Do people inadvertently design their cities to fit their needs? A look at Grand Rapids’ independent coffee shops might indicate “yes.” On every side of town, new coffee shops are springing up—almost as fast as breweries.
Two West Side coffee shops are good examples: the recently renovated Ferris Coffee – West Side, 227 Winter Ave NW, and, one of Grand Rapids’ newest, The Corridor Coffee Shop, 637 Stocking Ave NW.
Integrated Architecture designed the Ferris renovation with input from VanTongeren. Via Design contributed to the new Ferris – Downtown location. VanTongeren will be handling the renovation of the Ferris Holland location with his in-house team.
In response to this customer need, Ferris plans on expanding seating there over the summer.
The Corridor Coffee Shop has a different ambience, a little less high style and leading edge and a little more neighborly and nostalgic. Co-owner Max Friar grew up on the West Side and has lived there most of his life.
Co-owner Melissa Somero believes that West Side residents deserve credit for the coffee shop opening. Their wish to have a comfortable community meeting place, where they could hang out with neighbors or work away from the office, set the stage for the Corridor’s initial success.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and I think we have created that,” adds Friar.
The building has an upstairs bonus space that accommodates 20 to 30 people. Before Friar and Somero had a chance to explore how to use it, River City Church and Stockbridge Business Association asked if they could reserve it for meetings.
While experts continue to discuss whether coffee shops are a cause or an effect of gentrification, joe joints, especially those offering specialty drinks, do require a clientele with disposable income. As housing prices rise in Grand Rapids’ urban neighborhoods, those with that income are moving in. In a sense, they are the ones designing neighborhoods that include walkable destinations, like coffee shops, where community can gather. As people with less income relocate to suburbs where neighborhoods are designed for seclusion and the automobile, the challenge will be for those city planners to find solutions that enable their new residents to be mobile and build community, as well. After all, no metropolitan area is better than the least of its residents—and all should have a hand in designing their neighborhoods.
Photos courtesy of Ferris Coffee and Corridor Coffee Shop.