68th St & Egan Ave Area

When you're walking through these neighborhoods south of Grand Rapids, you can practically feel the space around you. With lots averaging nearly an acre, you're not looking over your neighbor's fence into their kitchen window — you're looking at woods, rolling hills, and the kind of mature landscaping that takes decades to establish. This is where Grand Rapids families come when they want room to breathe, space for a three-car garage, and backyards where kids can actually disappear behind trees during hide-and-seek.

The Thornapple River winds through the area, creating some of the most coveted waterfront properties in Kent County, and you'll find neighborhoods like Fairbanks Estates, Austinridge Estates, and the newer Graymoor and Kettle Preserve developments tucked into these wooded parcels. Cherry Valley Meadows offers maintenance-free condo living for those who want the space without the yard work. What strikes you immediately is how many of these homes were builder showcases — former Parade Homes with custom details that you simply can't replicate at today's construction costs. Walk-out basements are practically standard here, and nearly every home has a fireplace (87% of them, to be exact).

You're trading walkability for space — with just 11 restaurants within a mile and grocery shopping requiring a short drive, this is definitely car-dependent living. But that two-mile drive gets you to some excellent parks and trails, including Thornapple Riverbend Park, and you're still close enough to Grand Rapids proper that your commute downtown is completely reasonable. Kids here attend Caledonia Community Schools, consistently some of the area's strongest performers.

This area is perfect for families who've outgrown their starter homes and want space to spread out — the kind of place where you can have a workshop, a wine cellar, and room for the boat. If you're looking for walkable coffee shops and impromptu dinner plans, this isn't your spot. But if you want to host Thanksgiving for 20 people, have a fire pit in your backyard, and still be part of the Grand Rapids area without feeling cramped by it, this is exactly where you want to be.