Our City is a Great City
Hey Neighbor! 👋
Glad you stopped by. Just wanted to take a minute to thank you for living in Lansing, and to shine a light on all that’s around us.
Our city has some pretty swell stuff. World-class stuff. Quirky stuff. IYKYK stuff. After a while, you might get used to it. That’s why we’re here to remind you what’s here. Whether you live in a Downtown loft or along a country road, you are Lansing — and you have a lot to be proud of.
So, here’s a random, non-exhaustive list of our favorite things about Lansing. (Have more ideas? You know where to find us.)
#1 The winding River Trail#2 The Stober's wizard, who watches over us#3 Stoopfest#4 Rose Cooper. And also Rose Cooper#5 South Lansing Farmers Market and Meridian Farmers Market, and Farmers Market at the Capitol, and…#6 Pinball Pete’s and retro game nights#7 Lansing Facts#8 Olympic Broil's Classic Car Cruise-In on Tuesdays#9 MSU's iconic Midnight Scream during finals#10 Rock climbing at the Ledges, the only outdoor rock climbing spot in the Lower Peninsula#11 The giraffe at West Side Meijer gas station#12 East Lansing Art Festival, JazzFest, literally all of the festivals all the time#13 Big Gretch, an East Lansing native and Spartan alum#14 Metro Melik and his undying love for the 517#15 Ratchet's mysterious disappearance from the Lugnuts#16 Everyone having their "own" Quality Dairy that carries a personal and emotional connection#17 Kewpee's #18 The whole Olive Burger thing#19 Magic Johnson is from Lansing#20 The last time it was 100 degrees in Lansing was 2012
#21 We're makin' it happen#22 An airport with the fastest security line ever#23 The sasquatches mural in REO Town that people dress up seasonally#24 Curwood Castle and its enchanting charm#25 The Elvis Room at Corey’s Lounge, and all the food in it#26 The greatest mountain biker ever, John Tomac, grew up in Owosso#27 Apologies peanut allergy folks, but The Peanut Barrel in East Lansing and The Peanut Shop Downtown are giving peanut love#28 The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at MSU, which can literally create the same rare isotopes that are created in the cosmos#29 We illuminate a giant cow statue with Christmas lights in the Silver Bells parade#30 Stevie Wonder went to the School for the Blind in Lansing#31 Lansing Common Football Club, and their aesthetically pleasing logo#32 Shigematsu garden at LCC#33 Yelling "Go Green!" to strangers on gameday at MSU#34 The Turner Dodge building#35 Elderly Instruments, a literal national treasure#36 The Fledge, and the Fledge subculture#37 Listening to the Spartan Marching Band on the way to a football game#38 The accessible playground at the Adado Riverfront Park#39 Having access to a top-tier community college, LCC#40 Being within a couple hours' drive of a Great Lake in either direction
#41 Standing at the confluence of the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers#42 Trucks running into the Pennsylvania Ave. railroad bridge#43 Nerding out over vintage arcade games at The Grid#44 The polar bear in the Natural Science building at MSU#45 Fitzgerald Park and its miles of trails#46 Flour Child Bakery#47 The 517 Juneteenth Celebration#48 Sanctuary Spirits, a distillery in a former church#49 A healthy amount of classic rock radio stations#50 A robust local coffee scene, with die-hard loyalists #51 Basking in the sun at a minor league baseball game eating $2 tacos#52 Horseback riding at Northfork Farms#53 Being a hub for State of Michigan government jobs#54 Thrift stores with authentic Vintage Stuff™#55 Lansing Public Media Center#56 Boutique shops dedicated to incredibly niche interests, like Deadtime Stories and Thrift Witch#57 An undying dedication to high school sports#58 Watching the sunset atop the massive hill at Granger Meadows Park#59 Soaking in classic small-town joy at the DeWitt Ox Roast#60 An excess of summer festivals and, therefore, an excess of elephant ears
#61 The Otto E. Eckert Power Plant's iconic three stacks: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. No matter which direction you're coming from, you know you're home when you see them on the horizon#62 A fabled taco place that was only open when it posted on Facebook that it was open#63 Zeke the Wonder Dog#64 Finding weird stuff at the MSU Surplus Store#65 The Farm Lane walk sign, especially when it is on#66 Dennis at Crunchy's karaoke#67 Wilson the red panda at Potter Park Zoo#68 "Ope."#69 Joey Chestnut ate 18 olive burgers at a Lugnuts game#70 Moore's Park Pool, the oldest surviving and longest operating Bintz pool in the nation, and the people who love it#71 When DeWitt basically becomes Whoville at the Christmas Market#72 Quality Dairy french onion dip#73 Naing Myanmar Family Restaurant on the South Side#74 The Cleats patio at the Hope Sports Complex#75 A city that's literally an island, Eaton Rapids#76 The Lebowsky Center in Owosso#77 Bougie dinners at the English Inn#78 Pretending you're in a Hallmark movie in quaint downtowns#79 The Ingham County Fair#80 The iconic brand that is Moneyball Sportswear
#81 A women-founded hospital and healthcare system, Sparrow #82 Murals! So many murals. #83 Salus Center and their inclusive community events#84 Mason literally being known as "Hometown U.S.A." #85 Stargazing at Fox Park Public Observatory#86 Young Bros & Daley, a Michigan Ave. institution since 1893#87 Exploring cute galleries at Arts Night Out#88 Getting lost in antique stores at the Mega Mall or Williamston Antique Mall#89 The river in a shoe store at Playmakers#90 The other river in a store at Preuss Pets#91 The bus in a store at Preuss Pets#92 Gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Okemos#93 Everything Izzo — Coach, Lupe, and don't forget the Izzone#94 Woldumar Nature Center#95 Oreo Ice Cream was "invented" at Coral Gables in East Lansing#96 Miles the two-legged otter at Potter Park Zoo#97 Eating at Brody Hall#98 MSU Dairy Store#99 Tea Parties at the MSU Children's Garden#100 CADL's Library of Things, where you can rent a metal detector and an American Girl Doll all at the same time
#101 All of the Above Hip Hop Academy#102 East Lansing Art Fair#103 Capital City Film Festival#104 Sparty: The man, the myth, the legend#105 Mort's, B & I and Dagwood's — and all the dive bars really#106 Sundance and the icon known as Terry Hanks#107 South Riley Tavern#108 The incredibly talented Mila and Torrey#109 Edru Skate-o-Rama#110 The smell of Paramount Coffee roasting in the morning Downtown#111 All things WKAR: Curious Crew, Off the Record with Tim Skubick, and having an HD Spanish-language channel#112 88.9 FM The Impact#113 Fireworks Glass Studios#114 Jacob Moran, local American Idol contestant#115 Muralmatics and Dustin Hunt#116 The CATApillar#117 Flip Flop Rooftop#118 Music in the Park at Lake Lansing South#119 Tyler Oakley, who is from Okemos#120 Darius Moon houses
#121 Apartments with a baseball field in your backyard#122 Kositchek's#123 A Batman movie was filmed at the Broad museum#124 The Downtown skyline was featured in a Milky Way commercial#125 Numerous chili cookoffs#126 Being one of the only places in the U.S. where the Anthrax vaccine is made#127 Diederich Produce Farm#128 Petting the horses and goats at MSU#129 Sheri Jones#130 The bike park at Birchfield#131 EnVie#132 Old Town, Lansing's original downtown that's always reinventing itself#133 Tavern 109 in Williamston#134 Laying on the floor of the Capitol to look at the dome#135 Downtown Lansing, which has something for everyone during lunch hour, a weekend afternoon, or a night out#136 Capital City Market (aka "Downton Meijer" or "Bougie Meijer")#137 Grace Boutique in Old Town#138 Fiber optics were invented by Lansing-born physicist Donald B. Keck#139 Artisan popcorn at Cravings#140 Picking strawberries at Felzke's
#141 Taco Festival#142 A ridiculously robust library system with the Capital Area District Library#143 The rose garden at Frances Park#144 Our complicated relationship with Frandor which, at the end of the day, we love#145 Another brewery in a church: Looking Glass Brewing#146 Ten Hens Farm in Bath#147 Mind-altering experiences at the Abrams Planetarium#148 Peacock Road Family Farm and its Christmas train#149 The Robin Theatre, its bookstore, and its legendary holiday show#150 The Super Secret Cult Band#151 So many corn mazes#152 The haunted car wash#153 Karaoke at the Avenue#154 Larry Page is from East Lansing#155 Island Park#156 Portland Playhouse#157 Devoted Car People™ with strong union roots#158 Billy Strings is from Lansing#159 Concerts in the Park#160 Deacon Earl, the blues musician
#161 Social Sloth#162 We take cheesecake seriously – Everything Is Cheesecake and Mr. Leslie's#163 A ton of women-owned bookstores#164 Casa de Rosado#165 Cristo Rey Community Center#166 Building Child and Family Initiatives#167 Petals & Pinecones, a local mentorship nonprofit#168 LCC Connect, the LCC radio station segment#169 Impression 5's giant mouth#170 The giant head sculpture downtown, designed and built by Ivan Iler#171 Capital City River Run#172 Urban gardens, specifically on the Eastside, like Tender Heart Gardens#173 Wharton Center#174 Lansing Shuffle#175 The energy in East Lansing when thousands of Spartans return to campus for Homecoming#176 The Riverwalk#177 Sweet Encounter Kids Culinary Academy#178 Multiple places of worship for any faith#179 The Everett High School Dance Team and its arts programs#180 The surprisingly large vinyl selection at Westlund's Apple Market
#181 The Record Lounge#182 The ice skating rink Downtown#183 Community theatre like Riverwalk, Ixion, and Grand Ledge#184 Gregory's Soul Food and the community#185 Cheryl Fritze and the Sparrow Medical Minute#186 Local jingles for car dealers#187 Refugee Development Center#188 This 1980s Quality Dairy commercial ft. Magic Johnson#189 REACH Studio Art Center#190 The Habibi Dancers, a belly dancing troupe#191 Taking roller derby very, very seriously#192 Inclusive hair salons like Hair United#193 Firecracker Foundation#194 The iconic clock on Boji Tower#195 The whole process that is choosing and lighting the Capitol Christmas tree #196 Kooky Eastside culture, in general#197 The fact that you can go to LeRoy's at 7am#198 Fleetwood Diner#199 Westphalia Cruise-in car show#200 The fashion show at REO Town's annual REO Town Thrift Store Gala and Burlesque Extravaganza
#201 Fenner Nature Center#202 Live poetry readings from The Poetry Room#203 Chalk of the Town in Old Town#204 So. Many. Barbecue. Options.#205 Capital City Dragon Boat Festival#206 Picnics in the park at Patriarche Park#207 Lansing Citizens Academy#208 Farmers Market at the Capitol#209 The frenzy that is Arctic Corner on a hot summer day#210 Les Meres et Debutantes of Greater Lansing cotillion, and its rich history#211 Rudy Wilson, a legend and the first salaried Black employee at Oldsmobile in Lansing#212 Art collectives, like Briarwood and Cedar Street Art Collective #213 517 Shirts#214 The fact that MSUFCU's "got your best interest at heart." (RIP to the old jingle)#215 Llamafest at MSU#216 Brunch at Soup Spoon Cafe#217 Festival of Oddities at Turner Dodge#218 Halloween in neighborhoods that go hard#219 Eastside Fish Fry's chicken and eclectic interior#220 The Michigan's: Meijer's, Kroger's, Aldi's
#221 Michigan Wildlife Conservancy#222 The vintage Pillsbury mural at REACH#223 Lansing Urban Farm Project#224 Dylan and Jeana Dee#225 ArtPath#226 LEAP's PROTO Accelerator#227 The giant skeletons in Groesbeck#228 emPOWer Lansing kickboxing#229 Brand-new music venues Downtown#230 DJ Ruckus#231 The eclectic mugs at Blue Owl and Good Truckin' Diner#232 ALT Printing Co.'s Lansing manhole cover screenprints#233 Ryan Holmes art#234 Steak for sale in the mall parking lot#235 Mr. Party#236 Dependable public transportation from Okemos to the capitol even on holidays, game days, and at night#237 Bar crawls#238 The Tin Can#239 Gold-medal-winning Jordyn Wieber is from DeWitt#240 Lots of materials accepted at recycling centers
#241 Frankenfest#242 Vegan Doughnuts from Strange Matter#243 American Fifth Spirits, Lansing's first distillery#244 Drag dinners at The People's Kitchen#245 Dam Jam at Brenke Fish Ladder#246 Ranney Park, Lansing's century-old ballpark#247 The corn cake from Saddleback BBQ#248 Trivia at Harry's Place#249 Wally Pleasant#250 Catching a performance at the Charlotte Performing Arts Center#251 Capital City Bird Sanctuary#252 Sweetie-licious and the life-changing pie they make#253 Grand Ledge Opera House#254 Zaytoon's#255 Sansu Sushi and their Spicy Spartan Roll#256 Wagon rides at Clearview Orchards#257 Phil Denny, smooth jazz sensation#258 The dog parks in Soldan, Meridan, and East Lansing#259 Dirt School and mountain bike trails at Burchfield Park#260 Local concerts hosted by Ten Pound Fiddle
#261 Lincoln Brick Park#262 Gardens at MSU Radiology#263 Maple Syrup Festival at Fenner Nature Center#264 Horseback riding at Sundance Riding Stables#265 Heritage Hall at the Capitol Building#266 Happy hour at Maru#267 The Polar Express in Owosso#268 Watching the sunlight reflect of Lake Lansing from the roof of Mayfair Bar#269 The Mint Festival in St. Johns#270 Fishing in Kalamink Creek#271 East Lansing Pump House concerts#272 The peaceful quiet in the neighborhood after the first snowfall#273 Finding hidden treasures in the REO Town Marketplace#274 Melting Moments ice cream sandwiches#275 Making your own soda flavor at Sleepwalker#276 The Knapp's Building, a decades old staple of downtown#277 People watching on the Grand River#278 Sandwiches from Jose's Cuban Sandwiches#279 The Martini Glass fountain in the Capitol complex#280 Bad Annie's Sweary Goods
#281 Ellison Brewery & Distillery#282 Brunch at Midtown Brewing Company#283 The sound of Beaumont Tower in the distance on MSU campus#284 Neighborhood cats in Moore's Park#285 People throwing birthday parties in the park#286 The Best of Lansing Festival at Jackson Field#287 The Bloody Marys at the Watershed Tavern & Grill#288 The city's many dispos#289 The double-decker McDonald's on MSU's campus#290 The Planet Walk on the Riverwalk#291 Art Lab at MSU#292 Theresa Rosado#293 Yoga at Firefly Hot Yoga Barre#294 The landscaping on LCC's campus#295 Go karts in a mall at High Caliber Karting & Entertainment#296 Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center#297 The Meridian Historical Village#298 Portland party store and their great doughnuts#299 Friday fish frys at the Portland VFW#300 The Michigan Women's Historical Center
#301 Little Red Schoolhouse and its antique flea market#302 LLB Asian Market on Saginaw Highway#303 Picnic Food Truck#304 Kona Ice and the people's devoted love for Kona Ice#305 R.E. Olds Transportation Museum #306 The vegetarian plate from Altu's (and all of their food, TBH)#307 Snow! Despite being a big city, winter isn't miserable in Lansing#308 A very devoted Facebook group for local foodies#309 Jamie Schriner and her Elvis mural#310 PRIDE in Old Town#311 Habana Delights, the bright pink food truck#312 Disc golf at Burchfield#313 Launch Trampoline Park#314 Harris Nature Center#315 The African World Museum and Resource Center#316 Tollgate Wetlands#317 Dog Trick or Treating in Old Town#318 Being one of the nation's insurance capitals, with six insurance companies headquartered in Mid-Michigan#319 The Accident Fund building#320 Old Jerusalem Bakery 
#321 The red Christmas balls downtown#322 Odd Nodd Art Supply#323 Shove It Pizza Truck#324 Laurén Gerig Brady's art#325 Scene Metrospace showcasing the undergrad art students of MSU every year#326 Lansing was the first city in the country to establish an organization dedicated to women's history#327 The gay frog doughnuts Strange Matter made for Pride#328 The famous corpse flower that bloomed at MSU#329 W.J. Beal Botanical Garden at MSU#330 Warm chips from Fiesta Charra#331 Winding trails at Padgett Park in DeWitt#332 With Celebration, NCG, Regal, and many independent theaters, you've got your pick when it comes to movie theaters#333 Doug and Laura DeLind's art#334 Phillips Orchard & Cider Bar#335 The Halloween Rocky Horror live shadow cast performance at the Sun Theatre in Williamston#336 Metro Retro#337 Middle Village giving local small businesses a place to start out#338 Bruce Campbell wears an MSU jacket in Evil Dead#339 Quinn XCII went to MSU#340 The Avocado bagel at Chateau Coffee Co.
#341 Capital Hippie making high fashion tie dye fits#342 Lansing Brewing Company's winter patio parties#343 The Red Cedar Jubilee#344 The Michigan Library and Historical Center#345 Cooley Law School#346 The Jamando at Chapelure Fine Pastry & Espresso#347 Buying locally made artisan bread at Breadsmith#348 Brenke Fish Ladder#349 Grand River Connection networking events#350 The Albert El Fresco in East Lansing#351 The old-school and somewhat liminal vibe of seeing Santa at the Lansing Mall#352 Basement Salad (IYKYK)#353 East Lansing's hamster cage parking garage#354 Fire and Rice Food Truck#355 Red Haven and it's reclaimed wood fixtures#356 The ducks outside Olympic Broil#357 Anderson Park#358 Deer sightings on the area's nature trails#359 Scrapfest#360 The Old Town General Store
#361 Gritty industrial vibes#362 The fact that you can get ice cream at a fireworks store#363 The Fourth of July fireworks show, and congregating with your neighborhood to watch#364 Island Art Fair#365 Finding crafts at Maple Street Mall#366 The wood play structures at Rayner Park#367 Finding treasures at the Free, Cheap, and Antiques Store #368 The fact that there's a Michigan Steam Engine and Threshers Club #369 The "Pet of the Day" segment on WLNS#370 The bins-style Goodwill in Charlotte#371 The somewhat hidden gem that is Hunters Orchard Park#372 Pickleball at the MAC#373 The Williamston Theatre#374 Impressive local news coverage across mediums#375 Being a hub for healthcare, with employment opportunities across the region#376 Eating ice cream out of a tiny plastic trash can at Twister's#377 Being the only U.S. state capital that is not also a county seat#378 El Azteco’s signature Topopo salad#379 Lansing School District being the only district in the state to offer universal free preschool#380 The Dark Arts of Michigan and Tater Tot Noxious
#381 Professional wrestling at The Fledge#382 The thriving punk scene on the Eastside#383 Goat yoga at Hilltop Views Farm#384 There used to be a speakeasy in the middle of Lake Lansing that Al Capone (allegedly) visited#385 The Lansing Promise Scholarship#386 Beacon Soccer Field#387 Fly fishing in the Grand River#388 Grand River Connection breakfasts where young grads can network and build friendships#389 Charlotte Frontier Days#390 Guy Fieri visited a bunch of local restaurants on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives#391 The vintage Frandor sign#392 CADL's house history workshops, where you can research the history of your house#393 Summit Comics#394 "At Liberty Coins, we're right on the moneyyyyy"#395 Ice skating at Munn Arena#396 Old Mill Antiques Mall#397 The giant sledding hills at Hawk Island and Granger Meadows#398 Retailers with a super-long history like Rehmann's in St. Johns#399 Paczki season#400 MSU grads that leave after graduation, but then come back because they realize how awesome Lansing is
#401 The city's general love for REO Speedwagon#402 Fall colors at Moore's Park#403 Getting fries delivered carside at Nip 'n' Sip#404 Asia’s Finest on Cedar St.#405 Watching people lose their minds over landscaping displays at the MSU Home and Garden Show#406 The patio at Twilliger's#407 Knowing your mail carrier by name#408 Small-town hardware stores, in general#409 The Champion Rocks commercials#410 The Masonic Temple building downtown#411 The unyielding neighborhood energy on snow days#412 MikeyyAustin & the Soulcial Club#413 Ice fishing on Muskrat Lake in St. Johns#414 The faint sound of trains in the distance#415 The MSU plant sale#416 City Pulse's "Eye Candy & Eyesore of the Week"#417 Messy college vibes at Rick's#418 The League of Michigan Bicyclists#419 The General Tso's chicken at Chen's#420 There's a pool at the WLNS studio
#421 A plethora of pet rescues like New Hope, Happy Feet, and Saved by Zade#422 A wonderfully large amount of Thai food options#423 Babe's Corner's delicious vegan ice cream#424 The vintage store inside an auto repair shop at the corner of MLK and Grand River#425 The authentic French-Creole fare at The Creole#426 Throwing stones with the Lansing Curling Club#427 Skateboarding at Ranney Skate Park#428 Tater tots in wraps at Conrad's#429 This vintage WILX-TV the place to be! commercial#430 Power 96.5 hip hop station#431 Little Arlington#432 This coverage of a national bowling tournament at Royal Scot#433 517 Coffee#434 Cesar Chavez's involvement with MSU and the local area#435 Coyote Wisdom Bookstore and its literal gems#436 Seeing people dressed up for Capital City Comic Con#437 Supermercado La Estrellita and particularly their tacos#438 The fine folks at EagleMonk#439 Malcolm X lived here#440 Socialight Society and Nyshell Lawrence, in general
#441 The glowy lights and Brian Whitfield's mural under the 127 bridge at Michigan Ave#442 The Blue Gill Grill#443 Spending Small Business Saturday at all the local shops#444 Niowave, TechSmith, and Lectronix, our home-grown tech and science sector#445 The huge wrap-around industry that grew up around GM here, like Demmer Manufacturing, Capital Steel & Wire, and Altec Lansing#446 Being home to a lion's share of associations and advocacy groups who help form policy in our state#447 James Madison College at MSU, and its always-devoted JMC students#448 Old Nation Brewing Co. and M-43 IPA#449 Lugnuts theme nights, including Magnum P.I. Night#450 Our homegrown foundations like Dart Foundation and the Community Foundation#451 MSU Butterfly and Children's Garden#452 The Chinese New Year Celebration at Meridian Mall#453 Triple Goddess Bookstore#454 Sipping wine with a new book at Hooked#455 Great architecture#456 Douglas J#457 City Pulse's yearly Top of the Town list#458 Sushi Moto and their local love with a Lansing Roll, a Delta Roll, an MSU Roll, a Michigan Roll (and a boatload of other delicious rolls)#459 Joan Nelson#460 Sapporo Ramen in East Lansing
#461 Chris Swope always wearing a bow tie#462 Terror on 27, the area's most notorious Halloween attraction#463 Living in a state with four seasons#464 Brooke Hogan filmed a music video at Lake Lansing#465 Being the center of America's High Five#466 Friedland Industries and their off-the-wall metal stuff#467 Andrew Sandstedt, artist, sculptor, and man about town#468 Our creative and communications industry, with AAF Lansing and CMPRSA#469 Masaki Takahashi, Lansing Poet Laureate and founder of The Poetry Room#470 Sarah Pulver's murals#471 Let's be honest: Legalized weed makes Michigan a pretty good spot for the over-21 crowd#472 Steph Joy Hogan art and all of the bus shelter art#473 Dimondale is a pickleball, art, and culture bubble. Who knew. #474 Zoobie's truffle oil popcorn#475 10 over the Next Ten — Lansing's list of young-uns who are gonna make a difference#476 The Old Town Sir Pizza, which has its own stage and live performances#477 Bob Hoffman#478 Live Music Thursdays at Nelson Gallery#479 Deb Hart#480 Lansing City Rescue Mission
#481 Wine tasting at Burgdorf's#482 Airport Tavern#483 MSU's student-made marketplace#484 Constellation Cat Cafe#485 The farmer's market at Allen Neighborhood Center#486 Squinting at the Horrock's sign to see what produce is on sale#487 The term "Lanstronaut"#488 Author Lyssa Kay Adams#489 Silver Bells and our dedication to region-wide holiday festivities#490 Asio Aviance, Lansing drag legend#491 Our highways confusingly being 69, 96, and 496#492 The sunflower field at Uncle John's Cider Mill#493 The CADL local history digital archives, with gems such as this 1914 postcard#494 Roads named after social justice leaders like MLK, Malcolm X, and Cesar Chavez#495 Winnie the dog at Clean Refillery#496 Deadtime Stories and the owner Jenn Carpenter's podcast, "So Dead"#497 5/17 is now a local holiday called 517 Day#498 Star gazing at Sleepy Hollow State Park#499 The Greater Lansing Food Bank, which distributed 9,173,560 meals in 2022 alone#500 The community-painted underpass mural near Potter Park Zoo
#501 Red Haven's themed dinners#502 Lansing's beloved duo Ben Rathbun and Lillian Werbin#503 The Hawk Island Triathlon#504 MSU's cameo in Don't Look Up#505 The historic (and potentially haunted?) Eaton County Courthouse#506 Olympic Broil chicken tenders#507 Ele's Place#508 Joe's Gizzard City in Potterville#509 Scotcharoos at the Frandor Deli#510 The Lansing Symphony Orchestra — what a gem!#511 A disproportionate amount of really good florists#512 Golden Harvest's late night pop-ups#513 East Lansing Aquatic Center#514 The Moist Towelette Museum in the planetarium#515 The ranch served at Cugino's in Grand Ledge#516 Multiple incubators and accelerators for local entrepreneurs #517 The general vibe of helping a neighbor out The Lansing Manifesto 📣
It might be more accurate to illustrate what Lansing is by sharing what it is not.
Lansing is not just one thing. It is not a fast-paced metropolis, but it is not an insular small town. It is not the latest passing trend, nor is it a well-kept secret. It is not buttoned-up. It is not hung up on laurels of the past. It did not peak in high school. It is not overrated, it is not underrated. It does not rely on external opinions for its own validity, as it does not have time for self-doubt. It does not exclude, does not infringe on human rights, and absolutely does not reserve any space for hate.
Lansing is not up-and-coming — we’ve been up, and we’ve been here.
In Lansing, we focus on doing. We roll up our sleeves, tell it like it is, stand up for our people, double down on our values, write our own future, lend a hand to our neighbors, laugh a lot, put down roots, create weird things, know who we are, and seize every opportunity. Most importantly, we look straight ahead — because that’s where we’re headed.
At the center of the Great Lakes state, Lansing is a region that welcomes everyone with open arms and boundless opportunities. A network of communities coming together as one, we thrive at the crossroads of connection and individuality. Together, we work to create an environment where dreams are nurtured and achievements celebrated.
We take our role as Michigan’s capital seriously, as the home base for decisions that impact the entire state’s quality of life. Colleges and universities right in our backyard educate folks that go on to make a difference. With diverse school districts, bustling festivals, and housing options that you can actually afford, Lansing is more than a place – it's a state of mind, and it is home.
Lansing's Values ❤️🔥
Stay true to yourself.
Lansing doesn’t try to be something it’s not — and neither do our people. Authenticity is at the core of our region, honoring our strong history, diverse backgrounds, and firmly held beliefs.
Help a neighbor out.
We embody “Midwest nice.” Beyond literally lending a hand to our neighbors, Lansing operates on a foundation of shared respect, collaboration, and support, welcoming different perspectives and standing strong together.
Do the work.
Have a big idea or see something amiss? Take initiative to solve it. Do not wait for someone else to take action with a “they should” mindset. We are not spectators. We are “they.”
Be proud of your city.
Our roots run deep. We consciously strive to embrace and uplift our region: its people, its accomplishments, its quirks. We celebrate these at every opportunity.
How to Talk About Lansing 🗣
Lansing isn’t a place, it’s a state of mind. Just kidding. It’s very much a place, too. When we say “Lansing,” we mean the whole collection of communities surrounding the Capital City. This includes cities all the way from Portland, to Charlotte, to Owosso, to Mason — all of the communities included on this site. We’re better together, and we’re all Lansing.
Lansing: “Lansing” can be used on its own to refer to the collection of communities surrounding the Capital City. (All of the communities included in our handy map.) Because our communities are so interconnected, it makes sense to present our region as a united entity.
City of Lansing: When we want to refer to the community of Lansing itself (within Lansing’s city limits), we say — you guessed it — “City of Lansing.” This includes distinct neighborhoods within the City like the Eastside, Southside, and Downtown.
The Lansing region: Use this as another way of saying “Lansing” when you want more direct emphasis on the broad range of communities.
Mid-Michigan: We use “Mid-Michigan” to refer to the broad geographic location of the middle of the Lower Peninsula. This extends beyond the Lansing region, but is a handy way to reference our location within the state as a whole.
The super-official and highly formal term for Lansing residents is “Lanstronauts,” as determined from a poll of residents themselves led by Lansing Facts. Shoot for the stars, Lanstronauts.
Situated comfortably between small-town charm and big-city energy, Lansing offers a broad range of employment opportunities, attainable housing options, and things to do across its various communities. There’s always something for everyone.
All of our communities have something unique to offer. We’ve summed up some of the top points on each of the community pages on this site. These pages include some key features and points of pride that you can be sure to include when talking about your community.
Let them know that, situated comfortably between small-town charm and big-city energy, Lansing offers a broad range of employment opportunities, attainable housing options, and things to do across its various communities. There’s always something for everyone. Then, of course, direct them to this website.
In short, don’t put Lansing down. Don’t say “there’s nothing to do here” or, heaven forbid, the infamous “there’s nowhere to park Downtown.” Instead, look around you. Emphasize the good. Sure, we all might get frustrated with our home now and then. But that’s why it’s home. It’s that sibling you occasionally argue with but, at the end of the day, they’re family. Don’t talk trash about your family.
Who is Lansing for? 👀
Lansing is for everyone looking to find their niche among a robust collection of communities.
Lansing is for everyone looking for attainable housing and amenities, with affordability that significantly improves their quality of life.
Lansing is for everyone ready to embrace a fulfilling career, with opportunities to grow through the long term.
Lansing is for everyone who understands the importance of diverse perspectives and the value of learning from those different from ourselves.
Lansing is for everyone who has an eye for opportunity and is not afraid to put in work to seize it.
Lansing is for everyone.