Grand Rapids Business Journal The other day I met someone and we exchanged conversational pleasantries. As is the norm, our conversation meandered to discuss our origins. “Are you from West Michigan?” this person asked me. My answer: “I am now.” After her look of puzzlement, I elaborated, “We have lived here for 15 years after relocating from Chicago. Before that, we lived in New York, and before that it was Philadelphia in the early ’90s.” And then I finished with, “And West Michigan is unlike any of those places.” You may think that my emphasis was used to imply a negative, but I assure you it is just the opposite. Having lived and worked in three of the largest cities in the country, I possess a rather unique perspective in terms of drawing a comparison. One would assume, correctly so, that those cities offer arts, education and opportunity. They most certainly have great health care, wonderful mass transit capabilities and exciting nightlife. New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia exude energy and are magnetic to companies and highly skilled talent.