I would not recommend the Leaf. Not because it isn't a good product, but because Grand Rapids has a couple unique and, frankly, annoying traits when it comes to our local broadcasts.
First, the actual broadcast towers of most of our stations are quite a long distance away from the city. WOOD-TV's tower, for example, is down south by Gun Lake. By the time these signals reach the city, they are weaker than what you'd find in most other markets of this size.
Second, most antennae, including the Leaf, are optimized to pick up UHF signals. As luck would have it, most of the GR stations broadcast in the less-common VHF spectrum. The literature of the Leaf will SAY it works fine for VHF, but that hasn't been my experience.
I tried the Leaf at my house in NE GR and could only get WGVU and FOX. I returned it and got a larger unit that I mounted in my attic. I am able to get ABC, NBC, FOX, WGVU, and another half-dozen stations like Ion that I never watch. The only semi-local station that I'm not able to get is CBS out of Kalamazoo due to the longer distance.
This is the unit I bought: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RH5GZI/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
There are a number of options out there, but make sure you get one that specifically talks about its VHF capabilities. In general, mounting an antenna in your attic or an upper floor will give you much better results. If you can mount on the outside of the house, you'll get even more.
Hey again. I pulled the trigger on this antenna. Got it for $31 on 'Amazon - Like New' condition - Clearstream 2V
Now I'm trying to decide how/where to mount it. I really don't want to put holes in my roof and I don't have a chimney. I was thinking to mount it on the fascia board but I have rain gutters down the side where I'm going to mount it. Any other ideas? TIA.
I put this in the attic:
Antennas Direct C2-V-CJM ClearStream 2-V Long Range UHF/VHF Indoor/Outdoor DTV Antenna with 20-Inch Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RH5GZI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_twXI6VBYCUAnF
And I distributed it to all the rooms in my house with this:
PCT MA2-8PN MA28P 8-Port Cable TV OTA CATV Antenna RF Amplifier with Passive Return Path and Slimline Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VZ7TNVD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_GKMAzSToVfWLK
Looking on http://www.tvfool.com/ shows Whittier has pretty bad reception. That being said I use Antennas Direct Clear Stream 2V and get pretty decent reception. I bought mine at Best Buy for $100 but you can get them on Amazon for $79.
You should be able to get away with something like an Antennas Direct DB2e, or an Antennas Direct ClearStream 2V.
Also note that the majority of channels are UHF.
Look up antenna reviews by Antenna Man on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@AntennaMan
I think you are setting yourself up for failure with any indoor antenna like that. Not sure if it even has VHF, which you need for ABC out of NYC.
I have this antenna and I really like it, it is light, I had it indoors but now I have it ourdoors on my balcony. They have a 4V too. I'm not sure if you would need the mesh backing that comes with it, I have that as all my channels are in the same direction, so it blocks interference. However, you're halfway between Philly and NY so you may want signals from both directions.
You may not need amplification either, sometimes that makes it worse. I'd try without first. You can always add an amplifier later.