Where to live in Lansing? (Grand Rapids, Saginaw: estate, housing, rental)

[blckisusan]

My husband is looking at moving to Lansing to go to school. We live in Texas right now and don't know what the city is like. Since I'm a "southern girl", I don't know things like... how to drive in the snow So I was thinking we should live close to the school or areas where walking or using the transit system would be more convenient.

Here's my question.. what areas are safe that are still inside the city? I'm in my late 20's, caucasian, and disabled. At one time in my life, I never even considered whether an area was bad or not, if the house had charm, I'd live in it. Years later and bad experiences have changed that. I've seen some wonderful remodelled homes online in an area called Old Town, what is that like?

Any information is greatly appreciated by this "southern girl" moving up to "cold country"

[Southernkomfort27]

Where is he planing to go to school? If it's Michigan State, then you may want to check out East Lansing, where MSU is located.

[blckisusan]

No, not MSU. Thomas Cooley.

[michiganbob]

Cooley is located in downtown Lansing where, unfortunately, there are not a lot of housing options. (Okay, there are options, but many of them are not the safest or cheapest.) The good thing, if you drive, is that it is right off of I-496 which runs right across the center of town, which means your husband can get to school from pretty much anywhere. Parking downtown will cost about $80-100 a month, or could be free if he's willing to walk about seven or eight blocks. (Just start at the school with a map and work your way out until you stop seeing parking meters or No Parking signs).

The good news for you housing-wise is that nothing is selling here lately, so many nice homes that used to be for sale are now for rent. I would stay away from the east side of Lansing as you will start competing with MSU students and faculty and, unless you like to party, there is really no reason to be over there.

I would suggest going just west of downtown, off of Waverly Road. I would look for a place to rent in an area bounded by Waverly to the east, Willow to the North, St. Joe (or the highway) to the south and Canal to the West. That's the Waverly school disctrict, so if you have kids, that's better than Lansing schools. The main east-west road in the city--Saginaw Rd--cuts right through that area I described above and has everything you need, including bus service, on it: mall, video store, fast food, YMCA, grocery store, parks, doctors, etc. Hubby can get on Waverly, head south to 496 and be in downtown in about 10 minutes most days. If you use Craigslist or some other online search service, look for listings that say Waverly area.

The area is relatively safe and well populated, although you could live further out and be even safer. However, bus service outside the city limits is limited and then you are left with longer drives to everything I listed above. You will also pay more for housing.

We do get a fair amount of snow (not as much as our friends in Grand Rapids to the West) but if you just remember to take your time, slow down and brake easy, you should be fine in the white stuff! Buy good boots, gloves and a coat and keep a shovel in your car and you should be fine.

[TheProf]

^Michiganbob, that's kind of a cheap shot at MSU (spoken like a true Michigan Man). Some of the nicest housing is in the East Lansing, Okemos, Hazlet corridor. Your going to run into partying and noise if you live near any large major university campus, including UM. But there are parts of EL that are quiet with stately old homes -- and some, in the far NE corner of the city are going for over $1M. Many people like living near the campus for the arts, restaurants and activity. There are bars and there is some partying, but I think you grossly stereotype and over-exaggerate.

[blckisusan]

Originally Posted by michiganbob

Cooley is located in downtown Lansing where, unfortunately, there are not a lot of housing options. (Okay, there are options, but many of them are not the safest or cheapest.) The good thing, if you drive, is that it is right off of I-496 which runs right across the center of town, which means your husband can get to school from pretty much anywhere. Parking downtown will cost about $80-100 a month, or could be free if he's willing to walk about seven or eight blocks. (Just start at the school with a map and work your way out until you stop seeing parking meters or No Parking signs).

The good news for you housing-wise is that nothing is selling here lately, so many nice homes that used to be for sale are now for rent. I would stay away from the east side of Lansing as you will start competing with MSU students and faculty and, unless you like to party, there is really no reason to be over there.

I would suggest going just west of downtown, off of Waverly Road. I would look for a place to rent in an area bounded by Waverly to the east, Willow to the North, St. Joe (or the highway) to the south and Canal to the West. That's the Waverly school disctrict, so if you have kids, that's better than Lansing schools. The main east-west road in the city--Saginaw Rd--cuts right through that area I described above and has everything you need, including bus service, on it: mall, video store, fast food, YMCA, grocery store, parks, doctors, etc. Hubby can get on Waverly, head south to 496 and be in downtown in about 10 minutes most days. If you use Craigslist or some other online search service, look for listings that say Waverly area.

The area is relatively safe and well populated, although you could live further out and be even safer. However, bus service outside the city limits is limited and then you are left with longer drives to everything I listed above. You will also pay more for housing.

We do get a fair amount of snow (not as much as our friends in Grand Rapids to the West) but if you just remember to take your time, slow down and brake easy, you should be fine in the white stuff! Buy good boots, gloves and a coat and keep a shovel in your car and you should be fine.

Thanks for all the info! I will check a little more into Waverly. We don't mind living a little further out normally, and my husband is a native of Michigan (outside Traverse area) so he doesn't mind driving in the snow. I'm suprised what I keep hearing though about parking! Does Cooley not have parking available on campus?? Just seems strange to me.

As far as the housing market goes, we are also not oppose to purchasing a home and renting it out later, so we will have to see what the differences are. Our biggest problem usually is our pets. So many rentals don't allow pets, and I know its for good reason, but that's not us.

We've grown out of our partying days and a good night's sleep ranks #1 on our list, so living in a "happenin'" area may not be in our best interest, so I'll definitely keep your advice in mind.

Not to seem unappreciative of what you did have to say, can you tell me anything about the area called "Old Town"? I saw a home for rent over there and brief description that its an area that has been revitalized. There can be different degrees of revitilzation

Thanks again!

[teachbeach]

The LaSalle Gardens area are the very east part of Lansing, lovely homes and nice neighborhood. (Francis, Kipling, LaSalle and streets in between) He could easily catch the bus anywhere near Frandor Shopping Center or Michigan Avenue. Another area also nice is Grosbeck. If schools are a consideration, yes, they are Lansing schools, but in good areas with good clients. Lansing is the state capitol, so many people are employed by the government, Sparrow Hospital and the University.

[Adieoz]

As far as Old Town goes...it is a wonderful area at its core, but it drops off quickly even if you get just a few blocks away from the Turner/Grand River intersection. And as for Waverly...it is a nice area, however, it is also a bit like strip mall hell. It was developed in the 1950-1970s and while there is everything you may need, it is not the most attractive area with no real center. However, if you are into neon signs and drive throughs...this is your place.

You mentioned that you like homes with character. If that is what you are looking for I would try to LaSalle/Kipling area that was mentioned earlier, or perhaps the Westside Neighborhood (Bounded by MLK, Shiawasee, Saginaw, and Verliden...and then further south by Michigan, Jenison, St Joseph, and the train tracks). You may also consider the area right around Moores River Park East of MLK. These are homes from the 1920-1950 period. If you would like a nice safe area of more of the 1950-1960s, capes and ranches, I would try Colonial Village/Quentin Park (Moores River, MLK, Victor, Pleasant Grove) or Grosebeck on the East side of town.

All these areas I mentioned are all in Lansing within about 2 miles of your husbands schools and quite safe. I have lived in a few of these areas. If you stay in Lansing you will pay less for housing, but if you have a bigger budget and don't mind driving you may want to consider some of the outlying areas such as East Lansing, Haslett, Okemos, DeWitt, or yes..even Waverly. Good luck!

[michiganbob]

Originally Posted by blckisusan

Thanks for all the info! I will check a little more into Waverly. We don't mind living a little further out normally, and my husband is a native of Michigan (outside Traverse area) so he doesn't mind driving in the snow. I'm suprised what I keep hearing though about parking! Does Cooley not have parking available on campus?? Just seems strange to me.

As far as the housing market goes, we are also not oppose to purchasing a home and renting it out later, so we will have to see what the differences are. Our biggest problem usually is our pets. So many rentals don't allow pets, and I know its for good reason, but that's not us.

We've grown out of our partying days and a good night's sleep ranks #1 on our list, so living in a "happenin'" area may not be in our best interest, so I'll definitely keep your advice in mind.

Not to seem unappreciative of what you did have to say, can you tell me anything about the area called "Old Town"? I saw a home for rent over there and brief description that its an area that has been revitalized. There can be different degrees of revitilzation

Thanks again!

First off, for TheProf, my comment about "partying" in East Lansing was meant to imply that unless the original poster was interested in that campus scene, they would pay more for that. I am not a U of M grad and this was not a stab at MSU. In any college town, the closer you get to campus, the more expensive it will be to buy OR rent . . . and I did not get the impression the poster was looking to pay more than she had to. Could be wrong, and if so, live close to campus and party hardy!

As to Cooley: it really does not have a campus. It is a series of buildings in downtown Lansing where parking is at a premium, even in a down economy. This is not meant to disparage Cooley, it is just a fact and as such, there is no parking provided, so (unless someone else wants to argue) I think my earlier suggestion still applies: pay $75 to $100 a month to park close, or walk 7 to 8 blocks and park for free.

Now, as far as renting vs. buying: I understand your problem with the pets (I have them as well) but I think you will find Lansing landlords are getting more flexible in that area. Usually all you have to do is pay a little more each month or a slightly larger security deposit. If you are set on buying, know this: the house you might pay $150,000 (which might seem like a steal where you are from now) for this year will likely be worth $140,000 next year and $120,000 the year after that . . . if you can get anyone to buy. Very little is selling in Lansing right now and what is is going at steep discounts. Again, if you have the money and want to waste it, far be it from me to discourage that. But if you think you can buy a house now and either sell it in three years or rent it out, I would check Craigslist closely. Saw an ad in there last week from a guy who came right out and said if he didn't rent out his house he would lose it to foreclosure. If you go to lansing-realestate.com and do a search, many houses will have pictures of the inside showing they are emtpy. Don't know the exact figures, but my impression is that at least 1/3 of the homes for sale in this area are empty, and the number is growing. I don't think having a foreclosure on your credit is the best way to start a law career, but that's just me.

I second the earlier post about Old Town. It's nice and all, but really very small and not close to much big time shopping like the mall or the grocery store . . . and it does get dicey the further away you get.

As to the Waverly area being "strip mall hell" that is kind of up to your tastes. Those stores aren't there because they look nice: some people need their pizza, dry cleaning, and car insurance in one convenient location. I did get the impression from your original post that easy access and transportation (bus service) were important to you. If I misunderstood that, I am sorry. However, if I was correct, I am not sure if there is another area that is as close to downtown that offers as much for the price.

You are likely going to be here less than three years. Cooley cranks out hundreds of new lawyers each year and the competition for legal jobs locally if fierce, meaning most grads go back home or move elsewhere. The State and GM used to absorb some of them, but unemployment continues to rise here in Michigan and more people are moving out than in . . . which also gets back to your housing question.

I wish you the best in your adventure.

[Adieoz]

I defiantly agree with MichiganBob about renting. If you are not planning on staying for at least 5 to 10 years it is not worth the closing costs to buy.