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Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

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144-626: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is named after Amway Corporation, which is based in nearby Ada Township . Originally known as The Pantlind Hotel (founded in 1913), the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations done by Marvin DeWinter & Associates, including the addition of a 29-story glass tower. The Pantlind's designers Warren & Wetmore were inspired by

288-431: A Bialetti moka pot is one of his must-haves. He described the process of making coffee with a moka pot as complex and time-consuming, but a pleasurable way to "waste time". Seinfeld is Jewish and has incorporated elements of his Jewish identity in his work. Although he shared that his mother was born into a large family of Syrian Orthodox Jews, he admitted to being non-religious himself. Seinfeld stated that he took

432-587: A Scientology course when he was in his 20s; he said that he found it interesting but that he did not pursue it any further. Seinfeld expressed support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war , saying "I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people." Seinfeld and his family previously drew criticism, travelling to the West Bank in 2018 to participate in a terrorism simulation camp. Seinfeld also visited

576-495: A "Critic's Pick" with Anne Nicholson describing it as a "full-fledged, fully ridiculous feature comedy targeted to the audience’s sweet-and-salty dopamine receptors". David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote that the "comedy never heats up" and "it’s a movie about so many different things at once that it comes to feel like a movie about nothing". Seinfeld appeared as a guest on John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA where he joked that it

720-421: A "heritage village" made up of several well-preserved 19th-century buildings, including a log cabin, schoolhouse, and barn. The nature center is also home to Blandford School, a highly selective environmental education program for sixth graders from the metropolitan region, which is run by Grand Rapids Public Schools and serves as a feeder school for City High-Middle School . At 264 acres (107 ha), Blandford

864-441: A 2024 interview with The New Yorker , Seinfeld claimed political correctness was destroying comedy, saying, “This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people. When you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups — 'Here's our thought about this joke' — well, that's the end of your comedy.” Months later, he walked back those comments on

1008-630: A Hungarian native educated in Catholic institutions in Austria, arrived, presiding over the Catholic mission in the area until his death in 1852. That year, Campau, Rix Robinson, Rev. Slater, and the husband of Chief Noonday's daughter, Meccissininni, traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak about the purchase of Odawa land on the west side of the river with President Andrew Jackson . Jackson was originally unimpressed with Meccissininni, though Meccissininni, who often acquired white customs, asked Jackson for

1152-785: A Latin one. The Cornucopia and Bentham's restaurants were redone as Wolfgang Puck restaurants opening the fall of 2015. Prior to 2016, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel was affiliated with the Preferred Hotels & Resorts reservation system. In 2016, the hotel became a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton reservation system. Amway stated in August 2018 that renovations to the tower would begin in January 2019 and would be scheduled to finish in April 2021. Changes include modernizing

1296-768: A Moron . Seinfeld also wrote the foreword to the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook . In October 2020, Seinfeld released his new book Is This Anything? . The book chronicles Seinfeld's 45 years working in comedy and contains many of his best bits that span from various decades. Seinfeld has stated, "On the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy, there are four faces, in my opinion: Richard Pryor , George Carlin , Bill Cosby , and Don Rickles ." Seinfeld has also cited as his influences Jean Shepherd , Mad Magazine , Jonathan Winters , Jerry Lewis , Robert Klein , and Abbott and Costello . He stated, " Monty Python

1440-632: A PC" advertisements and run the Seinfeld ads on the Microsoft website as a series of longer advertisements. In March 2009, it was announced that Seinfeld and the entire cast of Seinfeld would be appearing for a reunion in Larry David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm . The fictional reunion took place in the seventh season's finale and starred most of the original cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Jason Alexander , Michael Richards , in

1584-428: A Rising Star , which led to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. In 1980, he had a small recurring role on the sitcom Benson , playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy who had comedy routines that no one wanted to hear. Seinfeld was abruptly fired from the show due to creative differences. Seinfeld said that he was not told he had been fired until he arrived for a read-through session and found that there

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1728-507: A botched medical procedure. Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix in January 2017 that included placing Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on their streaming service as well as two new Seinfeld stand-up specials and the development of scripted and non-scripted comedy programming. As part of the deal, all episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee were made available on the streaming service, in addition to

1872-477: A brief conversation, Lonstein gave Seinfeld her phone number. Lonstein was still a senior in high school and would turn 18 at the end of that month. Seinfeld and Lonstein dated for approximately four years, until 1997. She transferred from George Washington University to UCLA , in part to be with him, and cited constant press coverage and missing New York City as reasons for the relationship ending. The age difference led to intense media scrutiny. While Seinfeld

2016-554: A capacity to address family poverty in three focus areas: supporting new mothers, investing in early childhood, and engaging fathers. GOOD+ Foundation has donated over $ 42M worth of items through its partner network across the United States. Seinfeld has also participated in Jon Stewart 's charity event, Night of Too Many Stars . According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004

2160-456: A comedy special, titled I'm Telling You for the Last Time . The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, Comedian , which also featured fellow comic Orny Adams and was directed by Christian Charles. Seinfeld has written several books, mostly archives of past routines. In the late 1990s, Apple Computer came up with

2304-478: A daughter and two sons. In 1999, Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City. This watch sold for $ 11,000. In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization The Good+Foundation after their first child was born. Good+Foundation grants donations of products and services to programs that have demonstrated

2448-399: A different color, and the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder , the same model and pearl-grey color that actor James Dean had been driving before he crashed that car and subsequently died. The Discovery Channel television show Chasing Classic Cars claimed that Seinfeld owns the first and last produced air-cooled Porsche 911s. The centerpiece is a $ 700,000 Porsche 959 , one of only 337 built. He

2592-574: A farewell tribute video for the Obamas before the President left office, Seinfeld stated, "That knocking on the Oval Office window. That probably was the peak of my entire existence." In 2014, Seinfeld told David Letterman he invited Woody Allen to be on the show but hadn't heard back. That same year he also revealed Joan Rivers was supposed to be a guest on the show before she died due to

2736-495: A four month long general strike on April 19, 1911. Much of the public, the mayor, the press and the Catholic diocese supported the strike, believing that the unwillingness of business leaders to negotiate was unjust. Skilled and unskilled factory labor was mainly Dutch (60 percent) and Polish (25 percent), primarily immigrants. According to the 1911 Immigration Commission report, the Dutch had an average of 8 percent higher wages than

2880-496: A game of Catchphrase , which Obama and Fallon won to Seinfeld's dismay. On September 19, 2017, Netflix released the stand-up comedy special Jerry Before Seinfeld . It follows Seinfeld as he returns for a stand-up routine at the New York City comedy club, Comic Strip Live , which started his career. It is intercut with documentary clips and his stand-up special. It was later released as an LP, CD and download album, and

3024-487: A great retail environment with many new developments happening along the 28th Street corridor . In 1979 after many turned towards the suburbs, the Pantlind Hotel was purchased by Amway, with Amway funding a $ 60 million renovation project that was described by The New York Times as being "extensive". On September 15, 1981, the renovated Pantlind Hotel, now known as Amway Grand Plaza Hotel opened. The reopening of

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3168-474: A minor dispute, workers were inspired to form labor unions ; workers requested furniture companies to increase wages , fewer working hours, the creation of collective bargaining and the institution of a minimum wage to replace piece work . The furniture businesses refused to respond with unions as they believed that any meeting represented recognition of unions. Workers in Grand Rapids then began

3312-592: A multiple-episode arc. Seinfeld appeared on an episode of the Starz original series Head Case . As was the case in many of his previous guest appearances on sitcoms, he played himself. In Australia , Seinfeld appeared on a series of advertisements for the Greater Building Society , a building society based in New South Wales and southeastern Queensland . His appearance in these ads

3456-494: A new 24-episode season. The series was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards and won three Webby Awards . It's very important to know what you don't like. A big part of innovation is saying, "You know what I'm really sick of?" For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. "How are you?" "You look great." I'm also sick of people who are really there to sell their show or product. "What am I really sick of?"

3600-582: A part of mailing addresses in Kent County. The quadrants are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). Fulton Street serves as the north–south dividing line, while Division Avenue serves as the east–west dividing line separating these quadrants. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 45.27 square miles (117.25 km ), of which, 44.40 square miles (115.00 km ) of it

3744-475: A personal archives website at JerrySeinfeld.com and appeared in the HBO special Talking Funny with fellow comedians Chris Rock , Louis C.K. , and Ricky Gervais in the same year. In 2012, Seinfeld started a web series titled Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee , in which he would pick up a fellow comedian in a different car each episode and take them out for coffee and conversation. The show originally aired on

3888-466: A restaurant, and that was it." Early in their relationship, Spy magazine referred to Lonstein as "a legal voter". In an October 1993 Playboy interview, Seinfeld described the reactions to the relationship as ranging "from horrified to just busting buttons with pride that they know me", noting that his female acquaintances had overall reacted more negatively than his male ones. He said that his assistant "was so mad" she punched him, whereas his mother

4032-500: A retail destination for the region, hosting four department stores: Herpolsheimer's ( Lazarus ), Jacobson's , Steketee's (founded in 1862), and Wurzburg's. In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water. National home furnishing conferences were held in Grand Rapids for about seventy-five years, concluding in the 1960s. By that time, the furniture-making industry had largely shifted to North Carolina . As with many older cities in

4176-410: A similar suit to the one the president was wearing. While later wearing his suit that was made similar to Jackson's, Meccissininni also unknowingly imitated Jackson's hat, placing a piece of weed in it, which impressed Jackson since it symbolized mourning the death of his wife. John Ball , representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids traveling to

4320-684: A specially recorded interview for the Today show. On November 18, 2004, Seinfeld appeared at the National Museum of American History to donate the "puffy shirt" he wore in the Seinfeld episode of the same name . He also gave a speech when presenting the "puffy shirt," saying humorously that "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life." On May 13, 2006, Seinfeld had a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live as host Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin. Louis-Dreyfus in her opening monologue mentioned

4464-469: A surprise guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show , ending the feud the two had in the early 1990s. Seinfeld toured the U.S. in 2011 and made his first stand-up appearance in the United Kingdom in 11 years. In July 2011, he was a surprise guest on The Daily Show , helping Jon Stewart to suppress his urge to tell "cheap" "Michele Bachmann's husband acts gay" jokes. Seinfeld also launched

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4608-422: A typical summer. The average temperature of the area is 49 °F (9 °C). The highest temperature in the area was recorded on July 13, 1936, at 108 °F (42 °C), and the lowest was recorded on February 13–14, 1899, at −24 °F (−31 °C). During an average year, sunshine occurs in 46% of the daylight hours. On 138 nights, the temperature dips to below 32 °F (0 °C). On average, 9.2 days

4752-412: A year have temperatures that meet or exceed the 90 °F (32 °C) mark, and 5.6 days a year have lows that are 0 °F (−18 °C) or colder. The coldest maximum temperature on record was −6 °F (−21 °C) in 1899, whereas the most recent subzero Fahrenheit daily maximum was −2 °F (−19 °C) in 1994. During the reference period of 1991 to 2020, the coldest daily maximum on average

4896-505: Is a city in and county seat of Kent County, Michigan , United States. At the 2020 census , the city had a population of 198,893, making it the second-most populous city in Michigan, after Detroit . Grand Rapids is the central city of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area , which has a population of 1,162,950 and a combined statistical area population of 1,502,552. Located 161 miles (259 km) northwest of Detroit, Grand Rapids

5040-534: Is a fan of the New York Mets , and periodically calls Steve Somers ' show on WFAN -AM, a sports talk radio station, as "Jerry from Queens." Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SportsNet New York on June 23, 2010, reuniting with analyst Keith Hernandez , who appeared in the Seinfeld two-part episode entitled " The Boyfriend ." According to Seinfeld, he thinks about baseball "all day" and has said "when I think of retirement, all I would think of

5184-505: Is also known as "Beer City USA". Due to the prominence of the Grand River, many local businesses and civic organizations use the moniker "River City" in their names. The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, based in the health care , information technology , automotive , aviation , and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others. Grand Rapids was the childhood home of U.S. President Gerald Ford , who

5328-597: Is buried with his wife Betty on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the city. The city's Gerald R. Ford International Airport and Gerald R. Ford Freeway are named after him. After the French established territories in Michigan, Jesuit missionaries and traders traveled down Lake Michigan and its tributaries. In 1806, white trader Joseph La Framboise and his Métis wife, Madeline La Framboise , traveled by canoe from Mackinac Island and established

5472-468: Is going to a baseball game every day." Seinfeld is left-handed and the first joke he ever wrote was about the topic. In a 2014 interview with NBC News , he made statements suggesting that he believed he was on the autism spectrum . However, following criticism for his alleged self-diagnosis , he later clarified that he is not autistic and had been commenting on a play about the condition that he "related to [...] on some level." Years before Seinfeld

5616-406: Is land and 0.87 square miles (2.25 km ) is water. Grand Rapids has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), with very warm and humid summers, cold and snowy winters, and short and mild springs and autumns. Even though it is in the middle of the continent, the city experiences some maritime effects due to its location east of Lake Michigan, including a high number of cloudy days during

5760-633: Is one of the largest urban nature centers in the United States. As of the 2010 census , there were 188,036 people, 72,126 households, and 41,015 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,235.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,635.2/km ). There were 80,619 housing units at an average density of 1,815.7 per square mile (701.0/km ). The city's racial makeup was 64.6% White (59.0% Non-Hispanic White ), 20.9% African American , 0.7% Native American , 1.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 7.7% from other races , and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 15.6% of

5904-674: Is one of the most acclaimed and popular sitcoms of all time. He has since created and produced the reality series The Marriage Ref (2010–2011), and created and hosted the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012–2019), the latter of which earned him three Webby Awards . He also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie (2007) and the Netflix comedy Unfrosted (2024). He has released four standup specials his first being Stand-Up Confidential (1987) followed by I'm Telling You for

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6048-469: Is primarily an adaptation of his stand-up material. The title comes from an article in Entertainment Weekly listing the numerous catchphrases for which the show was responsible. In 2002, he wrote the children's book Halloween . The book was illustrated by James Bennett. Seinfeld wrote the forewords to Ted L. Nancy 's Letters from a Nut series of books and Ed Broth 's Stories from

6192-491: Is situated along the Grand River approximately 25 miles (40 km) east of Lake Michigan , it is the economic and cultural hub of West Michigan . A historic furniture manufacturing center, Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies and is nicknamed "Furniture City". As a result of the numerous micro and craft breweries, many with notable reputations nationally and globally, Grand Rapids

6336-517: Is where innovation begins. –Seinfeld, talking about his process of innovation. In June 2013, Seinfeld appeared on rapper Wale 's album The Gifted , on the song "Outro About Nothing." Seinfeld received coverage for his speech at the 2014 Clio Awards ceremony, where he received an honorary award, as media reporters said that he "mocked" and "ripped apart" the advertising industry; his statement that "I love advertising because I love lying" received particular attention. In 2014, Seinfeld hosted

6480-499: The 79th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Documentary." Before announcing the nominations, he did a monologue about the unspoken agreement between movie theater owners and movie patrons. On October 4, 2007, Seinfeld made a guest appearance as himself in the 30 Rock episode " SeinfeldVision ." On February 24, 2008, at the 80th Academy Awards , Seinfeld appeared as the voice of his Bee Movie animated character Barry, presenting Best Animated Short Film . Before announcing

6624-471: The Associated Press reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista , as part of a $ 300-million advertising campaign by Microsoft. The ads, which were intended to create interest for Windows in support of the subsequent "I'm a PC" advertisements, began airing in mid-September 2008. They were cut from television after three installments; Microsoft opted to continue with the "I'm

6768-749: The Crackle streaming service and then was bought by Netflix . The initial series consisted of ten episodes lasting from 7 to 25 minutes each. The show has continued to get high-profile guests such as Alec Baldwin , Mel Brooks , Bill Burr , Dave Chappelle , Louis C.K. , Larry David , Ellen DeGeneres , Tina Fey , David Letterman , Jerry Lewis , Steve Martin , John Mulaney , Eddie Murphy , Carl Reiner , Don Rickles , Chris Rock , Howard Stern , and Jon Stewart . The show has also hosted Seinfeld alums Larry David , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Jason Alexander , and Michael Richards . Season seven featured its most high-profile guest, then-President Barack Obama . In

6912-481: The Curb finale is meant to rewrite the Seinfeld ending in any way, it’s during that first scene between Jerry and Larry. They’re playing out the kind of scene they used to write for Jerry and George, and getting that silly, joyful spark between two TV legends — even for a moment — is pure bliss". Seinfeld wrote the book SeinLanguage , released in 1993. Written as his television show was first rising in popularity, it

7056-487: The Grand Rapids Public Museum . In October 1870, Grand Rapids became a desired location for immigrants, with about 120 Swedes arriving in the United States to travel and create a "colony" in the area in one week. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the city became a major lumbering center, processing timber harvested in the region. Logs were floated down the Grand River to be milled in

7200-534: The JW Marriott Grand Rapids , the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. It is themed from cityscapes of Grand Rapids' sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biała, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. When the hotel opened, Amway Hotel corporation hired photographer Dan Watts to travel to each of the sister cities and photograph them for the property. Each floor of

7344-553: The National Trust for Historic Preservation , in 2012. In the early 1900s, Grand Rapids was growing rapidly, the population reaching over 112,000 in 1910. As the city grew, iconic grand scale buildings began to arise. When the hotel opened in 1913, the Beaux-Arts architecture attracted many, with visitors convening in Grand Rapids choosing the Pantlind Hotel during the city's furniture shows. The Pantlind featured one of

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7488-759: The Panic of 1873 . In 1880, the country's first hydro-electric generator was put to use on the city's west side. Due to its flourishing furniture industry, Grand Rapids began being recognized as "Furniture City". Grand Rapids was also an early center for the automobile industry , as the Austin Automobile Company operated there from 1901 until 1921. Furniture companies included the William A. Berkey Company and its successors, Baker Furniture Company , Williams-Kimp, and Widdicomb Furniture Company . The furniture industry began to grow significantly into

7632-560: The State University of New York at Oswego , and transferred after his second year to Queens College, City University of New York , from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in communications and theater. Seinfeld developed an interest in stand-up comedy after brief stints in college productions. He appeared on open-mic nights at Budd Friedman's Improv Club while attending Queens College . After graduation in 1976, he tried out at an open-mic night at New York City's Catch

7776-402: The "Breaking Bread" podcast, stating "I don't think, as I said, 'the extreme left' has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm taking that back officially." Seinfeld said he regrets his previous comments because changing cultural attitudes are "not [his] business." In December 2012, Seinfeld said that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. He promoted the use of

7920-961: The "Questions from the Audience" segment, which included cameos from Michael Douglas , John Goodman , James Franco , Larry David , Ellen Cleghorne , Dakota Johnson , Tim Meadows , Bob Odenkirk , and Sarah Palin (who Seinfeld initially mistook for Tina Fey ). On May 20, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on David Letterman 's final Late Show episode. Seinfeld joined guests including Alec Baldwin , Barbara Walters , Steve Martin , Jim Carrey , Chris Rock , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Peyton Manning , Tina Fey , and Bill Murray who all participated in The Top Ten List segment, "Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave." In January 2017, Seinfeld went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and joined Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon in honoring outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama , and played

8064-401: The "Seinfeld curse." While talking about how ridiculous the "curse" was, a stage light suddenly fell next to her. The camera moved to a catwalk above the stage where Seinfeld was standing, holding a large pair of bolt cutters. He angrily muttered, "Damn it!" upset that it did not hit her. Louis-Dreyfus continued to say that she is indeed not cursed. On February 25, 2007, Seinfeld appeared at

8208-407: The $ 17,000 Elektra Belle Epoque and two machines manufactured by Slayer and Breville . Seinfeld described his single-group Slayer machine, which costs upwards of $ 8,500, as a "beautiful machine." When NPR asked him about the influence of coffee culture in the U.S. , Seinfeld responded in 2013: I never liked [coffee] and I didn't understand it and I used to do a lot of stuff in my stand-up set in

8352-404: The '80s and '90s about how I don't 'get' coffee. And then something happened about five years ago. I started touring a lot, and we would have these great big, fun breakfasts in the hotel and [coffee] just seemed to go really well [with breakfast]. [Now], I've just started this espresso thing. In a May 2024 GQ interview titled "10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can't Live Without", Seinfeld revealed that

8496-465: The 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), which he co-created and wrote with Larry David . Seinfeld earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1995. The show

8640-480: The 1830s. Ancestors of these people included not only English colonists but people of mixed ethnic Dutch, Mohawk , French Canadian, and French Huguenot descent from the colonial period in New York. However, after 1837, the area saw poor times, with many of the French returning to their places of origin, with poverty hitting the area for the next few years. The first Grand Rapids newspaper, The Grand River Times ,

8784-471: The 1980s and 1990s. According to city government data, Grand Rapids has 37 distinct neighborhoods: Grand Rapids developed on the banks of the Grand River , where there was once a set of rapids, at an altitude of 610 feet (186 m) above sea level . Ships could navigate on the river up to this fall line, stopping because of the rapids. The river valley is flat and narrow, surrounded by steep hills and bluffs. The terrain becomes more rolling hills away from

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8928-569: The 1990s for storage of some of the vehicles in the collection. In 2002, Seinfeld purchased property on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City where he built a $ 1.4 million two-story garage to store part of his Porsche collection on the East Coast. One tally has Seinfeld owning 43 Porsches. Paul Bannister has written that Seinfeld's collection includes Porsche 911s from various years, 10 Porsche Boxsters each painted

9072-468: The Commissioners refused to grant" of which Joseph La Framboise received 1,000 dollars immediately and 200 dollars a year, for life. Madeline La Framboise retired the trading post to Rix Robinson in 1821 and returned to Mackinac. That year, Grand Rapids was described as being the home of an Odawa village of about 50 to 60 huts on the north side of the river near the 5th Ward, with Kewkishkam being

9216-530: The February 2004 issue of Automobile , reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT . In 2008, Seinfeld was involved in a car accident when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat 500 failed and, to avoid an intersection, he pulled the emergency brake while turning sharply, ultimately causing the car to flip onto its side. No one was hurt. A coffee aficionado, Seinfeld owns multiple espresso machines , including

9360-414: The February record high of 73 °F (23 °C), which was recorded on February 27, 2024. In April 1956, the western and northern portions of the city and its suburbs were hit by a violent tornado which locally produced F5 damage and killed 18 people. With the Grand River flowing through the center of Grand Rapids, the city has been prone to floods. From March 25 to 29, 1904, more than one-half of

9504-660: The Grand River Valley, in hopes of evangelizing them. In 1821, the Council of Three Fires signed the first Treaty of Chicago , ceding to the United States all lands in Michigan Territory south of the Grand River, except for several small reservations, and required a native to prepare land in the area to establish a mission. The treaty also included "One hundred thousand dollars to satisfy sundry individuals, in behalf of whom reservations were asked, which

9648-441: The Grand River valley. Lincoln purchased land in what is now known as Grandville , while Campau became perhaps the most important settler when he bought 72 acres (291,000 m ) from the federal government for $ 90 and named his tract Grand Rapids. Over time, it developed as today's main downtown business district. In the spring of 1833, Campau sold to Joel Guild, who traveled from New York, a plot of land for $ 25.00, with Guild building

9792-455: The Grand River, though some of his followers believed that this was a wrestling match between the two that Slater won. Slater then erected the first settler structures in Grand Rapids, a log cabin for himself and a log schoolhouse. In 1825, McCoy returned and established a missionary station. He represented the settlers who began arriving from Ohio, New York and New England, the Yankee states of

9936-481: The Last Time (1998), Jerry Before Seinfeld (2017) and 23 Hours to Kill (2020). Seinfeld has also written three books starting with SeinLanguage (1993), followed by the children's book Halloween (2002), and the comedic compilation book Is This Anything? (2020). He is an avid fan of coffee and automobiles . He practices transcendental meditation . He is married to author and philanthropist Jessica Seinfeld , with whom he has three children. Seinfeld

10080-485: The Netherlands stayed at the hotel, with a "royal luncheon" that included 250 people occurring at the facility. The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Tower , originally the Pantlind Hotel, is a 29-story, 318 foot tall tower that opened in 1983. The tower was constructed following a renovation project of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel initiated by Rich DeVos . In the 1970s, the suburbs of Grand Rapids, such as Wyoming , enjoyed

10224-597: The Northern New South Wales television market, where the society has most of its branches. Seinfeld was the first guest on Jay Leno 's talk show The Jay Leno Show , which premiered on September 14, 2009. Seinfeld was featured on Saturday Night Live ' s Weekend Update sketch to do the "Really!?!" segment with Seth Meyers . He executive produced and regularly appeared as a panelist in The Marriage Ref . On August 30, 2010, Seinfeld made

10368-617: The Northern Tier. Shortly after, Detroit-born Louis Campau , known as the official founder of Grand Rapids, was convinced by fur trader William Brewster, who was in a rivalry with the American Fur Company, to travel to Grand Rapids and establish trade there. In 1826, Campau built his cabin, trading post, and blacksmith shop on the south bank of the Grand River near the rapids, stating the Native Americans in

10512-563: The Opera (1935), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Those influenced by Seinfeld include John Mulaney , Ellen DeGeneres , Jim Gaffigan , Judd Apatow , Issa Rae , Nate Bargatze , and Mark Normand . On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Steve Martin described Seinfeld as one of his "retro heroes" saying "[He's] a guy who came up behind me and is better than I am. I think he's fantastic, I love to listen to him, he almost puts me at peace. I love to listen to him talk". Seinfeld

10656-652: The Poles even when they did the same work. The pay difference was based on seniority and not ethnicity, but given that the Dutch had arrived earlier, seniority was linked to ethnicity. Ultimately, the Christian Reformed Church – where the majority of Dutch striking workers congregated – and the Fountain Street Church – led opposition to the strike, which resulted in its end on August 19, 1911. The strike spurred substantial changes to

10800-558: The United States, retail in the city suffered as the population moved to suburbs in the postwar era, enabled in part by federal subsidies for highway construction. The Grand Rapids suburbs began to develop rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s. For example, Wyoming saw rapid growth following the opening of retail outlets such as Rogers Plaza and Wyoming Village Mall on 28th Street , with some developments built so quickly that they were finished without functioning utilities. Consolidation of department stores occurred in Grand Rapids and nationally in

10944-484: The advertising slogan " Think different " and produced a 60-second commercial to promote the slogan. This commercial showed people who were able to "think differently," such as Albert Einstein , Mahatma Gandhi , Martin Luther King Jr. , and many others. It was later cut short to 30 seconds and altered such that Seinfeld was included at the end, although he had not been in the original cut. This shorter version of

11088-452: The area were "friendly and peaceable". Campau returned to Detroit , then returned a year later with his wife and $ 5,000 of trade goods to trade with the Odawa and Ojibwa, with the only currency being fur. Campau's younger brother Touissant would often assist him with trade and other tasks at hand. Lucius Lyon , a Yankee Protestant who would later become a rival to Campau, was contracted by

11232-558: The area, returned to Grand Rapids to purchase the rest of the prime land and called his plot the Village of Kent. When Lyon and his partner N. O. Sergeant returned after their purchase, they arrived along with a posse of men carrying shovels and picks, intending to build a mill race . The group arrived to the music of a bugle which startled the settlement, with Chief Noonday offering Campau assistance to drive back Lyon's posse believing they were invaders. Also that year, Rev. Andrew Vizoisky,

11376-599: The city and shipped via the Great Lakes. The city became a center of fine wood products as well. By the end of the century, it was established as the premier furniture-manufacturing city of the United States. It was the Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia that brought attention to Grand Rapids' furniture on the national stage, providing a new growing industry to help the city recover from

11520-486: The city of Grand Rapids' area totaled 10.5 square miles (27 km ). Through the 1850s, the land containing forty-six Indian mounds located on the west side between Bridge Street and the Grand River to the south were sold by the United States government, with the mounds being destroyed to fill low-lying land in the area while the Native American artifacts contained within were taken or sold to museums, including

11664-536: The city's southeast side, is 104 acres (42 ha). It is home to over 44 acres (18 ha) of public-access nature trails, a 60-acre (24 ha), restricted-access wildlife preserve, as well as the Bunker Interpretive Center, which hosts university classes and educational programs for the wider community. The Blandford Nature Center, located on the city's northwest side, opened in 1968 and contains extensive nature trails, an animal hospital, and

11808-566: The city, river and surrounding area. The Pantlind Hotel's original architects, Warren & Wetmore, were inspired by the work of the Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam . In its prime, the hotel was rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US. The hotel features several restaurants well known in Grand Rapids. The hotel is owned by Amway Hotel Collection, a subsidiary of Amway's holding company Alticor . Other prominent large buildings include

11952-585: The commercial aired only once, during the series finale of Seinfeld . In 2004, Seinfeld appeared in two commercial webisodes promoting American Express , titled The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman . In these, Seinfeld appeared with a cartoon rendering of Superman , to whom reference was made in numerous episodes of Seinfeld as Seinfeld's hero, voiced by Patrick Warburton (character David Puddy on Seinfeld ). The webisodes were directed by Barry Levinson and aired briefly on television. Seinfeld and "Superman" were also interviewed by Matt Lauer in

12096-438: The entire populated portion of the city lying on the west side of the river was completely underwater, over twenty-five hundred houses, affecting fourteen thousand persons, being completely surrounded. On March 28, the river registered at 19.6 feet (6.0 m), more than two feet (0.61 m) above its highest previous mark. More than one-hundred years later, the 2013 Grand Rapids flood occurred from April 12 to 25, 2013, with

12240-586: The federal government to survey the Grand River Valley in the fall of 1830 and in the first quarter of 1831. The federal survey of the Northwest Territory reached the Grand River, with Lyon using a surveyor's compass and chain to set the boundaries for Kent County, named after prominent New York jurist James Kent . In 1833, a land office was established in White Pigeon, Michigan , with Campau and fellow settler Luther Lincoln seeking land in

12384-478: The first frame structure in Grand Rapids, which is now where McKay Tower stands. Guild later became the postmaster, with mail at the time being delivered monthly from the Gull Lake, Michigan to Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids in 1833 was only a few acres of land cleared on each side of the Grand River, with oak trees planted in light, sandy soil standing between what is now Lyon Street and Fulton Street. By 1834,

12528-405: The first town meeting that had nine voters. It was also this year Campau began constructing his own frame building—the largest at the time—near present-day Rosa Parks Circle. In 1835, many settlers arrived in the area with the population growing to about 50 people, including its first doctor, Dr. Wilson, who was supplied with equipment from Campau. Lucius Lyon , using his knowledge from surveying

12672-780: The first trading post in West Michigan in present-day Grand Rapids on the banks of the Grand River , near what is now Ada Township , the junction of the Grand and Thornapple Rivers . They were French-speaking and Roman Catholic . They likely both spoke Odawa , Magdelaine's maternal ancestral language. In the fall of 1806, Joseph was fatally stabbed by a member of the Potawatomi tribe named Nequat. Joseph had been with his family and an entourage of voyageurs traveling between Grand River and Grand Rapids. The Potawatomi man had insisted that Joseph trade liquor with him. When Joseph refused,

12816-481: The function and appearance by making windows lighter colored which will span from floor to ceiling. The height of the tower will also increase slightly as a result of new construction. The Grand River Promenade, the official name for the skyway , is on the hotel's second floor as well as the hotel's parking ramp. 42°58′00″N 85°40′27″W  /  42.96666°N 85.67407°W  / 42.96666; -85.67407 Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids

12960-515: The future of comedy during the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2024 he directed, co-wrote, and produced in the Netflix comedy film Unfrosted , a satirical spoof about the creation of Pop-Tarts . Seinfeld also starred in the film alongside Melissa McCarthy , Jim Gaffigan , and Hugh Grant . The film earned mixed reviews with The Hollywood Reporter writing the film received a "sharply divided reaction from critics". The New York Times labeled it

13104-614: The governmental and labor structure of the city. With businesses upset with Mayor Ellis for supporting the strike lobbied for the city to change from a twelve-ward government – which more accurately represented the city's ethnic groups – to a smaller three ward system that placed more power into the demands of Dutch citizens, the city's largest demographic. Some workers who participated in the strike were blacklisted by companies and thousands of dissatisfied furniture workers emigrated to higher paying regions. Shifting from its furniture-centric industry, downtown Grand Rapids temporarily became

13248-592: The greatest companion technique of living that I've ever come across, and I'm thrilled to be part of this movement that seems to have really been reinvigorated by Bob [Roth] and David Lynch ," Seinfeld said. "I would do anything that I could to promote it in the world, because I think it's the greatest thing as a life tool, as a work tool and just making things make sense." Writing credits for Seinfeld The list below only includes episodes mainly written by Seinfeld, as he (and Larry David in Seasons 1 through 7) rewrote

13392-657: The group returning to the Carey Mission for the Potawatomi on the St. Joseph River . The government worker stayed into 1824 to establish a blacksmith shop, though the shop was burned down by the Odawa. Later in May 1824, Baptist missionary Reverend Leonard Slater traveled with two settlers to Grand Rapids to perform missionary work, though the group began to return to the Carey Mission after only three days due to threats. While

13536-412: The group was returning, they encountered Chief Noonday who asked for the group to stay and establish a mission, believing that the Odawa adapting to European customs was the only chance for them to stay in the area. The winter of 1824 was difficult, with Slater's group having to resupply and return before the spring. Chief Noonday, deciding to be an example for the Odawa, chose to be baptized by Slater in

13680-430: The headquarters of Abducted and Missing Families Forum where he met with representatives of the families and with abductees who returned from Hamas captivity, and listened to their stories. On May 12, 2024, Seinfeld gave a commencement address and received an honorary degree at Duke University . During his speech, a number of students booed, waved Palestinian flags and walked out in protest. In June 2024, Seinfeld

13824-713: The hotel features photography from one of the cities, which is unique to that floor. Cityscapes of these five cities are alternated in order, up the 23 floors. The city's tallest building is the River House Condominiums , a 34-story (123.8 m) condominium tower completed in 2008 that stands as the tallest all-residential building in the state of Michigan. Grand Rapids is also home to two large urban nature centers. The Calvin Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens, operated by Calvin University on

13968-486: The hotel include political figures and officials such as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , Queen Noor of Jordan and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. as well as celebrities such as James Earl Jones , Cher , Joe Montana , Faye Dunaway , and Jerry Seinfeld In 2011, Grand Rapids mayor George Heartwell credited the development of the Amway Grand Hotel with reshaping downtown Grand Rapids. In 2014,

14112-458: The hotel was presided over by President Gerald R. Ford and his wife Betty Ford during a formal black-tie gathering. Two years later in 1983, the 29 story tower was finally completed, becoming the city's tallest building after surpassing the McKay Tower , holding the title of tallest building in Grand Rapids until Plaza Towers was completed in 1991. In 1985, two years after the tower

14256-474: The intersection of what is now Watson Street and National Avenue, with Chief Black Skin – known by his native name recorded as Muck-i-ta-oska or Mukatasha (from Makadewazhe or Mkadewzhe , "Have Black Skin") and was son of Chief Noonday – leading the village. In 1820, General Lewis Cass , who was on his way to negotiate the first Treaty of Chicago with a group of 42 men, commissioned Charles Christopher Trowbridge to establish missions for Native Americans in

14400-512: The largest gold leaf ceilings in the world, with the hotel having a Mediterranean atmosphere that was seen in its classical columns and terra cotta designs. A two-story bank was also originally located on the corner of Monroe and Pearl. Ten years later in 1923, a 189-room addition was made to the hotel on Lyon Street. By 1925, the Pantlind Hotel was gaining national recognition after it was named as one of America's top 10 hotels. In 1954, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld of

14544-441: The late 19th and early 20th century, and a Polish neighborhood developed on the west side of the city. By the early twentieth century, the quality of furniture produced in Grand Rapids was renowned throughout furniture industry, mainly due to the skill of its workers. Government reports in 1907 revealed that while Grand Rapids lead the industry in product output, its furniture workers were paid lower wages than in other areas. After

14688-467: The late fall and winter, delayed heating in the spring, delayed cooling in fall, somewhat moderated temperatures during winter and lake effect snow . The city averages 75.6 in (192 cm) of snow a year, making it one of the snowiest major cities in the United States. The area often receives quick and sudden lake effect snowstorms , producing significant amounts of snowfall. The months of March, April, October and November are transitional months and

14832-417: The man left, only to return at dusk when Joseph, who faithfully performed the ritual of Angelus every day at that time, was in prayer. Nequat stabbed the trader, fatally wounding him, leaving Joseph's wife, Magdelaine, a widow at age twenty-four. The next spring, a delegation from the Potawatomi tribe brought the offender, Nequat, before Magdelaine for her sentence upon him for the death of her husband. It

14976-482: The nominees, he showed a montage of film clips featuring bees, saying that they were some of his early work (as Barry). On June 2, 2008, amidst his spring 2008 tour, Seinfeld performed in his hometown of New York City for a one-night-only show at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit Stand Up for a Cure , a charity aiding lung cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center . In August 2008,

15120-552: The northwest side of present-day Grand Rapids near Bridge Street with about 500 Odawa, though the population would grow to over 1,000 on occasion. During the War of 1812 , Noonday was allied with Tecumseh during the Battle of the Thames . Tecumseh was killed in this battle, and Noonday inherited his tomahawk and hat. A second village existed lower down the river with its center located at

15264-429: The population. Of the 72,126 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

15408-536: The river cresting at 21.85 feet (6.66 m) on the 21st, causing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and over $ 10 million in damage. The city skyline shows the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel , formerly the Pantlind, which reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations by Marvin DeWinter & Associates. This work included the addition of a 29–story glass tower offering panoramic views of

15552-431: The river. The countryside surrounding the metropolitan area consists of mixed forest and farmland, with large areas of orchards to the northwest. It is approximately 25 mi (40 km) east of Lake Michigan . The state capital of Lansing lies about 70 mi (110 km) to the east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo is about 50 mi (80 km) to the south. Grand Rapids is divided into four quadrants , which form

15696-434: The settlement had become more organized. Rev. Turner had established a school on the east side of the river, with children on the west side of the river being brought to school every morning by a Native American on a canoe who would shuttle them across the river. Multiple events happened at Guild's frame structure, including the first marriage in the city, one that involved his daughter Harriet Guild and Barney Burton, as well as

15840-509: The settlement in 1836. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations". That year, the first steamboat was constructed on the Grand River named the Gov. Mason , though the ship wrecked two years later in Muskegon. Yankee migrants (primarily English-speaking settlers) and others began migrating from New York and New England through

15984-513: The show starred Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Louis-Dreyfus and established actors Michael Richards and Jason Alexander . Alexander played George, a caricature of Larry David . Seinfeld is the only actor to appear in every episode. After he ended his sitcom, Seinfeld moved back to New York City and returned to stand-up comedy instead of staying in Los Angeles and furthering his acting career. In 1998, he went on tour and recorded

16128-655: The special Don Rickles: One Night Only at the Apollo Theatre . The event celebrated Don Rickles and his career, but also served as a roast among friends. Those who participated in the event included Jon Stewart , David Letterman , Tina Fey , Amy Poehler , Nathan Lane , Regis Philbin , Robert De Niro , and Martin Scorsese . On February 15, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special , where he hosted

16272-697: The technique in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation in December 2012 on Good Morning America , and also appeared at a 2009 David Lynch Foundation benefit for TM, at which Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared. On November 5, 2015, the David Lynch Foundation organized a benefit concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall called "Change Begins Within" to promote transcendental meditation for stress control. "It's been

16416-439: The tower underwent a $ 14 million renovation that included updating electrical outlets and network connections, as well as giving the room and bathroom designs a more modern look. It was the sixth renovation to rooms in the tower since 1983. Starting in 2011, the hotel started an effort to rebrand first with replacing the 1913 Room restaurant with a Ruth's Chris Steak House . In May 2015, Cygnus 27 restaurant had changed its menu to

16560-470: The trade business, expanding fur trading posts to the west and north, creating a good reputation among the American Fur Company . La Framboise, whose mother was Odawa and father French, later merged her successful operations with the American Fur Company. By 1810, Chief Noonday , or Nowaquakezick, an Odawa chief, established the village of Bock-a-tinck (from Baawiting , "at the rapids") on

16704-413: The twentieth century; in 1870 there were eight factories employing 280 workers and by 1911, Old National Bank wrote that about 8,500 were employed by forty-seven factories. At least a third of the workers in Grand Rapids were employed by furniture companies. The Grand Rapids Furniture Record was the trade paper for the city's industry. Its industries provided jobs for many new immigrants from Europe in

16848-456: The village chief and Chief Noonday being the chief of the Odawa. The first permanent European-American settler in the Grand Rapids area was Isaac McCoy , a Baptist minister. In 1823, McCoy, Paget, a Frenchman who brought along a Native American pupil, and a government worker traveled to Grand Rapids from Carey Mission near present-day Niles, Michigan to arrange a mission they called the "Thomas Mission", though negotiations fell through with

16992-527: The weather can vary. March has experienced a record high of 87 °F (31 °C) and record low of −13 °F (−25 °C). The average last frost date in spring is May 1, and the average first frost in fall is October 11, giving the area a growing season of 162 days. The city is in plant hardiness zone 6a, while outlying areas are 5b. Some far western suburbs closer to the insulating effect of Lake Michigan are in zone 6b. Summers are warm or hot, and heat waves and severe weather outbreaks are common during

17136-446: The work of the Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam . During its prime years, the hotel was consistently rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US. The hotel is owned by AHC+Hospitality, a subsidiary of Amway's holding company Alticor . Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is a member of the Curio Collection by Hilton, an affiliation which began in 2016. The hotel was also inducted into Historic Hotels of America , an official program of

17280-439: The world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months. In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $ 32 million. In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes 's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show . Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian for 2015, the second-highest-paid in 2016, and the highest-paid again in 2017. Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017

17424-584: Was "one of the most important and delightful to be found in the country," and described the changing Native American culture in the area. By 1838, the settlement incorporated as a village, and encompassed approximately .75 square miles (1.9 km ). An outcropping of gypsum , where Plaster Creek enters the Grand River, was known to the Native American inhabitants of the area. Pioneer geologist Douglass Houghton commented on this find in 1838. Settlers began to mine this outcrop in 1841, initially in open cast mines , but later underground mines as well. Gypsum

17568-577: Was "the weirdest talk show I've ever been on in my life". He also embarked on a new tour starting with his first show in Singapore in June 2024 followed by a number of stops in Australia and North America. Seinfeld returned to Curb Your Enthusiasm in its final season reuniting with Larry David where they poked fun at the controversial ending of Seinfeld . Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "If

17712-399: Was "thrilled". He concluded, "if she's 18, if she's intelligent, that's fine". In March 1994, Seinfeld again defended their age difference in an interview with People , stating that "Shoshanna is a person, not an age." Julia Louis-Dreyfus said in a 1998 New York interview that she was in favor of the relationship, as "it was a happy one for him", and added that she did not believe there

17856-535: Was $ 267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year. He turned down $ 5 million per episode, for 22 episodes, to continue the show for a 10th season. Seinfeld earned $ 100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances in 2004, and $ 60 million in 2006. He also earned $ 10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft 's 2008 advertisements for Windows . Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $ 85 million, making him

18000-605: Was $ 69 million. In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than $ 1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $ 465 million coming from those deals. Seinfeld is an automobile enthusiast and collector, and he owns a collection of about 150 cars, including a large Porsche collection. He rented a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica , California, for an extended period during

18144-400: Was 11 °F (−12 °C). Summer nights influenced by the lake can be hot and muggy on occasion. The warmest night on record was 82 °F (28 °C) in 1902 and lows above 72 °F (22 °C) have been measured in every month between April and October. On average, the warmest low of the year stood at 74 °F (23 °C) for the 1991–2020 normals. The most recent record set was

18288-535: Was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.20. Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( / ˈ s aɪ n f ɛ l d / SYNE -feld ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian , actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy . Seinfeld has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Awards , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards . In 2004, Comedy Central named him

18432-539: Was a gigantic influence on me. They were just about silly, funny things that meant nothing, and that’s the stuff I love. There’s a wonderful childlike freedom in those kinds of things." In the Netflix comedy special, Jerry Before Seinfeld , he displayed his personal comedy albums collection from when he was a teenager. These albums included: In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Seinfeld stated his five favorite films are The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Graduate (1967), The In-Laws (1979), A Night at

18576-490: Was a guest on Howard Stern 's talk show, Stern said, "so, you sit in Central Park and have a candy bar on a string and pull it when the girls come?" at which point Seinfeld replied, "she's not 17, definitely not." A few months later, in his second Howard Stern interview, Seinfeld insisted, "I didn't realize she was so young. This is the only girl I ever went out with who was that young. I wasn't dating her. We just went to

18720-542: Was anything wrong with it. In August 1998, while at a Reebok Sports Club, Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar , a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger who had just returned from a three-week honeymoon in Italy with then-husband Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and scion of a theater-owning family . Unaware of Sklar's marital status, Seinfeld invited her out. When Sklar eventually told Seinfeld about her relationship situation, she said, "I told him I didn't think this

18864-528: Was born on April 29, 1954, to a Jewish family in Brooklyn , New York City. His father, Kalmen Seinfeld, a sign painter, was from Hungary and collected jokes that he heard while serving in World War ;II . His mother, Betty (née Hosni) and her parents, Selim and Salha Hosni, were Mizrahi Jews from Aleppo , Syria . Their nationality was stated as Turkish when they immigrated in 1917, as Syria

19008-538: Was constructed, Jack Schnedler of the Chicago Sun-Times stated: Amway Grand Plaza: Here's a world-class hotel plunked in the middle of Michigan, occupying the opulently restored shell of the old Pantlind Hotel and a sleek 29-story adjoining wing. Service during my April stay was small-town cheerful, the room was richly furnished, and dinner in the top-of-the-line Cygnus restaurant stood up to New York or San Francisco standards. Other guests who have stayed at

19152-407: Was created, Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer . She was a fellow comedian, and one of the inspirations for the Seinfeld character Elaine Benes . On national television with sex therapist and talk show host Dr. Ruth Westheimer , he mentioned that he was engaged in 1984 but called it off. In May 1993, days after his 39th birthday, Seinfeld met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park. After

19296-410: Was ground locally for use as a soil amendment known as "land plaster." The first formal census in 1845 recorded a population of 1,510 and an area of 4 square miles (10 km ). The city of Grand Rapids was incorporated April 2, 1850. It was officially established on May 2, 1850, when the village of Grand Rapids voted to accept the proposed city charter. The population at the time was 2,686. By 1857,

19440-799: Was heckled by protesters during a comedy show in Sydney, Australia . Seinfeld responded joking, "You’re really influencing everyone here. We’re all on your side now, because you’ve made your point so well, and in the right venue, you’ve come to the right place for a political conversation". Seinfeld has made several political contributions, including to George W. Bush 's and Al Gore 's presidential campaigns in 2000 , and subsequently to four Democratic Party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004 . Seinfeld has expressed his distaste for what he views as political correctness . In 2015, Seinfeld stated that he avoids performing on college campuses because students have become too easily offended by his comedic routines. In

19584-577: Was highly publicized and considered a coup for the society, being the third time Seinfeld had appeared in a television commercial. The advertisements were filmed in Cedarhurst, Long Island , with the street designed to emulate Beaumont Street in Hamilton , where the Greater's head offices are located. Seinfeld also wrote the scripts for the 15 advertisements that were filmed. The ads largely aired in

19728-557: Was no script for him. In January 1981, he performed stand-up on An Evening at the Improv . In May, Seinfeld made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , impressing Carson and the audience, leading to frequent appearances on that show and others, including Late Night with David Letterman . On September 5, 1987, his first one-hour special Stand-Up Confidential aired live on HBO . Seinfeld created The Seinfeld Chronicles with Larry David in 1988 for NBC . It

19872-462: Was nominated for a 2018 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album . In 2020, it was announced that Netflix would be releasing Seinfeld's first original stand-up special in 22 years, 23 Hours to Kill . The special premiered on May 5. In October 2020, Seinfeld joined Steve Martin in a discussion about comedy at The New Yorker Festival . They discussed subjects ranging from the creative process, Netflix , and The Oscars , to their comedy backgrounds, and

20016-460: Was originally not allowed to drive it, because the car was "not street legal ." U.S. emissions and crash tests had not been performed for the model because Porsche refused to donate four Porsche 959s for destruction tests. Seinfeld imported the car " for exhibition purposes ," on the stipulation that it may never be driven on U.S. roads. The car was made U.S. street legal in 1999 under the " Show or Display " federal law. Seinfeld wrote an article for

20160-465: Was printed on April 18, 1837, describing the village's attributes, stating: Though young in its improvements, the site of this village has long been known and esteemed for its natural advantages. It was here that the Indian traders long since made their great depot. The Grand River Times continued, saying the village had grown quickly from a few French families to about 1,200 residents, the Grand River

20304-425: Was renamed Seinfeld to avoid confusion with the short-lived teen sitcom The Marshall Chronicles . By its third season, Seinfeld had become the most watched sitcom on American television. The final episode aired in 1998, and the show has been a popular syndicated re-run ever since. NBC offered Seinfeld $ 110 million—a record $ 5 million an episode for a 22-episode tenth season—but he declined. Along with Seinfeld,

20448-505: Was the right time for me to be involved with anybody." Two months later, Sklar filed for divorce and began dating Seinfeld. The pair married on December 25, 1999. Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding. After the nuptials, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld bought Billy Joel 's house in Amagansett , Long Island , for US$ 32 million after news of the couple's interest in the property became public in 2000. The Seinfelds have

20592-444: Was their tradition for the victim's family to avenge deaths within that tribe. Magdelaine refused to sentence him and, in an act of forgiveness, told the Potawatomi tribe members to let him go and that God would be his judge. Though Magdelaine had forgiven Nequat, the tribe had not. Nequat's body was found stabbed with his own knife the next season. After Joseph's murder while en route to Grand Rapids, Magdelaine La Framboise carried on

20736-1036: Was under the Ottoman Empire . Seinfeld has an older sister, Carolyn. Salha's mother Garez Dayan, Seinfeld's great-grandmother, was a member of the Dayan rabbinic family, who claim ancestry back to the Medieval Exilarchs , and from the Exilarchs back to the Biblical King David . Seinfeld's second cousin is alternative metal musician and actor Evan Seinfeld . Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, New York , and attended Massapequa High School on Long Island . At 16, he spent time volunteering in Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel. He attended

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