You will not want to miss an opportunity to live in the oldest part of Grand Rapids, Michigan. As the oldest neighborhood in Grand Rapids, this area of town is full of jaw-dropping homes. With buildings that were built as early as 1844, this dazzling area of Grand Rapids allows you to relive the past 100+ years. Take a drive down any one of the streets in this neighborhood for an amazing display of historically recognized homes. With 1300 buildings in the neighborhood, there are plenty of homes to look at while walking around or drive by on your way home.

Not only does Heritage Hill feature a gorgeous array of historic buildings, Grand Rapids Community College also resides in a portion of the neighborhood. Grand Rapids Community College Sneden Hall located in the neighborhood allows students that attend GRCC to enjoy the historic charm while walking around campus. Along with GRCC, there are several public schools that belong to the Grand Rapids Public School system in the Heritage Hill. Grand Rapids Montessori Public School and Innovation Central High School are two of the schools located in the Heritage Hill neighborhood.

TOURING HERITAGE HILL

Stop by the Meyer May House for a tour of the historical home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909. This historical home holds tours several days a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Owned by Steelcase, they have restored the home and continue to maintain the historic beauty it was designed for.

All residents of the neighborhood are automatically members of The Heritage Hill Association and there is no annual fee for membership. Not a resident of Heritage Hill? The Heritage Hill Association accepts nonresidents to become part of the movement in keeping the neighborhood historic for years to come.

Often times throughout the year, there will be opportunities to walk through some of the homes that are located in Heritage Hill. Many of the historic homes in Heritage Hill open their doors to the general public and allow people to take a walk through. The Heritage Hill Annual Weekend Tour of Homes happens once a year for a two-day period in May.

If you want to take a self-guided tour of the area, there is a great map available that will list the best buildings to see while walking around. Make sure to bring your walking shoes, you are in for a historical treat on your walking tour!

Preserving the past

Founded in 1968, The Heritage Hill Association was established to protect Heritage Hill from being demolished. Nearly 75% of the homes in this neighborhood were set to be destroyed and this association formed in hopes of preventing this from happening. The association holds monthly meetings and sends out a bi-weekly newsletter to all residents of Heritage Hill to keep them informed.