Profile

Sara S.
Information Security Engineer
Perrigo
My husband and I are both Michigan natives but we moved to Baltimore, Maryland and then Hawaii for my job with the federal government. After having two children and being so far from family, we really wanted to move back so our kids could get to know their extended family.

Both my husband and I attended Aquinas College before we were married, and that's when we fell in love with Grand Rapids. In the eight years we were gone from here a lot happened with the economy and we were hesitant about moving back. The housing market here was great for us as buyers, but the strain of the economy was a concern.

We missed the wholesome Midwestern attitude where people go out of their way to help you out, even when they don't get anything out of it. On the east coast everything is go go go. People in West Michigan are more laid back.

Grand Rapids has a lot of cool things going on and the city has really revitalized the downtown by renovating the older buildings with the cool architecture and putting them to new uses. There have been huge changes since we left, with the addition of a lot of ethnic restaurants, new places to shop and lots of big events and concerts like Lady Gaga and Kid Rock at the Van Andel Arena, and the development of ArtPrize.

If anyone is thinking about moving here, I'd tell them it's a great place for people of all ages, especially young professionals. There are a lot of different bars, live music, restaurants and shows and it's all within walking distance of lots of cool condos and apartments in cool historic buildings. If I was twenty-something, that's where I'd want to live.