Black Hills

Tucked against the east bank of the Grand River less than two miles south of downtown, this is one of the smaller neighborhoods on the southwest side — roughly 350 single-family homes across about fifteen square blocks, the oldest dating to around the turn of the 20th century. The name comes from the black walnut trees that once lined the streets. Geography here is defined by what sits between the houses and the water: a rail yard and a band of factories separate the residential streets from the riverfront, a legacy of the era when Grand Rapids ran on furniture manufacturing and workers settled within walking distance of the plants. Stickley Brothers Furniture opened nearby in 1910, and the 1915 Luce Furniture warehouse still stands, now slated for renovation. The housing stock is modest and older — single-family wood-frame homes on a compact grid, much of it a century old. What's within reach shapes daily life more than what's inside the boundaries: Roberto Clemente Park, about 12 acres just north, offers soccer and baseball fields, a public skate park, and picnic shelters, and Grand Rapids' downtown campus of Grand Valley State University and the river trails are a short distance off. Grand Rapids Coffee Roasters operates out of a historic former furniture building nearby. The area falls within Grand Rapids Public Schools. It's a place where the industrial river edge, the rail line, and a tight residential grid sit right next to each other. For the neighborhood association and the area's founding history, see the Black Hills association page.