Grand Rapids Michigan is over 180 years old and in that time, many notable
events and firsts have occurred in this “Biggest Small Town” in the Midwest.
Gerald R. Ford described it as “The City that Works”. It is also the kind of city
that will have a lost pet turtle story on the local evening news, not just the local
accidents and disasters. If you are From Grand Rapids, Live in Grand
Rapids, or are considering Moving to Grand Rapids, some of these facts
might interest you.
Ottawa Indians were Grand Rapids’ first inhabitants and in 1826 the city was settled
by French fur traders. Its name comes from the Grand River, Michigan’s largest
inland river.
Grand Rapids was originally known as the “Furniture Capital” of the nation.
It is known today as the “Furniture Capital” of office furniture manufacturing.
It is headquarters to many national and multi-national headquarters including
Steelcase, Herman Miller, Haworth, Amway, Wolverine World Wide
and Meijer stores.
It is Michigan’s second largest city with a metropolitan population of 1,302,372. 
In 1945, Grand Rapids was the first city
in the U.S. to add fluoride to its
drinking water.
Gerald R. Ford, a native son, became the 38th President of the
United States on August 9, 1974.
Kent County is Michigan’s largest apple-producing county.
It is also a major producer of peaches, celery, carrots, onions, corn, wheat
and Christmas trees.
Grand Rapids has two homes in the city designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright. One is the Amberg House and the other is the restored Meyer
May House which is open to the public three days per week.
Grand Rapids was named an All-American City three times.
“La Grande Vitesse,” by Alexander Calder, was placed on Vandenberg Plaza
in 1969. The name means “Great Swiftness.”
In November 1998, Grand Rapids was named by Fortune magazine
as one of the Top 10 Best Cities for Business in the U.S.
Grand Rapids has $500 million in new attractions, meeting facilities and
recreational venues. The 1913 Room at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
is the only 5-Diamond restaurant in the Midwest outside of Chicago.
Heritage Hill Historic District, adjacent to downtown, has 60 architectural
styles and 1300 homes.
There are 28 public golf courses with many only fifteen minutes from
downtown making it one of the top cities in the U.S. in number of public golf
courses-to-population ratio. 
There are over 60 restaurants and night
clubs in the downtown area, all are within
walking distance.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens &
Sculpture Park has the Midwest’s
most comprehensive sculpture
collection.
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is the second largest airport
in Michigan and the 86th largest airport nationally, serving more than
2 million passengers annually.
Each May, the 25K Fifth Third Riverbank Run attracts 10,000
participants from all over the globe.
In April 2004, Grand Rapids was named as one of America’s
Most Livable Communities by the Partners for Livable Communities.
Grand Rapids ranks fifth-healthiest town for men by Men’s Health
Magazine from among 101 cities surveyed (October 2002).
Van Andel Arena has been consistently rated in the top tier of
world-wide arenas in its class by Amusement Business Magazine.
Grand Rapids was named #6 Fishing City by Field & Stream Magazine,
July 2006.
Zondervan Publishing House, located in Grand Rapids, was named one of the
top 40 Christian places to work in America by Christianity Today Magazine,
2005.
Grand Rapids is located three hours from Chicago and 35 minutes from the
sandy beaches of our closest inland sea, Lake Michigan.
Copyright by Terry Westbrook 2008
Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate
Email: terry@terrywestbrook.com
Festival Grand Rapids MI Golf course by Terry Westbrook; Meyer May house courtesy of Steelcase, Inc.; red apples by jo allen courtesy of flickr ~ facts from gr visitors bureau
Grand Rapids’ mayor, George Heartwell, spoke at the closing of the Chicago Greenbuild conference in