Hotels in East Lansing, Michigan

A little about East Lansing...

East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census, of those 29,329 were classified as university students, or 63% of the total population. It is best known as the home of Michigan State University.

The city's downtown area is centered around Grand River Avenue, a wide tree-lined boulevard that evolved out of the 19th century plank road that connected Lansing to Detroit. Grand River Avenue serves as dividing line between the Michigan State University campus and the rest of the city. Grand River Ave. is lined with many college-oriented businesses, such as bars, tanning salons, coffee shops, head shops, restaurants (many dine al fresco) and bookstores. Immediately north of downtown are predominantly student neighborhoods. Further north of that is the residential part of the city, which is much like any other suburb. At the very northern tier of the city are several new student-oriented apartment complexes. These new developments are far from the university, but their lower property tax rates allow them to offer students more amenities for their monthly rent.

Michigan State University, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is the largest education institution in the State of Michigan (6th largest in the United States), reflecting East Lansing's history as a college town. MSU has more than 200 programs of study including three medical schools, a law school, and numerous PhD programs. East Lansing High School is the only high school in the city, and is most famous for being the alma mater of Google co-founder Larry Page. Nearby Lansing is home to several other colleges, including Thomas M. Cooley Law School which is the largest law school in the United States, Davenport University, and Lansing Community College.

The University of Michigan, another member of the Big Ten Conference, is about 50 miles southeast of East Lansing. Ingham County (including East Lansing) and Washtenaw County (including Ann Arbor), which adjoin at one corner, are the two most highly educated counties in Michigan.

Points of Intereat:
Hannah Community Center (formerly a middle school) with the White Performing Arts Theatre.
East Lansing Public Library
The "Habitrail", or Hamster Cage, or Gerbil Cage is a large multicolored parking structure near campus that resembles a Habitrail home for pet rodents. The controversial design resulted from the city's instructions to the architect that the building be "festive" and have "no brick".
Scene metrospace, the city sponsored art gallery located in the ground floor of the multicolored parking structure.
East Lansing Family Aquatic Center
The Meridian Mall is a large suburban shopping mall in Okemos near the campus of Michigan State University.
Trowbridge railroad junction (located near Trowbridge Road) and the nearby Amtrak depot are popular spots with railfans for train watching. At Trowbridge, the busy Grand Trunk Western Railroad line connecting Chicago to Toronto intersects the former Pere Marquette Railroad (now Conrail line from Detroit to Grand Rapids.
El Azteco, a local Mexican restaurant noted for its outdoor rooftop dining. El Azteco is one of East Lansing's longest-lasting establishments, celebrating its 30th anniversary in August 2006.

Festivals:
East Lansing Film Festival is the largest festival of its kind in Michigan.
East Lansing Art Festival is a juried art show held each spring, on the weekend before Memorial Day.
Great Lakes Folk Festival originated after The National Folk Festival, which made East Lansing its home for 3 years, moved to a new city for another 3 years. The festival is usually the last weekend of August.