For over a century, the world has recognized the artistic bent of the people of Grand Rapids. In 1876, an international exhibition in Philadelphia garnered Grand Rapids the renown it deserved as a worldwide leader in the production of fine furniture, and inspired the trademark nickname, Furniture City.
While Grand Rapids continues to be a world leader in the production of office furniture, the city has added a second nickname to its history: Sculpture City. When Alexander Calder's massive red steel "La Grande Vitesse", which means the great swiftness, an allusion to the grand rapids which once rumbled down the Grand River, came to Vandenberg Plaza in 1969, it was the first publicly funded public artwork in the nation.
Since then, outdoor sculpture has reshaped the CenterCity, bounded by Michigan Street, Division, Fulton, and the Grand River, with works such as Ecliptic by Maya Lin, creator of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. Situated in Rosa Parks Circle, the Ecliptic is an ampitheatre that hosts concerts in the summer. In the winter it converts to an ice skating rink. A reflecting pool and vapor pool complete the trio of sculptures that represent water in its various forms: ice, liquid, and vapor.
A walk around town brings visitors face-to-face with a variety of sculpture: a bronze statue of Arthur Vandenberg in the city's center; Motu, a giant rubber tire swing at Calder Plaza; the Indian Burial Mounds honoring the area's native Americans at Ah-Nab-Awen Park; and Lorrie's Button, a huge red steel button, just north of the Gerald R. Ford museum.
Walk This Way
Pleasurable pathways connect the city's sculptures, the riverside, and the shopping, museum, and theater districts: The Riverwalk stretches over two miles along both banks of the Grand River, the Gillette and the Blue Bridge pedestrian bridges span the river, and paved-and-brick walkways wend their way between buildings and around statues and flower beds.
The Hot Spots
Intimate boutiques, urban galleries, world-class restaurants, and coffee shops, delis, and salons line the narrow streets. Shoppers linger over a latte or lunch at sidewalk cafes situated at the base of buildings designed with classic period architecture.
Monroe Center's neat and tidy historic brick street is an inviting place to spend an afternoon enjoying the overflowing flower boxes, as well as the shopping. Sidewalk benches provide a place to take a load off and do some people watching amid the sights and sounds of a busy urban district.
Three major hotels, the Amway Grand Plaza, Courtyard by Marriott, and the Downtown Days Inn are all within walking distance, or just a short bus or taxi ride away. The boutique hotel City Flats also serves the Monroe Center area
Visitors have plenty of museums to muse over, including the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, the Gerald R. Ford Museum, featuring a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, and the Public Museum where Furniture City's heritage is proudly displayed.
The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, which is undergoing a $9 million renovation, is Michigan's largest community theater and offers 110 performances of its six main stage productions, as well as two children's theater productions. Actors' Theater features productions not found in the mainstream due to the complexity of the stories, controversial subjects, or limited mass appeal.
Opera Grand Rapids is in its 39th season, enticing audiences with the promise that they will "experience life magnified." The Grand Rapids Ballet Company soon celebrates its 35th year with performances that bring innovative choreography and a commitment to excellence to the stage. The annual performance of The Nutcracker is a favorite and plays to packed houses.
The combination of urban energy and the arts in CenterCity brings an air of freshness to a historic city undergoing a renewal of its buildings, its culture, and its sense of pride.
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Directions to Center City
From the North:
Take US-131 South toward Grand Rapids and merge onto I-196 East via Exit 86A on the left toward Lansing. Take the Ottawa Ave exit, Exit 77C, toward Downtown. Turn slight right onto Ottawa Ave Nw. Arrive in Center City.
From the East:
Take I-96 West toward Grand Rapids and keep left to take I-196 West toward Downtown Grand Rapids/Holland. Take the Ottawa Ave exit, Exit 77C, toward Downtown. The ramp becomes Ottawa Ave Nw. Arrive in Center City.
From the South:
Take US-131 North toward Grand Rapids and take the I-131-BR exit, Exit 84B, toward Downtown. Turn right onto Oakes St. Sw and turn left onto Division Ave S/US-131 BR. Arrive in Center City.
From the West:
Take I-196 East toward Grand Rapids and take the Ottawa Ave exit, Exit 77C, toward Downtown. Turn slight right onto Ottawa Ave Nw. Arrive in Center City.
Take I-96 East toward Grand Rapids and merge onto US-131 South via Exit 31A toward Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo. Merge onto I-196 East via Exit 86A on the left toward Lansing. Take the Ottawa Ave exit, Exit 77C, toward Downtown. Turn slight right onto Ottawa Ave Nw. Arrive in Center City.