Grand Rapids nurses?

It IS beautiful. It's got a big city atmosphere but it's not TOO big. There's a lot to do and it's not far to Chicago or Detroit. If you want to live in the country, the commute isn't bad at all. The weather would be quite a change from California. We only have about 3 good months of warm weather and some of that is so humid you have to have air. The fall and spring, though, while not that warm, have a lot of sunshine and pretty days. The snow and change of seasons are always interesting and if you like winter sports, we've got skiing, snowmobiling, and hiking. (Driving can be a challenge in the winter.)

One of the best things about living in Grand Rapids is the close proximity to Lake Michigan. The lake is so big it's like an ocean. It's so close you can easily drive there for the day. Spending the day on the beach is as good as life gets! Good luck with your decision.

Ahh, that sounds wonderful to me. Since I grew up in NW Indiana, im sure the weather is pretty much the same.

Do you have any suburbs that I should look into around the Grand Rapids area? More so on the north side?

Hello. I live in a suburb of Detroit, but a few of my friends live in the GR area, one is a nurse and one is a Respiratory Therapist. They live in the city right outside of GR called Wyoming, I also have family that lives there. Also I heard Grandville is pretty nice. Good luck.

I moved from Grand Rapids a year ago with my dh for his new job. I miss the area and our family and friends are there, but we're enjoying Cincinnati too. Grand Rapids gets a fair amount of snow, maybe slightly more than some areas of Michigan due to lake effect snow. The area can be conservative--a high population of Christian Reformed (Dutch) and Catholic (Polish). Of course, being the second largest metro area in Michigan, the diversity is increasing.

There are many great areas in Grand Rapids. I was on the SW side in Grandville, and that area and southern parts of Grand Rapids are nice, as well as areas north of town. Not too bad on the far east side either!

Good luck to you!

Thanks everyone!

Hi there. I've lived in the GR area for almost 6 years. I live SW of GR in Byron Center. I really like the area a lot. I'm originally from the Detroit area, but like it much better here. Not a lot of traffic, people are very nice and the hospitals here are great to work for. Spectrum Health, Metro Health, and St Mary's. Metro Health is opening their new hospital in Wyoming on September 30th. It's beautiful! You should definately check us out!

I don't actually live in GR...I'm about an hour away but my brother lives on the north side....as a matter of fact he has his house up for sale right now because they bought a house on a lake. But he said there are very nice homes for sale on the north end at prices you simply won't believe..coming from California. He said it's a buyer's market like NEVER seen before. Actually, he raved about his realtor and gave me her name to pass on to you. It's Lisa Quist (Greenridge Realty) and he says they are the best in West Michigan. Her number is 616 889-5130. I'm not sure how to PM you but if you can PM me, I can give you my brother's phone number and his wife can answer any questions you have about the area. Hurry because we're entering our best season of the year right now. It's beautiful at Lake Michigan! Good Luck!

Thank you all SO much for the information. We won't be ready to move for at least 1-2 years, but i'll keep that realtor on file.

I'm just so tired of the California life.

I wish I could say the same. Its been real hard for me to find Cena work here. So i been force to go back to school for a degree

Just curious, what do hospitals in the Grand Rapids area start new grads at? heard something like $25. i have a friend who started with $23 at UoMI before doing the nclex and i believe she got a $2 raise after passing. someone else said detroit area nurses make more. so i figured i'd ask if you guys don't mind sharing this info. the cost of living in your area?

Just curious, what do hospitals in the Grand Rapids area start new grads at? heard something like $25. i have a friend who started with $23 at UoMI before doing the nclex and i believe she got a $2 raise after passing. someone else said detroit area nurses make more. so i figured i'd ask if you guys don't mind sharing this info. the cost of living in your area?

I have been interviewing for new grad positions at both Spectrum and St. Mary's in Grand Rapids. They both start new grads around $21.75 an hour which is lower compared to other areas. I go to school in Lansing and both hospitals there start new grads around $24-25/hour and it is similar in Kalamazoo.

You want to know the starting rate for RNS or LPNS ?