Wow! Spring is back. What a welcome change from yesterday.

The flowers are starting to pop in Heritage Hill and slowly the neighborhood is greening up.

We decided to walk down to the Cottage Bar, a must stop for residents of Heritage Hill at the corner of LaGrave and Fulton, for a Cottage Burger and fries. As usual the place was packed and the food was great.

The Cottage Bar has been a gathering place since 1927 and has a warm spot in my heart. When I first came to Grand Rapids in 1968 as a radio news reporter, I was introduced to the Cottage Bar by George Zarry (Zarafonetis) a veteran newspaper reporter, West Michigan bureau chief for United Press International, and contributor to Esquire magazine.

George Zarry felt it was important that I get a history lesson and so we met over beers and burgers with former Mayor George Welsh (1938 to 1949) who had also been Michigan's youngest Lt. Governor (1924). It was an unforgettable meeting. Welsh was credited with helping pull the city out of the depression with a variety of municipal works projects. (Welsh Auditorium being the most notable) In '49 a city charter revision campaign successfully put in place a city manager form of government and Mayor Welsh' days in power were over. On the day we met almost 30 years after the fact, he was obviously still bitter but provided a marvelous historical perspective on politics in Grand Rapids. It was an unforgettable meeting. <As you can tell because I'm writing about it now - smile>

In all these years, the Cottage Bar has not changed! It is an absolute classic.

In the next few days, we're going to add a neighborhood forum to www.WestmanRealty.com so that we can all add our spontaneous and/or planned events and comments on life in Heritage Hill. Please drop by.

"When will this end?

That's the question we hear daily. Not just about home prices, but the stock market and business in general. Watching our savings evaporate is depressing.

But, those of us who live downtown need only look at what is happening on Michigan Hill to realize in the broad sense our local economy is going to take a turn for the better with the expansion of VanAndal Institute, the new DeVos Children's hospital and the new MSU medical school.

A little closer to home - like three blocks - our neighborhood businesses are doing more than well. Art of the Table and the Wealthy Street Bakery (at the corner of Wealthy and Union) continue to thrive. How do I know? My brother in law told me so. (smile) Gene and Mary were visiting from Connecticut last week. Gene is a coffee house guy!! He is up and out at 7 am looking for good coffee and the New York Times. For what it is worth, he says the scones at Wealthy Street Bakery are the best. (A 4 day taste test).

The Winchester on Wealthy is the newest addition to the neighborhood and it offers wonderful food. The Cuban Reuben is outstanding! The staff is friendly and they sound and act excited about their new restaurant.

Up on Cherry, similar great things are happening. The Green Well looks busy all the time and of course the Cheri Inn still packs folks in for the best breakfast in the neighborhood.

When will this end? I suspect when we start to believe again that tomorrow will be better than today. And, from all the activity downtown and in the surrounding Historic Districts it will be!

The past few days have been beautiful in Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of the areas which comes alive during Spring is the historical district. Although, there are several communities with historical designations, the oldest and best known is Heritage Hill which has over 1300 homes and is one of largest urban historical districts in the nation.

It's a fascinating place to tour on foot or by car. Because the weather was so nice, I parked my car and did some walking. There are few sensations more wonderful than feeling the sun on your face, being caressed by a gentle breeze and hearing nature conversing with itself in a variety of ways.

Like, every area in Grand Rapids, Heritage Hill has been affected by the downturn in the economy, but the area has weathered the storm better than most. The economic revitalization of the downtown Grand Rapids area combined with the development of the Medical mile and area universities have made the location attractive to artisans, business folks and professionals who eschew long drives to work.

Well, here are some pictures I took while I was out & about...Enjoy!

Older homes framing the new highrise buildings springing up all over

downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Memories of a bygone era romance this Dutch Colonial style home...

This home has always fascinated me...You can't help but turn to look, it's so huge...

This picture was taken inside one of our new listings, a duplex on 245-247 Henry St Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 listed for $135,000. The sun was shining so brightly that my camera was not getting the shot I wanted.

When I edited the photo into sepia tones, I felt it captured beautifully the period of the 1900's with a modern twist. This home is in the Cherry Hill Historic District, adjacent to the Heritage Hill Historic District. Call 616-791-0511 for additional details or for a tour.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

Recently, our office decided to visit some of the downtown Grand Rapids, MI condominium developments. During the tour, we drove by the Voigt House, a historic Victorian Museum. This unique 19th century home was the residence of the Voigt family for 76 years until 1907. It has been preserved with the original furnishings and personal belongings of the family...a fascinating inside view of what life was like in the Victorian era in Grand Rapids.

The Museum is open every Tuesday between 11:00 a.m. ~ 3 p.m. and every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. It is also available for special occasions such as wedding ceremonies and special dinners. On the day that we dropped by, they were preparing for a special fund raising dinner.

The Voigt House is located in a larger historic community in Grand Rapids, Mi known as the Heritage Hill neighborhood. Heritage Hill comprises of approximately 1300 properties adjacent to the downtown Grand Rapids area. The houses date from 1848 and represent over 60 different types of architectural designs. It was this community that the well-to-do, like the lumber barons, teachers, legislatures and judges who shaped the course of the city lived.

Today, Heritage Hill is a vibrant and eclectic community and comprises of a diverse group of professionals, artisans and home owners from every background imaginable. It's a wonderful community to drive through and look at the grand homes which defined the city's past and are continuing to actively shape it's future.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved