Editor's Letter

Each year, we entrust our readers with the task of choosing the Best Of pretty much everything in Grand Rapids.

After more than a year in lockdown, Grand Rapidians are making up for lost time. The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines earlier this summer led to the gradual return of in-person events and restaurant dining, with most readers coming to grmag.com to find out where to go next.

On the way to a party and in need of a quick beverage to share? Stop in at a liquor store and find one or two of these to pass around.

Hi, I’m Pat Evans. You might remember me (but probably won’t) from my five years as a reporter at the Grand Rapids Business Journal and beer columnist in the back pages of this very magazine.

Travel and food go hand in hand, so this fall, pack your car and head to the lakeshore for a weekend of fun and feasting.

Grand Rapids has an abundance of bakeries, custom cupcake, cookie and cake designers, and retailers with plenty of sweets for sale.

With a light at the end of the tunnel, we look back at how COVID-19 has wreaked havoc over the past year.

Grand Rapids has so many activities to choose from, sometimes it can feel overwhelming to decide just what to go do.

This year, we elected not to name a Restaurant of the Year and instead focus equally on our Top 10 Restaurants of 2021, highlighting the ways each of them overcame challenges and persevered.

In the February 2021 issue, we look at dating in Grand Rapids, the new South East Market, the Division Avenue Arts Collective and more.

Make sure to set aside some time to visit your favorite places and show them support after such a tough past year.

While travel might be a little different — masks, social distancing and contactless check-ins now are the norm at hotels, resorts and B&Bs around the state — you still can create lasting memories with your family and friends and send the year out on a high note.

One thing that has helped me on the recent down days has been the uplifting stories of people stepping up to make a difference.

Cranes in the sky always are a good sign for a city and Grand Rapids is lucky to be boasting these pillars of investment.

The performing arts stages around Grand Rapids are likely to look a little empty this fall.

While summer may not be over quite yet, our thoughts are turning to the start of the school year.

Summer might look a little different this year, but that didn’t stop us from putting together our annual City Guide.

As I write this, Grand Rapids is not the bustling city I’ve come to know. Instead, COVID-19 has turned our city into a town where families are sequestered at home, and there still is much inequality within our city. 

Technological innovations are changing everything from patient care to drug research.

Grand Rapids is full of tucked-away places and cool history, and this month, we uncover some great destinations that typically fly under the radar.