La Grande Vitesse — Attraction in Grand Rapids

This venue was designed during the politically fraught 1960s, when people (you know, middle class whites) could drive in from the suburbs, park in the garage under the sculpture, participate in an activity or two, then flee back to the safety of their homogenous enclaves. The large open paved rectilinear space, the imposing dark glass monolithic buildings in the space, the lack of amenities or seating, reflect the era perfectly. One can almost feel the anticommunist sentiment creeping in as one wanders around the spare environment.

But when there's an event, the city does a great job sprucing up the place. Several times a year, a stage and bleachers will be erected, tents filled with home-crafted handicrafts will sprout, food will be served nearby, and crowds will descend to enjoy, sunburned and greasy-lipped.

Even when there's nothing happening, it's lots of fun to ride bikes around the legs of La Grande Vitesse, slide down the steel pyramid thing, and swing on the colossal tire swing. It's a photogenic (if retro) spot to bring...

Had a hard time finding parking for this place and I had my 1&2 year old with me to get their birth certificates. Had to walk far with 2 toddlers, pay for parking and my 2 year old had to use the bathroom and they rudely told me there's no bathroom and they don't know where the closest one is. Horrible experience and no one was helpful to someone not...

This is an awesome place to catch a festival, live music, art work, or just capture some straight up “cool” photos. Taking a stroll downtown at night is a pretty neat thing. I would recommend stopping by to see this landmark and capture a few other visually appealing sites within the vicinity. It will not...