Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills carries a story most Grand Rapids neighborhoods can't. In 1962, four Black men—Dr. Julius Franks, J.E. Adams, Joseph Lee, and Samuel Triplett—developed it near Fuller and Sweet on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, deliberately building a community to "promote the freedom of residence" while redlining still confined Black families to the southeast side—and it later landed on the National Register of Historic Places for exactly that reason. Today the streets are quiet cul-de-sacs of solid brick homes from the early 1960s through the early '70s, with parks scattered throughout, fenced yards, and finished basements; homes run from move-in-ready to projects waiting for your touch. Shopping, schools, and Kent Country Club are a short drive away, so you can get around without feeling tethered to the car. Some of the original residents who built this place are still here—which says something about how well it's aged.