Living Here

By Mike Ellis (via Lansing City Pulse)

You’d expect to find a tie-dye shop in Old Town, REO Town or East Lansing.

But downtown Lansing?

Laura Castle has been running the downtown shop Capital Hippie for almost four years, plus six months beforehand at the also-downtown Middle Village Market.

“I must just love to struggle,” she said, “because I would make more money in REO Town, I’d make way more money in Old Town, and forget about East Lansing. It could even be like a winter business, open two days a week.”

Guest Writer: Jay Krammes

The Bank of Lansing Building, located at 101 North Washington Square in Downtown Lansing, was constructed in 1931–1932 and opened during the Great Depression. Built during a wave of early-1930s downtown commercial development, the building was part of broader construction activity in Lansing’s city center at the time. It joined other major financial buildings of the era, including the nearby Boji Tower (originally the Capital Bank Tower), as downtown Lansing’s skyline continued to take shape.

This month’s Volunteer of the Month recently stepped into the Promotions Committee chair role, helping organize meetings, lead fellow committee members, and highlight the people and places who are part of our Downtown Lansing community. 

Guest Writer: Chioma Lewis

Hundreds gathered in Lansing on Monday, January 20, for the 41st annual Day of Celebration honoring the life and legacy of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the region’s longest-running MLK Day events hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid Michigan. 

Downtown Lansing is set to welcome three new businesses in 2026, bringing bold flavors and a unique lounge experience to the area.

(via Lansing City Pulse)

For one week, Greater Lansing will celebrate what may be its signature dish: the olive burger. 

Afterward, there are 51 weeks, each with 7 days … 517???

Anyhow, January is a tough month for restaurants. That’s especially true when it’s brutally cold outside, which is a good reason to celebrate a uniquely Michigan burger. 

(via Lansing City Pulse)

If the crane at the Tower on Grand’s build site seems high up, get ready — it’ll be 200 feet higher before Lansing’s tallest skyscraper is done, according to Gentilozzi Real Estate Vice President John Gentilozzi.

“You’re gonna see a remarkable change in the skyline over the next year within 2026,” he said.