A Trip Back to See How Grand Rapids Looked in 1989

It is always fun to go back and see how Grand Rapids looked years ago.

For most of us that have lived in the area, going back 34 years doesn't seem that long, but when we actually see a video of what Grand Rapids looked like in the late 80s, we realized a lot of the things we have today didn't exist back then...

You might remember Cleo's on Alpine Avenue near Six Mile Road. It has since been replaced by a strip mall...

Back in 1989, the Greenridge Shopping Center on Alpine was under construction. Here is what the Target looked like back then...

Grand Valley State University was just moving some of their classes to Grand Rapids in the late 80s...

A look east on Fulton Street from Monroe Avenue and you can see what it looked like before we had the Van Andel Arena. That area was just a parking lot in 1989...

Before it became a popular stop in downtown, the B.O.B. was just a warehouse...

In 1989 there was no DeVos Place Convention Center. Instead we just had what was called the Grand Center...

Before the new court building was constructed in downtown Grand Rapids, the old Hall of Justice building was on Monroe Avenue, next to the Grand Center. The building also housed the Grand Rapids Police Department...

Looking west on Bridge Street from Monroe Avenue you can see how it looked before there was Bridgewater Place or Riverhouse Condominiums...

The Grand Rapid Press Building stood on the northeast corner of Michigan Street and Monroe Avenue...

Looking east on Michigan Street, here is what it looked like before it became the "Medical Mile"...

Back in the late 80s, the big, glass, wavy DeVos Children's Hospital did not exist...

On the corner of Leonard Street and Alpine Avenue you had the Buffalo Stop and right next store you could stop to buy a waterbed. Those buildings were bulldozed and a Walgreen's is now on that location...

At the intersection of Alpine Avenue and Ann Street you had two bars...the Sand 'N Surf and the Wooden Nickel. Here is a picture of the old Wooden Nickel...

Back in 1989, there was no Home Deport at the corner of Alpine Avenue and Three Mile Road, instead it was a Sia's Restaurant...

Traveling further north on Alpine Avenue, there was no Menard's, Aldi, or Art Van. Instead the only building in that area was a Hot and Now hamburger stand. The Hot and Now building was recently converted into a Dunkin...

You can watch the entire video of this trip back to 1989. It was posted by Roetorooter. I appears he shot the video while driving -- not the safest thing to do, but it explains all the jerky movement of the camera. He even makes a stop at the old Rainbow Music on Leonard Street...

If you want to travel further back in time, you can see what Grand Rapids looked like in 1946...