Grand Rapids, MI Driving Tips
Stay away from the older parts of town if you want a good driving experience. While these parts are neat and fun to look at, the roads do crazy things. There are lots of one-way streets, streets that end abruptly, or streets that jog with no clear indication of where they continue. The newer part
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s of town are much more intuitive.
Grand Rapids, MI Buying Tips
Most of the dealers are awful. There are a TON of dealers with junk cars that will sell you rust buckets. They market them as if they're in nice condition, in some cases painting over rust or adding fluids just before a test drive to make it ride nice (when it normally doesn't). Definitely look fo
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r a car online if you are in the market, or else go with a big dealership like Ford or something. The smaller dealerships... stay away from them!
Favorite Driving Memory
I don't think I have a "driving highlight". If I had to say one good thing about this city, it's the fact that things are pretty clearly marked. That's not a single memory, but it stands out as a "highlight" when compared to other cities.
Favorite Road
Leonard NW
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There aren't too many stoplights and for the most part, the road doesn't do anything crazy like exit abruptly. I can make pretty good time on it for the most part. As you get closer to downtown it gets a little nasty, but other than that it's pretty good. There is one confusing spot if you're goi
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ng out of downtown where lanes exit abruptly without much warning, but once you learn that spot it's pretty good.
Grand Rapids, MI Driving Tips
Whether you live here, or pass through every day, please be prepared to have delays and traffic backups on US-31 heading North toward the drawbridge.
For whatever reason, this area becomes backed up from 3:30 until about 5:30PM every day. I think a lot of shops let out at the same time, and a lot o
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f people head North out of town. Traffic gets bad in both directions, with backups from Robbins Rd to Jackson Street. I recommend avoiding US-31 between this time frame if at all possible.
Grand Rapids, MI Buying Tips
When I searched for a vehicle, I started online. That search lead me to the best price for the perfect car, which was at Preferred GMC. I'm not sure there is a best place to go to look for a car, but shopping online or through craigslist certainly gives you the best start, and a lot of options.
Favorite Driving Memory
It is hard to come up with an absolute favorite, but I can describe one of the most beautiful memories.
I was driving home from work one night, had just picked the kids up from daycare, and was heading South on Ferry Street. It was early-mid Autumn and the leaves were beginning to turn colors, and i
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t created the most beautiful, colorful canopy as the trees reached across from both sides of the streets, creating a "covered bridge" effect on the street.
It's just as beautiful in mid-summer when the leaves are full on the trees.
Favorite Road
Sheldon/5th Street
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There are so many older, but beautiful homes along this street. I love to see how people have restored and brought new life to the homes, and how maintained they are. It is close to downtown and the lake shore, but it's just a beautiful area of the town.
Grand Rapids, MI Driving Tips
My advice would be to learn what a "Michigan Turn" is because there are many of them on Grand Rapids' major roads. Also, Grand Rapids does has public transportation, but the routes don't cover the whole city. It is mainly the downtown and college areas.
Grand Rapids, MI Buying Tips
You need a good dependable car that will get you through Michigan's long, cold winters. There are many, many car dealerships on 28th street and Alpine Avenue, for both new and used cars. However, you can also check Craigslist or the Gran Rapids Garage Sale Facebook sites if you are looking for an in
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expensive used car without a lease.
Favorite Driving Memory
My favorite memory from driving in Grand Rapids is from when I was in high school. I had originally been a timid driver and didn't get my license until I was 18. When I finally got it, my best friend and I took my car to Grand Rapids on a Friday night to go "cruising" which was a popular thing to do
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back then. We would drive up and down 28th Street which is a long, straight stretch of road lined with strip malls and restaurants. We would cruise, along with many other kids our age that were doing the same, and we would look for cute boys. We would pull up to the stoplight next to someone we likes, roll down the window and chat with them, possibly exchanging phone numbers. It was a lot of fun.
Favorite Road
Thornapple Road
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It is my favorite because there are is not a lot of traffic. The road is also along the river, so there is pretty scenery, especially in the fall when the trees are changing colors.