Michigan's second-largest town has shed its dowdy "Furniture City" image for something a bit more modern: Beer City. The high number of craft brewers per capita got Grand Rapids voted best brew town in America. Radical art, rip-roaring minor league teams and walkable neighborhoods are also on tap.

Sudsy destinations include Founders Brewing Company, a rock-and-roll beer hall with nationally lauded ales. For art buffs, Frederik Meijer Gardens features sculptures by Auguste Rodin and other A-list chiselers. The mod Grand Rapids Art Museum hangs 19th- and 20th-century masterpieces. Come fall, the world's richest art competition – ArtPrize – takes over the city, and avant-garde works pop up in parks, bookshops and beyond.

Division South and Uptown are the neighborhoods to browse for groovy eating, drinking and shopping. Manor-studded Heritage Hill begs for a stroll around its mid-1800s architecture. For beer-fueled entertainment, Grand Rapids' minor league teams are all the rage – the Whitecaps for baseball and Griffins for hockey.

Frequently Asked Questions About Grand Rapids