Leisure South Condominiums

You'll want to catch this place on a late afternoon when the sun hits the wooded setting just right—the creek that runs through here comes alive, and you'll understand why people stick around. Leisure South is a 55+ condo community built back in 1985, ranch-style units with full basements sitting on about 51 acres in Kentwood, near downtown Grand Rapids about 16 minutes away. The HOA handles the heavy lifting: water, sewer, heat, lawn care, snow removal, trash, and even maintains your furnace and water heater, all rolled into fees around $350 a month—heat included, which is genuinely rare. That means winter doesn't hit your wallet the way it does elsewhere. Units come with detached garages and overlook the creek or private green lawns, and there's a park-like feel to the courtyards filled with seasonal flowers. The setting is quiet in the way that matters—you're surrounded by trees and water, but you're also steps from a transit stop, with 42 restaurants and 60 grocery stores within a couple miles, so nothing's far when you need it. Homes here run around $213K, and the community includes free laundry facilities. Cats are welcome; dogs aren't. It's the kind of place where the details—the creek views, the all-in HOA, the mature landscaping—make the difference between a condo and a community you actually want to call home.