Maplewood

What catches people off guard about this area is how walkable it actually is—you can grab coffee, hit the grocery, or catch dinner without thinking twice about the car. Tree-lined streets with homes from the nineteen-twenties and forties give it real character; you'll see English Tudors and Colonials with their original hardwood floors and crown molding still intact. The lots run small—around a fifth of an acre—which means the neighborhood feels close-knit without feeling cramped. Maplewood Recreation Area sits right adjacent, and there are sixty-three parks within a mile, so green space isn't hard to find. Grab a coffee, walk to one of two hundred sixty-two restaurants nearby, or head to the grocery in steps. A thirty-five-minute drive gets you to Grand Haven beach when you want the water.