Rapids

Traveling from Chicago suburbs to Grand Rapids, Michigan- safety and other concerns?

My friends and I are looking into traveling from the Chicago suburbs up to Grand Rapids for a concert, but my parents have concerns about the distance and our safety. We are all almost 19, however it will be a group of females. The concert is at The Orbit Room near Woodland Shopping Center. Does anyone know if this is a decent place as long as you're cautious? None of us have been to our destination before- does anyone know the area well enough to say if we'll be safe or whether or not my parents would have cause to be as worried as they are about this?

Public Comments

1. I don't know that venue, but I can say that Grand Rapids in general is a safe town. It's clean overall, and I would feel safer letting my 18 year old son drive there and back, than I would letting him drive to Chicago. If you have the street sense to get around in Chicago safely, you should be OK in GR. Edit - I would be more concerned about the drive through the Gary area than any other. That will have the worst as far as traffic goes. Once you clear that, you shouldn't have any problems. Just be sure that the gas tank is full before you leave Chicago, and before you leave Michigan on the way back. The traffic on 28th Street in GR can get crazy, but nothing too serious, if you can handle Chicago traffic.
2. Grand Rapids is a really nice and safe city. I don't think i've heard of that place, but i'm sure you'll be fine.
3. Taking I294 is safer than taking I90/94 and your car should be in really good condition and you should have a cell phone just in case. Keep a tab on your location as you go along. Don't know about The Orbit Room but before my 19 year old daughter was able to go, I sure would find out and I would expect regular calls to check up.
4. I live in Grand Rapids and as long as you stay together as a group you will be fine. It will be the normal concert scene going on, but the Woodland area is in a very busy area of town. Have a great time at the concert.
5. Very safe, I live in Grand Rapids and I have never been to the Orbit Room but it is not only across the street from Woodland Mall but in the parking lot of the Centre Poit Mall and I go to both those places a lot. If you parents let you go into the City of Chicago then they definately should not worry about you coming to Grand Rapids because that is far more dangerous than coming here