Bad Postcards:

From: The Grand Rapids Press

Is Grand Rapids boring? 

Some of its old post cards are

 No. 10: Monroe Center. 

The amphitheater was torn down shortly after I arrived in late 1999, but I remember thinking it was a neat-looking place. Pretty big, too. Not that you could tell that from this photo.

No. 9: Schnitzelbank Restaurant. 

I really miss the Schnitzelbank, especially the sauerbraten and the wonderful mechanical band -- none of which are visible in this shot of an empty dining room.

No. 8: The Grand River. 

There are many places where you can get a spectacular view of the beautiful river that flows through downtown. 

Somehow, the photographer chose the one that includes the undecorated side of the Welsh Auditorium

No. 7: Street Scrubbing. 

I realize that washing the street before the big parade in Holland is wonderful tradition, especially when the governor gets all dressed up and joins in. 

But someone please tell the guy in the plaid he's supposed to be having fun. 

And why did they crop out part of Mrs. Veersma? 

And tell the kid in the stroller to get the broom out of his mouth!

 No. 6: The Center for Free Enterprise. 

Somewhere behind the tree is the Amway Headquarters. 

The caption on the back might as well read, "This is as close as we got before the security guards caught us."

 No. 5: United States Post Office. 

I realize they used to make postcards of just about every place, but the Post Office?

 "Dear Aunt Phyllis. This is where I bought the stamp to send you this postcard."

No. 4: Kent County Airport. 

Amazingly, I have several postcards of the airport. 

But this one seems to focus on the parking lot and some grass.

 No. 3: Hall of Justice.

 "Dear Mom, this is where Dad got booked and fingerprinted." 

The worst part here is the cropping. We get more sky than building.

 No. 2: Gerald R. Ford Museum. 

I love the Ford Museum. It's probably my favorite place in the city. 

There are all kinds of fascinating exhibits. So why did they produce a postcard of the coat rack -- look, hangers and everything -- and the potted plants?

No. 1: Godwin Heights shopping area. 

This is a boring postcard classic! First, we have enough sky in the shot to make us think we're looking at something from Texas or Montana. Second, I can't make out any of the shops in our shopping area. We get a lot of street, though. And finally, a mystery. Why is the man walking down the middle of the street? Does he think he is a car? Is he looking to throw himself in front of the oncoming bus? In which of these hard-to-see stores does he intend to shop?