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First settled in 1826 in an area of Indian tribes, mishttp://patroc.com/sionaries and fur traders, Grand Rapids was incorporated as a city on April 2, 1850.

A major regional lumbering center, Grand Rapids became known as the foremost center for premium US furniture manufacturing during the last half of the 19th century, and nicknamed "Furniture City."  It was later the site for one of the first regularly scheduled US airline passenger routes, with flights from Grand Rapids to Detroit/Dearborn, beginning July 31, 1926.

The Grand Rapids Symphony, one of America’s leading regional orchestras, was founded in 1930 and presents more than 400 performances a year. Venues include the DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Avenue NW.

Events

The Festival of the Arts takes place around town the first weekend of June each year, with food, art, music, dance, poetry, film, and more. Alexander Calder's abstract sculpture, La Grande Vitesse, is in the public square at City Hall.

Frand Rapids Pride in recent years has taken place in June, downtown at Calder Plaza or at Riverside Park on the NW side. See upcoming plans at their website or local media such as PrideSource.

Holland Pride also takes place each year in June, with a celebration on the waterfront. In 2016 their LGBT film festival screened at the Park Theater and the Holland Civic Theatre.

The Grand Rapids Film Festival normally takes place in April and the Mr Michigan Leather Weekend is an annual September affair at Dunes Resort.(see our events listings) and

 

Getting here

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport, a few miles southeast of Grand Rapids, in Cascade Township, has connections to major US cities and Toronto Canada. City bus number 17 runs between the airport and downtown - see Rapid/airport for map and schedules.

Greyhound also has bus service to downtown, and from there with connections to destinations all over North America. Many local hotels offer shuttle services, and taxis fares to downtown should run around $30 to 40. Metro Cars can provide a chauffeured sedan or limousine, waiting for you at arrivals.

Amtrak serves the Grand Rapids area from their station at 431 Wealthy Street, SW, connecting many points in Michigan, as well as over 450 cities and towns in the United States. Trains include the Pere Marquette with daily service to and from Chicago. The station has no ticket office, so buy online in advance.

Getting around

The Rapid provides a variety of public transportation services for the Grand Rapids metro area and beyond. All buses are fitted with bike racks. See their website for details.

 

Media & Resources

The Rapidian is a "hyperlocal news source" about general life in Grand Rapids from local residents.

The Grand River Renegades line-dancing social group that gets together Sunday evenings at Rumors has an informative website on gay goings-on.

The East Town neighborhood business association has a website on what's happening there.

The Grand Rapids Pride Center is West Michigan's LGBT Community Center at 343 Atlas Avenue SE, a place for men's, women's, youth, and  transgender groups, plus the Book Club, along with other community events. They also sponsor the Grand Rapids Pride Festival every summer and a fundraising Gala each February.

Based in Metro Detroit, PrideSource also covers news and lists events for Grand Rapids, and elsewhere in Michigan.

See GaySaugatuckDouglas for an LGBT community guide to these twin beachtowns on Lake Michigan; plus Saugatuck.com and DouglasMichigan for mainstream businesses and events listings.

For map locations and website links to the businesses below, and more, see our gay Grand Rapids listings pages.

 

Neighborhoods & Beachtowns

Grand Rapids is a liberal enclave within a otherwise conservative part of Michigan. As in most such areas, gay people of all kinds tend to stick together and find more in common than in large cities where every group has their own turf. Bars here welcome a wide range of ages, from 18 years-old (to enter, not to drink) to much older people, both men and women, all mixing together. The gay bars are in the downtown area within a couple of blocks from the intersection of Fulton Street and Division Avenue.

The Eastown neighborhood is Grand Rapid's hippest district for the general population, with an eclectic sprinkling of specialty shops, galleries, restaurants, coffee houses, entertainment venues, and other businesses. Greater Grand Rapids Pride has downtown main stage entertainment at Calder Plaza, and, this past year, a White Party at Rumors.

The twin towns of Saugatuck and Douglas, beachtowns on Lake Michigan southwest of Grand Rapids, have a surprising number of gay-owned/ gay-friendly establishments. In addition to the well-known Dunes Resort gay nightlife destination, there are four gay-owned former motels, now styled as 1950s retro-chic boutique inns and resorts along the Blue Star Highway. The Saugatuck Center for the Arts often has gay-themed events or film screenings, and Oval Beach has a gay-popular section up by the dunes. There are also gay-friendly cafes, restaurants and shops, plus a vibrant art scene in these towns.

Holland, just north of Saugatuck, has Holland Area Pride each June, with events at the Waterfront/Riverview Park, and at the Park Theatre.

 

Going out

The Apartment Lounge (33 Sheldon NE), men's pub and lounge of 40 years, booth seating, daily drink specials, occasional shows.

Rumors (69 Division Ave. South), downtown gay bar and dance club; Wednesday male strippers and wet underwear contests for cash prizes; Sunday country line dancing 6-9pm followed by drag kings and queens shows. Also karaoke, foam parties and theme nights.

The B.O.B. (20 Monroe Ave NW), mainstream complex of three restaurants, a craft brewery, live music and comedy venues, and a nightclub at this "big old building."

CLOSED: Diversions (10 Fountain NW), 18+ gay video/ karaoke bar, dance club; Pub 43 (43 Division Ave South), local gay tavern.

In Douglas on Lake Michigan, about 40 minutes drive from Grand Rapids, Dunes Resort (333 Blue Star Hwy), the Midwest's largest gay and lesbian resort, has 81 rooms and individual cottages on 20 acres; a night club with dancing, karaoke, male dancers; swimming pool and restaurant. It's mostly men, but women-friendly, just a few minutes drive from two lakeside sandy beaches.

For more about Douglas and Saugatuck see our DailyXtra article Finding Beauty in Michigan Beachtowns, and the local website GaySaugatuckDouglas.

 

Sauna

Diplomat Health Club (2324 Division Ave South), basic no-frills 18+ men's bathhouse, private rooms, TV rooms, open 24/7.

For some hotels & guesthouses, shops, and restaurant listings, plus local museums & galleries and theaters/performance venues, see our map & listings section.