Originally known as Paris Township, this neighborhood was not formally recognized as the Eastgate neighborhood until the early 1960’s. In fact, until the 1960’s this neighborhood was very rural and still had farms in the area which were eventually removed. The neighborhood saw many changes just after World War II ended when homes were remodeled or rebuilt and many of these homes can still be seen in the neighborhood today.

In the 1990’s the Eastgate Neighborhood Association was founded to help create a safe and welcoming neighborhood for people to live in. This non-profit association helps to keep the community together by informing residents and bringing people together for volunteer work. One of the tasks that the neighborhood association handles is maintaining both of the community gardens. Gardens have been established in two locations for residents to grow and cultivate their own crops. They have also created GateWatch, a community newsletter that helps keep residents informed about what is happening in their community.

There are also a number of churches in the neighborhood that have been around for a long period of time. Eastminister Presbyterian Church, Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church, and Fifth Reformed Church my all share different faith, but they all have one thing in common, compassion. All three of these churches strive to help bring those of the community together to better the neighborhood and continue the positive growth.

For great food and an inviting atmosphere, stop by Andrea’s Pizza and try one of their pizzas, subs, or salads. Over the past 40-years, Andrea’s Pizza has been cooking Italian food to perfection and serving it to the residents of Eastgate.

NEARBY THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The Eastgate neighborhood is filled with beautiful homes and long-standing community churches. On the southeast side just outside of the neighborhood, you can find the Breton Village Shopping Center full of unique shops and restaurants. Stores like anthropology, Lululemon, Naturalizer by Zombo, and many other great stores can be found in the mall. Not only are there great stores to shop, you can also find a number of delicious restaurants. The Omelette Shoppe and Houlihan’s are two of the popular restaurants that are in the Breton Village Shopping Mall.

Also located on the east side just outside of the neighborhood is one of the best ranked elementary schools in the area. Breton Downs Elementaryschool is top-ranked in academics and comes highly recommended by parents with children that attend the school. As part of the East Grand Rapids Public School district, this elementary teaches students academics and core values they will need to succeed in the future.

On the west side just outside of the neighborhood, you can find Mulick Park which is an almost 10-acre park that offers residents great year round amenities. This park has a sledding hill for enjoying the winter months and a water playground, baseball diamond, and tennis courts for the warmer Michigan weather.

Another great place to shop just outside the Eastgate neighborhood is Fresh Thyme Market which features all natural and organic groceries. Their goal is to provide healthy natural and organic food to people at a budget friendly cost. Visit their website for weekly ads, coupons, and a variety of delicious recipes to cook.