[jt3375]

A few years ago I moved to the Lansing area from Chicago and settled in some apartments in Delta Twsp. After a year hiatus in Grand Rapids I'm back living east of the stadium near Michigan. Sure, I have to lock my door and I don't go for a midnight jog along Kalamazoo, but I definitely feel safe walking home from the bars downtown or at MSU (knock on wood ;-))

[Issakar]

so one thing i've found is a lot of cheaper homes in need of work in lansing. does anyone think some of these homes would be worth purchasing and doing work to? i've found some in areas questionable (like roads off baker, eee) so avoid those, but how about around the lansing mall area. is the northwest part of lansing an area to avoid as well? Southwest?

[GRRAZO]

I just replyed to anotehr post about how I was pleasantly surprised with Lansing and how I have yet to find "the ghetto". Sure there are some rough looking houses as in any city in MI but where are the projects, burnt down houses, abanded houses ect? Soemone at my work always talkes about how bad it is in the city and anyone could be shot lol and how bad it is down on Baker street, haha, I drove through there and it reminds me of the street my great grandma lives on by her self in Holland. If thats the ghetto then the city does a good job keeping up

[Nickyswifey]

I have lived in Lansing or surrounding area my whole life, and I have never been scared here, I go to school and work and go out in downtown. Mind you, I am a scaredy cat when it comes to dangerous places. For example, we had to get off the highway in Detroit and got gas near Highland Park. I seriously thought we were going to die! I was more scared then then I have ever been in Lansing! Its not a very "pretty" city, but there are great new developments, the "stadium" district, old town is cute, and the people are very friendly. Lansing gets a bad rap, but it is a big part of my everyday life and appreciate the safety here.

Originally Posted by cbmsu01

It's a city, so it's going to have crime, but why is Lansing considered dangerous? It's crime-rate index was about 500-550 or so, on par with cities such as Denver and San Francisco, which I don't think people consider dangerous. So why is Lansing thought of that way?

[Nickyswifey]

The lansing mall area is very nice, upkept apartments, fancier neighborhoods and a suburban feel. Are you going to be doing work then selling it? Or living in it?

Originally Posted by Issakar

so one thing i've found is a lot of cheaper homes in need of work in lansing. does anyone think some of these homes would be worth purchasing and doing work to? i've found some in areas questionable (like roads off baker, eee) so avoid those, but how about around the lansing mall area. is the northwest part of lansing an area to avoid as well? Southwest?

[michiganbob]

Originally Posted by Issakar

so one thing i've found is a lot of cheaper homes in need of work in lansing. does anyone think some of these homes would be worth purchasing and doing work to? i've found some in areas questionable (like roads off baker, eee) so avoid those, but how about around the lansing mall area. is the northwest part of lansing an area to avoid as well? Southwest?

Houses are cheap in Lansing right now because there are more homes than buyers and the population is shrinking and will likely to continue to shrink as jobs are lost and people migrate away. It's that simple. As evidenced by this forum, many people dearly love this state, but love can only carry you so long without a job and money to pay the bills.

Will people ever move back? Likely, but it could be decades before the balance is restored. The other option is for cities (or the State) to start tearing down houses.

Are you able to live in a house that long, or hold on to one if you can't sell it? As far as renting: be careful there, too. Apartments around MSU are overbuilt and complexes are already offering rent reductions to students who renew their leases for next fall. People who can't sell their houses and moving out of state are renting below the cost of their mortgage. Check out Craigslist if you don't believe me.

Overall, the market is saturated, so unless you can buy something for next to nothing, fix it yourself and either sell it dirt cheap or rent it dirt cheap (even then, it's a crap shoot), you may be wasting your time and money.

Just my humble opinion.

[renter8319]

Originally Posted by mrkue

Lansing? Dangerous? You gotta be kidding, right? Have you been to Highland Park or Flint? Those cities make Lansing look like camp snoopy! And I'm not even mentioning Detroit for the fact that it blows all the competion away in terms of being dangerous. Count yourself lucky you are living in Lansing and not in the above cities.

i don't know if detroit blows all the competition away. highland park is a very rough area possibly rougher than most other parts of detroit. highland park only has a couple liveable houses per block in the middle of a very urnan area. for the most part i agree though. ive only been to lansing once but i have a hard time beleiving it comes close to highland park or detroit. if anyone thinks lansing is bad try driving down woodward south of 6 mile, turn down a side street if you dare. you'll probably feel differently about lansing. i just suggest u dont go down there at night, and leave enough space between u and the car in front of you. and if you are there at night don't dare get out of your car anywhere unless you absolutely have to.

[Tiger Beer]

I lived in Lansing for a year, and felt the city was very safe.

I just recall some dilipitated houses near the capital...but that was about it.

However, generally speaking, I did find Lansing quite boring. You're still in your car a lot, and found myself driving to large stores or shopping malls or over to East Lansing quite a bit for something to do.

[alleghenyangel]

I worked in downtown Lansing every day last summer, outside in the parking lots collecting tickets. It was very safe, and very boring.

[alleghenyangel]

Oh, I also have to add that the lack of historic preservation in Lansing was mind-boggling. When I was there last summer, they were getting ready to tear down the original city market. *Rolls eyes*