County note shelf · Page 2
Kent County Porch Notes
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- History and culture The Ridge: where most of Michigan's apples grow The Fruit Ridge northwest of Grand Rapids — centered on Sparta — grows roughly six of every ten Michigan apples, with orchards, cider mills, and U-pick farms everywhere.
- Cars and driving Good news on car insurance: west Michigan is the cheap end of an expensive state Michigan car insurance is expensive, but Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo-area drivers are usually on the lower-cost end of the state.
- History and culture Kent County still has covered bridges (plural) Rural Kent County keeps Michigan's best covered-bridge country — 1871 Fallasburg, 1867 Ada, and the rebuilt White's Bridge, all over the Flat and Thornapple rivers.
- Outdoors Ninety-two miles, no cars: the White Pine Trail towns The Fred Meijer White Pine Trail runs 92 miles from Grand Rapids' edge to Cadillac, giving a string of small towns a linear state park for a main street.
- Rules and licenses Can you run an Airbnb here? Your city or township decides Michigan leaves short-term rental rules to each city or township, so Airbnb and Vrbo rules can change from one community to the next.
- Money and taxes Buying in a township? Watch for special assessments on top of your taxes Michigan township buyers should check for special assessments that can add separate road, sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk, or drain charges.
- Money and taxes In Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not one Most Michigan property owners get separate summer and winter tax bills, with local rules deciding what lands on each bill.