[EmilyK1030]

My fiance and I are getting married this summer and then moving to the Lansing/East Lansing area where he is starting graduate school at MSU in the fall. I currently live in the suburbs of Chicago and he lives in St. Louis city. We are both in our mid-20's and are interested in finding an area/neighborhood that has an urban feel, where we can walk to shops/grocery store/bars, etc and where there homes have character and charm. We want to feel like there is plenty to do around us (I'm sick of living in the suburbs!) We also don't want to be in the middle of a bunch of undergraduate students from MSU. We'd like to be nearby some trails for running (and maybe walking our future dog!) Would love some advice on areas/neighborhoods to look for apartments/houses to rent. Is there an area where other grad students/people our age may be living? Thanks so much!

[caspper69]

Originally Posted by EmilyK1030

My fiance and I are getting married this summer and then moving to the Lansing/East Lansing area where he is starting graduate school at MSU in the fall. I currently live in the suburbs of Chicago and he lives in St. Louis city. We are both in our mid-20's and are interested in finding an area/neighborhood that has an urban feel, where we can walk to shops/grocery store/bars, etc and where there homes have character and charm. We want to feel like there is plenty to do around us (I'm sick of living in the suburbs!) We also don't want to be in the middle of a bunch of undergraduate students from MSU. We'd like to be nearby some trails for running (and maybe walking our future dog!) Would love some advice on areas/neighborhoods to look for apartments/houses to rent. Is there an area where other grad students/people our age may be living? Thanks so much!

Unfortunately what you're looking for doesn't exactly exist in the area.

You can live near downtown EL (and there are neighborhoods that have enacted rental restrictions), but you're never going to be more than a block or two from students (i.e. the undergrad masses).

That being said, there are many nice neighborhoods within the area where you can walk to entertainment, food, etc. But you will not be walking to any grocery store (there aren't any downtown).

You could also choose to live out on Michigan Ave. in Lansing in the Stadium District. There's quite a bit to do there, and it is a nice area in Lansing. If you don't have kids, then it would be a great area. But again, you're not going to be walking to a grocery store. And this area is smaller than downtown East Lansing, and is surrounded by areas that are not nearly as safe.

In this area, unfortunately it's a small area, so you just don't have the urban spaces that you would elsewhere. You will need a car. But, I would have to recommend East Lansing over the Stadium District. Yes you will have to deal with students, but there's more food delivery, more events going on, and of course, your husband would be much closer to campus.

[teachbeach]

Holt and Mason have cute downtowns, but they hardly cater to the mid-20's clientele. They do have some homes with character, and you would be able to walk the downtown area. The most active/vibrant downtown areas for clubs, stores, entertainment are the South Washington area of Lansing, the stadium area (near the Lugnuts stadium) and of course East Lansing.

Parts of Meridian Township have some great open spaces and trails/parks for riding and running~plus it's out of the student mecca, but you would need a car to go to the grocery store, mall and to get to the downtown East Lansing area. You might want to check out Haslett, Okemos, Mason and even parts of East Lansing or Bath for an apartment or small house to rent.

[burkerba]

Originally Posted by teachbeach

Holt and Mason have cute downtowns, but they hardly cater to the mid-20's clientele. They do have some homes with character, and you would be able to walk the downtown area. The most active/vibrant downtown areas for clubs, stores, entertainment are the South Washington area of Lansing, the stadium area (near the Lugnuts stadium) and of course East Lansing. [img] [url=http://www.vvio.info/jpg1]Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more[/url][/img]

Parts of Meridian Township have some great open spaces and trails/parks for riding and running~plus it's out of the student mecca, but you would need a car to go to the grocery store, mall and to get to the downtown East Lansing area. You might want to check out Haslett, Okemos, Mason and even parts of East Lansing or Bath for an apartment or small house to rent.

Parts of Meridian Township have some great open spaces and trails/parks for riding and running~plus it's out of the student mecca

[Nedibes]

If you are looking for an urban feel, East Lansing and Lansing really are your only options. The other towns/suburbs have many things going for them, but definitely not an urban feel. Caspper's post is spot-on about East Lansing. If you are looking for a neighborhood with character, you should probably look north and west of campus (and also northeast, to a lesser extent). Those areas are more heavily single-family, and thus less student-ghetto-y, while still being close to the shops and restaurants in the Grand River corridor. The only trouble is that the rent-restrictions are pretty strict in those areas, so houses for rent are harder to find.

I wouldn't necessarily write off Lansing; in addition to the stadium district already mentioned (which attracts many grad students), Old Town in north Lansing is also a pretty cool area. Both areas have very nice pre-war homes, in addition to newer rehabbed urban spaces (downtown loft condos, etc.). Old Town aims more for the art crowd; there are a lot of theater/music/art venues and events, like the annual JazzFest. The Stadium district is a little more classically "urban" with more bars and restaurants, and of course a ton going on in downtown Lansing during the day (museums and such). Both have easy access to the Riverwalk, which is a fabulous biking/walking trail that runs for many miles and accesses lots of other trails along the way (you can actually take it right to MSU). Both areas are probably cheaper than East Lansing. There is more crime in Lansing than East Lansing, but most of the crime (in both towns) is acquaintance-crime, not random muggings or drive-by shootings. If you have lived all your life in majority-white suburban or rural areas, Lansing can be intimidating; it's a matter of personal comfort level, I think.

One thing to note about the whole greater-Lansing area is that Meijer (think 24-hr super-Walmart) really dominates the grocery market, so you are very unlikely to be within walking distance of a grocery store. On the other hand, you CAN probably walk to a Quality Dairy (think 24-hr super 7-11) in any of these neighborhoods, which will generally get you through to a monthly or bi-weekly shopping excursion.

[caspper69]

Originally Posted by Nedibes

If you are looking for an urban feel, East Lansing and Lansing really are your only options. The other towns/suburbs have many things going for them, but definitely not an urban feel. Caspper's post is spot-on about East Lansing. If you are looking for a neighborhood with character, you should probably look north and west of campus (and also northeast, to a lesser extent). Those areas are more heavily single-family, and thus less student-ghetto-y, while still being close to the shops and restaurants in the Grand River corridor. The only trouble is that the rent-restrictions are pretty strict in those areas, so houses for rent are harder to find.

I wouldn't necessarily write off Lansing; in addition to the stadium district already mentioned (which attracts many grad students), Old Town in north Lansing is also a pretty cool area. Both areas have very nice pre-war homes, in addition to newer rehabbed urban spaces (downtown loft condos, etc.). Old Town aims more for the art crowd; there are a lot of theater/music/art venues and events, like the annual JazzFest. The Stadium district is a little more classically "urban" with more bars and restaurants, and of course a ton going on in downtown Lansing during the day (museums and such). Both have easy access to the Riverwalk, which is a fabulous biking/walking trail that runs for many miles and accesses lots of other trails along the way (you can actually take it right to MSU). Both areas are probably cheaper than East Lansing. There is more crime in Lansing than East Lansing, but most of the crime (in both towns) is acquaintance-crime, not random muggings or drive-by shootings. If you have lived all your life in majority-white suburban or rural areas, Lansing can be intimidating; it's a matter of personal comfort level, I think.

One thing to note about the whole greater-Lansing area is that Meijer (think 24-hr super-Walmart) really dominates the grocery market, so you are very unlikely to be within walking distance of a grocery store. On the other hand, you CAN probably walk to a Quality Dairy (think 24-hr super 7-11) in any of these neighborhoods, which will generally get you through to a monthly or bi-weekly shopping excursion.

To supplement the grocery thing, there are a great many co-ops in East Lansing where you can get fresh fruits and vegetables every couple of weeks (your portion is based on your share).

Honestly, you could do Sam's Club (or Meijer or Kroger) once a month, do a co-op, and supplement with a QD-type store and still largely avoid the huge grocery trips to the mega grocer except once every now and again.

It would be work, but it would allow you to avoid the "suburban" feel that going to big box stores can bring.

[househunting523]

I think the Groesbeck Hills area of Lansing would be your best option for what you described. No students in that area, 2 mins to Eastwood shopping center where there is a meijer, walmart, restaurants and shopping. Only thing is most of the homes over there probably won't have the charm you're looking for. It is a very popular area but you won't see a house under 100k so not sure what your budget is. Frandora Hills area would be good too just as long as your away from the students.

For reference I'm in my mid 20's, work at MSU and am looking in the Groesbeck area currently, my wants were close to MSU, resale value and not outrageous taxes value so I choose Groesbeck. Otherwise I'd probably be in Okemos.