Monroe North vs. Heartside District vs. West Side

[GRDadof3]

All 3 are "welter weight contenders" ready for battle!

Monroe North: Currently houses the most residents of any downtown area, large riverfront park with easy access to Riverside Park and the White Pine Trail, art galleries, brewpub, eateries, deli's, a church, historic factories, medical institution, law firms, Brass Works commercial offices, Gemini Publications, close proximity to Health Care Hill, views of downtown, North Monroe boulevard, loft condos, more planned projects on the way - you know it!

Heartside Historic District: Beautiful architecture with amazing history, burgeoning South Division arts district, close proximity to Monroe Center and the arena, hordes of professional service firms in converted lofts, law school, WMU, ITP Station, parking lots being converted to mixed-use, bars, bars, bars, art galleries, shops, cafe's, Heartside Park, brick streets, a little "grit" - you love it!

Added - Near West Side/Bridge Street area: Some great old buildings, bars, pizza joints, close to GVSU downtown, a little grit, converted Union Square, American Seating Park, Israel's new facilities, professional offices, numerous neighborhood centers like Leonard, Bridge, West Fulton and Alpine, and much more! Bring it on!

[GaryP]

Great Poll

Heartside for me

EDIT: Where did my vote go?

[CK1]

Might be the most difficult poll question I have ever seen on UP...this'll take some serious thought...

EDIT: Had to go w/ Heartside...it's the place to be at night (Ionia), and where most of the redevelopment interest is heading as well...

[starrfish]

Heartside Historic District: Beautiful architecture with amazing history.... a little "grit" - you love it!

I love the "grit" comment Dad. Indeed, there's a little grit in the Heartside, that's why I love it! It's also where I've spent the most time - even before the re-development boom started, I loved to walk the alleys and photograph the old buildings, went to many an illegal party in an abandoned warehouse on Ionia (which is now gone), and used to have an office on Grandville.

I also love what's happened in the area in the last few years...how the vision of a few people (Reb Roberts for one, who opened Sanctuary Folk Art on Division about 8 years ago, and Herm @ Vertigo for another) spurred others to take a look at the area and see its potential. + the proximity to downtown makes it the most pedestrian friendly.

P.S. Just noting my 100th post on UP!

[MAU]

Heartside all the way. I've been working down here for 8 years and the difference is amazing. Plus there's a lot of things coming up (all still on the DL) that's going to make the 'hood even more exciting.

[AlexPKeaton]

Monroe North! It's filling up with people, it's next to the river, and it's the prime location for a downtown grocery store and other necessary stores to support the area's residents!

-nb

[Allison Slater]

Heartside it is for me as well. Before I came here I was still under the impression that it was like it was 10 years ago. After walking down there and especially after the first avenue for the arts market, I realised how great of a place it actually is.

[torgo]

Monroe North for me. But I almost voted for all three.

[twoshort]

I voted west side. Get a beer, get a taco, get some fresh pork chops from the local butcher, and walk up to your front door all within a few blocks.

[allbusiness]

Kinda depends on whether you're talking about living there...or working there....

[6th Gen local]

All 3 for me. I can't rank one above the other, they are all Grand Rapids.

[tamias6]

Munroe North seems to have a head start in this game. However with most of the DT action being located closer to Heartside, that district will soon pull ahead of the pack as the hippest urban core neighborhood in GR. As for the near Westside, though its showing signs of life, the Grand River and US-131 act like berriers cutting it off from DT So the Near Westside will have to work a little harder to keep up with the rest of the core.

[snoogit]

All 3 for me. I can't rank one above the other, they are all Grand Rapids.

Preach it!

All three look good, but I think when I move down there, it will probably be the NW side, its closer to home, and its the part I know the best

[GRGridGirl]

I love what's going on in all three districts and applaud their diverse appeal.

Division Ave in Heartside continually reminds me of Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The Guerilla Artist community comes in, makes the area cool, which spurs market rate development.

Monroe North embodies a higher art/condo-warehouse culture. I see it as a little Soho.

West Side is what I consider the melting pot of cultures, neighborhoods, restaurants, incomes, and entertainment venues. A perfect environment for an ever-growing university community is the West Side.

[AlexPKeaton]

Can I change my vote to 28th Street?

-nb

[zenstyle]

Can I change my vote to 28th Street?

-nb

< promptly smacked upside the head by zenstyle >

Heartside for me, due mainly to the presence of UICA.

[john_denver]

I agree, all three are great and unique. We need all of them to be vibrant.

It sure would be nice if we had the old Grand Rapids streetcars back that would do one big loop through each of the three neigborhoods. One could go from the Zoo to The Cambridge House to Bar Divani without getting in a car. Something that would run late on weekends...say 1am or 2am.

Of course it would swing through downtown to pick up the out of town visitors...

It would be great if these three areas could be integrated by means of sensible public transportation...I am referring something in addition to the RAPID. Oh, and something classy...not that company that has a faux-streetcar on wheels.

A real streetcar!

[PBJ]

Munroe North

[OgiArt]

I had to vote Heartside. Although I am biased in that I'm opening new gallery down there.

OgiArt

[Allison Slater]

Cool, let us know when it opens, I'll have to stop by and check it out. =]

[GR_Urbanist]

My vote goes to Heartside, because it is showing more movement in terms of redevelopment. With Tall House, the movie theater, another project right across the street from the movie theater, Metro Park, the new apartments on Commerce, All the development along Division, and the renovation of the old post office, this area is really going along into something great.

N. Monroe: I really don

[GRDadof3]

This poll is mentioned in the Business Journal's Street Talk section today.

[michaelskis]

This poll is mentioned in the Business Journal's Street Talk section today.

Was it good or bad?

[GRDadof3]

Was it good or bad?

Of course it was good. Actually, it's a quick blurb at the end and they said it was interesting. They seemed to like my "welterweight" classification.

[rhino]

West Side all the way. Many redevelopment opportunities; proximate to downtown without being downtown. Great bars, GVSU, Union Square, West Towne Gardens, American Seating Park. I believe the future of Grand Rapids living and entertainment is the West Side. Could be another Lincoln Park! (Chicago)

Also am a big fan of the Heartside district, reminds me of Tribecca (New York) or Bucktown (Chicago).

Also huge potential.

Monroe North doesn't excite me very much. Although proximate to downtown it doesn't seem very diverse. Also, there are no destinations in this region of Grand Rapids.