NGPR: Michigan girls come in

happysong · May 2009

Michigan girls, anyone know much about Grand Rapids? I'm hoping to go to a concert there this summer and need a decent (but not too expensive) hotel to stay. I'm guessing pretty much anything is going to be fine, but wondered if there are any areas to stay away from. Any help is appreciated!

Mrs.Andreazza · May 2009

Right downtown is nice! We stayed at the Amway Plaza (or whatev it's called) for an anniv. That was uber expensive, but the area was nice. I would see if there is a cheaper one in the area. We also stayed at a Fairfield Inn right outside of the main city off of 28th St. and it was fine too. That whole area seems pretty nice.

happysong · May 2009

Hi there and thanks! I was looking online and saw some places on 28th. The concert is at the Orbit room. It's just girls going and we wanted to make sure the area was not too bad. Downtown looks very pretty! What a fun anniv. idea!

Mrs.Andreazza · May 2009

It was a lot of fun. Meijer Gardens is there and is really nice to walk through. There is also a awesome hot dog place on 1505 Wealthy St SE called Yesterdog.

That area is a bit more sketchy, so don't find a hotel over there Stick out tongue

Also, the whole downtown area practically shuts down on Sundays. It's a religious-y area I guess, so it was hard for us to find a place to eat Sunday afternoon!!

Joyous1106 · May 2009

Hi!

If I'm remembering correctly, there's a chain hotel (Days Inn? Holiday Inn?) close by the GR Ford library/museum that has a restaurant attached to it. It's been a few years since I've been in downtown GR though. My sister (who lives in a suburb) tells me there's lots of construction going on all over, so if you're driving in, give yourself plenty of time.

If you enjoy gardens/plants and have some extra time (and money) you should check out Fredrick Meijer gardens, they're pretty awesome and are probably in bloom by now.

And if you like seafood, there is a great restaurant on Market street, a few streets down from the Amway, called Charlie's Crab. They serve lunch and dinner, and the food is great! The price is mid-level to expensive, but you could probably get food/beverage for one from $25-$35 +tax.

Mrs.Andreazza · May 2009

Joyous1106:
Hi!
If I'm remembering correctly, there's a chain hotel (Days Inn? Holiday Inn?) close by the GR Ford library/museum that has a restaurant attached to it. It's been a few years since I've been in downtown GR though. My sister (who lives in a suburb) tells me there's lots of construction going on all over, so if you're driving in, give yourself plenty of time.
If you enjoy gardens/plants and have some extra time (and money) you should check out Fredrick Meijer gardens, they're pretty awesome and are probably in bloom by now.
And if you like seafood, there is a great restaurant on Market street, a few streets down from the Amway, called Charlie's Crab. They serve lunch and dinner, and the food is great! The price is mid-level to expensive, but you could probably get food/beverage for one from $25-$35 +tax.

I L-O-V-E Charley's Crab ::drool::

Joyous1106 · May 2009

Mrs.Andreazza:
I L-O-V-E Charley's Crab ::drool::

Isn't it awesome? My grandma and I had season tickets to the GRSO at DeVos Hall, and we would always go to Charlie's afterwards for dinner. I miss their smoked salmon spread and their yummy rolls soo much... My DH and I ate there the last time we were in GR (summer '07), and it was sooooo gooooddddd.

::sigh:: At least I have fond memories of my last Charlie's meal. I seemed to have developed a seafood allergy since then, so no more shrimp/crab/salmon/yummy stuff for me. Crying

**ETA: HappySong, I so did not mean to hijack your thread to drool over Charlie's Crab. I am so sorry! Embarrassed

Mrs.Andreazza · May 2009

Boo! to a seafood allergy. I adore that salmon spread.

mooeta · May 2009

try bedandbreakfast.com They have b&b's starting at $75 bucks.

happysong · May 2009

Thanks ladies! These ideas are helpful. We'll have to check out the crab place. Yum!

happysong · May 2009

Joyous1106:
Mrs.Andreazza:

I L-O-V-E Charley's Crab ::drool::

**ETA: HappySong, I so did not mean to hijack your thread to drool over Charlie's Crab. I am so sorry!

No worries! It sounds awesome.

I'm just checking to make sure we won't end up in the ghetto.

LacieMI · May 2009

happysong:
Hi there and thanks! I was looking online and saw some places on 28th. The concert is at the Orbit room. It's just girls going and we wanted to make sure the area was not too bad. Downtown looks very pretty! What a fun anniv. idea!

I'm in Grand Rapids! (Actually... not really... right now, I'm alone for the night in a hotel in Baltimore, but I live in Grand Rapids!)

I hope that you have a great time in Grand Rapids. There are several newer and good hotels on 28th & 29th Street. Agree that you should be fine with the Fairfield Inn, County Inn & Suites, Springhill Suites, and any other on 'that' end of 28th street. The only areas of 28th street that I would avoid are the lower digits of an address that would make them closer to US 131. Nasty area of town, but about 5+ miles from the Orbit Room.

Downtown Days Inn, Riverfront Radison, Crowne Plaza Airport, and Hilton are ok choices, but not fabulous. They are a little older, can't promise you on the quality (definitely not 'skank' just a little 80's, if you know what I mean. Those would all be in a safe area though, so if you can get a good deal and you're okay with a 2 to 2.5 star place, those would be fine. The Holiday Inn in Walker is a little too far of a drive (10-15 mintues, not really necessary).

Ramada on 28th/Beltline would be a great choice and location for you... you could walk to the Orbit room by crossing only one street and it is a nice location for restaurants, shopping, good parking, etc...

Downtown is also fun and pretty. Amway Grand Plaza is where we stayed on our wedding night (a little 'gaudy' but upper class, and expensive). JW Marriott is brand new (~1-2 years, and it is freaking awesome and expensive. If you're going the expensive, downtown route... go for JW Marriott.

Restaurant wise, Charley's Crab is a good choice as are several fun restaurants downtown (Amway has 4-5 restaurants in the hotel that are open to the public and are all good. Also, there are several choices downtown that are just local little pubs or classy restaurants dowtown on Ottawa, Ionia, Monroe and/or Monroe Center).

Have a great time! But be careful at the Orbit Room... that place is a bit ghetto, young, and always having 'incidents' that are on the news.

UMichGirl · May 2009

I don't have any hotel recommendations (DH's dad lives in GR, so we go there at least once a year but never need a hotel!) however I am from the other side of the state and wanted to say hi in this Michigan thread!!

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