LGBTQIA+ Weekend Getaway in Grand Rapids

No matter who you are or who you love, you’ll find a warm welcome in Grand Rapids. What was once a conservative Rust Belt town has transformed into a diverse, progressive and prosperous “new urban”…

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Ideas for Accessible Parks and Trails in Grand Rapids

WalletHub named Grand Rapids, Michigan the #2 Best City in America for People with Disabilities in 2017, and we’re proud to say the city has become even more accessible since then – thanks in part to…

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Building a More Inclusive Business Community

Home to more than 130 global companies and one of the fastest-growing economies in the U.S., West Michigan has long been known as a great place to do business. Whether in small, family-owned companies…

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LGBTQIA+ in GR

The Advocate magazine named Grand Rapids one of the Gayest Cities in America more than a decade ago, in a feature exploring the “peer capita queerness of some less expected locales.” Grand Rapids has…

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Locally Owned & Operated LGBTQIA+ Businesses to Check Out

Grand Rapids is home to many locally owned and operated LGBTQIA+ businesses. The city is now a destination to live and work for people of all ages and identities as more inclusive businesses open…

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Promoting Grand Rapids as an Accessible Destination

Experience Grand Rapids wants every visitor to our region to feel welcome and accommodated. That includes travelers with all different types of abilities. In 2018, we teamed with Disability Advocates…

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History of Native Americans in GR

Grand Rapids historian Kevin Finney estimates that indigenous peoples lived in the greater Grand Rapids area for 11,000 years before the first European settlers arrived in 1650. Little is known about…

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History of Europeans in GR

As is the case with many American cities, the unique character of Grand Rapids was shaped largely by successive waves of European settlers. Dutch immigrants had a particularly outsized impact - Grand…

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History of Dutch in GR

As is the case with many American cities, the unique character of Grand Rapids was shaped largely by successive waves of European settlers. Germans, Poles, Italians, English, Irish and French…

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