Beginning just a few steps south of downtown's busiest intersection, Heartside encompasses art galleries and retail shops along with leading-edge medical facilities and revered spiritual centers. This is where artists come to live and work, where bodies and souls come to heal, and where visitors come to experience a vibrant, diverse community that is rich in history and progressive in spirit.
Where to Eat in Heartside
You’ll find upscale restaurants, casual coffee shops and Asia-inspired eateries in Heartside.
GRNoir Wine & Jazz
- 35 Division Ave. S
Love's Ice Cream and Chocolate
- 435 Ionia Ave. SW
Mertens Prime
- 35 Oakes St. SW
Mertens Rooftop
- 35 Oakes St. SW
Cafe Mertens
- 35 Oakes St. SW
Pochis Colombian Cafe
- 44 Ionia St SW
Pochis Colombian Cafe
- 44 Ionia St SW
Rockwell Republic
- 45 S Division Ave.
Biggby Coffee
- 235 Wealthy St SE
Biggby Coffee - Heartside
- 100 Wealthy St SE
The Brunch Lounge at Taste Buds Kitchen Connects, LLC
- 122 Division Ave. S
Char
- 6 Jefferson Ave. SE
The Cottage Bar & Restaurant
- 18 LaGrave Ave. SE
Gita Pita
- 2 Jefferson Ave. SE
Hong Kong Express
- 150 Fulton St East
One Stop Coney Shop
- 154 Fulton St. East
Palace of India
- 138 East Fulton St. SE
Palatte Coffee & Art
- 150 E. Fulton St
Rad Bagels
- 435 Ionia Avenue Southwest
Southern Smoke
- 4023 Division Ave. S
Where to Shop in Heartside
Stroll Avenue for the Arts, a commercial corridor of art galleries and artist's live/work spaces. And be sure to check out these shopping spots:
Cocoon Art Space
- 327 Division Ave. S
Love's Ice Cream and Chocolate
- 435 Ionia Ave. SW
Second Vibess
- 13 Division Ave. S
Aggregate 136
- 136 S. Division Ave.
ALLENNICHOLE
- 111 Division St
The Color Forest
- 341 S Division
Decaydence Vintage
- 71 Division Ave. S
Dime & Regal
- 650 Wealthy St SE
Gemini Handmade
- 963 Cherry St. SE
Heartside Gallery and Studio
- 48 S. Division Ave.
Hëmd
- 14 Weston St SE
Knit It
- 319 Division Ave. S
Lifestyle Kitchen Studio
- 222 E FULTON
Light Gallery + Studio
- 317 S Division Ave.
Mel Styles
- 315 S. Division
Palatte Coffee & Art
- 150 E. Fulton St
Premier
- 14 Weston SE
Second Dance Formal Consignment
- 321 S Division Ave.
The August Connection
- 325 Division Ave. S.
Vertigo Music
- 129 Division Ave. S
What to Do in Heartside
Mingle with local artists, artisans, and art patrons at Avenue for the Arts events throughout the year, including monthly Third Thursdays.
Shop for vintage clothing and décor at The August Connection, Decaydence Vintage, OTONO, Second Dance Bridal and Formal Consignment, Second Vibess and Zabház – all within a 10-minute walk on Division Ave.
Visit Heartside Park, a former railyard now equipped with a playground, splash pad, basketball court and picnic tables.
Sample food and drink from around the world at Bangkok Taste Cuisine (Thai), Dublin Hall (Irish), Gita Pita (Mediterranean), Hong Kong Express (Chinese), Max’s South Seas Hideaway (Polynesian), Luna (Mexican), Palace of India and Pochis Colombian Café (South American).,
Learn while you burn calories with Grand Rapids Running Tours, which offers six different guided tours through the history of Heartside – you can run or walk!
ArtPrize
- 41 Sheldon Blvd SE
Bishop Baraga Sculpture
- Outside the Cathedral of Saint Andrew
Bust of Abraham Lincoln
- 201 State St. SE
Calkin's Law Office
- 201 State St. SE
Cocoon Art Space
- 327 Division Ave. S
Cocoon Art Space
- 327 Division Ave. S
GRNoir Wine & Jazz
- 35 Division Ave. S
GRNoir Wine & Jazz
- 35 Division Ave. S
Mural at Sheldon and Weston
- West side of Sheldon, just south of Weston.
Mural at Fulton and Sheldon
- South side of Fulton, just east of Sheldon.
Mural at Sheldon and Oakes
- West side of Sheldon, just south of Oakes
Mural at Division and Cherry
- NW corner of Division and Cherry
Mural at Division and Oakes
- East side of Division, just south of Oakes
Mural at Sheldon and Cherry
- West side of Sheldon, just north of Cherry
Mural at Williams and Division
- Parking lot behind buildings on NW side of Williams and Division
Mural at Wealthy and Charles
- South side of Wealthy, between Henry and Charles
Mural at Weston and Division
- SE corner of Weston and Division
Love's Ice Cream and Chocolate
- 435 Ionia Ave. SW
Rockwell Republic
- 45 S Division Ave.
The Ruse Escape Rooms
- 25 Division Ave. S
What to See in Heartside
Treat your eyes to an incredible diversity of visual delights along Avenue for the Arts – including art for sale at galleries like ArtRat Gallery and Cocoon Art Space.
Take the self-guided Heartside Mural Tour to see 15 large-scale murals referencing the neighborhood’s history and creative spirit.
Grand Rapids is known as a "City of Churches" - get a look at four of our most awe-inspiring sacred spaces:
- The gothic splendor of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, a limestone building with a 192-foot spire.
- The classic Byzantine design of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, with an austere three-domed exterior opening to a richly decorated interior worship space.
- The iconic steeple of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, which is an uncovered, exposed structural framework meant to represent the unfinished work of Christ.
- The rusticated red sandstone exterior of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which combines a Byzantine aesthetic with some items of Greek and Roman influence.
Local Heartside Favorites
Rumors Nightclub, a longtime favorite of the LBGTQ community, offers dancing and entertainment seven nights a week.
Rockwell Republic is an award-winning gastropub with a three-season screened-in lounge and elevated outdoor beer garden.
Heartside Hidden Gems
Cathedral Square is a three-block Italian-style piazza modeled after Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome.
Haute at New Hotel Mertens is a rooftop lounge serving up French food and spectacular views of the city skyline.