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Its own city wrapped around Reeds Lake, built out at the end of a streetcar line that ran to an amusement park.

Size

3.38 sq mi

city limits

Built

1890–1940

streetcar, then the car

Residents

11,350

approximately · 2020 census

Its own city, immediately east of Grand Rapids and wrapped around Reeds Lake. Gaslight Village sits at the lake's western end, about four miles from downtown.

What it’s like

East Grand Rapids is organised around a lake, which almost nothing else in the region is. Reeds Lake sits in the middle of it, Gaslight Village is the commercial centre at its west end, and most of the city is within a walk or a short drive of both. It reads as calmer and more finished than the neighborhoods across the city line, and it costs accordingly. The single most important thing to understand is that it is a separate city, not a Grand Rapids neighborhood.

Eat & drink

• Rose's

  Sit down beside Reeds Lake at a historic East Grand Rapids spot. Cozy vibes indoors, large lake-adjacent patio outdoors. Beer, wine, cocktails, and Mediterranean and American cuisine, so there's something for everyone. There's a reason people love Rose's on Reeds Lake.

• Tacos el Cuñado

  Amazing, authentic Mexican. Not the only location around town, and you gotta be thankful for that. Grab a taco, a burrito, and a bottle of your favorite flavor of Jarritos. Walk home and eat it on the deck in the sun. A perfect way to enjoy an East Grand Rapids summer night.

Also here

• Manhattan Park

  What vibe are you looking for? Active, chill, by yourself or bringing others — it's got everything. Try the pickleball or beach volleyball, or the tennis courts. The city reserves all three by the hour. Brand new splash pad and playground too.

• Reeds Lake Trail

  An approximately four-mile loop where you can see a little of everything — city parks, wooded areas, wetlands and residential areas — while running, walking, or biking around the picturesque Reeds Lake. Whether you're here for a weekend or a lifetime, this is a must see. The city publishes a trail map.

• East Grand Rapids Social District

  East Grand Rapids isn't just for shopping and eating. Enjoy the social district. Grab a drink from a designated establishment and explore a part of the city. Historic Gaslight Village is worth a walk and a cocktail if you're over 21 — no question.

• Style Restoration

  Upscale resale is the vibe here. Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Brooks Brothers, Coach — plenty for everyone at prices for everyone. You'll feel good because you'll look good.

• Griffiths Park · Park
• KDL - East Grand Rapids · Library

Getting around

Downtown Grand Rapids

About four miles west of Gaslight Village. Wealthy Street and Lake Drive both run there without a turn.

Eastown

A mile west along Wealthy or Lake Drive, where East Grand Rapids ends and Grand Rapids begins.

Around the lake

The Reeds Lake Trail is a 4.2-mile loop of paved path, boardwalk and sidewalk with half-mile markers, and it touches most of the city on the way around.

The homes

• Streetcar and early-automobile era · either side of 1926wrapped around Reeds Lake

The city is a little over three square miles, most of it wrapped around Reeds Lake, and it was largely built out in the streetcar and early-automobile decades either side of incorporation. Gaslight Village sits on the ground the amusement park used to occupy and is still the commercial centre.

Good to know

East Grand Rapids is a separate home-rule city, not a Grand Rapids neighborhood. It has its own city government, its own school district and its own property tax rate. On a map it looks like the east side of Grand Rapids; on a tax bill it is not.

A summer destination on Reeds Lake before it was a city; the amusement park at the end of the streetcar line closed in 1954, and Gaslight Village stands on that ground. The longer story.