Situated just east of the state capital of Lansing, East Lansing, Michigan is the home of Michigan State University.
Most of the city is in northwest Ingham County, although a portion extends into southeast Clinton County. Lansing is adjacent to East Lansing on the west, while other nearby cities include DeWitt, Williamson, Mason, Laingsburg, and Perry. The chief routes to and from the city are I-69, I-496, and US-127, while BL I-69 is a loop route running through Lansing and East Lansing. Other routes include M-43, M-99, and M-143.
East Lansing is appropriately called a college town, because the college was there before there was even a village there, and the village primarily served the needs of college teachers and students. Currently a public land-grant research university, MSU was founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855. In the early years, the college was almost entirely residential because there was no surrounding village. At the time of its founding, there were just seven farmhouses in a two-mile radius around the college, two of which are still standing, both in what is now the Marble District of East Lansing. The first residential area was on-campus, and known as Faculty Row.
Off-campus housing began with Collegeville, which was platted on sixty-nine lots across Michigan Avenue from the west entrance to the College. Considered too far from the main part of the campus, it was not particularly successful at the time, but Collegeville was the seed that later became East Lansing.
The next residential area that would later become part of East Lansing was College Delta. Although the land was part of the original College land grant, it was isolated from the rest of campus when Michigan Avenue was extended in 1867. As the State Board was not interested in expanding Faculty Row, this parcel of land was platted as College Delta, offering lots of land at low prices, with water and sewer service provided by the College. However, potential buyers were required to have a connection with College affairs. Originally intended for faculty housing, this neighborhood is now home largely to fraternities and student apartments, and is part of East Lansing.
Now the main commercial center of East Lansing, Oakwood began with a 55-acre portion of the Manly Miles farm, fronting on Grand River Avenue.
In the early 1900s, the Parmalee farm was converted into a subdivision known as College Grove. East of Abbot Road, it was the first combined residential and business subdivision to include a community system independent of the College. Today, College Grove is considered to be the core of the city, and it includes several historic buildings that are still standing.
Platted in 1904, Fairview arose in an area of Grand River Avenue frontage of the Chittenden farm. By 1913, the area between Fairview and College Grove had been developed. Also platted in 1904, College Heights occupied ten acres of land just west of Oakwood.
Between 1904 and 1914, most developments in East Lansing were additions to existing subdivisions. However, in 1913, Avondale was platted on unincorporated land in Meridian Township. Bordering East Lansing to the west, it was exempt from the city's zoning laws. As East Lansing grew, Avondale was absorbed, and nearly all of its streets were renamed.
North and west of College Heights and Oakwood, Bungalow Knolls was platted in 1915 on the remainder of the ten acres that had been acquired to create College Heights in 1904. In 1919, Ardson Heights was platted on the site of the former Lansing Country Club golf course, which dated from 1902, but had been annexed by East Lansing in 1915. Platted on the western half of a 40-acre tract known as the Valleau farm, the Ridgely Park subdivision was created in 1920.
In 1926, Chesterfield Hills was the first to break from the convention of straight streets and rectangular lots. Created as an affluent residential district, Chesterfield Hills includes many lots that were irregular in shape and size, and streets that followed the natural contours of the land rather than cutting through native trees to create straight streets. A narrow parcel of land just west of Chesterfield Hills had been platted as Oak Ridge in 1924, and annexed by East Lansing in 1924.
A large portion of the Chittenden farm was platted as Strathmore. Like Chesterfield Hills, it includes curving streets, lined with trees. Although platted in 1925, the land had already been incorporated into East Lansing.
Several others were to follow over the years, some developed on land already part of East Lansing, while others were platted as separate communities, but later absorbed by the larger city. Since 1998, East Lansing has expanded its borders several times through the use of 425 Agreements, also known as conditional transfers of property by contract agreements, adding thousands of acres to its borders.
Categories
Education & InstructionFaith & ReligionPlaces to Shop | Places to StayProperty Sales & RentalsThings to Do & Places to Go |
Recommended Resources
A Brief History of East Lansing, Michigan
Created by Kevin S. Forsyth, the site seeks to tell the history of East Lansing by neighborhood, many of which began as separate communities but were later absorbed into East Lansing. Included are Collegeville, College Delta, Oakwood, Cedar Banks, College Grove, Fairview, College Heights, Avondale, Bungalow Knolls, Chesterfield Hills, Ardson Heights, Ridgely Park, Oak Ridge, Strathmore, and Glen Cairn, as well as the campus and an interactive map.
https://kevinforsyth.net/ELMI/
Comprised of marketing, advertising, and design professionals, BCP is an East Lansing, Michigan firm that offers marketing and branding services, web design, digital publications, online advertising, and social media marketing, as well as design services, from publications to packaging, show booths, and brochures. BCP also develops television and radio commercials, interactive presentations, marketing videos, and other services, which are highlighted here.
https://blohmcreative.com/
The official municipal website features a guide to downtown East Lansing shopping venues and restaurants, parks, recreational facilities, and arts programs, and municipal services. Electronic and special meeting notices are posted to the site, which includes a public meeting portal, and a facility to purchase or pay utility bills, property taxes, monthly parking permits, housing licenses, yard waste, and bulk item stickers, building permits, and other bills.
https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/
East Lansing, Michigan Neighborhoods
East Lansing is made up of twenty-five defined, close-knit, neighborhoods, including a mix of historic and modern neighborhoods, some with tree-lined streets, pocket parks, exceptional schools, and public amenities. The City of East Lansing supports neighborhood associations through the East Lansing Neighborhood Partnerships Initiative, which provides opportunities to help enhance a neighborhood’s character and quality of life through community involvement.
http://www.eastlansingneighborhoods.com/
Greater East Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau
Charged with promoting business and tourism within the city and the area surrounding it, details are given for those planning meetings and conventions within the city, as well as a guide to the region, including things to do, places to stay, eat, and shop. CVB membership is promoted, including the advantages to membership, marketing opportunities, and, member search and a calendar of events. Interested people may apply for membership online.
https://www.lansing.org/
WKAR is a National Public Radio station owned by Michigan State University, and operated by WKAR Public Media, a division of MSU College of Communication Arts & Sciences, carrying news and talk shows from NPR and PBS. Its radio and television program schedules are published to the site, including live streaming. A community calendar is featured, and readers may submit events for publication. Several ways in which viewers or listeners can contribute are included.
https://www.wkar.org/
