Photos De Jour - Grand Rapids and West Michigan Area

[Allison Slater]

I was wondering when they'd put that signal in. The footings(?) have been there ever since they did the pocket park. I'm guessing it will be synchronised with the Campau/Pearl light.

[Eridony]

I always think this little apartment building would be a cool place to live. Looks like it could use some fixing up though.

[Allison Slater]

I agree.. I'd love to live in that little building. I could easily picture myself taking a Vespa down into Winchester Alley there, parking it, and walking inside to home.

As for the new street light.. it is certainly not LED, nor synchronised with Pearl/Campau.

[sfloria]

Thats a great angle, not one modern glass structure in view. Almost looks European.

[d8alterego]

See, that's what I don't understand. Why is the city installing new signals when they're paying to convert them to LED? Sounds like a lack of planning and a waste of resources to me.

As for the new street light.. it is certainly not LED, nor synchronised with Pearl/Campau.

[jbr12]

I wonder if the city paid for this light or if the JW did. I'd assume JW since 1- its not an LED light and 2- its not synchornized

[MuskeMI]

OK, I guess I'll try this. My pics (actually all a year old, from FMG during last year's butterfly exhibit)

[The ATX]

Michi on SSP posted an excellent photo spread of Grand Rapids:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread...d=1#post3439892

Edited March 26, 2008 by Texas Hill Country

[FilmMaker]

I always think this little apartment building would be a cool place to live. Looks like it could use some fixing up though.

I took a look at this many years ago when it was for sale briefly. It had some pretty serious structural issues as I recall. Interior wasn't laid out too well either. I think much of its charm comes from the hillside location and winding brick road more that the bldg itself.

[Eridony]

I took a look at this many years ago when it was for sale briefly. It had some pretty serious structural issues as I recall. Interior wasn't laid out too well either. I think much of its charm comes from the hillside location and winding brick road more that the bldg itself.

That doesn't surprise me to hear. From the outside it looks like it's in rough shape, so it's no surprise it's that way on the inside too. You're right about it's charm coming from the hillside location and the winding road. I also like how it's tucked away, right in the middle of downtown but I bet many people never notice it. I think what I like about the structure most is it's shape. The triangular shape is probably part of the problem with the interior layout, but it also makes it unique, not everything can be squares and rectangles.

Sfloria - I like this shot because it's hard to put a date to it. Of course we know it's modern but there are very few things in the shot to narrow it down to a specific decade. The one thing you can often judge the date of a photo by is the model of cars on the street. This picture only has the top portion of one car at the bottom and another in the distance by the former museum.

[Michi]

I've always wondered, does this park have a name?

It's such a great asset!

[Rizzo]

That's Heartside Park. The open space is an asset, but not sure on the design itself.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Rizzo

[Allison Slater]

I think some of the charm comes from the building as well. It is very simple and small with unique shape. Some windows do not match the size and shape of other windows. The facade is unique from any other building downtown.

[Montague]

">

First attempt at a Urban Planet picture upload/link.

Finally signed up with Picasa. Surprisingly clunky

for a Google product.

This was standing outside the front door of 65 Monroe.

Still haven't figured how to provide a link to my online

Grand Rapids gallery.

John

[Eridony]

I've always wondered, does this park have a name?

(picture)

It's such a great asset!

(another picture)

It is a nice looking park. It especially looks good in those pictures, but I see you tried to trick me by posting pictures from a time when the trees had leaves and the grass was green.

Not to get to far off topic, but is this the park that has fountains the hobos use as showers?

[OneSweetWorld]

It is a nice looking park. It especially looks good in those pictures, but I see you tried to trick me by posting pictures from a time when the trees had leaves and the grass was green.

Not to get to far off topic, but is this the park that has fountains the hobos use as showers?

I'm guessing so, either Heartside or Veterans Park by the Library.

Edited March 31, 2008 by the_grand_raggidy

[Eridony]

I'm guessing that's Veterans Park by the Library.

Okay, I know they like to hang out there. I didn't know that park had a fountain though.

[GR Straight Edge]

I for a large time lived in the Globe right across the road and while the park may look nice it isn't. No one really dares go in there, especially past dark, it's ridden with homeless people or worse, many a night i'd be walking home from somewhere downtown and cops would be hauling people out of the park. Cops don't even like to walk through it at night, they actually drive there cars in through the park in order to patrol it.

I Guess if looks matter....

(Sorry for the OT)

[Rizzo]

Wait, the cops drive up into the park? I want to put a train terminal on Heartside Park.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Rizzo

[GR Straight Edge]

Wait, the cops drive up into the park? I want put a train terminal on Heartside Park.

Yea, if you look in the picture of the park above, they drive along the cement trails shining the spotlights on there car multiple times a night to check for activity in the park. I've seen them drive through the grass on a couple ocasions aswell.

Also, 99% of the time the city doesn't even bother unlocking the public bathrooms there anymore.

[tamias6]

These are some shots of the new GRAM and surrounding buildings. The exterior is incredible. But I wish cameras were allowed inside because the interior is stunning and a piece of art in of itself. I wanted to get more shots of the GRAM building itself. But my camera had a near death experience as I learned the hard way that the GRAM's concrete hardscape loves to mutilate digital cameras. Fortunately my camera still works after popping the lens housing back in place.

[Eridony]

My first attempt at night photography. Unfortunately I only have a simple point and shoot so the images ranged from bad to horrible. Here are some of the best ones.

River House & Plante Moran

The Brass Works Building

GVSU Health Sciences from a distance

[blueradon]

I always love it when someone can take super fantastic nighttime shots of GR - thanks for sharing that!

[Eridony]

I always love it when someone can take super fantastic nighttime shots of GR - thanks for sharing that!

No problem, but I don't think they count as super fantastic. I think there are more at the mediocre level, still they turned out better then my previous attempts at night photography.

Here is one more.

[Grand Rapidian]

Does anyone have pictures of the view from up in Plaza Tower? I am curious to see the view in comparison to River House.