New projects in East Hills

[jas49503]

considering I've never had to walk more than a couple of hundred feet at most, and usually much less than that, I'm suprised that they would even try. unless it's for people coming in from Ada who are scared they will be mugged the minute they are not directly in front of the restaurant.

[Explorer55]

Hey, don't lump everyone from "Ada" into that group. My sister lives off of Thornapple Dr. between Cascade and Ada and has no hesitation going to East Hills. Of course, she and I grew up there (many years ago). Maybe that has something to do with it!

The area certainly has come a long, long way. It was just a pleasant residential/commercial neighborhood when I was little, but we moved away before things realy began to go "down hill". It's now surpassed anything I recall from my childhood.

[jas49503]

i was kidding.

[Veloise]

i was kidding.

Yeahbut...suburbanites' misperceptions can be remarkable.

A couple months back I was discussing the Jazz Fest (which took place at Rosa Parks Circle) at our singles group, which made a habit of attending Jazz at the Zoo. One person, a long-time area resident, said that she had no idea where RPC was, where parking could be found, and no interest in going DT where all the scary people hang out. Even for ArtPrize.

Slipping into Jaycees' mode, I sent her links to favorite city's parking map, aerials of RPC, parking ideas. (She likes to walk. I recommended a Dash lot.)

Dunno it if helped, other than to provide some reality. "Here's a SWF who goes DT by herself. All the time. No issues."

[wingbert]

Hey, I live in Ada. I drive my kids through East Hills (car doors locked, naturally) in order to make sure they appreciate the benefits of their quality education so they don't end up like "those people".

Just kidding. Stereotypes can be a wicked thing.

[GRDadof3]

I think if you polled most of the people who visit the establishments in East Hills, they don't live nearby, but drive there from EGR or Forest Hills. And I did hear through the grapevine that several of the business owners were hearing complaints about parking. Valet seems like a natural solution for those who don't know there's a lot behind Green Well, or that you can park on the street on Lake Drive which is just a short walk.

[mgreven]

Agreed. Fine by me…gets more cars off the street parking so people can use it to visit other places. I know most of the people must come from all over the GR to eat here. I'm glad they do so the restaurant is there for when I'm able to go. =)

[andrew.w]

I think valet parking is highly preferable to creating additional surface lots for all of the people who don't like hunting for parking. The restaurant at the end of my street here in Cincinnati (in a neighborhood very much like East Hills) offers valet parking too, and I have noticed that a fair number of people use it.

[RegalTDP]

I think valet parking is highly preferable to creating additional surface lots for all of the people who don't like hunting for parking. The restaurant at the end of my street here in Cincinnati (in a neighborhood very much like East Hills) offers valet parking too, and I have noticed that a fair number of people use it.

Plus, valets can cram more cars into less space, and maximize the use of their lot.

I've noticed conversations about parking on this forum tend to devolve into trash-talking suburbanites. Can we put that to rest? Yes there are clueless suburbanites, as Veloise can attest, but that has nothing to do with their parking habits.

Please accept that most Grand Rapidians - both urban and suburban - use cars to get around this town, and prefer convenient parking as much as anyone else. As long as we're stereotyping, allow me to throw this out there: In my personal experience, the ones that tend to abhor street parking are Type-A personalities, regardless of where they live. The more Type-A you are, the less patience you have for circling blocks to find a spot, then walking to your destination, and you'll gladly pay money to avoid that, if you can. That you may come from a low-crime suburb has nothing to do with it.

I'm not a sociologist, that's just what I've noticed in my acquaintances throughout life.

There's also a fraction of the population that is completely uncomfortable with parallel parking, but they're outliers in my book. Just like the people who don't "get" traffic circles.

And in Grove's case, their new valet service is clearly indicative of scarce parking in East Hills, which we all agree is a good problem to have. It's good for Grove, and good for the neighborhood. Sorry if this offends anyone, but here it is: Grove is defining itself as the kind of restaurant where women want to wear their best heels. They damn well better offer valet parking, if they want to keep it that way.

Edited November 22, 2012 by RegalTDP

[GR_Urbanist]

Do we know where they are they parking the cars?

[BusRidingDaddy]

Businesses in my opinion need to do more to provide their customers with two forms of information:

1) Where to park if you need to arrive by car - even if there is a parking garage two doors down, people don't know this if they are not frequent visitors to your area (such as the RPC parking thing mentioned above). As a prime example I would cite the parking shown on the CityFlats' website. Before I moved to downtown-ish GR I was someone who was unaware of many parking options and tricks. GR is very poor in general at getting commonly known information to those who need it.

2) Where the nearest bus stops are and where those routes go, plus where to check schedules. This would make it appear that arriving by bus is perfectly normal. Example bus info for Grove:
 

 

Bus 6 runs from Woodland Mall via Breton Village, Gaslight Village, Eastown; and from downtown Central Station via Heritage Hill (Lyon/Fountain). Get off the bus at the Lake Drive entrance of Brewery Vivant's parking lot (halfway between Diamond and Eastern) and walk through the parking lot to Cherry.

Bus 4 runs from Kentwood's Clocktower Center via Eastern/54th all the way to Eastern/Cherry; and from downtown Central Station via Fulton, Jefferson and State to Cherry. Get off the bus at the corner of Eastern/Cherry and head east along Cherry, just a couple of minutes' walk.

 

Both buses run until midnight on weekdays, until 9pm Saturdays and until 6pm Sundays. More info from ridetherapid.org

Edited November 29, 2012 by BusRidingDaddy

[jas49503]

Businesses in my opinion need to do more to provide their customers with two forms of information:

 

This is a problem for pretty much every business in every city I've ever been to. maybe it says on thier web sites (which admittedly I rarely go to) but anyone who is used to navigating a city in general can find something.  The problem is that many people are so lazy that they drive around looking for a spot right in front of the place rather than just drive a block or two away and walk.  I think that is the underlying problem. society has gotten lazy.

 

I rarely spend more than two minutes trying to find a spot. of course, I live near downtown though, so sometimes I'll just go home and then walk. I realize that not everyone can do that.

[Jippy]

Parking scarcity complaints, by their very nature, are a bit of a contradiction. Yogi Berra's famous quote best explains the paradox: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

 

Having too much parking is more of a problem than too little. Crowds breed energy which thereby excites additional folks to visit. 

[BusRidingDaddy]

There's no parking scarcity in East Hills. It's an unwillingness to walk half a block from a strange street along another strange street to arrive at a destination. We seem to be conditioned to prefer walking just as far if not further at a mall or megamart than such a harrowing experience.

[RegalTDP]

Do we know where they are they parking the cars?

 

Valets don't really park cars.  Don't you remember Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

 

[mgreven]

There is a sign up for the home furnishings store in the "house" next to Vivant.  Spring 2013.  I forgot the name.  W------  House?  Something like that.

 

Raad Mediterranen Grill has a little flyer in the window where Making Thyme used to be as they moved the retail portion of their business into the front of YT.  Not sure when the grill is planning to open.

 

The other news that I though was actually going to happen isn't anymore.  Looks like one eyesore won't be gone for a LONG time.

[GR_Urbanist]

 

The other news that I though was actually going to happen isn't anymore.  Looks like one eyesore won't be gone for a LONG time.

 

Well there are only two in E. Hills, so we are either stuck with an old gas station or a bunker blighting prominent corners for a while longer.

[GR_Urbanist]

I just noticed that two of the building that belong to Project Rehab look to be for sale. The building on the SW corner of Cherry and Eastern, and the more "modern" building between the main building and the Cherry St. Deli. I wonder if they are planning a relocation at some point. They certainly have some prime property and buildings that residential developers would snatch up instantly for a nice amount I would think.

[joeDowntown]

Both of those buildings are prime re-development candidates. Love both of those buildings even though they are on opposite ends of the architectural spectrum.

 

Joe

 

 

I just noticed that two of the building that belong to Project Rehab look to be for sale. The building on the SW corner of Cherry and Eastern, and the more "modern" building between the main building and the Cherry St. Deli. I wonder if they are planning a relocation at some point. They certainly have some prime property and buildings that residential developers would snatch up instantly for a nice amount I would think.

[GRDadof3]

I just noticed that two of the building that belong to Project Rehab look to be for sale. The building on the SW corner of Cherry and Eastern, and the more "modern" building between the main building and the Cherry St. Deli. I wonder if they are planning a relocation at some point. They certainly have some prime property and buildings that residential developers would snatch up instantly for a nice amount I would think.

 

All three buildings on each corner are for sale. I think that's a good thing. Many of the people who were being treated there were a menace to the neighborhood, from what I hear from people who lived nearby.

 

Wonder where they're going?

[GR_Urbanist]

Holy cow! All three? If Project Rehab is totally vacating the area, that must mean that even the fourth building (a really cool apartment building right at the sidewalk), just south of the three next to Cherry, must be on the block too. Ditto for the large grass field across the street! Some really great possibilities for a large area of E. Hills.

 

But yeah, people were never thrilled with the place. Women that I know hate to walk past there because the men would sit by the windows all day and into the night yelling catcalls as they walked by.

[ModSquad]

I think we can watch for more and more of this type of thing happening in our revitalizing central city neighborhoods.  There are a lot of non-profit/social service agencies and even churches that have operated in these neighborhoods for years and most of them own their own building.  I believe the market has reached a tipping point in may of these neighborhoods where it makes economic sense for the organization to "cash in" on their real estate and then relocate in a less expensive area netting the remaining proceeds to help with an ever shrinking revenue stream.  Bethel Church has sold, it looks like Project Rehab is following suit, and I know of at least two additional organizations in similar neighborhoods looking to do the same.

[GRDadof3]

Holy cow! All three? If Project Rehab is totally vacating the area, that must mean that even the fourth building (a really cool apartment building right at the sidewalk), just south of the three next to Cherry, must be on the block too. Ditto for the large grass field across the street! Some really great possibilities for a large area of E. Hills.

 

But yeah, people were never thrilled with the place. Women that I know hate to walk past there because the men would sit by the windows all day and into the night yelling catcalls as they walked by.

 

 

Go here: http://carwm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=property.mapsearch 

 

....and you can zoom in on the properties to see what they entail. I'm not sure which apartment building you're talking about, but there is one owned by them for sale.

[GR_Urbanist]

Go here: http://carwm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=property.mapsearch 

 

....and you can zoom in on the properties to see what they entail. I'm not sure which apartment building you're talking about, but there is one owned by them for sale.

 

It's 220 Eastern SE.

 

http://www.carwm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=property.detailFSprint&ln=713213&eofficeid=967

 

And it's only 199,000! Must require LOTS of work.

[uncus]

It's 220 Eastern SE.

 

http://www.carwm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=property.detailFSprint&ln=713213&eofficeid=967

 

And it's only 199,000! Must require LOTS of work.

I have a 1907 surveyor map that lists this building (or at least the location)  as the "Grand Rapids Medical College."  The library has a lot of their old documents including meeting minutes, fee schedules etc.  I little bit about the college can be found here:

 

http://grplpedia.grpl.org/wiki/images/130.pdf