A lively, youthful, down-to-Earth college town
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9/5/2022
East Lansing is a wonderful, lively, youthful college town that has gotten better over time. You feel the strong Spartan Spirit everywhere as students, alumni and locals alike deeply love and appreciate this world-class university and its environs.
Also, because MSU is the land-grant and agricultural college, the atmosphere is also very down-to-Earth where all are welcome and there is little sense of exclusivity.
I went to grad school (as a single) here in the early 2000s. At first I was disappointed, but after peeling back the layers, I realized how globally connected MSU is and how many amazing scholars are here who are just normal, approachable folks in the neighborhood.
Still, I used to feel that EL and the Greater Lansing area were below their potential. When I went back home in WI and visited cities like Madison, I felt that Michigan was somewhat stuck in the past. (Just one more GM plant will restore our glory!)
Then I left and returned with my (multicultural) family and looked for a place where they would feel comfortable and not deal with the challenges of being treated as an curiosity (or worse) in the suburbs.
Visiting Lansing schools I realized that none of the white teachers or admins sent their kids to their own schools. For us, that left Okemos and East Lansing. While Okemos has amazing palace-like schools, it is truly a bedroom community with primarily sprawling suburbs, spread-out mall-ish shopping. and a forgettable downtown pocked with crater-like potholes where cars race by at 45 mph.
Meanwhile, East Lansing is a more historic city with nice, established neighborhoods and a real downtown. At last, the city has caught up and welcomed tons of new housing restaurants, cafes, shopping, offices, etc. in the city center. In the summer, a main downtown street is closed off and seating and games are put up. It is a wonderful vibe with so many new culinary options. EL still is not on par with Ann Arbor or Madison, but it is upping its game! My only complaint would be that the bulk of the amenities are targeted at students, but the situation is improving.
I am happy with the decision to send our kids to schools here in EL. The world truly comes together here, which I feel is embraced here for the most part. Expectations, and teacher quality are high, and the community coughed up $90 million to build a fleet of new schools. It is not a place with a high level of white fear and flight.
Finally, having access to all that the MSU campus offers is mind-boggling. Professionally, it has meant the ability to take any course I want, use the phenomenal library, connect with brilliant minds and soak up the historic architecture and landscape of campus. Recreationally, there is always something going on...the sports, activities, music, theater, events, etc. I challenge anybody to walk through campus on game day, the band belting out the fight song, everyone decked out in their green and white...and not get a chill up your spine. So wonderful!
Otherwise, the quality level of public services - from library to police, aquatic center, community center, parks & recreation, roads (still Michigan horrible, but marginally less so), - is higher than in most areas.
Overall, I can't imaging living anywhere else in the Greater Lansing area! Go Green!
James | East Lansing, MI