Edgewater

You'll notice the lake first—the shimmer of Fisk Lake along Lake Drive—though it's the private preserve of the people who live right on it, so the real action is the half-mile walk to Reeds Lake or the seven parks scattered within a mile, including Remington Park practically at your doorstep. The subdivision itself is 35 acres of modest lots—about nine-tenths of an acre each—where homes run around $874K and you're in East Grand Rapids Public Schools territory. It's close enough to downtown Grand Rapids that 11 minutes gets you there, but the real draw is the density of what's nearby without the density of living there: 174 restaurants, 30 grocers, coffee shops, a transit stop, all within walking distance or a short drive. The subdivision sits in the Mary M. Bonnells Sub. Area, which means you get suburban breathing room without the isolation, something worth paying attention to if you've spent time in places that promised one and delivered the other.