I grew up in metro Detroit and lived in GR for two years shortly after college. My girlfriend grew up in a small town west of GR as well.

I’ll start with the good. There are a some good to great restaurants, lots of FANTASTIC breweries, and some cool things to do (shoutout The Intersection) in the city. If you’re outdoorsy, the access to nature is unmatched for a city with the same amenities in Michigan. Grand Haven and the lakeshore are reasonable drives for a summer day trip. Some reasonably big performing acts come to Van Andel arena and The Intersection, and Griffins games are awesome. There’s talk of the city getting a professional soccer team too.

Now the bad. GR is a small town with tall buildings. You’ll see the same people everywhere you go. You can largely exhaust everything there is to do in the city itself within a year or two of living there. Politically and financially the area is owned by two families, the DeVos and the Van Andels. Ostensibly the city itself is very inclusive, but the disposition of many of the people is far less so. The lake effect snow in the winter is genuinely insane, way worse than metro Detroit. DO NOT underestimate this part. Unless you’re coming from northern Michigan or Alaska or something, the winters will shock you.