I think that there may be a bit of truth to the thought that many people who live in Lansing have a poor opinion of our town. I grew up here then moved away for 35 years and moved back. I can tell you that Lansing is a lot "cooler" than 1980, and there are many things to do and places to shop and eat that we just did not have back then. Neighborhoods that were never a destination, are now cool places with their own names and identities. I guess what I mean is, that there is plenty about Lansing that is cool. People who do not or maybe cannot afford to participate in the activities and events around town are the ones who think Lansing is not very cool. I have not been to Ann Arbor but they have several advantages Lansing does not have, built into that area. Greater wealth and population in the area, and one central downtown, where the university is also sited are a couple of those advantages. I would guess that more folks in Ann Arbor think it is a cool place because they are told it is a cool place all the time. Better P.R. is what we need.
Here are some interesting stats, gbdinlansing: Greater Lansing has a higher GDP than metro Ann Arbor and has over 100,000 more people. Of course Ann Arbor is more economically integrated into the much larger Detroit area (it's part of the Detroit combined statistical area) and Lansing's GDP is only a tad higher despite having a big population lead.
On that note, probably Lansing's biggest challenge is the poverty rate. I don't have the exact stat, but I know it's very high. Lansing would've been Flint or Saginaw without the state government and university helping to nudge it along into the 21st century.
Speaking of cool, I saw photos of a new sculpture downtown on Michigan Ave and Museum Drive. I saw it on the #lovelansing site. It is a huge stainless steel head with gears springing off the top pointing down to the towards museums. I do not know if it going to a permanent but it's kind of "Wow" look at that right now!
I was speaking of being part of the ring of wealth and population that surrounds Detroit of which Ann Arbor is a part. I know that Ann Arbor itself is a smaller city, but it is older and has a densely populated center, which makes it seem larger.
I'm not trying to correct you, but rather flesh out the facts. Which may be annoying, so I apologize. Anyway, Ann Arbor was made the county seat of Washtenaw in in 1827, and the home of U of M in 1837. Lansing was the made the state capital in 1847, and MSU was founded in 1855. To me, that's a pretty negligible difference in the grand scheme of things. There's little left from before 1855 left in this state.
What I'll essentially agree with is that the Ann Arbor has crushed Lansing and East Lansinng in city planning. While Ann Arbor benefited from having a centralized layout, I think the setup in Lansing has a lot of potential. For one Lansing has an actual drag/corridor as a result, Michigan Ave. You can actually go somewhere else besides downtown.
But there's no doubt that right now, downtown Lansing and East Lansing feel like definite works in progress, whereas downtown Ann Arbor is the real deal.
I was not annoyed! I guess that I may be just a bit jealous of Ann Arbor because it is nice there. It's where the Governor prefers to live! I am also a Spartan so it is difficult to say something nice!
On another subject, I saw a notice from the city asking people to participate in planning an amphitheater in Adado Park. I have said here before that it would be great if the amphitheater were designed to be visited at times other than during shows. A fountain, gardens, and landscaping could help create a place more interesting than just a stage.
Sounds like an advertising marketing issue or an observation bias. Lansing is what you make of it. Overall it has some excellent aspects and some items to work on but every place does.
@gbdlansing: I feel like in Ann Arbor, developments are always adding to downtown. In Lansing and East Lansing, it always feels like developments are replacing something. It's a small difference in mindset that makes a big difference in results.
Photos of the new statue down on Michigan Avenue facing Museum Drive by Nick King of the LSJ:
And, it's interactive!
LANSING - Officials on Monday plan to officially unveil a new piece of public art in downtown Lansing.
"Portrait of a Dreamer," a sculpture by Ivan Iler, was transported from St. Johns on Thursday morning and installed at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Museum Drive, according to an item on the city's Facebook page.
The sculpture has gears protruding from the forehead of the figure. A crank can be used to turn the gears.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to the Facebook post.
Only complaint? It's a bit obstruction on the sidewalk unless they plan to scoot it forward or backward a bit.
Comments
I think that there may be a bit of truth to the thought that many people who live in Lansing have a poor opinion of our town. I grew up here then moved away for 35 years and moved back. I can tell you that Lansing is a lot "cooler" than 1980, and there are many things to do and places to shop and eat that we just did not have back then. Neighborhoods that were never a destination, are now cool places with their own names and identities. I guess what I mean is, that there is plenty about Lansing that is cool. People who do not or maybe cannot afford to participate in the activities and events around town are the ones who think Lansing is not very cool. I have not been to Ann Arbor but they have several advantages Lansing does not have, built into that area. Greater wealth and population in the area, and one central downtown, where the university is also sited are a couple of those advantages. I would guess that more folks in Ann Arbor think it is a cool place because they are told it is a cool place all the time. Better P.R. is what we need.
Here are some interesting stats, gbdinlansing: Greater Lansing has a higher GDP than metro Ann Arbor and has over 100,000 more people. Of course Ann Arbor is more economically integrated into the much larger Detroit area (it's part of the Detroit combined statistical area) and Lansing's GDP is only a tad higher despite having a big population lead.
On that note, probably Lansing's biggest challenge is the poverty rate. I don't have the exact stat, but I know it's very high. Lansing would've been Flint or Saginaw without the state government and university helping to nudge it along into the 21st century.
Speaking of cool, I saw photos of a new sculpture downtown on Michigan Ave and Museum Drive. I saw it on the #lovelansing site. It is a huge stainless steel head with gears springing off the top pointing down to the towards museums. I do not know if it going to a permanent but it's kind of "Wow" look at that right now!
I was speaking of being part of the ring of wealth and population that surrounds Detroit of which Ann Arbor is a part. I know that Ann Arbor itself is a smaller city, but it is older and has a densely populated center, which makes it seem larger.
I'm not trying to correct you, but rather flesh out the facts. Which may be annoying, so I apologize. Anyway, Ann Arbor was made the county seat of Washtenaw in in 1827, and the home of U of M in 1837. Lansing was the made the state capital in 1847, and MSU was founded in 1855. To me, that's a pretty negligible difference in the grand scheme of things. There's little left from before 1855 left in this state.
What I'll essentially agree with is that the Ann Arbor has crushed Lansing and East Lansinng in city planning. While Ann Arbor benefited from having a centralized layout, I think the setup in Lansing has a lot of potential. For one Lansing has an actual drag/corridor as a result, Michigan Ave. You can actually go somewhere else besides downtown.
But there's no doubt that right now, downtown Lansing and East Lansing feel like definite works in progress, whereas downtown Ann Arbor is the real deal.
I was not annoyed! I guess that I may be just a bit jealous of Ann Arbor because it is nice there. It's where the Governor prefers to live! I am also a Spartan so it is difficult to say something nice!
On another subject, I saw a notice from the city asking people to participate in planning an amphitheater in Adado Park. I have said here before that it would be great if the amphitheater were designed to be visited at times other than during shows. A fountain, gardens, and landscaping could help create a place more interesting than just a stage.
Sounds like an advertising marketing issue or an observation bias. Lansing is what you make of it. Overall it has some excellent aspects and some items to work on but every place does.
@gbdlansing: I feel like in Ann Arbor, developments are always adding to downtown. In Lansing and East Lansing, it always feels like developments are replacing something. It's a small difference in mindset that makes a big difference in results.
Photos of the new statue down on Michigan Avenue facing Museum Drive by Nick King of the LSJ:
And, it's interactive!
Only complaint? It's a bit obstruction on the sidewalk unless they plan to scoot it forward or backward a bit.