This railroad expanded service to Muskegon in 1886. 1 U.S. travel destination by Lonely Planet. WGVU-TV is the area's PBS member station. An outcropping of gypsum, where Plaster Creek enters the Grand River, was known to the Native American inhabitants of the area. In 2019, CNN Travel named Grand Rapids one of the world's "15 Best Beer Cities," alongside Brussels, Belgium; Berlin, Germany; Asheville, North Carolina and other international destinations. The competition was held by casting votes online for cities around the United States. Grand Rapids is the county seat of Kent County.[5]. You can order tags online. [140][141], Traditionally, Grand Rapids supported the Republican Party. Need trash bags for City trash pick-up? From the world-class attractions and outdoor recreation, to the culinary and craft beverage scene - it's an amazing place to live, work and play. Significant buildings in the downtown include the DeVos Place Convention Center, Van Andel Arena, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, and the JW Marriott Hotel. Click here to request help. [89][91] During the first weekend in June, several blocks of downtown surrounding the Calder stabile in Vandenberg Plaza are closed to traffic. Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan and the largest city in West Michigan. General Lewis Cass, who commissioned Charles Christopher Trowbridge to establish missions for Native Americans in Michigan, ordered McCoy to establish a mission in Grand Rapids for the Ottawa. Grand Rapids’ iconic and historic Blue Bridge will soon again shine bright in the night. See deadlines, file taxes, and find forms for individuals, employers, and withholders. [106] The chorus is still very active as a non-profit singing for community, competition, and contracted performances. [34] Summers are warm or hot, and heat waves and severe weather outbreaks are common during a typical summer. Ancestors of these people included not only English colonists but people of mixed ethnic Dutch, Mohawk, French Canadian, and French Huguenot descent from the colonial period in New York. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [citation needed], The first regularly scheduled air service in the United States was between Grand Rapids and Detroit (actually Dearborn's Ford Airport) on a Ford-Stout monoplane named Miss Grand Rapids, which began on July 26, 1926. L. Slater traveled with two settlers to Grand Rapids to perform work. [10] At the start of the 19th century, European fur traders (mostly French Canadian and Métis) and missionaries established posts in the area among the Ottawa. [112], Grand Rapids is also home to Art Prize, the largest art exposition in the U.S. Art Prize began in 2009 with the over 200,000 visitors and has since doubled the number of visitors it receives each year. [131] In 2014, Grand Rapids experienced the lowest homicide rate in fifty years, with six murders occurring that year. [118][119], The Grand Rapids Press is a daily newspaper, while Advance Newspapers publishes a group of weekly papers that provide community-based news. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tripadvisor: See 11,628 traveler reviews and photos of Grand Rapids tourist attractions. [90] The sculpture is informally known as "the Calder", and since its installation the city has hosted an annual Festival of the Arts in the area surrounding the sculpture, now known informally as "Calder Plaza". Thomas M. Cooley Law School, a private institution, also has a campus in Grand Rapids. They generally lived in peace, trading European metal and textile goods for fur pelts. [140][141] The city is the center of the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Libertarian Justin Amash. [58], The offices of the West Michigan Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church are in the East Hills Neighborhood of Grand Rapids. A-45 is Old US 131 south of 28th Street, Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR). A vibrant city awaits you in Grand Rapids. To get started, learn How to Use Webex to Attend Digital Meetings. Each October, the city celebrates Polish culture, historically based on the West side of town, with Pulaski Days. 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. King. This campus trains medical students through all four years of their medical education. The first ArtPrize, the world's largest art competition determined by public voting, took place in Grand Rapids from September 23 through October 10, 2009. It incorporated trends to use steel and other manufactured materials in furniture, with ergonomic designs for chairs, computer stations, and other furnishings.[28].