The West Side or Westside is the local, unofficial term for all of Grand Rapids West of the Grand River. It is comprised of the SWAN, John Ball Park, West Grand, and Westside Connection neighborhoods.

A history of immigrants

The West Side has historically been the home to working class immigrants. The historic Polish influence is manifest in the many Polish Halls and Polish Catholic Churches (especially the Basilica of St. Adalbert), while the more recent Latino influence can be seen in the Mexican Restaurants and Bodegas in the area.

Colloquial vs. technical

According to the actual address assignments in Grand Rapids, everything West of Division Avenue is assigned a West, Southwest, or Northwest address. The natural division of the city has always been the River.