Grand Rapids

I suppose I would be surprised if I wasn’t saying this, but the start of this semester has been quite busy, the most recent weeks of which have been no exception. Classes have been in full swing for a while, clubs and organizations have already finished their first meetings, athletics have been doing quite well in several sports, and on campus events (rallies, concerts, guest lecture speakers) have been going strong for some time now. The weather, however, has been a little bit less consistent, but hey, I wouldn’t want anything other than variety in that category.

Lately, I’ve had my mind on the big city down the road. Grand Rapids, aside from being the home of our downtown Pew campus, is also a pretty active city. With a population around 190 thousand, it’s the second largest city in Michigan, and Grand Valley students have easy access to this city with free busing, and there is a lot to do in the city. Gerald R. Ford Museum is phenomenal, the restaurants are great (although you may need reservations for some locations), and there’s dancing and music in warm weather or ice skating in cool weather. I would say that the local art galleries and sculptures around the city are also great (which is true), but most of the buzz lately regarding art has come from Art Prize in the fall and the Festival of the Arts in the summer. Art Prize, in particular, is kind of a big deal, because it’s happening right now, and this year is already looking great. I’ve barely even scratched the surface of the tip of the iceberg myself, and that’s mostly because it’s huge this year. Over 1700 displays, in 192 venues spread across the city, making for one colossal festival of creativity.

What’s funny is that this post isn’t really even about Grand Valley. Sure, students basically have free, easy access to all that Grand Rapids has to offer, but anyone could also check out some of these events and locales. As much as I would like all of you readers to take this info into account as you weigh your college choices, I think anyone could benefit from a visit to Grand Rapids. But on that note I’m signing off, so post away if you have any concerns.

-Kyle