Thursday was the official start of Great Lakes Green 2008 that is open to the public and will run through Saturday night (August 21-23, 2008).
The intention of the show is to bring a "greater awareness about residential green building programs and technologies". (www.greatlakesgreen2008.com). Sponsored by Green Built Michigan and many builders, the show will offer professionals and the general public a chance to view some of the products and services that are part of the Green movement.
While certain builders specialize in certain areas of Green, the Green philosophy is geared to energy efficiency, sustainability, and recycled, non-pollutable substances. As a member of the West Michigan Chapter of the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), I've had the opportunity to view and begin to understand all the options that are available to consumers. My hope and goal when I embarked upon the "Green" way of thinking was to thoroughly understand the processes and point consumers in the right direction.
How Do You Define Green?
In this process, I've learned valuable information on products and have gotten to know a wide variety of people that are truly interested in building a great home with these Green practices. In talking with consumers, the biggest benefit to Green for them is:
Energy Efficiency
Indoor Air Quality
Environmental Issues (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
It will be a fantastic show and I urge you all to attend if you are even slightly curious. I will be part of the LEED for Homes booth (LEED is a third party certification system that rates a home on "Green" Qualities) on Saturday starting at 5:00 pm. Stop by, say hello and see what this is really all about!
Michigan's economic struggles always seem to be in the forefront of the media and on people's minds. And rightly so, all business sectors have struggled and many people have had to make moves that would be right for their family. Interestingly enough, as others have moved out of state, Johnny's Lunch has decided to Move Into Michigan. Can you believe it?
Johnny's Lunch sees Michigan and Grand Rapids in particular as an opportunity. Johnny's Lunch is a Ohio franchise with quick-serve hotdogs and burgers with "extremely low" prices (Beeke). Johnny's Lunch is a 72 year old company with national expansion plans with Livonia, Michigan being their first stop. Closer to home in Downtown Grand Rapids in the Monroe Center is our first Johnny's Lunch. Three more franchises are planned to open up in other areas of Grand Rapids as well.
Why did Johnny's Lunch decide to come to Michigan when others have been leaving? Here's what the president George Goulson had to say, "We knew all that stuff going in. We also knew in Michigan there's a lot of opportunity to get in on the ground floor." (Beeke).
HMMMM! Aren't Enterpreneurs looking for the ground floor opportunities? Noodles & Co. franchises have also benefited from the low cost products as people may be trading down from the upscale restaurants to more "casual dining". Did you know, that the Michigan market for Noodles & Co. has outpaced any of their other markets? Interesting.
Good things are happening in Michigan and in Grand Rapids. It depends on how you want to look at the cup... is it half full or half empty? Johnny's Lunch believes its over half full!
References: Beeke, Candace. "Retailers debate coming to Michigan." Business Review Western Michigan. May 15-21, 2008.
Location, location, location. Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan is the location! As discussed before there has been a lot of changes in Grand Rapids. Besides the fantastic restaurants, bars, and fun activities. Many condo projects have come about and people who live in downtown Grand Rapids, love downtown Grand Rapids.
For more information about Downtown see the following blogs:
"Favorite Places to Hang in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan"
"The Nightlife in Grand Rapids, Michigan a Draw for Many"
Urban Living Prevalent and Open to View this Sunday
Downtown Grand Rapids has all the comforts and fun of the big city and yet is still a very affordable place to be a part of. Downtown is perfect for urban dwellers that long for
There are many condo projects that offer urban living. One condo development with its own unique style of exposed brick, huge windows, high ceilings, hardwood floors is Union Square Condos. Union Square Condos offer a community within a community with the outdoor pool and hot tub, exercise room, community clubhouse, and game room.
Take advantage of the tax benefits offered at Union Square with the Renaissance Zone and save on personal and city income taxes~a real tax advantage for many.
Check out this listing (600 Broadway #324) that will be OPEN this Sunday, April 13, 2008 from 1-3 pm. Others will be open as well and see what Union Square is all about!
Here's some other great Grand Rapids websites to visit for more information of what's going on in downtown Grand Rapids: .. visitgrandrapids.org, grnow.com, grcity.us, city-data.com, city/grand-rapids-michigan.html, downtowngr.org, and of course don't forget the local blogs and real estate information at:
I've already given you some of my favorite places to eat in wonderful downtown Grand Rapids, here's some popular hangouts that tend to draw the crowds into downtown. Depending on what you are looking for, these restaurants/bars are very good options to gather together.
Popular hangouts/bars
Bar Divani - cozy, relaxing atmosphere. Enjoy the wine tasting and fine dining experience.
J Gardella's - Can't decide what mood you're in and where you want to be? You may want to try J Gardella's which contains three floors: the plush level, classic décor, and the fun level of games, pool table and the jukebox.
Taps -Extensive draft list with over 30 different beers, multiple TVs, karaoke and live music and upstairs dance floor
McFaddens - Popular with many for the pool upstairs, TV's and great dancing floor.
The Black Rose - Great Irish pub
Moxies - Live DJs Tuesday through Saturday each week with a large dance floor.
Monties - Trendy atmosphere that's a popular hangout because of the great dancing music and drink specials that are offered on most nights.
MoJo's - Be a part of the crowd, join in and sing with MoJo's dueling piano bar. Make a request. They are absolutely amazing players and keep the crowd laughing.
The B.O.B. - Stands for The Big Old Building which houses three bars in addition to several restaurants and a comedy club in a restored, four-story warehouse across from Van Andel Arena.
Margarita Grill - Cantina atmosphere featuring dancing, DJs, drink specials and special hosts from MTV.
The Hot Entertainment Spots
Van Andel Arena - The Arena is the place to be and is the largest venue in West Michigan with a capacity of 12,000 plus. It is the home of the Grand Rapids Griffins and Grand Rapids Rampage. Most of the major concerts and acts are hosted at the Van Andel.
DeltaPlex - The DeltaPlex is an expo center, concert venue, trade shows, and sporting events seating 6,500.
Devos Performance Hall - Hosts the Grand Rapids Symphony, Opera Grand Rapids, Broadway Theatre Guild and the Grand Rapids Ballet Company
DeVos Place - is the premier convention center for Grand Rapids and West Michigan trade shows and meetings.
For more information about the Greater Grand Rapids area, feel free to email me at tstone@grar.com
They say real estate is all about location and downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan is definitely the location to hang out. Thanks to the great many contributors, our grand city of Grand Rapids, Michigan has some great spots that attract a number of different people and personalities. If there was a common thread of "like" regarding downtown Grand Rapids, a lot of people would say that they are drawn to the area because of it's beauty and vibrancy.
The beauty of the Grand River which flows through the city, beautiful sculptures, favorite parks such as Ah-Nab-Awen Park, and Rosa Parks Circle are certainly items that draw people to our Grand city.
In the past 10-15 years, Grand Rapids, Michigan has been a city of change. Some of the most notable changes include our medical mile and fantastic specialized care facilities. The addition of the Van Andel Arena, which is the largest venue in West Michigan and houses some of our best concerts and ticketed events, has truly put Grand Rapids on the map. Other favorites of many residents include the many museums, such as the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. But probably the biggest draw is the nightlife and some of the best restaurants and bars in town.
Here's some of the favorites of Downtown Grand Rapids:
The Black Rose - comfortable Irish pub with live music, quieter sitting areas, good food, dark wood, cozy theme
San Chez Bistro -Spanish authentic food and fun with selection by tapas, smaller sized dishes that can be shared with others at the table. The San Chez has earned their place in Grand Rapids and continues to remain one of Grand Rapids' favorite restaurants. Just ask anyone.
Mezze Cafe & Cabaret - has a special focus on Moroccan cuisine. Jazz, tango dancing and a weekly traditional belly-dancing show can be seen at the Mezze.
Bistro Bella Vita is one of my favorites and a great Italian restaurants, with appetizers that include calamari, carpaccio and steamed mussels. Bistro also has a great menu for healthy eating, and most of their ingredients come from local vendors.
Tre Cugini Ristorante - If you love Italian, this is another fantastic Italian Restaurant or Ristorante that you need to visit.
Two great steak houses include the Chop House and Louis Benton's Steak House.
There are many Fine Dining Restaurants including:
My favorite coffee/deli - Urban Mill. Small coffeehouse feel and like a lot of other coffee houses offers free wifi.
There are many more restaurants, these are just some that make downtown Grand Rapids great!
Check out my next blog on some of the best bars and entertainment in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information regarding downtown Grand Rapids and/or the Greater Grand Rapids area in general, please contact me at tstone@grar.com.
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Serving the Greater Grand Rapids area. I'm passionate about real estate and love working with first time home buyers, for sale by owners and buyers of green built homes.
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