East Lansing - Home of Michigan State University

East Lansing is a very small town in Michigan, which is entirely ran by the Michigan State University. Its economy is based on students and faculty as the university is the home of nearly 50,000 students (often classified as Spartans) and faculty from all around the world. The city is one of the most vibrant ones in the state of Michigan during the school year as it offers tons of things to do while the students are in session.

The city itself has a population of nearly 50,000 people as well, which turns into nearly 100,000 during the school year. Surprisingly enough the local population of East Lansing is very friendly and accepting of the Michigan State students even though sometimes they can cause trouble for the city of East Lansing.

There are so things to do up in East Lansing and the surrounding areas. Without a doubt Michigan State takes lots of pride in their campus (which by the way is gorgeous during all seasons), so visiting the MSU campus is a must. The beautiful Red Ceder river cuts trough campus and makes the experience simply fantastic.
Once you are done walking trough the Michigan State`s campus, you should definitely try to get yourself tickets to a MSU sporting event. Being part of the Big Ten Michigan State is considered one of the best basketball programs in the country, and it has been working itself in the college football hierarchy as the football team has been extremely successful for the past 5 seasons.
If you are not into sports, there are many cultural events which you will be able to attend throughout the year. In this case you will want to see the newly renovated Wharton Center which is home of some of the greatest performances in the United States.

Speaking of places to visit in East Lansing the newly built The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum located on Grand River right in the heart of East Lansing`s downtown area. The MSU museum has been one of the largest projects to be completed on campus, and without a doubt it is one of the most significant/interesting places in the Midwest. Thanks to the generous donations of Eli Broad and his family the museum is now fully functional and it offers a wide variety of culturally significant events.

Michigan State is one of the most successful universities in the country in many aspects and various categories. Sports is one of them as the university consitently is in the mix for the College Basketball National Championship, and Tom Izzo has been established as one of the great masterminds of basketball in general.
Michigan State plays their basketball games in the Breslin Center, which was built in 1989, and has a capacity of nearly 16,000 people. Usually basketball games are sold out as the Spartans are always putting world class performances on the basketball court. The Izzone (the MSU basketball fan section) is one of the loudest in the country and nobody can compare with their passion for the game and the Green and White.
Michigan State has been showing enormous progress in football as the team has been performing impressively for the past 5 years (ever since Mark Dantonio took the head coaching job in East Lansing). The Michigan State football team plays their games in the legendary Spartan Stadium (recently upgraded with three enormous screens) which holds nearly 80,000 fans.

Without a doubt it will be easier to acquire a ticket for a football game as the capacity of Spartan stadium is so large that usually there are people that are selling their tickets through various channels (mostly online). Basketball tickets are hard to come by and especially expensive if there is a Big Ten showdown being played at the Breslin Center. The atmosphere however its second to none and you will always remember your first Breslin experience.

Visiting a sports event on campus is a must for every person that passes through East Lansing, as the city and the students all come together to celebrate game day.

Just like any college town, East Lansing offers a wide variety of restaurants and bars. However there are a few that stand out, and have become landmarks in the surrounding areas and Michigan in general. We will start with the Peanut Barrel which is located right downtown East Lansing on Grand River. There couldn't be a more perfect location for a restaurant in East Lansing as they indoor and outdoor seating available. The food at the Peanut Barrel is simply tremendous, as they are known for their burgers, which by the way are the best in the region. Another staple that the Peanut Barrel is known for is their Long Island cocktails. The Long Island that they offer is nothing like you've ever tasted before, and it has the potential to make you a bit tipsy (at a point in time they were serving only two per customer due to the high percentage of alcohol in their Long Islands).

Another great place to eat and drink in East Lansing is Dublin Square. This Irish-type bar has become one of the most popular places in East Lansing, mainly due to its location and the great atmosphere. Just like the Peanut Barrel, Dublin has indoor and great outdoor seating available. They have great sandwiches and lots of beer on tap (just like a typical Irish pub). The only possible downside to Dublin is that the people who work there do not seem to be friendly whatsoever, and sometimes that can be a deal breaker. The best time of the year to go Dublin Square in East Lansing is St.Patty's Day and every day that is warmer outside, that way you will be able to enjoy the great patio which arguably is the best in town.

Everyone knows that college towns have lots of pizza places, most from which are the typical franchises, which are good but boring. Well East Lansing has many pizza franchises, however the best pizza in town is no way shape or form comparable to the main stream "$5" carry-out.
Pizza House has become one of the most iconic pizzerias in the Midwest and in East Lansing, it has reached legendary status. Offering all kinds of pizza, but focusing on deep dish Chicago style pizza, the place is awesome. The atmosphere of Pizza House is great as there are lots of TV's to follow the Spartans while enjoying great slice of deep dish pizza.
The only downfall for Pizza House is that it is located on Hagadorn which is somewhat far from everything else, and you will need to drive to it. Apart from that Pizza House has been and always will be the best pizza place in town. The perfect trip to East Lansing goes through Pizza House.

There is no doubt that East Lansing is one of the nicest towns in the state of Michigan. Students and local residents always manage to make East Lansing a desirable destination for sports fans, parents, tourists and all other kinds of people with various purposes of their visit.

East Lansing is a town that will embrace you from the moment you see the sign "Welcome to East Lansing". You can just imagine what a blast most students have in East Lansing, which by many is considered the party town of Michigan, as the MSU students definitely know how to work hard and of course play hard.

There is not much more to be said except: Go Green! Go White!