Thanks to Alex for such an insightful tour of the Grand Rapids Public Museum Archives. And thanks…read moreto Katy for setting up this amazing Yelp event! I really enjoyed seeing all of the many different items in Archives. It was everything from old mugshots and lamps to furniture, clothing, fossils ... and sooo much more. Everything had its place, was tagged and recorded in a database. This was an overall great experience!

This was by far my favorite yelp event I have attended. This kind of thing is right up my alley and…read moreI was so psyched to do this tour. Our tour guide (who is also the chief curator of the museum!) was awesome and super personable. I was seriously in awe of how much stuff they have in the archives. I probably could have spent another 6 hours there and still want to go back after to look at more. Definitely appreciated that the whole building was climate controlled to preserve the artifacts. Thanks Yelp and Katy for setting this up!! I really want to go back for another tour and/or volunteer here in the future.

A sophisticated tire-swing for adults! I love the Motu Viget…read moresculpture just to the NW of the Calder. To me, it's a fun and whimsical place to go, set in an unassuming place, on a grassy patch of lawn with picnic tables, a built-in swing, in the shadow of a more well-known sculpture, The Grande Vitesse. On the weekends, no one is EVER there. It's one of those special "finds" in a city that people don't really use or go to much. Go for a swing, feel the wind in your face, and please, don't add to the grafitti - this is supposed to be art, afterall.

We would highly recommend this tour for both Grand Rapidians and definitely those who want to know…read moremore about downtown Grand Rapids. Joanna was tops...knowledgeable about Grand Rapids and food, charismatic, and a great host. We loved the restaurants and food choices along the way. Probably the only improvement might be to have a small taste of something at the last stop.

From the owner: You will leave feeling like you had night out with friends. With smaller tour sizes and guides who…read morelove the city you will have great portions and the attention to detail you would want on a dining experience. We will take you to food focused restaurants with give you time to enjoy the atmosphere.

Great little dessert spot. Some things were a bit hard to eat like the ice cream sandwich with…read morechocolate chip cookies../ the textures just weren't quite right and hard to bite with how frozen the chocolate got. But the flavors were awesome.

Incredible spot to grab a sweet treat!…read more Small but cute and filled with lots of chocolate goodies! Truffles, chocolate bars, whoopie pies, all the things! I would highly recommend you check this place out if you have a sweet tooth. Everything I've ever tried had been incredible. The people working here are also very kind and helpful!

Wife and I stopped in for drinks. We didn't try the food. So I could only give it 4 stars. But…read moreoverall. This is a great place, with great service and great people! Has that neighborhood bar (Cheers) kinda vibe. If in the area. I would definitely recommend.

The atmosphere here is confusing. Tropical meets dark sports bar. There's fish on the wall, along…read morewith palm trees, and for no reason Christmas things. It doesn't really work for my tastes, but also wouldn't stop me from visiting. The light kevel difference when it's bright outside and you enter and it's a little hard to see, but you quickly adjust. I ordered their Hamburger ($15 + $1 for cheese) it is a Charbroiled ground sirloin patty served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato and onion. The patty was small, probably a 1/4 pound patty. The meat is tasty and definitely good quality meat. The veggies were super fresh. However the burger to veggie equation was way too far on the veggie side. Also at $16 it is way too small. I think if the doubled the size of the patty or just did a double patty they would have a good thing going. At it current size and price though I couldn't recommend. zi got fries with it and they were very good. The service was very good. Alan seemed to enjoy his job and it showed in his service. overall sadly it is only a 3 star review. The atmosphere and small size of meat vs price. Plus the place was just really loud. Would I return? No. If someone else wanted to go, I wouldn't be opposed, but on my own I wouldn't!

You won't get a cutesy review of the City from me... I've lived here for over four decades, and…read morehave seen a real decline in how Grand Rapids is managed and the quality of life for residents. It's a town with a rich history, but you won't see much of it. Many of the older buildings were torn down for parking lots. (More on this issue below.) The former mayor (Ms. Bliss) did a lot of damage during her tenure. The rude demeanor that she constantly expressed didn't translate into any community improvements, nor open communication. A soccer stadium and amphitheatre were "approved" without any citizen input, other than a hotel tax vote that wasn't explained very well at all. Back to the parking issue... bottom line, there is a huge price to pay for it. Lots of errors from the City office, too. Over $80k in fees were taken by "mistake," but there was never anything done to make this right. Refunds won't be issued was the official stand from the City. Nice, huh? The 3-1-1 system is also a joke. For taxpayers, there should be immediate access to call a City department. Another feature from the prior administration. It's just not working. So, what are City employees doing other than sitting at their desk sipping coffee? I really don't know. Maybe planning more buildings or parking lots.

For my 1,500th review, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the city of Grand Rapids. I grew up…read morein the area and have lived in the city for over a decade, and I love it. There's always something to do in Grand Rapids - festivals, art exhibits, community events, outdoor activities, etc., along with so many local restaurants and other businesses. The population of GR proper is about 200,000, making it the second most populated city after Detroit. The metro area has a combined population of just over 1 million people. The city feels small, but has things you'd find in a bigger city, like sports teams, a thriving theatre scene, including Broadway Grand Rapids, nightlife, lots of hotels, many beautiful parks, museums and cultural centers, a symphony, opera, ballet company, and more. There are several universities in Grand Rapids, including Grand Valley State University, Kendall College of Art and Design, Aquinas College, and Grand Rapids Community College, just to name a few. Michigan State University has a medical school campus downtown, and Western Michigan University has a graduate school downtown as well. Founded in 1826, the area that is now Grand Rapids was originally settled by the Odawa near the Grand River. The city is known for its furniture industry, which thrived in the late 19th century. There's a great exhibit about the city's furniture industry at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. More recently, Grand Rapids is known as "Beer City USA" with 80+ breweries in the metro area, with more opening each year! There are many points of interest that visitors and locals enjoy: Calder Plaza, Rosa Parks Circle, Frederik Meijer Gardens, John Ball Zoo, the Meyer May House, fish ladder park, historic homes in Heritage Hill, and many farmers markets in the area. ArtPrize is an annual art competition that brings visitors and artists from all over the world. Popular neighborhoods to explore include Eastown, Heritage Hill, downtown, Creston, Midtown, and Uptown. Grand Rapids is a great place to live and visit!

A visit to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the kind of outing that quietly turns into…read morehours of wandering without you noticing. One minute you're "just taking a stroll," and the next you're deep in a full-on appreciation tour of art, nature, and your step count. The blend of sculptures and natural landscapes is beautifully done. It invites you to slow down, look closer, and occasionally wonder if something is art or just a very confident tree. The butterfly exhibit was a highlight. Peaceful, delicate, and just the right amount of magical without trying too hard. Definitely worth lingering a bit longer there. That said, it was very crowded on a Saturday midday, even with the chilly weather. Apparently, everyone had the same "let's be cultured and outdoorsy today" idea. We're already planning a return visit next time we're in town, likely on a weekday in early fall, when the pace feels a little softer and the experience can breathe a bit more. Highly worth it... just maybe not at peak "everyone had the same plan" hours.

Bought a ticket for their Christmas light show and it was totally worth it!…read more Parking is free. There were attendants in the lot, guiding us where to park. Upon entry, there's a snack bar. You can buy food and drinks and bring them along with you. I got the spiked hot cocoa. I was surprised they have a fireball shot ski!!!! It was so cold that night. I really enjoyed warming up along the walking path at all the fire pits. They also had some pop up tents with heaters and more snacks and drinks. The whole event was well put together. The path was wide enough for adults, kids, strollers and people to pass by or stop and take pics. The sculptures were so pretty! My favorite part was the spot lights because the snow made the lights seem like they were sparkling. The inside of the building had Christmas trees from many countries. I enjoyed reading the captions and learning about their traditions. The gardens were open as well- the desert plants are so cool. The tiny train and building exhibit was nice. They have a ton of local architectural buildings that are miniaturized with natural materials. There is a 15 min Christmas video you can watch; I watched it. It was a little boring. I don't recommend that video for kids. Bathrooms are clean. The gift shop was very nice. They sell ornaments, shirts, plants, etc. Overall, this was such a fun holiday thing to do. I took advantage of all of it. I was there for almost two hours. The pasty was huge and delicious. I took one to go! Worth every penny. The spiked hot cocoa I got was $18 and came in a souvenir cup. It's a really nice cup! It has the museum logo on it. The lid has a great closing mechanism. It has a little air hole though so it can leak. But it kept my drink hot for the whole mile. Bring mittens, wear boots, cover your head and ears, and have hand warmers in your pockets. It's cold out there! But it was so nice to see the lights and the music interacting and to walk the path and enjoy the sculptures lit up. Tickets sell out so buy in advance online.

First time here and it was a birthday well spent. Food was good and plentiful. Meal came out hot…read moreand quickly. For someone who has kids waiting at home, it's much appreciated. Definitely adding to our repertoire.

Gorgeous place, wonderful food, and kind people! My husband and I went to Nonna's for our…read moreanniversary dinner and it was the perfect spot to celebrate. Upon entry we were greeted by friendly staff and given a menu to review while we waited for our table. After being seated we were able to order drinks and food quickly! Everything came out in a timely manner. We also got a free dessert for our anniversary which was such a wonderful touch! The dining space is a little small which made it difficult to converse at some points but this was truly the only downside. We can't wait to return to this spot for another delicious dinner! Food: -Calamari: beautifully seasoned and breaded. Great portion size with amazing flavor! -Chicken Scallopini: Creamy lemon goodness! Rich flavor with perfectly cooked chicken. The angel hair pasta did get a little soggy underneath the chicken- maybe swap it would for an alternative noodle?

We had a great time on our GR Crime Tour! Our guide, Eirann, was both super knowledgeable and…read morereally funny, and we really enjoyed listening to them recount some of the lesser-known stories from Grand Rapids history. As residents who didn't grow up in this city, it was cool to learn more about it in an engaging way. Highly recommend you take a tour as well, you won't regret it!