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Tour guide: 20-somethings


Veloise

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In another forum, someone mentioned working here in the 616 for the summer. He's 21. Wants to meet gurlz.

I suggested the obvious: GR Swing at RPC on Tuesday nights. (More of us AARPers, but we are still vastly outnumbered.) But that's only once a week. Also mentioned BotM, On The Town, and GR Now.

Where do folks in this age range hang out, other than bars?

(Four Friends :()

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Depends on what type of person this person is, but I hang out at Morningstar 76 in Eastown next to Yesterdog. It's a real young crowd, mostly the college student type. At 25 I tend to be the old man there on some evenings. It's open 24 hours and as long as you buy a drink you can stay as long as you want and hang out. It is a gritty place though. Here is a couple of interior pictures to give you some idea of what I mean.

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Tour guide: 20-somethings, Places to go, people to do :lol:

Sorry...I couldn't help myself.

This is a good topic. As a 20-something I do struggle with finding social activities that a)don't involve alcohol b)don't cost a lot. Not that I'm against either but all things in moderation.

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There's never a shortage of stuff to do. Some things that come to mind:

Grand Haven beach for friends and sun tans

The Meanwhile, Founders, Mulligans, many more for drinks (you said no bars, but it's reality)

Intersection, Billy's, Blues on the Mall, Calvin College, and many more for music

Dr Grins for a good laugh

Lots of good food...everywhere, good people follow

Coffee--I like Kava House, The Sparrows is nice too

Founders Fest, Local First St Party, Festival on the Grand, 4th of July, Corn Hole at Mangiamo, Uptown Trolley days, Farmer's market are all good things when it's warm

Museums, RPC skating, skiing, concerts when it's cold

...and nothing beats a stroll through the neighborhoods and an afternoon in the park.

I'm sure I'm forgetting many things, but GR Now is a great resource. No excuses for boredom in my opinion...

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21 years old, only here for the summer, and wants to meet girls? Good luck. This isn't summer camp anymore...unless he's working at a summer camp, so I'd imagine meeting anyone on a serious level, short term, is next to impossible. And not just for Grand Rapids.

However, all hope is not lost if he has a couple things going for him. One, he has to be returning to an area that's cool for someone he meets to visit, and relatively close. Chicago comes to mind. Another thing he should have a puppy, or unlimited access to a puppy. I would recommend a lab or golden retriever pup. And lastly, wheels. You've gotta have 4 wheels. Doesn't mean you have to drive all the time, but you have to be able to drive some of the time. Very little beats a Michigan summer, with camping, Lake Michigan, symphony shows, Meijer Garden, festivals (GR, TC, Saugatuck, South Haven), dates, and the walk of shame can't always be done on a bike.

I'd say the odds are dramatically improved if you can stay here long term. If so, this is what I'd recommend, and not in any particular order.

Join a neighborhood alliance and attend other city meetings. You're bound to meet like minded people, run into these same people when you're out and about, or who knows, be set up with a friend of someone.

Take up a hobby like photography. If you get on the Flickr group for Grand Rapids, you'll see that there's close to 600 members. Many of these members have events, similar to the Lunch n Learn, where they walk around GR and take pictures. These events are free and open to any group member.

Normally I wouldn't recommend biking because it can be very individualistic if done for exercise, but there are a number of social riding events to attend. Josh puts on an excellent ride, Pedal GR, every other Wed. just to name one.

I wouldn't recommend Swing on the Mall because it does require a partner and when I've stopped there to watch, the age group appeared to barely scratch the 21 and up crowd. The same with a similar event held downtown every Sunday night, I believe around 6:45 at Rosa Parks Circle. There is a group of younger people who play capture the flag and run through town. It's quite a fun event to see, but this again is a little younger crowd.

Recommended places to pop in:

The Sparrows Coffee Shop

Any Grand Rapids Young Professional Event

Wolgang's for 12pm breakfast on Saturday and Sunday

McFadden's, Sazerac, Gardella's or O'Toole's on Wednesday, Monte's on Thursday, and Hopcat (hopefully covering my bar bases)

Hope this helps your friend...or anyone else in the future.

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Most of the guys I knew when I was single who the gurlz were really into were the guys who were really into themselves. So act like you are God's gift to women, and like you think you are the greatest and chances are people will start to think so too.

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Forget owning the dog. Borrow or buy a leash. Walk around the park carrying the leash. Spot a cute girl or girls and ask them if they saw a dog run by. See if they'll help you look for your "lost puppy" and then when your search ends up fruitless, you look for some consolation, perhaps over dinner. Most girls love puppies, and come on... would you want to date a girl who doesn't like dogs?

:thumbsup:

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Wow, this thread seems to have really changed course.

I agree with temporary.name though. I seem to mostly meet those types as well. Most of the single, educated girls that I knew in college left the state after graduation.

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I'll have to contact my correspondent and ask him if we are of any help at all. (Of course I told him about UP.)

Point of clarification: I didn't say "no bars," but asked for ideas besides the bar scene. Figured he could find his own bars perfectly well.

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