Lansing Photo of the Day

[Southernyank]

Beautiful pictures. I Love the nature shots.

[RustTown]

"unaffordable student housing"

lol!

I don't even think the developer or the city ever meant for them to be affordable housing, despite what they may have said earlier.

I think to solve this problem, MSU should sell off some key parcels of land, on campus, to private developers. I've always hated how incredibly divided the city and university are. It can make for an almost dead campus sometime. A more a "look, but don't touch" type of feeling. Maybe something like this could better integrate the two, and leave downtown for higher-end developments.

[hood]

Or MSU could simply build some nicer dorms, marketed as regular apartments but at better rates, it seems that I heard of that being done before.

[RustTown]

I think they could do both. I really think building private residential developments near dorms, could actually make dorms more popular, and boost MSU's own numbers in its student housing.

[RustTown]

Here are some pics I took of Cooley Gardens, last year. They lie directly south and adjacent to downtown in between Townsend and Washington, and straddle bluffs high above the Grand River (30+ feet). The land was given to the city in 1938, and developed in the gardens from 1940 to 1942. They are considered a public park.

Cooley Gardens - 3/22/2006

Michigan Women's Historical Center & Hall of Fame in Cooley Gardens

The sunken gardens at the eastern end of the gardens.

[Southernyank]

That is a beautiful set-up. Cap town seems to be really gorgeous from all of these pictures.

[LA Dave]

Nice gardens. When I was a kid, my parents used to take me down to East Lansing so that they could smell the roses on the MSU campus. (Apparently, the old part of the campus had quite a collection of interesting plants and flowers). Is that still true?

[hood]

I can't remember the name, but MSU has some very nice and quite large gardens on campus.

[woodsstephene]

Beal Gardens, by the Library is one--there are a couple other very large and expansive ones as well, but can't remember the names. All of them are worth checking out though. A good day out if it's nice and you're bored

[RustTown]

Yeah, Beal Gardens down by the river are impressive. There is also a large garden on the southside of campus, but I can't remember the name now. Also, there are plenty of wood lots and an arboreteum (fancy name for a forest people study, lol) on the far southside of campus.

The funny thing about the Cooley Gardens, as one picture hints to, is that it is bordered by a busy freeway on one side, shaddy motel on one, and the huge GM Grand River Car Assembly Plant on the south and west. lol It's like an oasis amongst a see of steel, sheetmetal and concrete.

Here are more photos of the day. Again, these are old, I haven't been much in the mood these past few months to get a full photo tour.

Grand River on Southwest Side - 3/24/2006

Lansing may not be known for its cleanliness or good looks, but it has some great natural areas right in, and around, the city.

[hood]

The Gardens I was trying to think of were the Horticultural Gardens.

[Rizzo]

An odd view since most of the skyline seems to disappear in this view, but an interesting view, nonetheless (and cool colors if I do say so myself):

11/27/2005 - Sky Fire

Seriously L, that took my breath away. Good job on the picture.

[dtown]

Yeah, Beal Gardens down by the river are impressive. There is also a large garden on the southside of campus, but I can't remember the name now. Also, there are plenty of wood lots and an arboreteum (fancy name for a forest people study, lol) on the far southside of campus.

The funny thing about the Cooley Gardens, as one picture hints to, is that it is bordered by a busy freeway on one side, shaddy motel on one, and the huge GM Grand River Car Assembly Plant on the south and west. lol It's like an oasis amongst a see of steel, sheetmetal and concrete.

Here are more photos of the day. Again, these are old, I haven't been much in the mood these past few months to get a full photo tour.

Grand River on Southwest Side - 3/24/2006

Lansing may not be known for its cleanliness or good looks, but it has some great natural areas right in, and around, the city.

GREAT PICS Lmich, but what are thoose orange buoy things for?

[RustTown]

There is where one of the dams on the Grand River are. They are simply warning buoies. The damn supplies the huge Eckert Station Power Plant and the Moores River Steam Plant just out of view. You can see what I think are cooling units on the far right, and just on the other side of those is the huge GM Grand River Car Assembly and the old Lansing Car Assembly under demolition.

[RustTown]

3/27/2006 - A Half Frozen Lake Lansing in November 2005

[RustTown]

4/3/2006 - First Houses

I'm not exactly sure of the name or the exact date this was constructed, but this is one of the many houses in Old Town that date back between the 1850's to 1880's. This particular one dates back to the 1850's, and is one of the oldest remaining houses in Lansing. It sits just to the north and across the street from the oldest remaining house in Lansing.

Like most of these homes, though, they've fallen into disrepair, and most are now rented out.

[hood]

Where exactly is that house at?

[RustTown]

On Center Street, a block north of Grand River in Old Town. Actually, to get even more specific, it's at the northeast corner of Center and Liberty which is a across the street from the Spiral Dance Bar and a block east of the On the Grand Condominiums. Most of the homes along Center Street are some of the oldest in Lansing. And, before my last bike was stolen, I use to use Center Street alot to bypass a lot of the traffic trying to get between downtown and Old Town when I didn't feel like using the River Trail.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Lmichigan

[RustTown]

Not my photo, but cool one I found while searching the net...

4/5/2006 - Silver Bells in the City

It would be perfect if the capitol's finnial hadn't been cut off.

[dnast]

Hey, it's still a great-looking pic. Nice!

[statedude3]

I noticed recently that the lights of the Capitol dome were not dimmed after 9pm as they have been for a few years. Is this the sign of a balancing economy (not likely), or has someone forgotten to change the clock on the lighting system???

[RustTown]

I haven't noticed that, bust most likely the latter. Either that, or someone has had a change of heart. But, I doubt that. lol

Edited April 10, 2006 by Lmichigan

[statedude3]

Personally, I think it looks absolutely terrible without all the lights on. I dont care if it takes a little more money each year. It's the most identifiable part of the State of Michigan. It's a point of pride thing. Could you image the lights not being on at the white house or US Capitol...it's got "we're weak" written all over it.

[RustTown]

I remember feeling that way when they first started this. It was like "we can't even keep our lights on," a huge symbolic blow to one's pride. BTW, slightly related to that subject I remember one of the local papers doing an article a year or two back about a man that petitions that the capitol's lighting scheme be changed for every major holiday. Needless to say this poor man proposal keeps getting ignored. lol

Here is a photo I took of it last year right after the lights had gone off. It's really eerie.

[hood]

Having the whole Capitol lit really helps to brighten up the area, it can't be that expensive to keep the lights on.