Settled by Dutch, German, Irish and Polish immigrants over 150 years ago, the northeast side retains many of the values its founders prized, including a strong work ethic and a committment to being neighborly. With the Grand River running through it, it hosts some of the city's largest parks and longest bike trails. The northeast side also contains the booming Medical Mile life sciences corridor, historic schools and residential districts, modern offices, and thriving urban loft spaces with unique entertainment options. It includes several strong neighborhood associations, including Belknap, Monroe North, and Creston-Cheshire.
The world has been engaged in a talent and innovation battle for decades and STEM education has been the weapon of choice. But this is all about to change...that is, if we are willing to make the change. Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen comes out about the silent "A" and our new weapon of change: STEAM.
Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen's G-Sync is talking about how to create the city we want now in his New Year's Revolution. With seven suggestions for both personal and community improvement, surely at least one will be right up your alley in 2015. Are you in?
G-Sync's Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen took the weekend off from attending local events and stepped into the streets of Washington, DC. Now he shares his view from the nation's capital and his hopes for 2015.
Grand Rapids has often been referred to as a "beta city," transforming our reputation in the process. Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen discovers how the Grand Rapids debut of the DisArt Festival in 2015 will once again capture the nation's attention.
The way Grand Rapids responds to the events of Ferguson will set in motion a course of events that can either move us forward or roll us back in time. Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen says it's time to listen and learn -- and follows through with a list of suggested articles and books to read, local organizations and initiatives to support, and smart ways to continue the conversation.
When local authors Betty Epperly and Deb Moore sat down to write about local individuals whose lives have been changed by their interactions with West Michigan nonprofits, they discovered a ripple effect. Do Good editor Victoria Mullen gets the story behind the stories in a book that's a must-add to your holiday shopping list for people who care.
The number of teens who experience homelessness is high, and of that number between 20 and 40 percent will originate from one segment of the teen population. During National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen shines a light on what our area agencies are doing as they seek to reduce those numbers.
Can you imagine loading software on your computer from 1994? Neither can Lifestyle Editor Tommy Allen, who takes a close look at why he's voting "no" on the upcoming ballot proposal on term limits for Grand Rapids government.
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