East Lansing, Michigan
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Template:Infobox City 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. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 46,525. It is best known as the home of Michigan State University.
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History
The settlement of East Lansing began around 1847, the same year nearby Lansing was made the capital of the state of Michigan. The area where downtown East Lansing currently is was an important junction of two major Native American trails: the Okemah Road, and the Park Lake Trail. By 1850, the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company was established to connect a toll road to the Detroit and Howell Plank Road, improving travel between Detroit and Lansing, which cut right through what is now East Lansing. The toll road was finished in 1853, and included seven tollhouses between Lansing and Howell.
With the founding of Michigan State University in 1855, the isolated community took on a new role, and the faculty of the university began building houses nearby. In 1907, the unincorporated village of Collegeville, and all of the other unincorporated settlements and subdivisions near the university were finally incorporated as a city, and named East Lansing.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.2 km² (11.3 mi²). 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.09% is water. Lake Lansing is nearby and is approximately 500 acres (2 km²) in size.
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, 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.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 46,525 people, 14,390 households, and 5,094 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,596.7/km² (4,136.6/mi²). There were 15,321 housing units at an average density of 525.8/km² (1,362.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.91% White, 7.40% African American, 0.33% Native American, 8.21% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. 2.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 14,390 households out of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.6% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 9.0% under the age of 18, 58.6% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 9.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,217, and the median income for a family was $61,985. Males had a median income of $43,767 versus $30,556 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,333. 34.8% of the population and 11.0% of families were below the poverty line. 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 3.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government
East Lansing has a Council-manager government, where the city council appoints one of its own as mayor, and another of its own as mayor pro tem is a city council member with extra ceremonial duties. The city council consists of 5 at-large council members who are elected to 4-year terms in November of odd-numbered years.
Education
Michigan State University is largest education institution in the city, reflecting East Lansing's history as a college town. East Lansing High School is the main 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, Davenport University, and Lansing Community College.
Transportation
Amtrak, Indian Trails , and Greyhound all provide intercity rail and bus services at the East Lansing Amtrak depot, which is located on Harrison Road near the Michigan State University main campus. Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) provides public bus transit to East Lansing, Lansing, Michigan, and surrounding areas. Three major interstates and one U.S. Highway serve the East Lansing area including: I-96, I-69, I-496, and U.S. 127. Finally, two class one freight railroads serve East Lansing including Canadian National Railways (CN) and CSX Transportation (CSXT).
Culture
Image:Great Lakes Folk Festival Aerial.jpg
Town/gown relations
In recent years, "town and gown" relations have soured as students and permanent residents looked at each other with increasing hostility, which erupted in riots in 1997,<ref>Terlep, Sharon. "E.L. turmoil angers city". The State News. September 9, 1997.</ref> 1998,<ref>Mullin, Greg. "17 arrested in weekend riot". The State News. May 4, 1998.</ref> 1999,<ref>Staff reports. "Thousands of revelers crowd streets in violent, fiery riot". The State News. March 28, 1999.</ref>and disturbances in 2003.<ref>Eder,Steve. "Darkest Night". The State News. 2006.</ref> After two years without major incidents, another disturbance happened on April 2, 2005 after MSU's defeat to North Carolina in the 2005 men's basketball Final Four.<ref>Phillips, Lauren. "Police, student actions disputed". The State News. April 4, 2005.</ref> Officially deemed a "civil disturbance" rather than a riot, the incident sparked a debate over police brutality in East Lansing, which has yet to be resolved.
The Cedar Village area, which houses several large student housing complexes bordering campus, has been the site of several riots and disturbances. Some may suggest that these disturbances are the reasoning behind the city's decision to declare Cedar Village "blighted" . The city has proposed to redevelop the 35 acre (140,000 m²) site as a complex of upscale condominiums and retail stores called East Village. Led by several fraternities in the affected area, students have mounted a campaign against the redevelopment plan.<ref>Cendrowski, Scott. "FarmHouse and friends fight East Village plan". December 7, 2005.</ref> As of 2006, the plan remains at a stalemate.<ref>Darrow, Bob. "Planning commission makes little progress on future of Cedar Village area". December 15, 2005.</ref>
Points of interest
- W. J. Beal Botanical Garden
- Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens
- The city of Lansing is adjacent to East Lansing. Lansing has, among other things, the State Capitol, State Supreme Court, and Michigan Historical Library. Lansing also is the home of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team. There is an historic City Market in downtown Lansing, next to the Grand River, which has the distinct taste and flair of Europe.
- Lake Lansing is nearby and is approximately 500 acres (2.0 km²) in size. The lake has an outstanding beach, and is a summer favorite of swimmers, sunbathers, boaters and fishermen. The Lansing Sailing Club and Michigan State University Sailing Club have facilities on Lake Lansing where sailing regattas are held throughout the summer months.
- 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.
- Trowbridge railroad junction (located near Trowbridge Road) and the East Lansing Amtrak depot are popular spots with railfans for train watching.
Lingo
East Lansing's large number of college students has had an effect on the local language. MSU students and East Lansing's permanent have developed a type of local lingo over the years. Selected terms include:
- The Aud is a nickname for the MSU Auditorium, where the "Party at the Aud" is held at the beginning of each semester for student organizations to convene and recruit new members.
- The Habitrail, or Hamster Cage is a large multicolored parking structure near campus that looks like a toy for pet rodents.
- The Izzone is the nickname for the student section of the stands in the Breslin Center, where the Spartan basketball teams play. It is named for men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo,
- The Pit was the term used for the location of class registration before the days of computers. Students from the 1960s to the early 1990s would be cramped on the floor of Demonstration Hall running from one side to the next with cards containing small magnetic strips incasing class codes that would be used by the registration system. Long lines, humid air and problems with the frantic registration system led to the coining of the term.
- The Rape Trail is the unfortunate nickname for a footpath through the woods near Van Hoosen Residence Hall, so-called due to its few lampposts and infrequent attacks on female students late at night.
- The Rock is a large boulder, approximately five feet high, located east of Farm Lane, outside the MSU Auditorium. It serves as a venue for student groups (an invitation would read: "Wednesday, 7pm at the Rock") and is routinely graffitied by those groups.
- The S'News is a slightly derogatory term for the campus newspaper, the State News.
- Sparty is the nickname of "the Spartan" a large statue located on campus representing the MSU mascot, a Spartan warrior. The statue is guarded by MSU students amidst rival sports team meetings, usually Big Ten basketball or football, to prevent rivals from defacing of the statue. Sparty is frequently used as a landmark when giving directions on campus.
- The Tundra is an athletic field north of Jenison Field House and east of the Kellogg Center, so-called because of the speed at which wind blows through the area during the winter (many freshman students live in the nearby Brody Complex and walk across the field as a shortcut).
Notes
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External links
Template:Cities of Ingham County, Michigan
