My first GR visit

[Phizzy]

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 recently worked with IT contractor out of Phoenix for a couple of weeks. He mentioned on a couple of occassions that "Grand Rapids sure has a lot of gorgeous women". He didn't visit the bars either, he just noticed this gadding about during the evening (shopping, etc.).

[DSchoon]

Sort of off topic, but it fits with the "beautiful women" thing. I've been pitched a number of times on doing a story on how GR is a horrible place to be single. Once, the president of a ad firm told me it was such a problem for his creative class type workers, but when I talked to them they said the complete opposite--I even got this quote, "This is so much better than Salt Lake City."

I figure I've got a girlfriend, and despite being poor and ugly have never had a huge problem finding dates, so it can't be that bad. But again, when I talk to a certain coworker in my age group, I hear the complete opposite.

[Rizzo]

Nice photos Zachariah.

[ericnmu]

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.

And another benefit... how old is Wealthy St. in Eastown? Cars are still driving on it daily, and it has lasted forever.

[starrfish]

Zach, thanks for sharing your city views! Sounds like you had an enjoyable visit! Come back soon!

I have a theory on why out of towners think there are so many beautiful women (not that we're not all beautiful!) - they're out of their own element, seeing a city with new eyes, with perhaps a little more time to appreciate the "sights" than they'd have in the grind back home.

Sort of off topic, but it fits with the "beautiful women" thing. I've been pitched a number of times on doing a story on how GR is a horrible place to be single.

DSchoon, I'd read your article. Being single in this city is a little bit of a challenge - all my same age (young 30's) friends are married and have been for several years. Most have kids. Whereas in a larger city - people don't marry so young, put off having kids until late 30's etc.

[twoshort]

Whereas in a larger city - people don't marry so young, put off having kids until late 30's etc.

My wife (from SE Michigan) has noted several times that people in Western Michigan seem to marry young, but I'm pretty sure there are still PLENTY of single people around.

[GR1]

My wife (from SE Michigan) has noted several times that people in Western Michigan seem to marry young, but I'm pretty sure there are still PLENTY of single people around.

I think this may be due to what I like to call "Senior Scramble". Many students of the religious colleges around Grand Rapids get married right out of college. As a student of one of these religious colleges, I've seen and still see it first hand. I can't believe how many girls spend their senior year of college planning their weddings!

[destijl]

I think this may be due to what I like to call "Senior Scramble". Many students of the religious colleges around Grand Rapids get married right out of college. As a student of one of these religious colleges, I've seen and still see it first hand. I can't believe how many girls spend their senior year of college planning their weddings!

I can remember that while a freshman at one of those religious colleges, my friends and I vowed not to adhere to that 'go to college to find a mate' philosophy. Nevertheless, nearly all of us did.

[Rizzo]

Jebus, what the hell kind of colleges do yous goto? If that's what they're teaching these days

[PBJ]

Jebus, what the hell kind of colleges do yous goto? If that's what they're teaching these days

I don't think it's really the college, just the way you were raised/family values maybe? Parents were married by 23 so I should be too. I can say that I'm one of the very few I graduated High School (private) that didn't get married by 23 or 24. I'm one of the last ones left from my class and I'm only 27. I even know of a couple of people who are my age and on thier second marriage (i'm sure there NO correlation to getting married way to farking early ).

[Greedo]

I don't know, I would say we have a fair share of beautiful people in GR, but I know when I lived in Chicago I fell in love four, sometimes five times a day.

Yes, all of them were secret crushes and "missed connections" while riding public transportation, but that's beside the point. It happened there more often than it happens here.

[Veloise]

I don't know, I would say we have a fair share of beautiful people in GR, but I know when I lived in Chicago I fell in love four, sometimes five times a day.

Yes, all of them were secret crushes and "missed connections" while riding public transportation, but that's beside the point. It happened there more often than it happens here.

Um, we don't have decent public transportation here.

(You're welcome.)

[Nitro]

I don't think it's really the college, just the way you were raised/family values maybe? Parents were married by 23 so I should be too.

This is funny because I always gauged where I was in life by my memories of my parents while I was growing up. I never wanted to be the "old" parent at the elementary school. You know the one, had kids late in life, and always looked out of place among the young mommies and daddies of their child's classmates. One kid that I went to school with his dad died of natural causes before he even graduated. That scared the hell out of me.

My parents had me when they were 26, so that seemed the appropriate age to start having my own children. They never seemed like the "old" parents at any level of my schooling so the timing seemed right.

Too funny!

[Rizzo]

This is funny because I always gauged where I was in life by my memories of my parents while I was growing up. I never wanted to be the "old" parent at the elementary school. You know the one, had kids late in life, and always looked out of place among the young mommies and daddies of their child's classmates. One kid that I went to school with his dad died of natural causes before he even graduated. That scared the hell out of me.

My parents had me when they were 26, so that seemed the appropriate age to start having my own children. They never seemed like the "old" parents at any level of my schooling so the timing seemed right.

Too funny!

For me marriage at 25, then the baby's carriage at 26... I'm not going to be like my parents and screw at the age of 19 (not understandable) and then realise in the Catholic church its frowned upon to have babies before the vows...(understandable).then get married through an arranged marriage just so to keep up appearances.

Thankfully, I wasn't a beotch, but it was a close one.

This threads almost going to go down in history... Poor Zachariah.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Thanks for ruining my thread, guys!

[Veloise]

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.

(dragging it back on-topic...)

I heard this several times last year at the Midwest Tandem Rally (folks from Cleveland, and Detroit, and other places), and I heard it again at the button event. (Thanks again, Zach, for bringing that to my attention.) It was probably in the late 90's when I first discovered this well-kept secret, and I finally got here two years ago (running away from the 313 as fast as I could).

Zach, didja notice how things are generally well-kept here? Less trash? Better street surfaces? Friendlier drivers? Friendlier people (never mind how they look)? Oh, and we're using the river as something more than a photo backdrop. When you come back, several of the projects you saw will have been completed (we git 'er done!).

You never told us where you ate...

[ZachariahDaMan]

Actually I did notice people being rather friendly there. It seemed like anyone (at hotel, stores, anyone in general) is really nice when you start up conversations with them rather then just giving a reply and going about their business like you see in other places.

We only ate at 2 places, Quiznos downtown and Applebee's in Walker. That was actually my first time eating at a Quiznos even though we have them by me.

I am excited to visit GR again and see all the projects finished. I actually might be staying in GR for a few months in a couple years. I will be getting my degree in criminal justice at Schoolcraft Community College but after seeing GR I would like to transfer to Grand Valley to take the academy. I wouldn't be there too long but it'd still be nice.

[ericnmu]

What?! You ate at two chain restaurant. You missed out on a lot of local and food flavor.

[CK1]

We only ate at 2 places, Quiznos downtown and Applebee's in Walker. That was actually my first time eating at a Quiznos even though we have them by me.

Make sure you get back on this board when you decide to come back - the folks in here know where the really good (and usually inexpensive) food joints are all over town...

On a side note, I was reading through a few travel guides at the bookstore the other day, and was curious what restaurants were recommended for people visiting Grand Rapids...in one very respected guide, only two (yes, ONLY TWO) were even mentioned at all: Grand Rapids Brewing Company and Cottage Inn. Nothing against either one, but kind of hard to believe only two restaurants were worth noting...

[suydam]

Um, we don't have decent public transportation here.

(You're welcome.)

Decent? I think so (especially for a city of our size). The Rapid works nicely, it's on time, it's affordable and it exists.

Our problem is that nobody rides the darn thing.

[torgo]

Decent? I think so (especially for a city of our size). The Rapid works nicely, it's on time, it's affordable and it exists.

Our problem is that nobody rides the darn thing.

Award-winning public transportation! And they have been gaining a lot of riders, too.

First quarter 2006 was 20% higher than first quarter 2005.

That's a lot.

[Veloise]

Award-winning public transportation! And they have been gaining a lot of riders, too.

First quarter 2006 was 20% higher than first quarter 2005.

That's a lot.

Yeah but...

...in terms of meeting the love of one's life, the odds are better in the produce aisle at Fred's. (Or anywhere on the White Pine Trail. Or in the cheap seats at a RPC concert. Or the window table at Four Friends.)

[GRDadof3]

What?! You ate at two chain restaurant. You missed out on a lot of local and food flavor.

Jeez, cut the guy some slack. Good thing some of you guys are not on the GR Welcoming Committee.

As far as the juvenile discussion about "hot girls" in Grand Rapids, being around beautiful people does not automatically make it easy to be single in the area. I think a lot of modern singles would prefer not to hang out at meat markets amongst the "beautiful people", and are actually NOT looking to "hook up" with someone. I could be wrong.

Sorry ZachariahDaMan, I just couldn't let that go.

[snoogit]

Jeez, cut the guy some slack. Good thing some of you guys are not on the GR Welcoming Committee.

the GR welcoming committee minutes would be quite interesting though

[mejane]

Thankfully, I wasn't a beotch, but it was a close one.

Surely, no one sees children born to single parents as being

assigned this label anymore, do they? Ridiculous.