Hello everyone

[BostonianinGR]

Hello everyone,

Bostonian in GR is finally back after packing, moving from Boston, and unpacking here in GR. Its nice to have my computer set up again.

Here's a question: Downtown GR is great, it has all the makings of a Great Downtown except for one important detail : PEOPLE!

Downtown appears to be dead. I was down there on a Sunday evening and half the shops were closed. Even a coffee house (Four Friends) which seemed nice was closed. It was absolutely DEAD!

Why doesn't anyone go down town??? I'm amazed!!!!

But not to be always negative.....I have to say that, so far, I have been rather pleased with the public transporation system.

[torgo]

Downtown is often quiet on Sundays. Any other day of the week you would have seen lots more people downtown, as the amount of foot traffic downtown seems to have increase greatly in the last year.

[GaryP]

Welcome to Grand Rapids!

Monday afternoon I was craving a hot dog from the Dog Pit and it was closed.

You are right, noone was around. I guess its a catch 22, nothing will open until people are around, and noone will be around until things are open.

[mpchicago]

While progress is being made, Downtown is still mainly a place to go to work, so streets are pretty busy during Monday through Friday business hours. You will find more people after business hours when festivals, concerts, and plays are talking place, and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights when the bars and restaurants are hopping. Until more people live in the CBD (which will be soon) I think Sundays will remain quiet. The Chicago Loop is pretty dead on Sundays too.

[superNOVA]

It was also a holiday weekend. I am guessing that many people were at the beach or out of town.

[GRguy]

Welcome Bos!

I have started to work downtown and it is hopping during the day. Come on down for lunch and see all the people...

Night, we have a way to go. When there is something at the Van Andel, it is busy

[GR_Urbanist]

I would suggest coming down on Wed, Fri and Sat evenings. You will get a good sized bar/club group walking throughout the whole downtown area most of the evening. On those same days + an arena event, the number goes up 10-fold. But I think the downtown population is going to go up now that all of the colleges are going at full speed. The streets around GRCC alone were packed today for their first day of classes.

[OneSweetWorld]

yeah, welcome to the conservative capitol of the world...everything is closed on sundays. its like we're in ionia county..

[GRDadof3]

yeah, welcome to the conservative capitol of the world...everything is closed on sundays. its like we're in ionia county..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here we go again! Most CBD's are quiet on Sundays because they cater to people who WORK there. But that is slowly going to change as businesses that cater to residents living there move in, as well as businesses catering to health care workers and researchers, who work 7 days/week. As mpchicago said, try finding a place open in the LOOP in Chicago on a Sunday. But get outside of the Business LOOP, and it's a different story.

After going through today and seeing all of the Kendall and GRCC students, I really think the new bookstore will be a nice fit on Fountain.

[zenstyle]

My guess is, when the out-and-abouters outnumber the panhandlers, you'll see more out-and-abouters.

[eagle]

yeah, welcome to the conservative capitol of the world...everything is closed on sundays. its like we're in ionia county..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stop with all this conservative bashing. Most would rather be at the beach, riding bike trails, working on their yards, etc on Sun than be downtown. You can't create this conservative "straw man" and attribute all of Grand Rapids' problems to it.

I travel to other cities for conventions on weekends, Chicago, Nashville, Louisville, Raleigh, etc and am often amazed how hard it can be to find a place to eat downtown on Saturdays and Sundays.

[publius]

yeah, welcome to the conservative capitol of the world...everything is closed on sundays. its like we're in ionia county..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi everyone, been reading quite a while and like the discussion. I enjoy downtown on Sundays as much as on a weeknight out, and tell you why. We go to a downtown church every other Sunday or so, and afterwards make it a point to often eat or visit downtown. Yes, lots of things are closed, but here is a list of things you CAN do on sundays around noon.

1. Eating is available anywhere in the Amway, at Sundance Grill, at Solace, at the Day's Inn, or at the BigBoy. (haven't checked out TGI Friday yet for noon). Best bet for us is usually Sundance, although occasionally we will migrate to the nearby Cherry Inn as well.

2. Downtown Sunday things to do after church include walks down one side of the river then accross one of the bridges and back on the other side, walks through the nearby heritage hill neighborhood (always a different route, but the pleasure in examining the details of the houses we encounter provides half the pleasure), and in the winter, bringing ice skates for skating at rosa parks circle--on good ice winter days there is usually a hardy band of 8-15 souls who enjoy ice without the crowds, prior to the official opening hours...

3. For construction freaks, sunday is the day you can often get more detailed views of whats going on without someone official chasing you off. You might be amazed how many areas cordonned off during the week are somehow magically accessible for walkthrough or around on Sundays, lol

Would love to hear more suggestions on where to eat in or near downtown on Sundays though, cause often we invite friends or relatives to go with us...

[eagle]

Have you tried Bombay Cuisine in Eastown? I know it's not downtown but you mentioned Cherry Inn (one of our Sunday favorites.) Bombay does an amazing Lunch Buffet on Sundays.

[Prankster]

Have you tried Bombay Cuisine in Eastown?  I know it's not downtown but you mentioned Cherry Inn (one of our Sunday favorites.)  Bombay does an amazing Lunch Buffet on Sundays.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Another good one, albeit a lot pricier, is the Champagne Brunch at Charlie's Crab. Always good food, and not just fish dishes.