By Dana Kroll, Uptown Marketing and Communications Specialist

      We love to brag on the many ways and reasons to explore Uptown. Walkable and welcoming, historical and hip, and uniquely composed of both thriving business districts and charming residential neighborhoods, one can easily spend a day or a weekend (or a season or a year or…) coming up with fun new ideas on how to while away the time and make memories here. But what if you were given the opportunity to see or learn more about a our district from perhaps a different perspective?     The advent of several new tours in Uptown, can provide just that opportunity. Today, we’ll tell you about a few of the freshest ways you can spend a day discovering our district.    

Eastown Historical Walking Tour

    On June 7, the Eastown Community Association (ECA) hosted its first-ever Historic Eastown Walking Tour, and attendees showed up ready to walk, learn, and connect. This free 90-minute stroll covered around two miles of local streets and thousands of years of history, from 10 BCE to the dawn of the 20th century.     Tour-goers discovered the legacy of the Gete Anishinaabeg and the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, whose presence shaped the land long before Eastown took its modern form. They also explored the rise of farmsteads and estates, and the influence of the landed gentry between 1850 and 1900, complete with stories behind the architecture still standing today.     Part two of the tour, held on June 21, picked up in 1900 and walked attendees through the mid-century evolution of the district. Attendees got a closer look at the lives, businesses, and community changemakers that defined Eastown from 1900 to 1970, bringing new perspective to familiar streets.         Attendees were also able to follow the route with mobile devices in hand, accessing old photographs, historic maps, and digital archives to enrich the experience. And the response? Overwhelmingly positive.     So much so, in fact, that the ECA is already planning fall tours, and even eyeing an educational collaboration with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Aquinas College. The proposed course, Grand Rapids Icons: Eastown and Yesterdog, promises to dig even deeper into the neighborhood’s cultural roots.     Would you like to be the first to know when the next tour(s) are? Contact the ECA and they’ll be happy to let you know the best way to stay connected with their schedule of events.    

Taste of GR

    Another delicious way to explore our district is via a food walking tour. Yum!     Taste of GR Walking Tours currently offers two different guided tour options in which you can nibble and nosh your way through Uptown Grand Rapids. Says Kate Veneklase, company founder: “Our goal is to provide diverse menu tastings and enough insight into the neighborhood’s history and culture that guests leave feeling a real sense of connection to the area.”     To dive into a little more detail about each of these tours, we’ll let the company’s website take it away:    

Uptown Walking Tour

    “During this tour, you’ll experience the best of Uptown Grand Rapids; this tour features four stops at charming local restaurants. Savor a curated selection of dishes while exploring the neighborhood’s boutique vibe, historic charm, and vibrant public art. As you stroll through this revitalized neighborhood, hear fascinating stories of its past and see how creativity and culture have shaped its modern identity. Perfect for food lovers and history buffs alike, this three-hour tour offers a unique way to experience the heart of Uptown!”        

Uptown Strolling Dinner

    “You’ll savor the best of Uptown on this two-hour walking food tour featuring three delicious stops at some of the neighborhood’s most beloved eateries. Enjoy a carefully curated appetizer, entrée, and dessert while soaking in the boutique charm and vibrant atmosphere that make Uptown a favorite dining destination for locals. As you stroll through the lively streets, you’ll hear about Uptown’s rich history and artistic flair. It’s the perfect way to spice up your night with great food, fun company, and a little adventure!”         To learn more about either of these fantastic tours (as well as to learn about the company’s options to schedule your own private tour as well), head to tasteofgr.net.    

Uptown Public Art Walking Tour

    Last fall, the Uptown GR organization also announced its first ever tour! A public art walking tour, the highlights of which include 36 outdoor murals, decorated pedestrian and district assets such as crosswalks, storm drains, and more, is a free experience for art enthusiasts of all ages. This tour serves to illustrate the organization’s key objectives –  to create a district that thrives and invites. It additionally serves to showcase the significance that both Uptown GR and its business community have placed on supporting the city’s local art scene.   While initially discussed in a past blog post, the organization recently levelled this tour up by adding the option to go digital. Check it out: Through a mobile digital passport, tour-goers can now use their mobile devices to aid and enhance their experience as they stroll and observe, at the pace of your choosing (and with as many pit-stops in between, as your heart desires).    

Uptown Events Calendar

  In addition to the suggestions above, we’ve got one more piece of advice as you consider how to explore Uptown next: Visit our Uptown Events Calendar regularly. For bonus points, this calendar can even sync to your mobile device! Just hit the ‘subscribe’ button at the bottom of the calendar. By doing this, you’ll always be in-the-know about the countless creative ways that our area’s businesses and organizations have planned to help make your discovery of our district special. By following along, you’ll be privy to all sorts of cool invitations, from indie coffee crawls, Mother’s Day “mini hops”, Halloween “witch walks”, progressive dinners, bar crawls, Artprize excursions…the list is endless, and it’s ever-changing.   You can also click this image to open the calendar.     How do YOU plan to discover our district anew, next? Have an idea for how you’d like to tour our district? Share your thoughts!