Eastown, Grand Rapids

Eastown is a 70 square block area of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is one of the most influential artistic centers of West Michigan [http://www.eastowngr.com/] , and due to its Bohemian flair and prevalent counter-culture, which many view as somewhat of a liberal oasis in a traditionally rather conservative city, it has been described by some as the Greenwich Village of Grand Rapids [http://www.boston.com/travel/articles/nytimes/articles/2006/09/08/grand_rapids_mich/] .

Today a highly walkable mixed-use neighborhood, Eastown began as a streetcar commuter suburb of downtown Grand Rapids. Eastown has an active community association, business association and neighborhood newsletter called the Access. It is not unusual for neighbors to gather for an annual block party.

Places of Interest

There are several places of business that make up Eastown. These include Wolfgang's, 76 Coffee Shop (also called "Morningstar" by many locals, it's open from 9am until 4am), Ether LAN Portal (Grand Rapids’ premier gaming center), Yesterdog, Mulligan's Pub, Billy's, Smitty's Liquor store, Eastown Deli, Don Rafav's Mexican Restaurant, The Brandywine, Bombay Cuisine, Kava House, Pita House, Spirit Dreams, Magnum Opus Comics, Redux Used Books, Argos Books, GoJo Ethiopian Cuisine, Chez Bayou, Hookah Lounge, Szechuan Garden, The 1237, and others.

Yesterdog is a family owned hot-dog restaurant and was featured in the film "American Pie" with the name Dog Years.

Wilcox Park, a large park in the heart of Eastown, is commonly used for various outdoor activities which include kite-flying, kickball, tennis, and basketball. Wilcox shares a creek border with Aquinas College.

Location

The neighborhood is bounded on the north by Fulton Street, on the east by Plymouth Avenue, on the south by Franklin Street, and on the west by Fuller Avenue.

2008 Explosion

On February 26, 2008, a 140-year-old building exploded due to a gas leak, injuring seven people. Residents throughout the neighborhood felt shock waves. The building collapsed into rubble, sending 20-foot flames into the air and destroying all the local business housed within [http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/02/building_explodes_in_eastown.html] .

Links

[http://www.eastowngr.com Eastown Area Business Association]
[http://etherlanportalllc.com Eather LAN Portal]
[http://yesterdog.com/ Yesterdog]