Here’s Capital Gains’ look at moving to East Lansing. Also check out our guides to investing in and visiting East Lansing.

Since the early 1800s, professors, politicians and businessmen have recognized East Lansing as a great place to raise a family and establish a career.

Then as now, the area’s amenities—including access to the culture and resources of a world-class land grant university, lots of professional talent, great restaurants, and a successful downtown shopping district—continue to attract some of Michigan’s most prestigious families to the area.

East Lansing is now mid-Michigan’s educational and lifestyle epicenter, catering to the needs of some of the country’s greatest minds while creating a safe haven for the many families who have settled in the area.

Neighborhoods

East Lansing was built around Michigan State University, so the city itself is attractive to students. But it’s also a great place to raise a family. When East Lansing had its first population boom in the late 1850s, city planners were careful to create family-friendly neighborhoods close to downtown.

The Bailey Neighborhood is one of the city’s oldest downtown neighborhoods. This neighborhood was home to some of MSU’s most notable graduates, including Rollo May, one of the country’s most influential existential psychoanalysts. MSU professors and employees continue to live and work in the Bailey Neighborhood, which is a quick five to 10 minute walk to the MSU campus.

By 1899, the city’s most popular downtown neighborhoods like Bailey were already bursting at the seams, which prompted an elite group—including a prominent physician, a businessman, a Michigan Supreme Court justice, an MSU secretary and an MSU engineering professor—to design the Oakwood Neighborhood. It remains one of downtown Lansing’s most architecturally diverse and charming neighborhoods.

“If you look at older East Lansing, you don’t see many houses next door to each other that look a like,” says East Lansing Historian Jack Thompson, about the appeal of the city’s older neighborhoods.

The beautiful houses in the Bailey and Oakwood Neighborhoods are wonderful, but not everyone wants to deal with all of the quirks that go along with owning a house built before 1930.

Hawk’s Nest, a northern East Lansing neighborhood, is the perfect fit for families who prefer a newer, custom-made home. The first Hawk’s Nest home was built in 2002, and the area now has a very active neighborhood association.  

“There are a lot of great family functions in our neighborhood,” says Hawk’s Nest dweller, Kurt Jacobs. “They do a lot of things that involve the kids, including neighborhood watches and block parties.”

Convenience and amenities

Since East Lansing is a smaller city of about 50,000 residents, it’s easy for residents in the older neighborhoods to walk to downtown shopping and restaurants, or access local parks and other amenities.

The Bailey Neighborhood includes both Bailey Park and Patriarche Park. Bailey Park is built around one of the area’s oldest school buildings, the Bailey School. Patriarche Park is on the north side of the Bailey neighborhood and has one of the largest playgrounds in the area.

Teachers and other young professionals flock to East Lansing because the city is a safe family place, but it also has a convenient and vibrant nightlife to keep the under-30 crowd entertained at night. Bars like Dublin Square, Woody’s Oasis, El Azteco and the Peanut Barrel draw young people downtown, as do unique restaurants such as Omi Sushi and Beggars Banquet.

Though downtown East Lansing isn’t in his backyard, northern-tier residents such as Jacobs and his family are within a short drive of other family amenities.

The Family Aquatic Center, which includes a 190-foot tube water slide, and the Northern Tier bike trail are right down the street from Jacobs. He’s also a short, five-minute drive into downtown East Lansing, where he can take his children to local community venues like the Hannah Community Center.

The Hannah Center is a new East Lansing facility, built in an old remodeled neighborhood school. It now features a health club, basketball courts, ballet lessons, swimming classes and karate classes.

Across the street from the Hannah Center is the East Lansing Public Library. In addition to plenty of books, the library also offers knitting classes, homework help teams, story-time and popcorn and movie nights.

Businesses and schools

The way that East Lansing’s Oakwood Neighborhood was created—residents wanted something, so they did it themselves—is an attitude that remains an integral part of East Lansing. When MSU, the City of East Lansing, the citizens and business owners want something done, they do it.

In fact, MSU employees created the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, now the largest university-operated credit union in the country, because university employees wanted a stable financial institution during the depression.

More recently, the City of East Lansing created a business incubator to help meet the needs of a booming high-tech industry. Through the incubator, the city is being proactive by creating a consolidated space for businesses that will propel its economy.

East Lansing’s willingness to move and change with the times, and MSU’s wonderful programs, have also attracted innovative talent, which has helped the area grow into a bustling, modern city.

The city’s strong education system is another attraction. U.S. News & World Report recently recognized East Lansing High School as being one of the best high schools in the country.

East Lansing’s elementary and middle schools are also outstanding, and when it comes to teachers, East Lansing gets the pick of the litter. The reputation of East Lansing schools and the high quality of life in East Lansing make the area’s schools a very attractive place to be.

“We just really enjoy the neighborhood where we live,” says downtown resident Emily Fleury, 28. “Most importantly, we take advantage of the restaurants close by and walk down there for dinner.”

Whether it’s the neighborhoods, the schools or the university that draw you to East Lansing, it’s clearly a great place to live and raise a family.

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Ivy Hughes is the Development Editor for Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.

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Photos:

East Lansing neighborhoods

Dublin Square

Hannah Community Center

East Lansing High School

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie