My first GR visit

[ZachariahDaMan]

Last Thursday I headed out to GR to stay at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel until Friday. I ended up liking GR more then I thought I was going to. I wasn't expecting it to be too much better then Ann Arbor. It is definitely somewhere I can see myself living someday. It has many things I want for the town I live in including museums, a river, historic architecture downtown, old houses. I loved the how the old buildings looked when you first go down Monroe Center from Monroe Ave. and Pearl. You guys are very lucky to live in such a beautiful city.

Enjoy my pics!

^Whats with the huge empty lot?

Heritage Hill Historic District

[twoshort]

It has many things I want for the town I live in including museums, a river, historic architecture downtown, old houses...

Thinking of starting a mill? (kidding)

[Veloise]

...

^Whats with the huge empty lot?

Was a parking deck, torn down so it could be redeveloped to a higher & better use. It's discussed on here as City Centre (Center?) something or other. Will be nice once it's done....

[michaelskis]

Oh great

[GRGridGirl]

Zack:

Thanks for posting and for making the most out of your visit to our great city.

Grand Rapids always welcomes you!

Best, Rachel

[GRDadof3]

What's with the huge empty lot?

Planned mixed use development (latest rendering):

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...=26569&st=0

I ended up liking GR more then I thought I was going to. I wasn't expecting it to be too much better then Ann Arbor. It is definitely somewhere I can see myself living someday.

Awesome! Make sure to tell a friend.

[grrwymg]

Awesome! Make sure to tell a friend.

No no no, you have it all wrong. You get a next your name on the chalkboard.

"Keep it a secret..."

[LA Dave]

Zach: Glad you enjoyed your first visit to my hometown. I also love your hometown, having spent seven years there toiling in the groves of academe.

You have a good eye for buildings, having taken pics of some of the best in town. On your next visit, be sure to see the Meyer May house (Frank Lloyd Wright), the St. Cecilia Auditorium (Henry Ives Cobb), the old Michigan Trust Building (Solon Beman), Temple Emmanuel (Erich Mendelssohn) and Fountain Street Church (check out the stained glass depiction of Charles Darwin), and the many other great architectural wonders of GR.

[sparky05]

You have a good eye for buildings, having taken pics of some of the best in town. On your next visit, be sure to see the Meyer May house (Frank Lloyd Wright), the St. Cecilia Auditorium (Henry Ives Cobb), the old Michigan Trust Building (Solon Beman), Temple Emmanuel (Erich Mendelssohn) and Fountain Street Church (check out the stained glass depiction of Charles Darwin), and the many other great architectural wonders of GR.

On this topic, is there any central thread for discussing famous/semi-famous architects and significant buildings in GR? I knew about Meyer May, but I'd like to know more about what to look out for while I'm out. Heck, I'd like to know more about the Who What When Where Why of pretty much any building in GR...

[mpchicago]

Speaking of first visits. A couple of buddies here in the office visited GR for the first time this past week. They went to meet a client and then they were supposed to move on to Detroit that evening. They meet the client at Bite for drinks, and had a blast. Having such a good time they decided to stay for dinner and headed to the Chop House. The fun continued so they ended up spending the night at the Amway. They said the city "was so clean" and the ladies were "hot." They were very impressed with GR. Not bad coming from a couple of guys from Chicago!

[PBJ]

and the ladies were "hot." They were very impressed with GR. Not bad coming from a couple of guys from Chicago!

I get the "Hot ladies" thing all the time from people coming into the bar after a convention or in town for business. Friday night there was actually a guy who was sitting there around 10ish. He was in town from Toledo for business and said "Man, you guys have some beautiful women in this town"...

sorry.. way off topic I know..

[destijl]

I think GR has more than its share of tall blond women.

[Veloise]

I get the "Hot ladies" thing all the time from people coming into the bar after a convention or in town for business. Friday night there was actually a guy who was sitting there around 10ish. He was in town from Toledo for business and said "Man, you guys have some beautiful women in this town"...

sorry.. way off topic I know..

Thanks for noticing!

[houseofdon]

Glad you liked our city!

Hopefully you'll move here soon and give GRDad some competition as UP's resident photographer!

[ccbarnes]

I get the "Hot ladies" thing all the time from people coming into the bar after a convention or in town for business. Friday night there was actually a guy who was sitting there around 10ish. He was in town from Toledo for business and said "Man, you guys have some beautiful women in this town"...

sorry.. way off topic I know..

I've heard it too!

Maybe we need to include this in our convention promos!

[snoogit]

I've heard it too!

Maybe we need to include this in our convention promos!

Or we need a "Miss GR" contest (if there isnt one already)

[Rizzo]

I always thought that the comment about beautiful women in GR was in correlation with the amount of bars downtown... -> -> ->time ->

[dtown]

great pics Zach. Ive been wanting to visit GR for a while now. One thing ive noticed in a lot of pics of GR is that there are a quite a few brick paved streets, i just think it makes a street looks so much better, i wish cities would do that more often.

[Veloise]

Here's some of the trouble Zach got me into on Saturday.

GRR are self-explanatory. When the trolleys return, I'm all set. Found several of these in three sizes.

L.A.W. is a bicycle club founded in 1880, of which I'm a life member. Two sizes. I suspect the sellers didn't know how incredibly old these are, or (more likely) there's no demand.

And I'm a Statue of Liberty collector.

Total: about $70. Good thing the eagle flew last week. I am a button user, not collector; looks to be a pricey hobby involving a lot of sitting around and peering at small items. I arrived an hour before they shut down, so they waived the $5 admission and gave me a loot bag.

Oh, and getting to see the innards of the former Civic Auditorium: priceless.

[ZachariahDaMan]

great pics Zach. Ive been wanting to visit GR for a while now. One thing ive noticed in a lot of pics of GR is that there are a quite a few brick paved streets, i just think it makes a street looks so much better, i wish cities would do that more often.

Thanks. I love seeing brick paved streets also. When you go out to Grand Rapids make a stop at Ionia on the way. Main Street is brick also, it is a smaller but very historic town with a decent sized downtown and a ton of nice architecture.

[jayblogger]

Thanks. I love seeing brick paved streets also. When you go out to Grand Rapids make a stop at Ionia on the way. Main Street is brick also, it is a smaller but very historic town with a decent sized downtown and a ton of nice architecture.

Awesome photos Zach!

I have a love/hate relationship with the brick paved streets. Some of the old sections of Wealthy and Cherry Streets are in bad shape. The newer versions that have been laid down (The Cherry/Diamond biz district is a good example) are nice and smooth. But those old chopped up sections... brutal to drive on. Old world cobblestones would be easier to handle.

[ericnmu]

Awesome photos Zach!

I have a love/hate relationship with the brick paved streets. Some of the old sections of Wealthy and Cherry Streets are in bad shape. The newer versions that have been laid down (The Cherry/Diamond biz district is a good example) are nice and smooth. But those old chopped up sections... brutal to drive on. Old world cobblestones would be easier to handle.

Isn't there an old cobble stone street on the west side somewhere?

[Nuncprotunc]

Isn't there an old cobble stone street on the west side somewhere?

Trowbridge west of Lafayette (Lookout/Belknap Hill) is the city's only remaining cobblestone street.

[CK1]

Awesome photos Zach!

I have a love/hate relationship with the brick paved streets. Some of the old sections of Wealthy and Cherry Streets are in bad shape. The newer versions that have been laid down (The Cherry/Diamond biz district is a good example) are nice and smooth. But those old chopped up sections... brutal to drive on. Old world cobblestones would be easier to handle.

True that the beat up brick roads aren't all that fun to drive on, but a hidden benefit is that it keeps cars from flying down the road at obnoxious speeds...

For some reason, I kind of like the look of old-school brick roads that are pushed around and uneven - gives the area surrounding the street a very unique, comfy, worn-around-the-edges look.

[suydam]

True that the beat up brick roads aren't all that fun to drive on, but a hidden benefit is that it keeps cars from flying down the road at obnoxious speeds...

For some reason, I kind of like the look of old-school brick roads that are pushed around and uneven - gives the area surrounding the street a very unique, comfy, worn-around-the-edges look.

My only real issue is that those streets are incredibly hard on my bike. I've bent rims, popped tires and subsequently gave up riding those roads at all.