Updated on December 5, 2009

New to Grand Rapids, Michigan?

If you are new to Grand Rapids, please see below.  Items for visitors are listed first, then links for people who live here.  Enjoy!

IF ONLY HERE FOR A DAY OR TWO

• Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
  (just up E. Beltline from here)
  (especially if most in your party are women)
  (if visiting in in March-April)

-OR-

• Gerald Ford Museum
  (downtown by river) (remarkably interesting),
  then walk along the Grand River by the Pubic Museum, Grand Valley's downtown campus, and so on.
  

MUSEUMS

• Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park (just up E. Beltline from here)
• Gerald Ford Museum (downtown by river) (remarkably interesting)
  
• Grand Rapids Public Museum (downtown by river)
• Grand Rapids Art Museum (downtown)
• Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (Dearborn)
• more

• State Parks in the area (finder), such as Hoffmaster and Ionia
• North Country Trail (kinda like the ACT and PCT, but Midwestern)
• Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival July28-August 6, 2006
• 5K run in Muskegon
• Bicycle group, and bicycle path and trail info > Michigan Bicycling.
• Day hikes and programs > Outings or > Current Newsletter
• For kids, there is a water park around here somewhere—Michigan Adventure?
• swimming pool (indoors, actually) map

• Grand Rapids Symphony (very good, Pops concerts picnic on grass in summer, indoors in winter)
• Folk music and dancing (fun!)
• Van Andel Arena
• DeVos Performance Hall
• DeVos Place
• Forest Hills Fine Arts Center> brochure
• concert info and community calendar
• Blues, including Blues or Country on the Mall, Rosa Parks Circle, Wednesdays Jun15-Aug24 6:30-9pm
• City music, including Blues or Country on the Mall, Rosa Parks Circle, Wednesdays Jun15-Aug24 6:30-9pm

• Salsa dancing or here
• Founders Brewing map drafts brewed on-site, live music.
• The Bob map

• Grand Valley State University GVSU (good and nearby)
  map to where Master's classes are held) Computing & Information Systems Dept.
  
  
• Grand Rapids Community College GRCC (terrific and nearby)
  
  
• Library
• Forest Hills Community Education
• West Michigan Genealogical Society (scroll down for Genealogy classes)
  

• Local Toastmasters Clubs (Communication and Leadership)
  
  
• Grand Rapids Java User's Group (GR-JUG)
• Software Grand Rapids (software excellence) (formerly XP West Michigan)
• Grand Rapids Perl Mongers
• West Michigan .Net User Group
• Grand Rapids Python Users Group
• Michigan Ruby Users Group
• Grand Rapids Linux Users Group
• West Michigan Linux Users Group
• Drupal group in Grand Rapids, MI
• Grand Rapids Information Systems Security Association
• West Michigan Network Technology User Group

LECTURE SERIES

• Calvin College in January
• West Michigan World Affairs Council in February and March
• Wealthy Theater

SPORTS

• Minor league hockey and baseball
• more

LOCAL NEWS

• Local news
• Local media, radio and TV
• WGVU radio and TV
• General Info
• concert info and community calendar

• July 3 dusk, the valley behind Forest Hills Central High School, bring a blanket to sit on and a flashlight and maybe a cooler, many people park in this neighborhood and walk—get here at 9 or 9:30pm, park and follow everyone else, more info, free.
• Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids and Grandville seem to be putting on their fireworks July 4.
• More fireworks locations.
• July 4 7-9:30am pancake breakfast at the Ada firehall, 10am parade nearby, etc.
• July 4 parade and so on in Cascade info.
• Most communities have activities all weekend long, see this list or check your local paper!

• Learn to fly at Benz Aviation, Tony Smitz

• Forest Hills (map)
• Calledonia (map)
• Kentwood (map)
• Grand Rapids (map)
• East Grand Rapids (map)
• compared: all school districts within 20 miles from here, sorted by Reading Proficiency
• State of Michigan data and reports on school headcounts, graduation rates, school safety information, MEAP scores and more.
• Michigan School Report Card: composite grade for the school.
• School Information Partnership Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) using No Child Left Behind (NCLB) data.
• School District boundary map for Kent County.
• Individual school district maps.
• Eric's neighborhood, six miles from here, map

       
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Authored by Eric Piehl 2006-2009.   Comments on/updates to this Web page.   DHTML JavaScript Menu By Milonic