Grand Rapids is a tight-knit Dutch community of mostly affluent Dutch Republicans (plus some recent riff-raff), located in Dutch West Michigan. The city is nicknamed "G.R." and is depicted on highway signs as Gd Rapids , Gd being an abbreviation of Grand, evidently. Gd Rapids is situated on Michigan's Gd River, atop several scenic and probably important Native American burial sites. It took form as a city for one important reason: If you find yourself in the western part of the state, Flint is just too darned far away.