Local tech firm Simms Electronics marries hand-held technology with energy conservation and sustainability. 

Each week, mailboxes from snail to electronic are jammed with lists and even G-Sync's Tommy Allen gets in on the game. But are lists awarding "the best of" really good for our community's growth, or just reinforcing the status quo?

"It's growing so much and there's so much character," Leah Zuber says. This Howell native has made Grand Rapids her home since graduating from Grand Valley State University last May. Zuber says that after falling in love with Mid-Michigan living in nearby Allendale, she sought to continue her time in the city -- specifically, Grand Rapids' Uptown community.