Grand Rapids, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Grand Rapids is a city
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The city is located on the Grand River
about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area
had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area
, Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, population of 1,321,557. It is the county seat
of Kent County
, Michigan, second largest city in Michigan (after Detroit), and the largest city in West Michigan
. Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies and is nicknamed the "Furniture City". The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, and contribute heavily to the health care
, information technology, automotive
, aviation, and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others.
Grand Rapids was the hometown of Gerald Ford
, the 38th President of the United States. He, along with his wife, former First Lady
Betty Ford
, are buried on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
in Grand Rapids.
Over 2,000 years ago, people associated with the Hopewell culture
occupied the Grand River Valley. Around A.D. 1700, the Ottawa Indians moved into the area and founded several villages along the Grand River
.
The Grand Rapids area was first settled by Europeans near the start of the 19th century by missionaries
and fur trade
rs. They generally lived in reasonable peace alongside the Ottawa tribespeople, with whom they traded their European metal and textile goods for fur pelts. Joseph and Madeline La Framboise
established the first Indian/European trading post in West Michigan, and in present Grand Rapids, on the banks of the Grand River near what is now Ada
. After the death of her husband in 1806, Madeline La Framboise carried on, expanding fur trading posts to the west and north. La Framboise, whose ancestry was a mix of French and Indian, later merged her successful operations with the American Fur Company
. She retired, at age 41, to Mackinac Island
. The first permanent white settler in the Grand Rapids area was a Baptist
minister named Isaac McCoy
who arrived in 1825.
In 1826 Detroit-born Louis Campau
, the official founder of Grand Rapids, built his cabin, trading post, and blacksmith shop on the east bank of the Grand River near the rapids. Campau returned to Detroit
, then came back a year later with his wife and $5,000 of trade goods to trade with the native tribes. In 1831 the federal survey of the Northwest Territory reached the Grand River and set the boundaries for Kent County, named after prominent New York jurist James Kent
. Campau became perhaps the most important settler when, in 1831, he bought 72 acres (291,000 m²) of what is now the entire downtown business district of Grand Rapids. He purchased it from the federal government for $90 and named his tract Grand Rapids. Rival Lucius Lyon
, who purchased the rest of the prime land, called his the Village of Kent. Yankee
immigrants and others began immigrating from New York
and New England
in the 1830s.
In 1836 John Ball
, representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations."
By 1838, the settlement had incorporated itself as a village, and encompassed an area of approximately three-quarters of a mile (1 km) . The first formal census occurred in 1845, which announced a population of 1,510 and recorded an area of four square miles. The city of Grand Rapids was incorporated April 2, 1850 and officially created on May 1, 1850, when the village of Grand Rapids voted to accept the proposed city charter. The population at the time was 2,686. By 1857, the city of Grand Rapids' boundary totaled 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²).
In 1880, the country's first hydro-electric generator was put to use on the city's west side.
Grand Rapids was an early participant in the automobile industry, serving as home to the Austin Automobile Company
from 1901 until 1921.
In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water.
Downtown Grand Rapids used to host four department stores: Herpolsheimer's (Lazarus
in 1987), Jacobson's, Steketee's
(founded in 1862), and Wurzburg's. Like most downtown regional department stores, they suffered the same fate of falling sales, caused largely by the flight to the suburbs, and consolidation in the 1980s and 1990s.
enters the Grand River, was known to the native American inhabitants of the area, and was commented on by the pioneer geologist Douglass Houghton
in 1838. This outcrop was first mined in 1841, at first in open cast mines, but later underground mines as well. Gypsum was ground locally for use as a soil amendment known as "land plaster".
The Alabastine Mine
in nearby Wyoming, Michigan
was originally dug in 1907 to provide gypsum for the manufacture of stucco and wall coverings, notably the alabastine, favored by Arts and Crafts Movement
architects. This mine has been converted to use as a storage facility.
. For this reason it was nicknamed "Furniture City". After an international exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Grand Rapids became recognized worldwide as a leader in the production of fine furniture. National home furnishing markets were held in Grand Rapids for about 75 years, concluding in the 1960s. Today, Grand Rapids is considered a world leader in the production of office furniture.
through Wayland
, and was a primary route for freight and passengers until about 1868. This road connected to the outside world via the Michigan Central Railroad
at Kalamazoo.
connected to the city. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
began passenger and freight service to Cedar Springs
, Michigan
on December 25, 1867 and to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1870. This railroad expanded service to Muskegon in 1886. The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad
completed a line to White Cloud
in 1875. In 1888 the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
connected with Grand Rapids.
began flights from Grand Rapids to Detroit
(actually Ford Airport
in Dearborn
, Michigan
) on July 31, 1926.
, where there was once a set of rapids, at an altitude of 610 feet (186 m) above sea level
. It is approximately 40 miles (50 km) east of Lake Michigan
. The state capital of Lansing
lies about 60 miles (100 km) to the east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo
is about 50 miles (80 km) to the south.
Grand Rapids is divided into four quadrants which form a part of mailing addresses in Kent County. The quadrants are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). Fulton Street serves as the north-south dividing line, while Division Avenue serves as the east-west dividing line separating these quadrants.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 45.3 square miles (117.3 km²), of which 44.6 square miles (115.5 km²) is land and 0.7 square mile (1.8 km², 1.50%) is water (primarily the Grand River).
(Köppen
Dfb), with very warm and humid summers, cold and snowy winters, and autumn and spring are quick but mild. Owing to lake effect snow
from Lake Michigan, the city averages 64 in (162.6 cm) of snow per annum. The area often receives quick and sudden lake effect snow
storms, producing significant amounts of snowfall. Summers are moderately warm and the occurrence of heat wave
s and severe weather
outbreaks is not uncommon.
The highest temperature in the area was recorded on July 13, 1936 at 108 °F (42.2 °C), and the lowest was recorded on February 14, 1899 at -24 F. During an average year, sunshine occurs in 46% of the daylight hours. On close to 40% of nights the temperature dips to below 32 °F (0 °C). On average, 11 days a year have temperatures that meet or exceed the 90 degree mark, and 9 days a year have temperatures that are 0 degrees or colder.
In April 1956, the western and northern portions of the city and its suburbs were hit by a violent tornado which locally produced F5 damage and killed 18.
The city skyline shows the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
which reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations done by Marvin DeWinter & Associates including the addition of a 29 story glass tower. The Pantlind was fashioned after English Adams architecture by designers Warren & Westmore and in its prime was rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US. The hotel is home to several well-known restaurants in Grand Rapids, such as Cygnus and the 1913 Room, Michigan's only AAA
Five Diamond Award
restaurant.
The hotel is owned by Amway Hotel Collection, a subsidiary of Amway's holding company Alticor
.
Other prominent large buildings include the JW Marriott Grand Rapids
, the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. It is themed from the array of Grand Rapids Sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. When the hotel was first opened, Amway Hotel corporation hired photographer Dan Watts to travel to each of the sister cities and photograph them for the property. Each floor of the hotel features photography from one of the cities and is unique to that floor. The cities repeat themselves up the 23 floors.
The city's tallest building, which postdates the above photo, is the River House Condominiums
. Completed in 2008, It is a 34 story (123.8 m) condominium tower and stands as the tallest all-residential building in the state of Michigan.
In 1969, Alexander Calder
's abstract sculpture, La Grande Vitesse
, which translates from French as "the great swiftness" or more loosely as "grand rapids," was installed downtown on the Vandenberg Plaza, the remodeled site of Grand Rapids City Hall. It became the very first federally funded work of public art in the United States funded by the National Endowment for the Arts
. Since then, the site has hosted an annual Festival of the Arts
on the plaza, now known informally as "Calder Plaza." During the first weekend in June, several blocks of downtown surrounding the Calder
stabile in Vandenberg
Plaza are closed to traffic. Festival features several stages with free live performances, food booths selling a variety of ethnic cuisine, art demonstrations and sales, and other arts-related activities. Organizers bill it as the largest all-volunteer arts festival in the United States because it is organized and managed entirely by volunteers. Vandenberg
Plaza also hosts various ethnic festivals that take place throughout the summer season.
Summer concludes with Celebration on the Grand
the weekend after Labor Day
featuring free concerts, fireworks display and food booths. Celebration on the Grand
is an event that celebrates life in the Grand River valley. Each October, the city celebrates the Polish heritage centered on the West side of town with Pulaski Days
.
In Grand Rapids in 1973, the city hosted Sculpture off the Pedestal, an outdoor exhibition of public sculpture, which assembled 13 world-renowned artists, including Mark di Suvero
, John Henry, Kenneth Snelson
, Robert Morris
, John Mason
and Stephen Antonakos, in a single, citywide celebration. Sculpture off the Pedestal was a public/private partnership, which included financial support by the National Endowment for the Arts
, educational support from the Michigan Council for the Arts and in-kind contributions from individuals, business and industry. Fund-raising events, volunteers and locals housing artists contributed to the public character of the event.
On November 10, 2004, the grand premier of the film The Polar Express
was held in Grand Rapids, the movie's setting and home of the book's author Chris Van Allsburg
, and its main character. The Meijer Gardens created a Polar Express display which was part of their larger Christmas Around the World exhibit.
In mid-2004, the Grand Rapids Art Museum
(GRAM) began construction on a new, larger building for its art museum collection, which opened in October, 2007 at 101 Monroe Center NW. The new building site faces downtown's Ecliptic by Maya Lin
at Rosa Parks Circle
. The Museum was completed in 2007 and became the first newly built art museum to achieve gold-level, LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The first ArtPrize
, the world's largest art competition completely voted on by the public, took place in Grand Rapids from September 23 through October 10, 2009. This event was founded by Rick DeVos, grandson of Amway Corp. co-founder Richard DeVos
, who offered $449,000 in cash prizes. 1,262 artists exhibited their work for two weeks, with a total of 334,219 votes cast. First prize, including a $250,000 cash prize, went to Brooklyn painter Ran Ortner. The second event, ArtPrize 2010, was held September 22 through October 10, 2010 with work by 1,713 artists on display. The first prize was awarded to Grand Rapids artist Chris LaPorte.
Grand Rapids is the home of John Ball Park
, Belknap Hill
, and the Gerald R. Ford Museum, the final resting place of the 38th President of the United States and former First Lady Betty Ford. Significant buildings in the downtown include the DeVos Place Convention Center
, Van Andel Arena
, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
, and now the JW Marriott Hotel
. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is located downtown, and houses art exhibits, a movie theater, and the urban clay studio.
Along the Grand River
are symbolic burial mounds which were used by the Hopewell tribe
, a fish ladder
, and a riverwalk
.
Grand Rapids is also home to the Van Andel Museum Center
. Founded in 1854, it is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum's sites currently include the main site constructed in 1994 on the west bank of the Grand River
(home to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium
), the Voigt House Victorian Museum, and the City Archives and Records Center, which was the site of the museum and planetarium prior to 1994. The museum has, in the past few years, played host to a handful of notable exhibitions, including the Dead Sea Scrolls
, and The Quest for Immortality: the Treasures of Ancient Egypt. The museum is set up as a non-profit institution owned and managed by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids Foundation.
Heritage Hill, a neighborhood directly east of downtown is one of the largest urban historic districts in the country. It was the first "neighborhood" of Grand Rapids and its 1,300 homes date from 1848 and represent over 60 architectural styles. Of particular significance is the Meyer May House
, a prairie-style home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
in 1908. It was commissioned by local merchant Meyer May who operated a men's clothing store (May's of Michigan). The house is now owned and operated by Steelcase Corporation
. Steelcase manufactured furniture for the Johnson Wax Building in Racine, WI, which was designed by Wright. Because of those ties, Steelcase purchased and restored the property in the 1980s. The restoration has been heralded as one of the most accurate and complete of any Wright restoration. The home is used by Steelcase for special events and open to the public for tours.
Grand Rapids is home to myriad theatres and stages, including the newly reconstructed Civic Theatre (also known as the Meijer Majestic), the city's largest theatre DeVos hall, and the convertible Van Andel Arena. Further east of downtown is the historic Wealthy Theatre
. The first megaplex in the United States
is also located in Grand Rapids, Studio 28, which reopened in 1988 with a seating capacity of 6,000. The theater ceased operations on November 23, 2008. The Grand Rapids company also owns many theaters around West Michigan.
In Grand Rapids Township, the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
combine 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of world-class botanical gardens and artwork from such sculptors as Mark di Suvero
, Alexander Calder
, Edgar Degas
, and Auguste Rodin
. The Gardens' amphitheatre plays host to numerous concerts each summer, featuring such acts as Jonny Lang
, The Pointer Sisters, Lyle Lovett
, Cowboy Junkies
, and B.B. King. The Gardens were mentioned in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
.
The Grand Rapids Symphony
, founded in 1930, presents more than 400 performances a year.
The Great Lakes Chorus of Barbershop Singers is one of the oldest chapters in the Barbershop Harmony Society - formally known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). The Grand Rapids chapter organized on November 1st of 1939 and is credited for holding the first society sanctioned quartet contest in the formal "Michigan District" (now Pioneer District) in March of 1941.
Other acomplishment to the Grand Rapids Chapter, having the first International Quartet champions - The "Harmony Hall" in 1944, the first International Chorus Champions and director; Robert Weaver in 1953.
Grand Rapids Ballet Company was founded in 1971 and remains as Michigan's only professional ballet company. They are currently located on Ellsworth Avenue in the Heartside neighborhood, where it moved in 2000. In 2007, they expanded their facility by adding the LEED-certified Peter Wege Theater.
Opera Grand Rapids, founded in 1966, is the state's longest running professional company. In February 2010, they moved into a new facility in the Fulton Heights neighborhood.
A Newsweek
article listing Grand Rapids as a "dying city" prompted a vigorous community response in the form of a 5,000-person lip dub
in May 2011, which film critic Roger Ebert dubbed “the greatest music video ever made”. The lip dub holds the world record for largest lip dub.
Each year the Fifth Third River Bank Run
is held in downtown Grand Rapids. It draws participants from around the world; in 2010 there were over 22,000 participants.
The Grand Rapids Marathon is held in downtown Grand Rapids in mid-October, usually on the same weekend as the Detroit Marathon.
Amateur sporting organizations in the area include the Grand Rapids Rowing Association, Grand Rapids Rugby Club, and the West Michigan Wheelchair Sports Association. The West Michigan Sports Commission is the host organizing committee for the inaugural State Games of Michigan, which will be held in Grand Rapids from June 25 to June 27, 2010.
is a daily newspaper
, while Advance Newspapers
publishes a group of weekly papers providing more community-based news. Gemini Publications
is a niche, regional publishing company that produces the weekly newspaper Grand Rapids Business Journal
, the magazines Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids Family and Michigan Blue, and several other quarterly and annual business-to-business publications. There are two free monthly entertainment guides: REVUE, which covers music and the arts, and RECOIL, which covers music and offers Onion
-style satire. The Rapidian is an online-based citizen journalism project funded by grants from the Knight Foundation and local community foundations that is reprinted or cited by other local media outlets.
Grand Rapids, combined with nearby Kalamazoo and Battle Creek
, was ranked in 2010 as the 41st largest television market in the U.S. by Nielsen Media Research
. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including: WOOD-TV
(channel 8, NBC
), WOTV
(channel 41, ABC
), WZZM-TV
(channel 13, ABC
), WXMI
(channel 17, Fox
), WXSP-CA
(channel 15, MyNetworkTV
) and Kalamazoo-based WWMT
(channel 3, CBS
). WGVU-TV
is the area's PBS
member station.
The Grand Rapids area is served by 16 AM
radio station
s and 28 FM
stations.
is the largest employer in West Michigan with 16,000 staff and 1,500 physicians. Spectrum Health's Meijer Heart Center, Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, and Butterworth Hospital
, a level I trauma center are located on the Grand Rapids Medical Mile
which has world-class facilities focusing on the health sciences. These facilities include the Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Valley State University
's Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, and the Michigan State University
College of Human Medicine medical school's Secchia Center. Nearly a billion dollars has been invested in the Spectrum Health Cancer Pavilion, the Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
and the expansion to the Van Andel Institute. These facilities have attracted numerous health science businesses to the area.
Grand Rapids has long been a center for furniture
, automobile
, and aviation manufacturing
; American Seating
, Steelcase
, Haworth
and Herman Miller
, major manufacturers of office furniture, are based in the Grand Rapids area. The area serves as an important location for GE Aviation Systems.
In 1880, Sligh Furniture Company started manufacturing furniture. In 1881, the Furniture Manufacturers Association (FMA) was organized in Grand Rapids, it was apparently the first furniture manufacturing advocacy group in the country.
Also since 1912, Kindel Furniture Company, and since 1922, the Hekman/Woodmark Furniture Company, have been designing and manufacturing traditional American furniture in Grand Rapids. All of these companies are still producing furniture today.
The Grand Rapids area is home to a number of well known companies that include; Alticor
/Amway
(a consumer goods manufacturer and distributor), Highlight Industries (an industry leader in stretch wrap
equipment), Spartan Stores
(a food distributor and grocery store chain), Foremost Insurance Company (a specialty lines insurance company), Meijer
(a regional supercenter chain), GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Industries, an aerospace
products company), Wolverine World Wide
(a designer and manufacturer of shoes, boots and clothing), MC Sports, Inc.
(a regional sports retail chain), Universal Forest Products
(a building materials company), and Schuler Books & Music
, one of the largest independent bookstores in the country.
The city is also known as a center of Christian publishing, home to Zondervan
, Baker Books, Kregel Publications, and Eerdmans Publishing, as well as Family Christian Stores
, a Christian bookstore chain.
The surrounding area is noted for its fruit production. Due to its close proximity to Lake Michigan
the climate is considered prime for apple, peach, and blueberry farming.
In 2010 Grand Rapids was named the "most sustainable midsize city in the U.S." by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Civic Leadership Center and Siemens Corp. Grand Rapids was chosen over finalist cities Davenport, Iowa and Hoover, Alabama.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 197,800 people, 73,217 households, and 44,369 families residing in the city. The population density
was 4,431.2 per square mile (1,710.8/km²). There were 77,960 housing units at an average density of 1,746.5 per square mile (674.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.30% White American
(62.5% non-Hispanic White), 20.41% African American
, 0.74% Native American, 1.62% Asian American
, 0.12% Pacific Islander American
, 6.63% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 13.05% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. The city had a foreign-born population of 10.5%.
There were 73,217 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples
living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,224, and the median income for a family was $44,224. Males had a median income of $33,050 versus $26,382 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,661. 15.7% of the population and 11.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.4% are under the age of 18 and 10.4% are 65 or older.
has a large following in Grand Rapids, and its central offices are located in the city.
, which was created on May 19, 1882 by Pope Leo XIII
. The Diocese comprises 176,098 Catholics in West Michigan, 102 parishes, and four high schools: Catholic Central High School, Grand Rapids; Muskegon Catholic Central High School
, Muskegon; St. Patrick High School
, Portland; and West Catholic High School
, Grand Rapids. Walter A. Hurley
is the current Bishop of Grand Rapids.
, but the city itself leans Democratic
.
The city is the center of the 3rd Congressional District
, represented by Republican Justin Amash
. Former President
Gerald Ford
represented the district from 1949 to 1973. Ford died on December 26, 2006 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, and was buried on the grounds of his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids on January 3, 2007.
The Grand Rapids area (including the suburbs of Ada, East Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Grandville, Walker, and Kentwood) also serves as the home business base of one of the largest political donors to the national Republican Party, Richard
and Helen DeVos, and also to the former Ambassador to Italy, Peter Secchia
.
Though the Grand Rapids area has a reputation for conservatism, the city proper tends to elect Democrats. Both of its representatives in the Michigan State House of Representatives
are Democrats, and in the five most recent presidential elections Democratic
candidates Bill Clinton
, Al Gore
, John Kerry
, and Barack Obama
won a majority or plurality of votes in the city of Grand Rapids. The last Republican candidate for President to carry the city was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
and adopted a city charter in 1916 providing for the Commission-Manager
form of municipal government. Under this system, the political responsibilities are divided between an elected City Commission and a hired full-time City Manager. Two part-time Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from each of three wards, with half of these seats up for election every two years. The part-time Mayor is elected every four years by the city at large, and serves as chair of the Commission, with a vote equal to that of a Commissioner. The races—held in odd-numbered years—are formally non-partisan, although the party and other political affiliations of candidates do sometimes come up during the campaign period. The Commission sets policy for the city, and is responsible for hiring the City Manager and other appointed officials.
was elected mayor of Grand Rapids after long-serving mayor John H. Logie
declined to run for re-election in 2003. Logie felt the position should be made full-time, but to avoid the question becoming a referendum on whether he should hold the job full-time, he announced that he would not run for re-election. The voters decided to keep the position part-time, and Heartwell was elected and assumed office on January 1, 2004.
public education is provided by the Grand Rapids Public Schools
as well as a number of charter schools. Grand Rapids is home of the oldest co-educational Catholic high school in the United States, Catholic Central High School. National Heritage Academies
, which operates charter schools across several states, has its headquarters in Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids is home to several colleges and universities. The private, religious schools Aquinas College, Calvin College
, Cornerstone University
, Grace Bible College
, and Kuyper College
each have a campus within the city. Thomas M. Cooley Law School
, a private institution, also has a campus in Grand Rapids. Northwood University
, a private university with its main campus in Midland, MI, has a satellite campus located downtown near the "medical mile". The for-profit
vocational school
ITT Technical Institute
has one of its 105 campuses (located across 37 states of the US) located in Grand Rapids as well. Davenport University
, a private, non-profit, multi-location university with 14 campuses state-wide, has its main campus just outside of Grand Rapids.
As for public tertiary institutions, Grand Rapids Community College
(GRCC) maintains a campus downtown and facilities in other parts of the city and surrounding region. Grand Valley State University
, with its main campus located in nearby Allendale
, continues to develop its presence downtown by expanding its Pew campus, begun in the 1980s on the west bank of the Grand River. This downtown campus currently consists of 33 acre (13 ha) in two locations and is home to 11 buildings and three leased spaces. Ferris State University
has a growing campus downtown, including the Applied Technology Center (operated with GRCC) and the Kendall College of Art and Design
, a formerly private institution that now is part of Ferris. Western Michigan University
has a long-standing graduate program in the city, with facilities downtown and in the southeast.
Clinical Pastoral Education
is also offered at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
in nearby Gaines Township
, Michigan
.
. The building is home to the Grand Rapids Campus of the Michigan State University
College of Human Medicine. This campus trains medical students through all four years of their medical education. The state-of-the-art facility includes clinical examination rooms, simulation suites, classrooms, offices and student areas.
to the west and Lansing
and Detroit, Michigan
to the east
, also named the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, runs east–west through the city, connecting to I-96 just east of Grand Rapids and I-94 in Benton Township
, an unsigned route running concurrently with US 131 between I-96 and I-196
, a business spur of I-196 that follows a section of Chicago Drive
runs north-south through the city, linking with Kalamazoo
to the south and Cadillac
to the north
, a business loop traversing downtown Grand Rapids
is the Paul B. Henry
Freeway running along the south side connecting I-96 and I-196
runs along Ironwood/Remembrance Road, Wilson Avenue, and 28th Street
is Fulton Street to the east
follows Alpine Avenue to the north, I-96, East Beltline Avenue and Broadmoor Avenue to the south
is East Beltline north of I-96
runs along Plainfield Avenue
follows Lake Michigan Drive west toward Allendale
and Lake Michigan
follows Chicago Drive southeast of Grand Rapids to Holland
is Old US 131 south of 28th Street
, which brands itself as The Rapid. Transportation is also provided by the DASH buses: the "Downtown Area Shuttle". These provide transportation to and from the parking lots in the city of Grand Rapids to various designated loading and unloading spots around the city. There are plans in the works to add more express routes, secondary stations, a streetcar and dedicated (exclusive) highway lanes.
(GRR). 8 airlines operate over 150 daily flights to 25 nonstop destinations across the United States and Canada. The airport was previously named the Kent County International Airport.
provides direct train service to Chicago
from the passenger station
via the Pere Marquette
line. Freight service is provided by CSX, the Grand Elk Railroad
, Marquette Rail, the Coopersville and Marne Railway
, and the Grand Rapids and Eastern Railroad.
with the following cities:
Omihachiman, Japan
Bielsko-Biala
, Poland
Perugia
, Italy
Ga District
, Ghana
Parral
, Chile
Zapopan, Mexico
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The city is located on the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area
Grand Rapids metropolitan area
The metropolitan area surrounds the central city of Grand Rapids, Michigan.Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located in the outskirts of Grand Rapids,the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and the DeVos Place Convention Center both in downtown Grand Rapids....
had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
, Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, population of 1,321,557. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
, Michigan, second largest city in Michigan (after Detroit), and the largest city in West Michigan
Western Michigan
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrarily selected region in the U.S. state of Michigan in its Lower Peninsula. There is no official definition for what constitutes "West Michigan." The area of West Michigan may also include parts Southern Michigan.-Definition:In general,...
. Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies and is nicknamed the "Furniture City". The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, and contribute heavily to the health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, information technology, automotive
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, aviation, and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others.
Grand Rapids was the hometown of Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, the 38th President of the United States. He, along with his wife, former First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Betty Ford
Betty Ford
Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford , better known as Betty Ford, was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977 during the presidency of her husband Gerald Ford...
, are buried on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is part of the Presidential Libraries System of the National Archives and Records Administration, a federal agency. Unlike most other presidential libraries and museums, Ford's are two geographically separate buildings. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential...
in Grand Rapids.
History
Hopewell culture
The Hopewell tradition is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BCE to 500 CE. The Hopewell tradition was not a single culture or society, but a widely dispersed set of related...
occupied the Grand River Valley. Around A.D. 1700, the Ottawa Indians moved into the area and founded several villages along the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
.
The Grand Rapids area was first settled by Europeans near the start of the 19th century by missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
rs. They generally lived in reasonable peace alongside the Ottawa tribespeople, with whom they traded their European metal and textile goods for fur pelts. Joseph and Madeline La Framboise
Madeline La Framboise
Madeline La Framboise , of mixed French and Native American descent, was one of the most successful fur traders in the Northwest Territory. Fur trading was one of the most difficult and dangerous occupations of the time according to historical accounts. She conducted business in the territory that...
established the first Indian/European trading post in West Michigan, and in present Grand Rapids, on the banks of the Grand River near what is now Ada
Ada Township, Michigan
Ada Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 9,882. Ada is the corporate home of Alticor and its subsidiary companies Quixtar and Amway.- Communities :...
. After the death of her husband in 1806, Madeline La Framboise carried on, expanding fur trading posts to the west and north. La Framboise, whose ancestry was a mix of French and Indian, later merged her successful operations with the American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
. She retired, at age 41, to Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
. The first permanent white settler in the Grand Rapids area was a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister named Isaac McCoy
Isaac McCoy
Isaac McCoy was a Baptist missionary among the Native Americans in present-day Indiana, Michigan and Missouri. He was an advocate of Indian removal from the eastern United States, proposing an Indian state in what is now Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma...
who arrived in 1825.
In 1826 Detroit-born Louis Campau
Louis Campau
Louis Campau was an important figure in the early settlement of two important Michigan cities.He established the first trading post at what is today Saginaw, Michigan, as early as 1815. He also fought in the War of 1812 and played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819. This...
, the official founder of Grand Rapids, built his cabin, trading post, and blacksmith shop on the east bank of the Grand River near the rapids. Campau returned to Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, then came back a year later with his wife and $5,000 of trade goods to trade with the native tribes. In 1831 the federal survey of the Northwest Territory reached the Grand River and set the boundaries for Kent County, named after prominent New York jurist James Kent
James Kent
James Kent was an American jurist and legal scholar.-Life:...
. Campau became perhaps the most important settler when, in 1831, he bought 72 acres (291,000 m²) of what is now the entire downtown business district of Grand Rapids. He purchased it from the federal government for $90 and named his tract Grand Rapids. Rival Lucius Lyon
Lucius Lyon
Lucius Lyon was a U.S. statesman from the state of Michigan. He was born in Shelburne, Vermont, where he received a common school education and studied engineering and surveying...
, who purchased the rest of the prime land, called his the Village of Kent. Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
immigrants and others began immigrating from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in the 1830s.
In 1836 John Ball
John Ball (pioneer)
John Ball was born at Tenny Hill, Hebron, Grafton County, New Hampshire. He had a common school education and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1820. He studied law two years at Lansingburgh, New York and then went to Darien, Georgia where he was shipwrecked and taught school for the winter...
, representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations."
By 1838, the settlement had incorporated itself as a village, and encompassed an area of approximately three-quarters of a mile (1 km) . The first formal census occurred in 1845, which announced a population of 1,510 and recorded an area of four square miles. The city of Grand Rapids was incorporated April 2, 1850 and officially created on May 1, 1850, when the village of Grand Rapids voted to accept the proposed city charter. The population at the time was 2,686. By 1857, the city of Grand Rapids' boundary totaled 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²).
In 1880, the country's first hydro-electric generator was put to use on the city's west side.
Grand Rapids was an early participant in the automobile industry, serving as home to the Austin Automobile Company
Austin Automobile Company
The Austin was a brass era American automobile manufactured in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1901 to 1921. The company, founded by James E. Austin and his son Walter Austin, built large, expensive and powerful touring cars with an unusual double cantilever rear spring arrangement placing the rear...
from 1901 until 1921.
In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water.
Downtown Grand Rapids used to host four department stores: Herpolsheimer's (Lazarus
Lazarus (department store)
F&R Lazarus & Company — commonly known as Lazarus — was a regional department store retail chain operating primarily in the U.S. Midwest, and based in Columbus, Ohio...
in 1987), Jacobson's, Steketee's
Steketee's
Steketee's was a department store based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It was begun in 1862 in Grand Rapids, and soon grew to several stores throughout southwestern Michigan...
(founded in 1862), and Wurzburg's. Like most downtown regional department stores, they suffered the same fate of falling sales, caused largely by the flight to the suburbs, and consolidation in the 1980s and 1990s.
Gypsum mining
An outcropping of gypsum, where Plaster CreekPlaster Creek
Plaster Creek is a urban stream in Kent County, Michigan in the United States. It is a tributary of the Grand River. The stream is named for the large deposit of gypsum found at its mouth...
enters the Grand River, was known to the native American inhabitants of the area, and was commented on by the pioneer geologist Douglass Houghton
Douglass Houghton
Douglass Houghton was an American geologist and physician, primarily known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.-Early life and education:...
in 1838. This outcrop was first mined in 1841, at first in open cast mines, but later underground mines as well. Gypsum was ground locally for use as a soil amendment known as "land plaster".
The Alabastine Mine
Alabastine Mine
The Alabastine Mine is an underground gypsum mine in Wyoming, Michigan, originally dug by hand in 1907. The mine once included an underground stable for the mules used to haul the gypsum.-Plaster production:...
in nearby Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 72,125. That makes it the 2nd largest community or city in West Michigan, the 14th largest city in the state of Michigan, and the 18th largest community in the state as well...
was originally dug in 1907 to provide gypsum for the manufacture of stucco and wall coverings, notably the alabastine, favored by Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
architects. This mine has been converted to use as a storage facility.
Furniture city
During the second half of the 19th century, the city became a major lumbering center and the premier furniture manufacturing city of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. For this reason it was nicknamed "Furniture City". After an international exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Grand Rapids became recognized worldwide as a leader in the production of fine furniture. National home furnishing markets were held in Grand Rapids for about 75 years, concluding in the 1960s. Today, Grand Rapids is considered a world leader in the production of office furniture.
Roadways
The first improved road into the city was completed in 1855. This road was a private, toll plank road from KalamazooKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
through Wayland
Wayland, Michigan
Wayland is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,939 at the 2000 census.The city is located at the northwest corner of Wayland Township, but is politically independent. The city has also incorporated a portion of land in the south of adjacent Leighton...
, and was a primary route for freight and passengers until about 1868. This road connected to the outside world via the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
at Kalamazoo.
Railroad
The first railroad into the city was the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, which commenced service in 1858. In 1869 the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern RailwayLake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana...
connected to the city. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA...
began passenger and freight service to Cedar Springs
Cedar Springs, Michigan
Cedar Springs is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan, 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Known as "Red Flannel Town", the city is home to an annual Red Flannel Festival...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on December 25, 1867 and to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1870. This railroad expanded service to Muskegon in 1886. The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad
Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad
The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1872 and 1881. The GRN&LS was chartered on September 11, 1869, under the leadership of David P. Clay. The company operated a line between Grand Rapids and White Cloud...
completed a line to White Cloud
White Cloud, Michigan
White Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,408. It is the county seat of Newaygo County.-Geography:...
in 1875. In 1888 the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
The Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad is a defunct railroad which was formed on December 27, 1876 as a reorganization of the foreclosed Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Rail Road...
connected with Grand Rapids.
Air transportation
Grand Rapids was a home to one of the first regularly scheduled passenger airlines in the United States when Stout Air ServicesStout Air Services
Stout Air Services is an airline based in the United States. Stout Air Services was the first regularly scheduled passenger airline in America.- History :...
began flights from Grand Rapids to Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
(actually Ford Airport
Ford Airport (Dearborn)
Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan was one of the first modern airports in the world. The airport operated from 1924 to 1947, and the site is now part of Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Proving Ground. The airport is about 360 acres in size....
in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) on July 31, 1926.
Topography
Grand Rapids sits on the banks of the Grand RiverGrand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
, where there was once a set of rapids, at an altitude of 610 feet (186 m) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. It is approximately 40 miles (50 km) east of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The state capital of Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
lies about 60 miles (100 km) to the east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
is about 50 miles (80 km) to the south.
Grand Rapids is divided into four quadrants which form a part of mailing addresses in Kent County. The quadrants are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). Fulton Street serves as the north-south dividing line, while Division Avenue serves as the east-west dividing line separating these quadrants.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 45.3 square miles (117.3 km²), of which 44.6 square miles (115.5 km²) is land and 0.7 square mile (1.8 km², 1.50%) is water (primarily the Grand River).
Climate
Grand Rapids has a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb), with very warm and humid summers, cold and snowy winters, and autumn and spring are quick but mild. Owing to lake effect snow
Lake effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores...
from Lake Michigan, the city averages 64 in (162.6 cm) of snow per annum. The area often receives quick and sudden lake effect snow
Lake effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores...
storms, producing significant amounts of snowfall. Summers are moderately warm and the occurrence of heat wave
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
s and severe weather
Severe weather
Severe weather phenomena are weather conditions that are hazardous to human life and property.- Examples Include :Severe weather can occur under a variety of situations, but three characteristics are generally needed: a temperature or moisture boundary, moisture, and , instability in the...
outbreaks is not uncommon.
The highest temperature in the area was recorded on July 13, 1936 at 108 °F (42.2 °C), and the lowest was recorded on February 14, 1899 at -24 F. During an average year, sunshine occurs in 46% of the daylight hours. On close to 40% of nights the temperature dips to below 32 °F (0 °C). On average, 11 days a year have temperatures that meet or exceed the 90 degree mark, and 9 days a year have temperatures that are 0 degrees or colder.
In April 1956, the western and northern portions of the city and its suburbs were hit by a violent tornado which locally produced F5 damage and killed 18.
Cityscape
The city skyline shows the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is named after Amway Corporation, which is based in nearby Ada Township.Originally known as The Pantlind Hotel , Amway Grand Plaza Hotel reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations done by Marvin DeWinter & Associates including the...
which reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations done by Marvin DeWinter & Associates including the addition of a 29 story glass tower. The Pantlind was fashioned after English Adams architecture by designers Warren & Westmore and in its prime was rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US. The hotel is home to several well-known restaurants in Grand Rapids, such as Cygnus and the 1913 Room, Michigan's only AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
Five Diamond Award
Five Diamond award
The AAA Five Diamond Award is the highest level of the AAA Diamond Ratings System for restaurants and lodgings administered by AAA ....
restaurant.
The hotel is owned by Amway Hotel Collection, a subsidiary of Amway's holding company Alticor
Alticor
Alticor is a privately held corporation, owned and run by members of the DeVos and Van Andel families. It was established in 1999 to serve as the parent company for a handful of business ventures, most notably the direct selling company Amway and Quixtar and a manufacturing and distribution...
.
Other prominent large buildings include the JW Marriott Grand Rapids
JW Marriott Grand Rapids
JW Marriott Grand Rapids was the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. It is themed off of Grand Rapids's Sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. When the hotel was first opened, Amway Hotel corporation hired photographer...
, the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. It is themed from the array of Grand Rapids Sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. When the hotel was first opened, Amway Hotel corporation hired photographer Dan Watts to travel to each of the sister cities and photograph them for the property. Each floor of the hotel features photography from one of the cities and is unique to that floor. The cities repeat themselves up the 23 floors.
The city's tallest building, which postdates the above photo, is the River House Condominiums
River House Condominiums
River House Condominiums is a residential skyscraper in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the tallest building in Grand Rapids and the tallest all-residential building in Michigan.-External links:**...
. Completed in 2008, It is a 34 story (123.8 m) condominium tower and stands as the tallest all-residential building in the state of Michigan.
Culture
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
's abstract sculpture, La Grande Vitesse
La Grande Vitesse
La Grande Vitesse, a public sculpture by American artist Alexander Calder, is located on the large concrete plaza surrounding City Hall and the Kent County Building in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. The sculpture was the first public art work funded by the Art in Public Places program of...
, which translates from French as "the great swiftness" or more loosely as "grand rapids," was installed downtown on the Vandenberg Plaza, the remodeled site of Grand Rapids City Hall. It became the very first federally funded work of public art in the United States funded by the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
. Since then, the site has hosted an annual Festival of the Arts
Festival of the Arts
The Festival of the Arts, or simply Festival is a three day arts festival in Grand Rapids held on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of June. First held in 1970, after the 1969 installation of Alexander Calder's La Grande Vitesse, known as "The Calder" locally, Festival was quite small with...
on the plaza, now known informally as "Calder Plaza." During the first weekend in June, several blocks of downtown surrounding the Calder
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
stabile in Vandenberg
Arthur H. Vandenberg
Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg was a Republican Senator from the U.S. state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations.-Early life and family:...
Plaza are closed to traffic. Festival features several stages with free live performances, food booths selling a variety of ethnic cuisine, art demonstrations and sales, and other arts-related activities. Organizers bill it as the largest all-volunteer arts festival in the United States because it is organized and managed entirely by volunteers. Vandenberg
Arthur H. Vandenberg
Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg was a Republican Senator from the U.S. state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations.-Early life and family:...
Plaza also hosts various ethnic festivals that take place throughout the summer season.
Summer concludes with Celebration on the Grand
Celebration on the Grand
Celebration on the Grand is a free music festival held in Grand Rapids, Michigan to celebrate the quality of life in the Grand River valley and to act as an unofficial end to the summer for Grand Rapids. It includes a fireworks display. The event is held annually on the weekend following Labor...
the weekend after Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
featuring free concerts, fireworks display and food booths. Celebration on the Grand
Celebration on the Grand
Celebration on the Grand is a free music festival held in Grand Rapids, Michigan to celebrate the quality of life in the Grand River valley and to act as an unofficial end to the summer for Grand Rapids. It includes a fireworks display. The event is held annually on the weekend following Labor...
is an event that celebrates life in the Grand River valley. Each October, the city celebrates the Polish heritage centered on the West side of town with Pulaski Days
Pulaski Days
The Pulaski Days is an annual local three-day celebration of General Casimir Pulaski in Grand Rapids, Michigan where the normally private Polish Halls open their doors to the public. The celebration takes place on the first full weekend in October...
.
In Grand Rapids in 1973, the city hosted Sculpture off the Pedestal, an outdoor exhibition of public sculpture, which assembled 13 world-renowned artists, including Mark di Suvero
Mark di Suvero
Marco Polo "Mark" di Suvero is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born Marco Polo Levi in Shanghai, China in 1933 to Italian expatriates. He immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1942 with his family. From 1953 to 1957, he attended the University of California, Berkeley to study...
, John Henry, Kenneth Snelson
Kenneth Snelson
Kenneth Snelson is a contemporary sculptor and photographer. His sculptural works are composed of flexible and rigid components arranged according to the idea of 'tensegrity', although Snelson does not use the term....
, Robert Morris
Robert Morris (artist)
Robert Morris is an American sculptor, conceptual artist and writer. He is regarded as one of the most prominent theorists of Minimalism along with Donald Judd but he has also made important contributions to the development of performance art, land art, the Process Art movement and installation...
, John Mason
John Mason (artist)
John Mason is a contemporary American artist. From very early on, Mason’s work focused on exploring the physical properties of clay and its “extreme plasticity.” Mason is recognized for his focus and steady investigation of mathematical concepts relating to rotation, symmetry, and modules as well...
and Stephen Antonakos, in a single, citywide celebration. Sculpture off the Pedestal was a public/private partnership, which included financial support by the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, educational support from the Michigan Council for the Arts and in-kind contributions from individuals, business and industry. Fund-raising events, volunteers and locals housing artists contributed to the public character of the event.
On November 10, 2004, the grand premier of the film The Polar Express
The Polar Express (film)
The Polar Express is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the human characters in the film were animated using live action performance capture technique, with the...
was held in Grand Rapids, the movie's setting and home of the book's author Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He twice won the Caldecott Medal, for Jumanji and The Polar Express , both of which he wrote and illustrated, and both of which were later adapted into successful motion pictures...
, and its main character. The Meijer Gardens created a Polar Express display which was part of their larger Christmas Around the World exhibit.
In mid-2004, the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Grand Rapids Art Museum
The Grand Rapids Art Museum is an art museum located in Grand Rapids, Michigan with collections ranging from Renaissance to Modern Art and special collections on 19th and 20th century European and American art, including such modern art works as Richard Diebenkorn’s 1963 Ingleside...
(GRAM) began construction on a new, larger building for its art museum collection, which opened in October, 2007 at 101 Monroe Center NW. The new building site faces downtown's Ecliptic by Maya Lin
Maya Lin
Maya Ying Lin is an American artist who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. She is the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Personal life:...
at Rosa Parks Circle
Rosa Parks Circle
Rosa Parks Circle is a plaza located in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan. During the warmer months it is a multipurpose facility, acting as a venue for events like concerts or dances put on by the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society. In the winter the Circle is converted to an ice rink...
. The Museum was completed in 2007 and became the first newly built art museum to achieve gold-level, LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The first ArtPrize
ArtPrize
ArtPrize is an international art competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first exhibition took place between September 23 and October 10, 2009, and the 2010 exhibition was open from September 22 until October 10...
, the world's largest art competition completely voted on by the public, took place in Grand Rapids from September 23 through October 10, 2009. This event was founded by Rick DeVos, grandson of Amway Corp. co-founder Richard DeVos
Richard DeVos
Richard DeVos, Sr. is an American businessman, co-founder of Amway along with Jay Van Andel , and owner of the Orlando Magic NBA basketball team...
, who offered $449,000 in cash prizes. 1,262 artists exhibited their work for two weeks, with a total of 334,219 votes cast. First prize, including a $250,000 cash prize, went to Brooklyn painter Ran Ortner. The second event, ArtPrize 2010, was held September 22 through October 10, 2010 with work by 1,713 artists on display. The first prize was awarded to Grand Rapids artist Chris LaPorte.
Tourism
John Ball Park
John Ball Zoological Garden is an urban park located on the west side of the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. The John Ball Zoo is situated on the ravines and bluffs along the west edge of the park....
, Belknap Hill
Belknap Hill
Belknap Hill , is a prominent river bluff directly northeast of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The hill is a distinct topographical feature when viewed from the Western approach to the downtown area. Its two hillside city parks have been favored by evening romancers and view seekers throughout...
, and the Gerald R. Ford Museum, the final resting place of the 38th President of the United States and former First Lady Betty Ford. Significant buildings in the downtown include the DeVos Place Convention Center
DeVos Place Convention Center
DeVos Place Convention Center, erected in 2003 on the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, is a multi-purpose convention center. It is named for Richard DeVos, who donated $20 million towards its construction....
, Van Andel Arena
Van Andel Arena
The Van Andel Arena is a 10,834-seat multi-purpose arena, situated in the Heartside district, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a $75 million construction effort, the arena opened on October 8, 1996 and since has attracted over five million patrons. It is home to the popular Grand Rapids Griffins...
, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is named after Amway Corporation, which is based in nearby Ada Township.Originally known as The Pantlind Hotel , Amway Grand Plaza Hotel reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations done by Marvin DeWinter & Associates including the...
, and now the JW Marriott Hotel
JW Marriott Grand Rapids
JW Marriott Grand Rapids was the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. It is themed off of Grand Rapids's Sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. When the hotel was first opened, Amway Hotel corporation hired photographer...
. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is located downtown, and houses art exhibits, a movie theater, and the urban clay studio.
Along the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
are symbolic burial mounds which were used by the Hopewell tribe
Hopewell culture
The Hopewell tradition is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BCE to 500 CE. The Hopewell tradition was not a single culture or society, but a widely dispersed set of related...
, a fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
, and a riverwalk
Riverwalk
Riverwalk is a name often given to a foreshoreway or pedestrian zone adjacent to a river.Some famous examples of riverwalks are:-In the United States:* Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale, Florida* Tampa Riverwalk in Tampa, Florida...
.
Public Museum of Grand Rapids
The Grand Rapids Public Museum was founded in 1854 as the "Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History" in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum includes a cafe, a gift shop, and a 1928 Spillman Carousel, which is situated in a pavilion over the...
. Founded in 1854, it is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum's sites currently include the main site constructed in 1994 on the west bank of the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
(home to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium
Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium
The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, named for astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, was constructed in the early 1960s as part of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. The facility initially featured a plaster dome and a Goto Optics mechanical star projector. Among the planetarium's first shows was "Star of...
), the Voigt House Victorian Museum, and the City Archives and Records Center, which was the site of the museum and planetarium prior to 1994. The museum has, in the past few years, played host to a handful of notable exhibitions, including the Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
, and The Quest for Immortality: the Treasures of Ancient Egypt. The museum is set up as a non-profit institution owned and managed by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids Foundation.
Heritage Hill, a neighborhood directly east of downtown is one of the largest urban historic districts in the country. It was the first "neighborhood" of Grand Rapids and its 1,300 homes date from 1848 and represent over 60 architectural styles. Of particular significance is the Meyer May House
Meyer May House
The Meyer May House is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in the Heritage Hill Historic District of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was built in 1908-09, and is located at 450 Madison Avenue SE. It is considered a fine example of Wright's Prairie School era, and "Michigan's Prairie...
, a prairie-style home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
in 1908. It was commissioned by local merchant Meyer May who operated a men's clothing store (May's of Michigan). The house is now owned and operated by Steelcase Corporation
Steelcase
Steelcase is an international office furniture company founded in 1912 in Grand Rapids, Michigan — as The Metal Office Furniture Company. The company at the time specialized in file cabinets and safes. Today, the company sells products related to interior architecture, furniture and technology...
. Steelcase manufactured furniture for the Johnson Wax Building in Racine, WI, which was designed by Wright. Because of those ties, Steelcase purchased and restored the property in the 1980s. The restoration has been heralded as one of the most accurate and complete of any Wright restoration. The home is used by Steelcase for special events and open to the public for tours.
Grand Rapids is home to myriad theatres and stages, including the newly reconstructed Civic Theatre (also known as the Meijer Majestic), the city's largest theatre DeVos hall, and the convertible Van Andel Arena. Further east of downtown is the historic Wealthy Theatre
Wealthy Theatre
Wealthy Theatre is a historic movie theatre and performance center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is currently operated by the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, a non-profit corporation...
. The first megaplex in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is also located in Grand Rapids, Studio 28, which reopened in 1988 with a seating capacity of 6,000. The theater ceased operations on November 23, 2008. The Grand Rapids company also owns many theaters around West Michigan.
In Grand Rapids Township, the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a botanical garden and outdoor sculpture park located in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan in Kent County. Commonly referred to as Meijer Gardens, it has quickly become one of the most significant sculpture experiences in the Midwest and an emerging...
combine 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of world-class botanical gardens and artwork from such sculptors as Mark di Suvero
Mark di Suvero
Marco Polo "Mark" di Suvero is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born Marco Polo Levi in Shanghai, China in 1933 to Italian expatriates. He immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1942 with his family. From 1953 to 1957, he attended the University of California, Berkeley to study...
, Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
, Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...
, and Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
. The Gardens' amphitheatre plays host to numerous concerts each summer, featuring such acts as Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang is a Grammy award-winning American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter and recording artist. Lang's music is notable for both his unusual voice, which has been compared to that of a forty-year-old blues veteran, and for his guitar solos...
, The Pointer Sisters, Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
, Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
, and B.B. King. The Gardens were mentioned in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
1,000 Places to See Before You Die
1,000 Places to See Before You Die is a 2003 travel book by Patricia Schultz.Among the "1,000 places" in the book are historic ones such as Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Western Samoa and the trail of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the United States, cultural ones such as the Oregon...
.
Entertainment and performing arts
Grand Rapids has a number of popular concert venues in which a large assortment of bands have performed, including the Orbit Room, the Mixtape Cafe, the DAAC, the Intersection, DeVos Hall, the Van Andel Arena, the Royce Auditorium, the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, and the Deltaplex.The Grand Rapids Symphony
Grand Rapids Symphony
The Grand Rapids Symphony is a regional orchestra located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. At the end of its 75th Anniversary Season, the Symphony made its debut in New York City’s Carnegie Hall on May 21, 2005. The Symphony has presented concerts throughout Michigan and is heard on broadcasts by WBLV...
, founded in 1930, presents more than 400 performances a year.
The Great Lakes Chorus of Barbershop Singers is one of the oldest chapters in the Barbershop Harmony Society - formally known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). The Grand Rapids chapter organized on November 1st of 1939 and is credited for holding the first society sanctioned quartet contest in the formal "Michigan District" (now Pioneer District) in March of 1941.
Other acomplishment to the Grand Rapids Chapter, having the first International Quartet champions - The "Harmony Hall" in 1944, the first International Chorus Champions and director; Robert Weaver in 1953.
Grand Rapids Ballet Company was founded in 1971 and remains as Michigan's only professional ballet company. They are currently located on Ellsworth Avenue in the Heartside neighborhood, where it moved in 2000. In 2007, they expanded their facility by adding the LEED-certified Peter Wege Theater.
Opera Grand Rapids, founded in 1966, is the state's longest running professional company. In February 2010, they moved into a new facility in the Fulton Heights neighborhood.
A Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
article listing Grand Rapids as a "dying city" prompted a vigorous community response in the form of a 5,000-person lip dub
Lip dub
A lip dub is a type of video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing to make a music video. It is made by filming individuals or a group of people lip synching while listening to a song or any recorded audio then dubbing over it in post editing with the original audio of the song. There is...
in May 2011, which film critic Roger Ebert dubbed “the greatest music video ever made”. The lip dub holds the world record for largest lip dub.
Sports
Several professional sports teams call the Grand Rapids area home:| Club | Sport | Year founded | League | Venue | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Michigan Whitecaps West Michigan Whitecaps The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.-Franchise history:... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
1994 | Midwest League Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort... |
Fifth Third Ballpark Fifth Third Ballpark Fifth Third Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in Comstock Park, Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. Fifth Third Ballpark is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps, a professional minor league baseball team, and class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Fifth Third Ballpark was originally built... |
Championship Series winners: 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2007; Best regular season record: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2007 |
| Grand Rapids Flight Grand Rapids Flight The Grand Rapids Flight are a team in the American Basketball Association based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.The Flight recently underwent several front office changes. The team is now owned by the Grand Rapids Junior Jammers Youth Foundation, a non-profit based in Grand Rapids, Michigan... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
2004 | American Basketball Association American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:... |
Davenport University Student Center | None |
| Grand Rapids Griffins Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
1996 | American Hockey League American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
Van Andel Arena Van Andel Arena The Van Andel Arena is a 10,834-seat multi-purpose arena, situated in the Heartside district, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a $75 million construction effort, the arena opened on October 8, 1996 and since has attracted over five million patrons. It is home to the popular Grand Rapids Griffins... |
IHL Joseph Turner Memorial Cup Runner-up: 2000; IHL Fred A. Huber Trophy Fred A. Huber Trophy The Fred A. Huber Trophy was awarded annually by the International Hockey League to the North American ice hockey team with the most points during the regular season. The trophy for the league championship was originally named the J. P. McGuire Trophy, the owner of Detroit car dealership, and... (regular season champion): 2001 |
| West Michigan ThunderHawks | Indoor football | 2006 | Indoor Football League Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an... |
DeltaPlex Arena | None |
Each year the Fifth Third River Bank Run
Fifth Third River Bank Run
The Fifth Third River Bank Run is an annual road running race hosted by the U.S. city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the month of May. The race was first held in 1978 as the Old Kent River Bank Run and continued under that name until 2000, when its name was changed to the Fifth Third River Bank...
is held in downtown Grand Rapids. It draws participants from around the world; in 2010 there were over 22,000 participants.
The Grand Rapids Marathon is held in downtown Grand Rapids in mid-October, usually on the same weekend as the Detroit Marathon.
Amateur sporting organizations in the area include the Grand Rapids Rowing Association, Grand Rapids Rugby Club, and the West Michigan Wheelchair Sports Association. The West Michigan Sports Commission is the host organizing committee for the inaugural State Games of Michigan, which will be held in Grand Rapids from June 25 to June 27, 2010.
Media
The Grand Rapids PressGrand Rapids Press
The Grand Rapids Press is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest of the eight Booth newspapers. It is sold for $.75 daily and $2.00 on Sunday.AccuWeather provides weather content to the Grand Rapids Press....
is a daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, while Advance Newspapers
Advance Newspapers
Advance Newspapers, based in Hudsonville, Michigan, publishes weekly community newspapers for Kent County, Michigan and portions of Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties. Advance Newspapers started as an independent company...
publishes a group of weekly papers providing more community-based news. Gemini Publications
Gemini Publications
Gemini Publications was founded in 1979 by John H. Zwarensteyn in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zwarensteyn had published Grand Rapids Magazine as a staff member of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce during the 1970s and purchased the publication when the chamber decided to sell it in 1979.In 1980...
is a niche, regional publishing company that produces the weekly newspaper Grand Rapids Business Journal
Grand Rapids Business Journal
The Grand Rapids Business Journal is a weekly business newspaper concentrating on Grand Rapids, Michigan and the surrounding area. It is published by Gemini Publications which also publishes Grand Rapids magazine, Grand Rapids Family magazine, Michigan Golf, Michigan BLUE and several other titles...
, the magazines Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids Family and Michigan Blue, and several other quarterly and annual business-to-business publications. There are two free monthly entertainment guides: REVUE, which covers music and the arts, and RECOIL, which covers music and offers Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
-style satire. The Rapidian is an online-based citizen journalism project funded by grants from the Knight Foundation and local community foundations that is reprinted or cited by other local media outlets.
Grand Rapids, combined with nearby Kalamazoo and Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, was ranked in 2010 as the 41st largest television market in the U.S. by Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including: WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Middleville near the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Charter channel...
(channel 8, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
), WOTV
WOTV
WOTV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan that is licensed to Battle Creek. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 from a transmitter in Orangeville Township. The station can also be seen on Charter and Comcast channel 4. There is a high...
(channel 41, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
), WZZM-TV
WZZM-TV
WZZM channel 13 is the Western Michigan affiliate television station for the American Broadcasting Company. It's based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, broadcasting at 16.5 kilowatts of power from a tower located in Newaygo County, near Grant...
(channel 13, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
), WXMI
WXMI
WXMI channel 17 is a Fox-affiliated television station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owned by the Tribune Company. WXMI's studio and office facility is located in Grand Rapids and its transmitter is based southwest of Middleville, Michigan...
(channel 17, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
), WXSP-CA
WXSP-CA
WXSP-CD is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan, licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 15 from a transmitter in Walker along Interstate 96. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 15 and Comcast...
(channel 15, MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
) and Kalamazoo-based WWMT
WWMT
WWMT is the CBS-affiliated television station for West Michigan licensed to Kalamazoo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on Chief Noonday Road/M-179, northwest of Yankee Springs Township, along the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also...
(channel 3, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
). WGVU-TV
WGVU-TV
WGVU-TV is the Public Broadcasting Service member public television station for West Michigan, broadcasting on channel 35 in Grand Rapids. It operates a full-time satellite, WGVK, channel 52 in Kalamazoo...
is the area's PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
member station.
The Grand Rapids area is served by 16 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s and 28 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
stations.
Economy
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Spectrum HealthSpectrum Health
Spectrum Health System, commonly known as Spectrum Health, is a not-for-profit, integrated, managed care health care organization based in West Michigan. Spectrum Health's subsidiaries include hospitals, treatment facilities, urgent-care facilities, as well as physician practices that serve the...
is the largest employer in West Michigan with 16,000 staff and 1,500 physicians. Spectrum Health's Meijer Heart Center, Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, and Butterworth Hospital
Butterworth Hospital
Butterworth Hospital is a hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1875 as St. Mark's Home and Hospital, the current Butterworth Hospital is a subsidiary of Spectrum Health. The hospital is a teaching affiliate of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. The emergency...
, a level I trauma center are located on the Grand Rapids Medical Mile
Grand Rapids Medical Mile
Grand Rapids Medical Mile is a designated area within the city of Grand Rapids, MI. It began with medical-related development in the Hillside District Grand Rapids, Michigan, bordering both sides of Michigan Street. More than a decade later it encompasses an area five times larger...
which has world-class facilities focusing on the health sciences. These facilities include the Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
's Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, and the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
College of Human Medicine medical school's Secchia Center. Nearly a billion dollars has been invested in the Spectrum Health Cancer Pavilion, the Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan and a division of Spectrum Health. It is named for Helen DeVos, wife of Amway founder Richard DeVos, a major donor.-Awards and recognition:...
and the expansion to the Van Andel Institute. These facilities have attracted numerous health science businesses to the area.
Grand Rapids has long been a center for furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, and aviation manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
; American Seating
American Seating
American Seating Inc. is a company specialising in the production of chairs and other seating, including seats for rail transport and schools. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., USA, American Seating employs a US-based workforce. It was founded in 1886 and gives its name to the American Seating...
, Steelcase
Steelcase
Steelcase is an international office furniture company founded in 1912 in Grand Rapids, Michigan — as The Metal Office Furniture Company. The company at the time specialized in file cabinets and safes. Today, the company sells products related to interior architecture, furniture and technology...
, Haworth
Haworth (company)
Haworth designs and manufactures adaptable workspaces, including raised floors, movable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage and wood casegoods. Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan in the United States. Haworth serves markets in more than 120...
and Herman Miller
Herman Miller (office equipment)
Herman Miller, Inc., based in Zeeland, Michigan, is a major American manufacturer of office furniture and equipment, as well as furniture for the home. It is notable as one of the first companies to produce modern furniture and, under the guidance of Design Director George Nelson, is likely the...
, major manufacturers of office furniture, are based in the Grand Rapids area. The area serves as an important location for GE Aviation Systems.
In 1880, Sligh Furniture Company started manufacturing furniture. In 1881, the Furniture Manufacturers Association (FMA) was organized in Grand Rapids, it was apparently the first furniture manufacturing advocacy group in the country.
Also since 1912, Kindel Furniture Company, and since 1922, the Hekman/Woodmark Furniture Company, have been designing and manufacturing traditional American furniture in Grand Rapids. All of these companies are still producing furniture today.
The Grand Rapids area is home to a number of well known companies that include; Alticor
Alticor
Alticor is a privately held corporation, owned and run by members of the DeVos and Van Andel families. It was established in 1999 to serve as the parent company for a handful of business ventures, most notably the direct selling company Amway and Quixtar and a manufacturing and distribution...
/Amway
Amway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
(a consumer goods manufacturer and distributor), Highlight Industries (an industry leader in stretch wrap
Stretch wrap
Stretch wrap or stretch film is a highly stretchable plastic film that is wrapped around items. The elastic recovery keeps the items tightly bound...
equipment), Spartan Stores
Spartan Stores
Spartan Stores Inc. is an American food distributor and grocery store chain headquartered in Byron Township, Michigan. The company distributes national and Spartan brand products to over 400 independent grocery stores in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.-History:...
(a food distributor and grocery store chain), Foremost Insurance Company (a specialty lines insurance company), Meijer
Meijer
Meijer, Inc. is a regional American hypermarket chain based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain, Meijer is credited with pioneering the modern supercenter concept in 1962. About half of the company's 196 stores are located in Michigan, with additional locations in...
(a regional supercenter chain), GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Industries, an aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
products company), Wolverine World Wide
Wolverine World Wide
Wolverine World Wide is a footwear manufacturer. They have their own brand, Wolverine Boots and Shoes, and also make footwear for other companies, such as Caterpillar and Harley-Davidson. Wolverine also makes shoes and boots for the military...
(a designer and manufacturer of shoes, boots and clothing), MC Sports, Inc.
Mc Sports
MC Sports is an American retail sporting goods chain. The company strongly believes in something they call "T.O.C.S" Truly Outstanding Customer Service, this is very apparent the moment you step into the store. MC Sports was founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1946...
(a regional sports retail chain), Universal Forest Products
Universal Forest Products
Universal Forest Products, Inc. is a multibillion-dollar corporation and the leading supplier to its five business segments. Universal is the nation’s leading manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, the leading pressure-treated wood producer, North America's largest...
(a building materials company), and Schuler Books & Music
Schuler Books & Music
Schuler Books & Music, formerly known as simply Schuler Books, is a small Michigan chain of bookstores. Along with books, DVDs, and music CDs, the stores also sell food and beverages at its in store cafes. Founded in 1982, it has since become one of the largest independent bookstores in the nation...
, one of the largest independent bookstores in the country.
The city is also known as a center of Christian publishing, home to Zondervan
Zondervan
Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association .- History :...
, Baker Books, Kregel Publications, and Eerdmans Publishing, as well as Family Christian Stores
Family Christian Stores
Family Christian Stores is the world's largest Christian-focused retailer, and it is located in the United States. As of 2007, the retail chain had 4,600 employees in over 300 stores in 40 states...
, a Christian bookstore chain.
The surrounding area is noted for its fruit production. Due to its close proximity to Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
the climate is considered prime for apple, peach, and blueberry farming.
In 2010 Grand Rapids was named the "most sustainable midsize city in the U.S." by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Civic Leadership Center and Siemens Corp. Grand Rapids was chosen over finalist cities Davenport, Iowa and Hoover, Alabama.
Demographics
At the 2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, 68.7% of the population were white, 21.8% black or African American, 16.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% Asian, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native and 8.7% belonged to another race. 26.9% of the population had a Bachelor's degree or higher; 12.5% of the population were foreign born.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 197,800 people, 73,217 households, and 44,369 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,431.2 per square mile (1,710.8/km²). There were 77,960 housing units at an average density of 1,746.5 per square mile (674.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.30% White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
(62.5% non-Hispanic White), 20.41% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.74% Native American, 1.62% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.12% Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 6.63% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 13.05% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race. The city had a foreign-born population of 10.5%.
There were 73,217 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,224, and the median income for a family was $44,224. Males had a median income of $33,050 versus $26,382 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,661. 15.7% of the population and 11.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.4% are under the age of 18 and 10.4% are 65 or older.
Christian Reformed
The Christian Reformed ChurchChristian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
has a large following in Grand Rapids, and its central offices are located in the city.
Catholicism
Grand Rapids is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand RapidsRoman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in western Michigan, in the United States. It comprises 102 churches in Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Montcalm, Mecosta, Lake, Mason, and Osceola counties in Michigan. The diocese was created on...
, which was created on May 19, 1882 by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
. The Diocese comprises 176,098 Catholics in West Michigan, 102 parishes, and four high schools: Catholic Central High School, Grand Rapids; Muskegon Catholic Central High School
Muskegon Catholic Central High School
Muskegon Catholic Central High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Muskegon, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.-Background:...
, Muskegon; St. Patrick High School
St. Patrick High School (Portland, Michigan)
St. Patrick High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Portland, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids....
, Portland; and West Catholic High School
West Catholic High School
Grand Rapids West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is a Roman Catholic private, coeducational school and was opened in 1962. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.-Athletics:...
, Grand Rapids. Walter A. Hurley
Walter A. Hurley
Walter Allison Hurley is a Canadian American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eleventh and current Bishop of Grand Rapids.-Early life:...
is the current Bishop of Grand Rapids.
Government and politics
Like the surrounding counties, the Grand Rapids area has traditionally been a stronghold for the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, but the city itself leans Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The city is the center of the 3rd Congressional District
Michigan's 3rd congressional district
Michigan's 3rd congressional district is a United States Congressional district in Western Michigan. It consists of the counties of Barry, Ionia, and all except the northwest portion of Kent. The district is currently represented by Republican Justin Amash, the second youngest member of the house...
, represented by Republican Justin Amash
Justin Amash
Justin Amash, , is an American attorney, politician, and member of Congress. He has been the U.S. Representative for which encompasses the Grand Rapids area, since 2011....
. Former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
represented the district from 1949 to 1973. Ford died on December 26, 2006 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, and was buried on the grounds of his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids on January 3, 2007.
The Grand Rapids area (including the suburbs of Ada, East Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Grandville, Walker, and Kentwood) also serves as the home business base of one of the largest political donors to the national Republican Party, Richard
Dick DeVos
Dick DeVos is a businessman and Republican politician from Michigan. The son of billionaire Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he served as CEO of the multi-level marketing consumer goods distribution company from 1993–2002...
and Helen DeVos, and also to the former Ambassador to Italy, Peter Secchia
Peter F. Secchia
Peter F. Secchia, is an Italian-American diplomat and businessman. Secchia served as the United States Ambassador to Italy from 1989 to 1993.-Career:...
.
Though the Grand Rapids area has a reputation for conservatism, the city proper tends to elect Democrats. Both of its representatives in the Michigan State House of Representatives
Michigan State House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2000 federal U.S. Census.Members are elected in...
are Democrats, and in the five most recent presidential elections Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidates Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
won a majority or plurality of votes in the city of Grand Rapids. The last Republican candidate for President to carry the city was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
Commission-Manager plan
Under Michigan law, Grand Rapids is a home rule cityHome Rule Cities Act (Michigan)
The Home Rule City Act was enacted by the Michigan Legislature as Public Act 279 of 1909. This statute provides the framework by which a new city may become incorporated and provide for its own government by adopting a city charter...
and adopted a city charter in 1916 providing for the Commission-Manager
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of municipal government. Under this system, the political responsibilities are divided between an elected City Commission and a hired full-time City Manager. Two part-time Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from each of three wards, with half of these seats up for election every two years. The part-time Mayor is elected every four years by the city at large, and serves as chair of the Commission, with a vote equal to that of a Commissioner. The races—held in odd-numbered years—are formally non-partisan, although the party and other political affiliations of candidates do sometimes come up during the campaign period. The Commission sets policy for the city, and is responsible for hiring the City Manager and other appointed officials.
Mayor
George HeartwellGeorge Heartwell
George Heartwell is the mayor of the city of Grand Rapids in the US state of Michigan. He was sworn in on January 1, 2004, and is currently serving his third term.-Career:...
was elected mayor of Grand Rapids after long-serving mayor John H. Logie
John H. Logie
John H. Logie is a former mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving from 1992 to 2003, and is a partner with the law firm Warner Norcross & Judd LLP...
declined to run for re-election in 2003. Logie felt the position should be made full-time, but to avoid the question becoming a referendum on whether he should hold the job full-time, he announced that he would not run for re-election. The voters decided to keep the position part-time, and Heartwell was elected and assumed office on January 1, 2004.
Education
K-12K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
public education is provided by the Grand Rapids Public Schools
Grand Rapids Public Schools
The Grand Rapids Public Schools is a public education school system covering most of Grand Rapids, Michigan.-High schools:High schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools include the following:*Central High School*City High-Middle School...
as well as a number of charter schools. Grand Rapids is home of the oldest co-educational Catholic high school in the United States, Catholic Central High School. National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies, Inc. is a for-profit charter school management organization headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was formed in 1995 by entrepreneur J.C. Huizenga....
, which operates charter schools across several states, has its headquarters in Grand Rapids.
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
, Cornerstone University
Cornerstone University
Cornerstone University is an independent, non-denominational Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The university emphasises the trinitarian belief in the triune God and the literal interpretation of the Bible...
, Grace Bible College
Grace Bible College
Grace Bible College is a fundamentalist Christian college in the premillennial, dispensational tradition located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association for Biblical Higher Education to award...
, and Kuyper College
Kuyper College
Kuyper College is a ministry-focused Christian leadership college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, that educates and trains Christian leaders for ministry and service...
each have a campus within the city. Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is an American Bar Association accredited law school in the United States. Located in Michigan, its main campus is in Lansing, and its satellite campuses are in Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, and Grand Rapids. Cooley plans on opening another satellite campus in Tampa Bay,...
, a private institution, also has a campus in Grand Rapids. Northwood University
Northwood University
Northwood University is a private university with multiple locations. The school has four residential campuses: Midland, Michigan , Cedar Hill, Texas , West Palm Beach, Florida and a joint program with Hotel Institute Montreux in Montreux, Switzerland, began in 2001...
, a private university with its main campus in Midland, MI, has a satellite campus located downtown near the "medical mile". The for-profit
For-Profit School
For-profit education refers to educational institutions operated by private, profit-seeking businesses....
vocational school
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
ITT Technical Institute
ITT Technical Institute
ITT Technical Institute is a for-profit technical institute with over 130 campuses in 38 states of the United States. ITT Tech is owned and operated by ITT Educational Services, Inc. , a publicly traded company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. ITT Educational Services, Inc...
has one of its 105 campuses (located across 37 states of the US) located in Grand Rapids as well. Davenport University
Davenport University
Davenport University is a private, non-profit, multi-location university located at 14 campuses throughout Michigan and online. It was founded in 1866 by Conrad Swensburg and currently offers Master's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees, Associate's Degrees, diplomas, and post-grad certification programs...
, a private, non-profit, multi-location university with 14 campuses state-wide, has its main campus just outside of Grand Rapids.
As for public tertiary institutions, Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids Community College is a community college located in the city of Grand Rapids in the U.S. state of Michigan. GRCC offers an Associate's degree, a variety of certification programs, occupational training, and other learning opportunities for the surrounding community.-Campuses:In...
(GRCC) maintains a campus downtown and facilities in other parts of the city and surrounding region. Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
, with its main campus located in nearby Allendale
Allendale, Michigan
Allendale is an unincorporated community in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes. The population was 17,579 at the 2010 census...
, continues to develop its presence downtown by expanding its Pew campus, begun in the 1980s on the west bank of the Grand River. This downtown campus currently consists of 33 acre (13 ha) in two locations and is home to 11 buildings and three leased spaces. Ferris State University
Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
has a growing campus downtown, including the Applied Technology Center (operated with GRCC) and the Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design, of Ferris State University, is a college of the visual arts in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States...
, a formerly private institution that now is part of Ferris. Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
has a long-standing graduate program in the city, with facilities downtown and in the southeast.
Clinical Pastoral Education
Clinical pastoral education
Clinical pastoral education is education to teach pastoral care to clergy and others. CPE is the primary way of training hospital and hospice chaplains in the United States...
is also offered at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services is a psychiatric hospital and behavioral health provider, with the main treatment campus located in Gaines Township, Michigan. The Chief Executive Officer and President is Dr...
in nearby Gaines Township
Gaines Township, Michigan
Gaines Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan*Gaines Township, Kent County, Michigan...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
MSU College of Human Medicine
Grand Rapids is home to the Secchia Center medical education building, a $90 million, seven-story, 180000 square feet (16,722.5 m²) facility, at Michigan Street and Division Avenue, part of the Grand Rapids Medical MileGrand Rapids Medical Mile
Grand Rapids Medical Mile is a designated area within the city of Grand Rapids, MI. It began with medical-related development in the Hillside District Grand Rapids, Michigan, bordering both sides of Michigan Street. More than a decade later it encompasses an area five times larger...
. The building is home to the Grand Rapids Campus of the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
College of Human Medicine. This campus trains medical students through all four years of their medical education. The state-of-the-art facility includes clinical examination rooms, simulation suites, classrooms, offices and student areas.
Major highways
runs along the northern and northeastern sides of the city, linking with MuskegonMuskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
to the west and Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
to the east
, also named the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, runs east–west through the city, connecting to I-96 just east of Grand Rapids and I-94 in Benton Township
, an unsigned route running concurrently with US 131 between I-96 and I-196
, a business spur of I-196 that follows a section of Chicago Drive
runs north-south through the city, linking with Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
to the south and Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
to the north
, a business loop traversing downtown Grand Rapids
is the Paul B. Henry
Paul B. Henry
Paul Brentwood Henry was a professor of political science and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Early life and career:...
Freeway running along the south side connecting I-96 and I-196
runs along Ironwood/Remembrance Road, Wilson Avenue, and 28th Street
is Fulton Street to the east
follows Alpine Avenue to the north, I-96, East Beltline Avenue and Broadmoor Avenue to the south
is East Beltline north of I-96
runs along Plainfield Avenue
follows Lake Michigan Drive west toward Allendale
Allendale, Michigan
Allendale is an unincorporated community in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes. The population was 17,579 at the 2010 census...
and Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
follows Chicago Drive southeast of Grand Rapids to Holland
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
is Old US 131 south of 28th Street
Bus
Public bus transportation is provided by the Interurban Transit PartnershipInterurban Transit Partnership
The Interurban Transit Partnership operates a public transport system called The Rapid, which provides bus service to the Grand Rapids, Michigan metropolitan area and beyond...
, which brands itself as The Rapid. Transportation is also provided by the DASH buses: the "Downtown Area Shuttle". These provide transportation to and from the parking lots in the city of Grand Rapids to various designated loading and unloading spots around the city. There are plans in the works to add more express routes, secondary stations, a streetcar and dedicated (exclusive) highway lanes.
Air
Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International AirportGerald R. Ford International Airport
Gerald R. Ford International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately southeast of Grand Rapids, Michigan in Cascade Township. Originally called Kent County Airport and later Kent County International Airport; in December 1999 the airport was renamed for former resident Gerald R....
(GRR). 8 airlines operate over 150 daily flights to 25 nonstop destinations across the United States and Canada. The airport was previously named the Kent County International Airport.
Rail
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
provides direct train service to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from the passenger station
Grand Rapids (Amtrak station)
The Grand Rapids Amtrak Station is a train station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States served by Amtrak, the U.S. national railroad passenger system. The station is the terminus of the Pere Marquette line that connects Chicago's Union Station to Grand Rapids...
via the Pere Marquette
Pere Marquette (passenger train)
Pere Marquette is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The 176-mile line connects Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. Pere Marquette is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Transportation...
line. Freight service is provided by CSX, the Grand Elk Railroad
Grand Elk Railroad
The Grand Elk Railroad is a Class III railroad which operates in the states of Indiana and Michigan. It is one of several short-line railroads owned by Watco Companies of Pittsburg, Kansas....
, Marquette Rail, the Coopersville and Marne Railway
Coopersville and Marne Railway
The Coopersville and Marne Railway is a tourist railroad in west Michigan. It connects with the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad. The volunteer organization owns the track, which runs from Walker, Michigan to Marne, Michiganin Kent and Ottawa counties....
, and the Grand Rapids and Eastern Railroad.
Sister cities
Grand Rapids has city partnershipsTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following cities:
Omihachiman, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Bielsko-Biala
Bielsko-Biala
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Ga District
Ga District
Ga was a former district of Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It has since been divided into the Ga East District and the Ga West District.The Ga District is divided in different sub-areas...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
Parral
Parral, Chile
Parral is a city and commune and in the Linares Province of central Chile's seventh region of Maule.-History:Parral was founded in 1795 by the Viceroy of Peru, Ambrosio O'Higgins...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
Zapopan, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
See also
- Geography of MichiganGeography of MichiganMichigan consists of two peninsulas that lie between 82°30' to about 90°30' west longitude, and are separated by the Straits of Mackinac, and some nearby islands...
- List of Michigan-related topics
- List of people associated with Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Michigan census statistical areasMichigan census statistical areasThe United States Census Bureau has defined 5 Combined Statistical Areas , 15 Metropolitan Statistical Areas , and 18 Micropolitan Statistical Areas in the State of Michigan. The following table describes these areas with the following information:*The name of the Combined Statistical Area , if...