year or so, I'll have an MBA. Right now I have a degree in liberal arts, would you like fries with that ?

[L.M. Bach]

23 y/o

APR student, due to graduate

Work for commercial real estate firm

Live in Heritage Hill

Work in "Center City"

Confession: Have tried to remain anonymous, but could not resist in divulging. I did not realize how many other young forum members there are. Hopefully, my opinon won't be taken with a smaller thread of respect, considering my age has now been disclosed.

It's a pleasure to meet all of you.

[allbusiness]

Age: 50

Male

Married, kids, etc.

Work: Downtown GR since the 80s

Live: Let's just say I enoy the commute

Purpose: Obviously to provide some historical perspective to all you young whipper-snappers!

Fun Fact: I'm always smiling! Life is too much fun...

[GRDadof3]

30 Something

Father of 3

Graduate of WMU

Have lived in GR 9+ yrs, in many different areas

Now on the Northeast side

[metrogrkid]

-Less than 100 years old

-President of Michigan Black Expo, Inc. (MBEI) / (see www.mbei.org)

-have dedicated the remainder of my life toward abating racism and making Metro GR a destination for people of all cultures and a region that is replete with unity, camaraderie and prosperity.

-1990 Graduate of Morgan State University, Baltimore MD (one of America's 118 HBCU institutions - Howard University's traditional rival)

-local alum of Ottawa Hills High School, Iroquois Middle School and Ottawa Hills Elementary School.

[joeDowntown]

JoeDowntown -

- 32 y/o - married with 2 kids - Lifelong resident of metro-GR

- College drop-out Was a geek with a modem since childhood and got bored

with the lack of technology available at college. Jumped into the real world about

the time the WWW popped up.

- Director of Marketing for an Online Currency Trading firm

- Infatuated with downtown since early high school. Infatuated with big buildings

since my first trip to Chicago as a kid

- Live in the near-near suburbs but my heart is downtown. I know I will be back in

the city soon.

[DTDC]

Didn't we do this once before? Or was that location. We old folks sometimes have issues with memory.

Anyway:

- 34 year old male

- Not now, nor ever been married

- Originally from Muskegon, commuted from Big Rapids to GR for years. Tried the East side for a while but Ann Arbor didn't work out so here I am back.

- Couple BS degrees from Michigan Tech (Yes, that is a lot of BS, thanks for noticing) in fields unrelated to any current or former employement

- Live at corner of Division and Monroe Center

- Soon to be Richmond Park DC due to neighborhood decline (too many Cayennes and G-Classes taking all the parking spots and such).

- Toil every evening in the Photon Mines atop the BOB (US Signal NOC maintenance tech).

Shift's over. Gotta go. Home in seven minutes assuming not too much sidewalk traffic or elevator congestion (man I'm going to miss my carless commute).

[svs650k3]

-23

-recent GVSU grad

-Working on the dealing desk at an online currency trading firm. (I'm assuming it's the same firm as Joedowntown although I don't think we've met.)

-I've been living in GR for 5 years now in a few different areas but looking to buy a condo downtown.

and I can't wait for summer to begin!

[mgreven]

-30 Yrs Old

-Bachelor and Master's degrees in music education

-Band Director

-Grew up on south side, now live on north side

-Married, one baby boy

-Always been fascinated with development and buildings

-Someday dream of living downtown and walking to concerts, etc.

-Love this forum to discuss development of our city

[baronium]

-29 y/o - married with 1 child

-gvsu - computer science

-work as software developer in the midtown area

- I've lived in Metro GR all my life. Currently live in Comstock Park but my heart is somewhere downtown. I grew up in Kentwood.

[GRCentro]

- 18

- Born and raised in SE GR, lived 8 months last year in Argentina

- Pre-Architecture/Art History student

- Former student member of GR Planning Commission

- Fun fact: I stay out of fights

[GR_Urbanist]

- 26yrs

- Born, raised, work, and live in GR.

- 3 months from taking the big plunge. We are moving to Heritage Hill or

[Par75]

30 Yrs Old

Married and we now have a new baby boy, our 1st.

Bachelor of Business Admin from GVSU

Work for Herman Miller in Zeeland and travel quite a bit to larger cities, primarily New York and DC.

Born in Newport Beach, CA but was raised and have lived in Grand Rapids most of my life; am currently a board member for the Fulton Heights Neighborhood Assoc.

Best thing about downtown GR: Excellent restaurants and the best symphony in Michigan

[acarlton]

21 years old

B.A. in Art and Urban Studies from Calvin College

Live in South Heritage Hill

Currently work for developer in GR and headed off to grad school for architecture shortly.

I am new to this forum, but looking forward to giving you all my "two cents."

[grurbanguy]

Married w/ three-year-old daughter

Two parts spin-doctor, one part online media buyer, two parts marketing at global financial services company...

Just bought my second house in Midtown (without an

[GRDadof3]

Maybe now would be a good time for newcomers to update here

[terra firma]

Guess I'm the old guy here.

38, 3 kids

lifetime GR resident, only a couple years downtown

live in EGR

commercial real estate development / investment (terra firma devel. co)

I enjoy sailboat racing, fighting with general contractors and renovating old buildings !