Driving Around Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan in 4k Video
Filmed on Monday, July 3 2023, I drive around downtown Grand Rapids, MI to see what's going on.
The first permanent European-American settler in the Grand Rapids area was Isaac McCoy, a Baptist minister.
Shortly after, Detroit-born Louis Campau, known as the official founder of Grand Rapids, was convinced by fur trader William Brewster, who was in a rivalry with the American Fur Company, to travel to Grand Rapids and establish trade there.
In 1826, Campau built his cabin, trading post, and blacksmith shop on the south bank of the Grand River near the rapids, stating the Native Americans in the area were "friendly and peaceable". Campau returned to Detroit, then returned a year later with his wife and $5,000 of fur to trade with the Odawa and Ojibwa.
In 1835, many settlers arrived in the area with the population growing to about 50 people, including its first doctor, Dr. Wilson.
John Ball, representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids traveling to the settlement in 1836. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations".
By 1837, the village had grown quickly to about 1,200 residents, and the first formal census in 1845 recorded a population of 1,510.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, the city became a major lumbering center, processing timber harvested in the region. Logs were floated down the Grand River to be milled in the city and shipped via the Great Lakes. The city became a center of fine wood products as well. By the end of the century, it was established as the premier furniture-manufacturing city of the United States.
Due to its flourishing furniture industry, Grand Rapids began being recognized as "Furniture City".
In 1881, the Furniture Manufacturers Association (FMA) was organized in Grand Rapids; making it the country's first furniture manufacturing advocacy group.
In 1911, 8,500 people were employed by 47 furniture factories in Grand Rapids, constituting a third of the entire workforce. April 19th of that year, workers began a four month long general strike. Government reports revealed that while Grand Rapids lead the industry in product output, its furniture workers were paid lower wages than in other areas.
The strike resulted with substantial changes to the governmental and labor structure of the city. Some workers who participated in the strike were blacklisted by companies and thousands of dissatisfied furniture workers emigrated to higher paying regions.
Today, office furniture manufacturers such as American Seating, Steelcase, Haworth, and Herman Miller are based in and around the Grand Rapids area. The Kindel Furniture Company and the Hekman Furniture Company have been designing and manufacturing furniture in Grand Rapids since 1912 and 1922 respectively.
The Grand Rapids area is also known for its automobile and aviation manufacturing industries, with GE Aviation Systems having a location in the city.
Supercenter chain Meijer is headquartered in the Grand Rapids area, employing 10,340.
Grand Rapids was the childhood home of U.S. President Gerald Ford.
As of the 2020 census, 198,917 people lived in the city, up from 188.040 in 2010.
The city's racial makeup was 64.6% White, 20.9% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.7% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 15.6% of the population.
The median household income was $55,385 and the per capita income was $29,060. 18.6% of the population lived below the poverty line.
#driving #travel #drivingtour
Пікірлер: 40
I live in Grand Rapids and usually do the driving when we go downtown. It’s amazing all the small details you miss when your eyes are on the road. Thank you for this!
I have flown into Grand Rapids numerous times over the last 10 years and found it to be a lovely city. Seriously it''svery nice.
Thanks for the tour.
Im from the midwest indianapolis and i.miss the snow left the midwest moved to texas now leaving texas for anchorage alaska
There’s some fantastic architecture in this city!
I visited this week for the first time. It's a nice town.
Our Grand River is a highlight you missed. It runs though downtown and has a great pedestrian walkway on both sides.
jay medrano when will your spirit help me drive through michigan i want to come to the catholic church nearby and pray for dj and rcohelle gibson. plus drive my faith to the nearest library and do libary studies. i respect her family because i think my grandpa is her grandpas sister sibling :)
Grand rapids Michigan is a great city to live in these days , it sure beats Detroit and flint. And Hyde park and Benton harbor for sure 👌 very very big time😅
@exploreusacities
8 ай бұрын
lol
@happy629
Ай бұрын
😒
@FranklinNomad
6 күн бұрын
Anything beats Detroit
"At least I have her love this city she loves me"
Born and raised there nothing is the same making a trip in the spring
@rondasteele8102
6 ай бұрын
Going back to bury my son with his dad sister my mom and dad r next to them blyfield memory gardens
Decades ago I enjoyed listening to WJ-FM 93 transmitting from Grabd Rapids, when I was in South Bend, Indiana. WJFM-93 played contemporary rock music but no heavy metal or acid rock. I enjoyed WJFM 93. What happened to that station?
The city is so empty! Am I watching the sci-fi movie, "The Omega Man", or, "The Last Man On Earth"?
@juwanhowardhll8019
5 ай бұрын
Its because dumb mfs ran everyone away it has gotten toxic down there 2019 was the last year that downtown was full but then they hired these black mfs how be trying to push people and piss people off downtown until they get them mfs from down there downtown will be empty its too damn toxic downthere trust me i even avoid going down there for mostly for 3 years
@lynettevanderscheer5649
5 ай бұрын
Sunday morning
Where is the medical mile and the Calder?
@exploreusacities
7 ай бұрын
The miracle mile and the Calderon?
@lynettevanderscheer5649
5 ай бұрын
Medical Mile is Michigan St. , east side of the Grand River. Calder Plaza, "La Grande Vitesse" sculpture, sits back off Ottawa Ave and wouldn be seen from this perspective. This does miss Bridge Street, west side of the river and North Monroe, north of Michigan St. and Plainfield Ave. , also north of Michigan St. @@exploreusacities
Wheres all the people ancars that place is always crowded must be Sunday
@juwanhowardhll8019
5 ай бұрын
No i went downtown on a Friday and Saturday for 1 year it would still be empty the truth because its gotten toxic down there
Vivir ahí es caro ?
@exploreusacities
10 ай бұрын
Grand Rapids cost of living is less than other big cities.
@Xaviii787
7 ай бұрын
No es caro. Y ay mucho trabajo
Hola ! planeo irme a vivir a esta ciudad, agradezco si alguien me puede hablar si es una ciudad inclusiva para los migrantes y si cuenta con escuela para mi hijo Agradecida de antemano
This must be around COVID or something. I drove just a minute ago, and it's loud and mad people walking around all downtown.
@exploreusacities
2 ай бұрын
It was Monday, July 3 2023.
Lived and worked in GR most of my life. Interesting, how you kept making loops, circling back, and avoided showing the ghetto part's. I did see that the city counsel just passed a couple of ordinances, to try and curb the growing homeless activity. However, since the medical school was moved from Lansing to GR, years ago, It's also become a high rental area, and the city is now dealing with the fallout, that comes from having absentee landlord's. Having people moving to GR from Detroit, is another issue. I'm just happy that I sold my Victorian home, downtown, and no longer live anywhere near there.
@exploreusacities
10 ай бұрын
I didn't try to avoid anything, I love driving around in the ghetto.
@turbocrackers2204
9 ай бұрын
You love driving through the ghetto???
@happy629
Ай бұрын
These comments. 🙄
Gunrapids a liberal joke
@araw540
8 ай бұрын
Well i'll be moving there and will be sure to not give any fucks about their bullshit.
@muckfoot-4093
6 ай бұрын
I don't get it
@juwanhowardhll8019
5 ай бұрын
Too many sitck leg gecos running around here talking chit