VOICES has hosted several folks from the Heartside Neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Heartside area is home to a diverse population and is a developing area known for its art.

In the 1850s, the area was a shanty town, home to recent immigrants; it grew quickly, first with small houses, then commercial and industrial businesses, hotels, a railroad depot, stores and apartment buildings. Today, the area is a historic district containing many original buildings, 55 of which are historically significant.

The area’s renaissance is mirrored in modern apartment buildings — with both market-rate and income-based units — parking structures, offices, a variety of restaurants, a cat cafe, art studios, and recently built Studio Park, which features movie theaters, more restaurants, more offices, more apartments, and a music venue. Heartside is becoming denser by the year.

Despite all the recent growth, homelessness is a huge problem in Heartside. These are some of the people who live and work in Heartside. Click on a photo to hear the story.