Not to be confused with the Village of Byron in Shiawassee County, Byron Center, Michigan is an unincorporated village in southwest Kent County. As a census-designated place (CDP), it has defined boundaries, unlike other unincorporated communities.
The community was named for its position near the center of Byron Township. Downtown Grand Rapids is about fifteen miles north of Byron Center, while the village is about eight miles south of the west side of the city.
84th Street SW (east-west) and Byron Center Avenue SW (north-south) intersect the community just east of the center. 78th Street SW forms the northern boundary of the CDP, 92nd Street SW its southern boundary, Kenewa Avenue SW its eastern boundary, and Burlingame Avenue SW its eastern boundary. The city of Wyoming is 11.0 miles north of Byron Center, Kentwood is 12.1 miles northeast, Hudsonville is 12.4 miles northwest, and Wayland is 13.6 miles south of the community, while the Village of Caledonia is 12.8 miles east.
Today, Byron Center is largely a bedroom community for people who work in the Grand Rapids Metro Region. The community is easily accessible from two major expressways, and is only about fifteen minutes from downtown Grand Rapids.
Douglas Walker Park, just west of Byron Center, features playgrounds, ballfields, a horseshoe court, and a link to Kent Trails, a fifteen-mile paved path that runs to Grand Rapids. In the central-north boundary of the village, Railside Golf Club is a privately owned 18-hole golf course, with a driving range, swimming pool, children's pond, full-service clubhouse, and an on-site restaurant. Located near the center of the village, the Byron Center Museum & Historical Society operates an 1870s-era town hall, with several displays and genealogy research facilities.
The first European-American settler in the region was Nathan Boynton, who came in 1836, the year that Byron Township was organized. The village was formed when the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad line from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids established a station there around 1836. On October 15, 1869, a post office was established in Byron Center, and the village was platted and recorded for Augustine Godwin by Samuel S. Towner on August 6, 1872, although it was never incorporated.
The focus of this guide is on the village of Byron Center, Michigan. Topics related to the village, or to any businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, and events within the village, are appropriate for this category.
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Recommended Resources
Byron Center Chamber of Commerce
Organized to promote business growth and development in Byron Center and the surrounding community, the Chamber is headquartered on 84th Street in Byron Center, Michigan. Its board of directors, staff, office hours, and contacts are posted to the site, along with a business directory and community guide. The benefits of membership are published to the site, along with membership information, and its committees and strategic partners.
http://www.byroncenterchamber.org/
BCCS is a public school academy, a public school of choice, and a legal, independent, public school that operates with a charter contract to Grand Valley State University. Located on Burlingame Avenue SW, it is tuition-free, and offers a K-12th-grade curriculum at one location, boasting a low student-teacher ratio. Enrollment policies, a school calendar, teacher pages, and a student guide are presented, along with a staff directory, board information, and contacts.
http://www.byroncentercharter.org/
Accredited by Christian Schools International, the school includes a preschool program, a PK-5th-grade elementary school program, and a 6-8th-grade middle school program, as well as before and after school care, and educational support services, each of which is defined here. Its admissions and enrollment policies, tuition, financial aid, and scholarship programs are discussed, a staff directory is presented, and a form is available for those wanting to schedule a visit.
https://www.bccs.org/
Opened as an independent living center in 1989, adding an assisted living section a few years later, and a memory care section in 2003. Situated in Byron Center, Michigan, its location is shown on a map. Each of its sections spotlighted, with floor plans, room options, and a list of services and activities available, including dining options, medical care, and other information. A photo gallery, resident application, staff portal, and testimonials are published to the site.
https://www.bcmanor.com/
Founded as a small-town butcher shop in 1946, the fourth-generation, family-owned, meat processing business has become a USDA-inspected plant that supplies restaurants, businesses, and local families. Its memberships, community services, and a history of the business are put forth, and its line of meats and other products are highlighted, along with its meat processing services. Information for producers is posted, and items to pre-order are listed.
https://www.byroncentermeats.com/
Byron Center Museum and Historical Society
Housed in the Historic Town Hall, built in 1876, the Society was formed to preserve and protect the history of Byron Township. Its main floor includes the old post office, a doctor’s office, and a store, and includes farming displays, while the second floor features a collection veteran history, as well as a recreated schoolroom, and local high school senior pictures going back to 1930. A genealogy research room holds family histories and records. Membership benefits are outlined.
https://byroncentermuseum.com/
The K-12 public school district operates six campuses: an Early Childhood Center, Marshall Elementary School, Countryside Elementary School, Brown Elementary School, Nickels Intermediate School, Byron Center West Middle School, and Byron Center High School, each of which is featured here, with academic data, an overview of its programs and services, staff directory, and school calendar. Student services and access to various district publications are presented.
https://www.bcpsk12.net/
In business for about seventy years, the bar and grill are located in Byron Center, Michigan. Its location, hours of operation, telephone number, and email address are posted to the site. Viewable online or downloadable in PDF format, its appetizers, baskets, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and soups, Mexican food, and wraps, as well as a full menu, are available. Gift cards may be purchased online, reviews, and career opportunities are posted to the site.
https://petesgrillandtavern.com/
Established by MKT Associates as part of a real estate development in 1991, the facilities were purchased by the members in 1999, and were member-owned until 2009, when it was acquired by Railside Acquisition, and is now privately owned. Membership pricing is highlighted, along with its policies for non-members to play its 18-hole course. Its dining facilities, pool, wedding and banquet facilities, and an introduction to the staff are featured.
https://railsidegolf.com/
