Gaslight Village - East Grand Rapids

[Veloise]

What do you mean by "life happened"? I was really looking forward to a great bike shop within walking distance.

If you can't come to terms on a lease agreement...but your ad in the City's Bike GR map promotes your new location...and the street grid for the proposed location shows a little bike icon and your store name...life happens.

I am hopeful that Ada BS can find another nearby space. With 10,000 copies of the map out, there could be a lot of potential customers sharing your opinion.

(Want their phone number? Cast your ballot with them!)

[WOT]

Wow....the spinnaker is up...it is giant and pink and well..it (in it's context) has inspired some interesting names from the High School students who frequent the chinese restuarant accross the way. I will wait for others to experience it before I say what they thought it looked like. I will say one thing for it. You definetly do not notice the ugly parking deck that it is meant to camaflouge. It has accomplished it main purpose (perhaps too well)

[starrfish]

They could have avoided the sexual references if they had picked a color other than pink.

Let's just put it that way.

It's a wonder nobody else saw that as a possibility during the planning phase! Never underestimate the teen demographic for calling this sort thing out! Can't wait to see what the hot fuss is about!

[DwntwnGeo]

It's a wonder nobody else saw that as a possibility during the planning phase! Never underestimate the teen demographic for calling this sort thing out! Can't wait to see what the hot fuss is about!

For the record, I haven't seen the site yet. If it causes a lot of talk, I wouldn't be surprise if it wouldn't be removed or changed. They have spent a lot of money in that area and I am sure they wouldn't want to be labeled as not "family friendly"

[michaelskis]

For the record, I haven't seen the site yet. If it causes a lot of talk, I wouldn't be surprise if it wouldn't be removed or changed. They have spent a lot of money in that area and I am sure they wouldn't want to be labeled as not "family friendly"

*Keep in mind that teens can get... um creative with any image given there hormonally driven minds.

[gvsusean]

will someone post the pic, im dying to see it and im waaaay out in Allendale

[Veloise]

will someone post the pic, im dying to see it and im waaaay out in Allendale

Heckuva way to boost tourism.

Here's a pic Josh posted a couple of weeks back:

Just for comparison, here is the water tower in Ypsilanti (been there since 1880):

Those kids ain't seen nuthin'.

[DwntwnGeo]

*Keep in mind that teens can get... um creative with any image given there hormonally driven minds.

Very true, kids/teens can have a very imaginative mind. I haven't seen the site since "this" addition so maybe it won't be anything to worry about?

edit: Very funny picture comparison Velosie!

[Allison Slater]

ROFL

The spinnaker doesn't seem bad at all, but that water tower.. i started laughing and scrolled back up at first glimpse haha

[Veloise]

ROFL

The spinnaker doesn't seem bad at all, but that water tower.. i started laughing and scrolled back up at first glimpse haha

Yes. What were those Victorians thinking?

The structure, still functioning as a water tower, is owned by the municipal utility system. It's situated at Cross Street and Washtenaw (a V-shaped intersection) directly across from EMU's student union. In the wintertime it is sometimes the site of creative snow sculpture.

When "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" came to town a couple years ago, they had a fine ol' time with it.

edit: spelling....duh

[Rizzo]

Heckuva way to boost tourism.

Here's a pic Josh posted a couple of weeks back:

Those kids ain't seen nuthin'.

I don't see a penis.

[GRDadof3]

That photo of Josh's is not the final sculpture. A spinnaker is the large main sail on a sailboat that resembles a parachute. I haven't seen the spinnaker part of the sculpture yet, but it's PINK???

[numstead]

I saw the new piece last night. The whole thing looks weird. It just doesn't fit the character of East Grand Rapids, which to me is a very traditional, idyllic, conservative village. The sculptures are too gaudy and the forced discontinuity within the architecture of the whole development seems pretentious. The south side of Wealthy is soooo much better.

[suydam]

That photo of Josh's is not the final sculpture. A spinnaker is the large main sail on a sailboat that resembles a parachute. I haven't seen the spinnaker part of the sculpture yet, but it's PINK???

Yes, it's pink...and unlink a normal spinnaker, this is actually two oblong pink "spinnakers" that are sort of up in the air, so there's a big round hole underneath it. Or maybe one spinnaker but it looks like two to me.

The picture Veloise posted is pre-spinnaker.

[suydam]

I saw the new piece last night. The whole thing looks weird. It just doesn't fit the character of East Grand Rapids, which to me is a very traditional, idyllic, conservative village. The sculptures are too gaudy and the forced discontinuity within the architecture of the whole development seems pretentious. The south side of Wealthy is soooo much better.

I still don't see EGR as conservative unless you only compare it to GR-proper.

Compared to the surrounding suburbs, with their sprawl, their mega-churches, malls, etc. I think of EGR as "progressive by accident." That is, all the things that are in style and considered progressive have been in place in EGR since it started. I'm thinking of sidewalks, pedestrian-friendly city layouts, downtown-esque developments (lifestyle centers I think they're called when dropped in corn-fields), smaller home lots where kids go play on community green spaces (75% of the housing stock in EGR is on lots smaller than .5 acre), front-porches, and moderate political leanings (EGR was 55/45 Bush in 2004...much less right-leaning than many surrounding burbs...obviously more conservative than GR Proper).

As to your other adjectives, yes idyllic, traditional and "village" apply quite appropriately.

I also agree, whole-heartedly that the lungs-of-gaslight sculpture is a little outta place. My wife loves it though, so who knows....she's always had better taste than me anyway.

[dbrok]

Here you go:

[starrfish]

Here you go:

Thanks for posting the pic dbrok - now everyone can see! I checked it out last night too. I can see where kids would have a field day with it, but it's not that obvious - if you're not 15 or prone to think like you are, you'll probably see an odd-looking sail boat likeness.

[Veloise]

Here you go:

Hmmm.

I suppose, if you're a testosterone-crazed teen, and certain body parts belonging to the complimentary gender are constantly on your mind...but that's not my first reaction.

[Nitro]

Here you go:

WTF? I liked it until that was added.

Oh well....

[Veloise]

WTF? I liked it until that was added.

Oh well

"In geometry, a torus (pl. tori) is a doughnut-shaped surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle, which does not touch the circle. Examples of tori include the surfaces of doughnuts and inner tubes." from Wikipedia

[dbrok]

I went over to Jersey Junction last night with a few friends and walked over to take that picture. In addition to the spinnaker, a unique silver, blue and red parking sign pointing to the garage has also been added. As we were standing in the plaza, we all seemed to come to the same conclusion. This project is just kind of weird. The design of the buildings are nice and have a very classic feel. But I guess it's accessories elements like the sails and the new parking sign and the tall chrome sculptures that just don't make a lot of sense. I think it may have been Nitro that said the design was almost too post-modern for him. I believe that's true regarding everything that's not a building; each unique piece is good by itself but perhaps they don't belong together. I don't hate it and many people seem to love the fountains, but something just doesn't add up for me.

[Nitro]

I think it may have been Nitro that said the design was almost too post-modern for him. I believe that's true regarding everything that's not a building; each unique piece is good by itself but perhaps they don't belong together. I don't hate it and many people seem to love the fountains, but something just doesn't add up for me.

I did make a comment awhile back about post modernism but it was in reference to the GVSU campus downtown.

I haven't studied this collection long enough to form an opinion yet. Coming soon..........

[dbrok]

I did make a comment awhile back about post modernism but it was in reference to the GVSU campus downtown.

I haven't studied this collection long enough to form an opinion yet. Coming soon..........

Oh, you're right. I look forward to your opinion on this one.

[Nitro]

"In geometry, a torus (pl. tori) is a doughnut-shaped surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle, which does not touch the circle. Examples of tori include the surfaces of doughnuts and inner tubes." from Wikipedia

Oh, I know. I was making a really bad joke. So bad in fact that I decided against it after I posted it which is why I edited it.

[snoogit]

Thanks for posting the pic dbrok - now everyone can see! I checked it out last night too. I can see where kids would have a field day with it, but it's not that obvious - if you're not 15 or prone to think like you are, you'll probably see an odd-looking sail boat likeness.

I am 12, and prone to think like that.