- Brian Norris
When first moving to Washington, D.C., I didn't know many people outside of the office. InterNations has changed that with some exciting events.
Living in Grand Rapids
Expats living in Grand Rapids might hear the Michigan city referred to as the "River City" after the river on which it is situated. Also variously known as "The Furniture City" and "Beer City USA", expatriates living in Grand Rapids will have plenty of culture to get to grips with and much to see. The city has produced a number of celebrity figures, including US President Ford, the legendary soul singer Al Green and Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the internationally acclaimed Red Hot Chili Peppers. There is also a great cultural scene for expats in Grand Rapids to discover, with a number of busy concert venues, the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Grand Rapids Ballet Company and a host of other performance arts venues and institutions. The Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is also worth a visit, as are the city's various museums. The city broke a world record in 2011, after it was described in a Newsweek article as 'dying'. Expats moving to Grand Rapids might like to check out the widely available 'lip dub' video with which they responded.
Moving to Grand Rapids
As a major cultural and economic hub city, expatriates moving to Grand Rapids have a number of options for travelling there. There are a number of interstate and other major highways serving the city, as well as coach services to major cities including Detroit, Chicago and others. The city is served by a train, provided by Amtrack, which also connects it to Chicago. Expats moving to Grand Rapids can also fly to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, which is served by around 150 daily flights, or travel to Chicago's international O'Hare Airport, which is very well connected to numerous international destinations. InterNations has a comprehensive collection of articles which expats moving to Grand Rapids may find useful on general expatriation topics like international finance or insurance in our Expat Magazine, as well as a good selection of content written by InterNations members.
Working in Grand Rapids
Expatriates working in Grand Rapids will quickly find out why it is often referred to as the 'Furniture City'. The local furniture industry has a long history and even today, five of the leading US furniture companies are headquartered there. While the city is home to numerous manufacturing industries, the largest single employer by a wide margin is now Spectrum Health, which employs around 18,000 people and is headquartered in the city. Expats working in Grand Rapids can enjoy this buzzing business environment's humid continental climate, too, with warm summers and cold, often snowy winters. It's also easy to get in touch with other expats in Grand Rapids through the forums, discussion groups and private messages on the InterNations website. These are a popular way for expats across the world to organize meet-ups, get local tips or find global minds and other InterNations members in their host cities.
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- Brian Norris
When first moving to Washington, D.C., I didn't know many people outside of the office. InterNations has changed that with some exciting events.
- Caroline Stiles
In such an international city such as Washington, D.C. InterNations holds great events for everyone to network and enjoy themselves.
