$564,734Average Value$257Average Price per Sq Ft11Homes For Sale
The history of Heritage Hill
Buying a home in Heritage Hill means investing in a piece of history. Developed in the late 1800s for the city’s elite, Heritage Hill is Grand Rapids ' oldest established neighborhood. But by the mid-1900s, the luxurious homes had fallen into disrepair, and the run-down neighborhood was nearly destroyed to make way for urban development. However, a passionate group of residents won the area’s protection by registering it as a national historic district, the first step in Heritage Hill’s ongoing restoration.
Today, Heritage Hill blends high-end history with a modern sense of community. The neighborhood is home to a diverse mix of residents, including student renters, professors, young families and retirees. Pride flags hang from Victorian latticework, and kids' toys clutter steps that have seen over 100 years of use. “The people who have lived here for a long time poured their investment into Heritage Hill,” says Bryan Cody, the president of the Heritage Hill Association. “They wanted it to be inclusive; they wanted it to be walkable; they wanted it to be fun and beautiful — all those things. And I think today, we have exactly that.”
Colorful Queen Anne and nearby Foursquare-Style homes on College Ave.
Foster Park is a small city green space wedged between State St and Cherry St in Grand Rapids.
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Historic homes require regular upkeep
Heritage Hill’s historic homes have housed lumber barons, movie stars, and former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford. Frank Lloyd Wright built two properties here, and some houses have such a long past that they have become stops on the Grand Rapids ghost tour. The neighborhood is known for its unique architecture, including pastel-colored Cape Cods, vintage Craftsman Foursquares, elaborate Queen Annes and half-timbered Tudor Revivals. As part of being a historic district, residential exteriors must adhere to period-accurate regulations, and these older properties often require regular upkeep. “A negative about the Hill is that it is very expensive to maintain a home,” says Cody, who estimates he spent around $30,000 in renovations and restorations on his property in the last year alone. Some of the home details, like stained glass windows or hand-carved wood finishes, would be impossible to recreate today if they were damaged.
Prices for a home typically range from $350,000 to $700,000, depending on size and renovations. Some of the largest properties get over $1 million, but it is common for these estates to be split up into multiple living spaces. Multifamily units typically range from $120,000 to $350,000 and are often rented out. To encourage more available housing in Grand Rapids, adding more units to a home is allowed if approved by the city. The neighborhood also has some newer condo buildings from the mid-1900s.
Large beautiful porches are not an uncommon sight amongst the historic homes of Heritage Hill.
Stone-Embellished Queen Anne home in North Heritage Hill.
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Walking tours and happy hours planned by the Heritage Hill Association
Though there are plenty of housing regulations set by the Historic Preservation Committee, the volunteer-run Heritage Hill Association takes a more relaxed approach to engaging the local residents. “The reason for the HHA isn't so much to govern what the neighbors can and cannot do,” Cody says. “It's more to get people involved and let their voices be heard. We tell people who have just moved here to call us if they need anything, and we introduce them to their neighbors.”
The HHA plans holiday gatherings and weekly walking tours — which often sell out of tickets more than a month in advance. The annual Heritage Hill Home Tour invites visitors to view the inside of homes and draws crowds in the thousands from all over the country. “This is not a place that you move to be by yourself because I don’t think that’s even possible,” Cody says. “You move here to be involved. Loving these homes is something we all have in common.” Locals swap tips on historic restoration best practices at the monthly Heritage Hill happy hours and take turns hosting their neighbors for regular dinner parties.
Walkable to local parks and downtown Grand Rapids
Wayfinding signs throughout Heritage Hill outline the path for “a pleasant walk,” a leisurely route that runs past some of the neighborhood's most notable homes and over to Pleasant Park. The small green space that makes up Pleasant Park was built in 2014 thanks to a unified community effort from surrounding neighbors. The park has a playground and benches and is the site of Heritage Hill Association’s Movies in the Park and Shakespeare in the Park events.
“Heritage Hill has a super active community,” says neighborhood resident Connor Anderson, a Realtor with Keller William Grand Rapids East. “You’ll see people walking their dogs all the time, and it’s also a surprisingly quiet area given how close it is to downtown,” Many homes are less than a mile from downtown Grand Rapids, which offers regular festivals, sporting events and museums. "One of the major draws to Heritage Hill is the proximity to the city center without being in the middle of everything,” says Ashley Schaefer, a local Realtor with Hello Homes GR who has been selling in the area for 13 years. “You can walk there to see a show or eat at one of the hottest restaurants and then go back to your quiet neighborhood with hundred-year-old trees."
Foster Park in Grand Rapids is a small green space centered with a statue for the Spanish War.
Heritage Hill is very close to the beautiful and active downtown heart of Grand Rapids.
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The community college and hospitals bring traffic and noise
The north side of Heritage Hill encompasses a large portion of the Grand Rapids Community College campus. As a result, many of the neighborhood's renting occupants are students, and street parking can fill up quickly on weekdays as commuters pull up for class. When big events happen downtown, Heritage Hill’s limited street parking can also get packed. Some homes have off-street lots and driveways, but not all. The neighborhood is served by The Rapid public buses and is a mile east of the city's Amtrak station. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is 15 miles away.
The neighborhood also borders Trinity Health Hospital and the world-renowned Grand Rapids Medical Mile — a collection of healthcare facilities including Van Indel Institute and the University of Michigan Seccia Center. Healthcare workers in Heritage Hill enjoy a walkable commute to work, but the nearby hospitals do bring some noise. There are two hospitals with helicopter pads next to Heritage Hill. “The helicopter landing at the hospital is loud, definitely more noticeable than sirens are,” Cody says. “But it doesn’t happen too often.”
The Trinity Health Hospital resides on the edge of Heritage Hill.
Grand Rapids Community College's DeVos Campus is located on Fulton St in Heritage Hill.
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Locally owned shopping and dining options
Though most of Heritage Hill is residential, a few shopping and dining options are within walking distance. The Commons is a centrally located, retro dive bar with creative cocktails. It hosts the monthly Heritage Hill happy hour. On the neighborhood's north side, Lyons Street Café and Nantucket Bakery are popular spots. “Nantucket Bakery recently got ranked as the second-best bakery in the whole state,” Anderson says. Right next door, Martha’s Vineyard Fine Wine & Gourmet Grocery is a gourmet grocer that specializes in wine. Though Martha’s offers locally sourced produce and an extensive deli, Heritage Hill lacks a large grocery store. Big brand options are at least 2 miles away.
To the south of the neighborhood, the Wealthy Street shopping corridor is lined with eclectic boutiques. Art of the Table has weekly wine-tasting events and a beer cooler that is over 100 years old. Sable Candle Co offers free candle-making workshops, and Fox Naturals makes all of its perfumes and lotions by hand.
Heritage Hill is within walking distance of busy city life of downtown Grand Rapids.
Martha's Vineyard Fine Wine & Grocery is a popular stop for residents of Heritage Hill.
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Technical education programs at Innovation Central High
Most of the neighborhood is in the zone for MLK Leadership Academy, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade and gets a C-minus rating from the website Niche. Ottawa Hills High earns a C. Heritage Hill is also home to Grand Rapids Montessori Academy, which serves kindergarten through sixth-grade students, and Innovation Central High School, known for its technical academy programs and dual enrollment opportunities. Both schools get a B-minus rating from Niche and are theme schools — meaning they require an application.
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Heritage Hill Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids sell after 34 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids over the last 12 months is $330,000, up 2% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
This charming brick ''Chicago flat'' is situated in the heart of the Heritage Hill Historic District in Downtown Grand Rapids. The largest unit of the 5 unit building, this 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo boasts a spacious primary suite with stylish exposed brick, a private bath, and a huge walk-in closet. The open-concept living area, featuring a bright and airy living room, dining room, and
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Welcome home to this one of a kind condo located in Heritage Hill! This unit has been finished with many custom made features and beautiful finishes. The large open layout is perfect for entertaining and close to everything downtown has to offer! There are two large bedrooms and a bonus room perfect for a closet room or office. Plenty of off street parking available and patio space for grilling.
Discover an exceptional income-producing property in the heart of Grand Rapids! This massive duplex features two expansive units, one offering 6 bedrooms and the other 7 bedrooms. Making it ideal for investors or owner-occupants seeking rental income. It is located in the highly desirable Heritage Hill neighborhood and is located a short distance from downtown, hospitals, universities, and
Heritage Place Apartments offer studio, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in the historic Heritage Hill Neighborhood. Our beautiful community also features a plethora of neighborhood amenities, on-site parking and immediate access to the urban core. A thoughtful design nods to the historic integrity of the surrounding residences while delivering high-end finishes and a variety of spacious floor plans.
Waters House Apartments are located in the historic Heritage Hill neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offering pet-friendly studios, 1 bedroom apartments, 2 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom apartments as well as Mansion units (Contact us for details!) Beautifully renovated apartments available. Our amenities include a pool, fitness studio, coffee bar and so much more.
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