Located in the northern end of Lansing, Michigan

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...

, Old Town overlooks the Grand River

Grand River (Michigan)

The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...

 and a winding bike trail

Segregated cycle facilities

Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...

. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

, the district was established in the mid-19th century and it is the oldest of the three original villages of what is now present day Lansing. This area contains the first home built in Lansing , by pioneer

American pioneer

American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...

 James Seymour and his family in 1843. After a long decline brought about by economic changes in the area, Old Town has emerged in the last twenty years as a center of arts and culture for the greater Lansing area.

Historical timeline

1843: wooden dam built by John W. Burchard; areas 1st settler

1844: saw mill was built by workman on the payroll of James Seymour

1847: main bridge across the Grand River and stores as well as hotels emerged along Grand River Ave between N. Washington and Center Street and North on Turner Street

1850: Pearl Mill site, which was 3 stories, produced Pearl Flour

1864-1865: Presbyterians organized themselves and completed the building of their church

1874: Union Block, a 5 Italianate storefront, housed grocery store, saloon, and harness shops

1879: Methodist erected their 1st church called "first Methodist church"

1880: Grange Hall was built, at first housed a general store then became the State Grange Building

1881: Michigan School of the Blind moved to Lansing

1860-1880: city population rose over by 5000

1876-1917: North Lansing Depot served as the passenger and freight depot and grain elevator for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad.

1960s and '70s: Economic downturn begins to force North Lansing's Old Town into a trend of urban decay

1970s: City officials start determining preservation methods for Old Town

1980s: The Reagan era cuts in funding for urban areas slightly slows down the redevelopment of North Lansing

1984: Old Town Business and Art Development Association is Formed

1992: The Old Town Business and Art Development Association is changed to the Business and Art Development Association of Historic North Lansing

1994: The name of the Association is again changed to OTBADA - Old Town Business and Art Development Association

1994: First annual OctoberFest

1995: First annual Lansing JazzFest

1996: Old Town Main Street Program established through Old Town Commercial Association

2000: First Annual Festival of the Sun

2003: OctoberFest is transformed to BluesFest

2003: OTBADA is awarded the 18th annual ArtServe Michigan Governor's Award for Arts and Culture in the Business Honor Roll category.

2004: Old Town awarded the Statewide Arts Award from the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies.

2004: First Annual Festival of the Moon

2006: Old Town named a Michigan Street Program Area under Governor Granholm's Cool Cities Initiative

2006: Old Town Oktoberfest reestablished as an authentic German Oktoberfest in celebration of rich German heritage in the Old Town district.

2006: First Annual Music Extravaganza

2008: Old Town wins IKEA Small Business Big Dreams Makeover

2009: Old Town Sesquicentennial

2009: First Annual Old Town Scrapfest

2009: Old Town Commercial Association erects City of Lansing's first Community Build Playground in Burchard Park

2011: Old Town Main Street receives Great American Main Street Award

Economy

The economy of Old Town took decades of development to get in its current state, much of which was done through grassroots programming such as the Old Town Main Street program. Formerly being considered the "red light" district of Lansing , Old Town is a thriving center of commerce, being the home of nearly one hundred businesses. The economy is 45% service based and 24% retail. The district is a thriving shopping district. Old Town is also known to be a center of the arts with 20% of all businesses arts based, one of the highest concentrations in the state of Michigan. Old Town is the home of some notable businesses and associations such as:

• Old Town Commercial Association http://www.iloveoldtown.org/
• MessageMakers http://www.messagemakers.com/
• Michigan Institute of Contemporary Arts http://www.oldtownarts.org/
• Autism Society of Michigan
• Control Room Technologies
• Ferguson Development
• Grace
  Grace
  -Film:* Grace , a 2009 horror film* States of Grace, a 2005 drama film- Games :* The Game of graces, a 19th century game for young girls* Tales of Graces, a 2009 Tales of game by Namco Tales Studio- Literature :...
  
  
• KirkConnell Properties LLC
• Michigan Association of Realtor
• Michigan Historic Preservation Network
• McNenly Group
• Small Business Association of Michigan
  Small Business Association of Michigan
  The Small Business Association of Michigan is a non-profit association that consists of Michigan-based businesses with 500 or fewer employees. Founded in 1967 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, it is now headquartered in Lansing, United States....
  
  
• The Nature Conservancy in Michigan http://www.nature.org/michigan/
• Gravity Works Design http://www.GravityWorksDesign.com

The district hosts over 111 festivals and events throughout the year and is also the trail head for Lansing's Rivertrail, one of the longest urban rivertrail's in the country. Between Old Town's location at the head of the Rivertrail, and it's well attended weekly, monthly, and annual events, over 120,000 visitors enjoy the district each year with 50% coming from outside of Ingham county.

Cultural events

• Old Town Bluesfest: a two day free blues music festival. This festival takes place in September of each year and vendors all around Old town are open with beverages and food. There is optimal seating in front of all stages and the Bluesfest continues rain or shine. It started in 1994 and has featured artists like Kid Rock and Marcy Playground. It is sponsored by radio station 94.9 WMMQ.
• Lansing Jazzfest: a two day free jazz music festival. This festival takes place in August of each year and began in 1995. Lansing's jazz radio station is the main sponsor: 89.7 WLNZ. Jazz artists are asked to play at least one song that has not yet been played for audiences at the festival, which truly makes it living history. Featured artists in years past have included: TS Monk, Mose Allison, and Tim Cunningham.
• Old Town Oktoberfest: a two day festival celebrating Germany at its finest. Live polka music, dancing, and German food are among the best parts of this event that takes place in October. Beer is of abundance for those 21+ years of age. This event is a major fundraiser for the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA). Children are allowed at the event during the day, but at night it is strictly an adult themed festival.
• Old Town Festival of the Moon and Sun: a two night festival that celebrates the beginning of summer in June with style. The first evening is full of delicious food, music, and beer. The second evening is filled with fine wine, brewed beer, and great cuisine. Both events are for adults 21+ and if you volunteer you receive discounted admission and a free t-shirt. Thus far this festival has been going on since 1999.
• Old Town Renegade Festival: Three days of free theatre showcased in Lansing’s most artistic district, featuring a wide range of performance styles from comedy, puppet shows, musicals, improv, staged readings and more!
• Taste & Tour of Old Town: A strolling event showcasing urban living in Lansing's arts & culture district. The event is typically held the first weekend in April and features a dozen or so private lofts and samples from many of Old Town's bars & restaurants.
• Old Town Scrapfest: Old Town Scrapfest started in 2009 as an answer to how to incorporate a near by scrap yard into Old Town's arts brand. The event is a two week sculpture competition where teams of artists have one hour to collect 500lbs of scrap and two weeks to build. The sculptures are then on display at Festival of the Sun & Festival of the Moon in June and auction off to raise money for the Old Town Commercial Association's public art programming.

Pickin' In the Park: Hosted by the Old Town Commercial Association, this weekly jam session is located in Burchard Park and is open to all ages and skill levels.
First Sunday Gallery Walk: A long time tradition of the district, the first Sunday of each month galleries, creative service and retailers alike open their doors to celebrate the arts in the Old Town district.
Chalk of the Town: Thousands flock to Old Town Lansing for this all ages, all skill level chalk art competition held in conjunction with the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau's Be a Tourist in Your Own Town. The Old Town Commercial Association welcome's dozens of artists to compete to win prizes with entertainment and children's activities throughout the district.

Education

There are no schools located within the Old Town borders, but the school-aged children of the area attend schools in the North Lansing area.

• % of people 3 yrs and older in K-12 schools: 24.1%
• % or people 3 yrs and older in undergrad colleges: 5.4%
• % of people 3 years and older in grad or professional schools: 1.9%
• % of students K-12 enrolled in private schools: 8.2%

Geography/demographics

The area of Old Town is approx 6.157 square miles (15.9 km²) with the population of approx 15,000, which has a population density of 2,500 people per square mile. Some of the popular and main roads in Old Town are E Sheridan Road, W Sheridan Road, N Logan Street, Wood Street, E Grand River Ave, Turner Street, and Lake Lansing Road. Conrail Railroad, Abandoned Railroad, and Cxs Railroad run through the Old Town area. Though the Old Town borders are sometimes disagreed upon between neighbors, the neighborhood is roughly between Pine Street and Larch Street (West to East), and between North Street and Oakland (North to South). The Grand River runs through this section of Lansing. It runs from the Southeast to the Northwest, right past the Turner-Dodge House and Heritage Center. The Lansing River Trail runs along the river as well.

Old Town Population Chart
2000 POP. 11,400
1990 POP. 12,100
PERCENT DECLINE. -6%

Demographics % OF POP. (2000)

• WHITE 47%
• BLACK 14%
• ASIAN/PAC. IS. 2%
• NATIVE AMERICAN 2%
• LATINO 15%
• OTHER 19%

NATIVE BORN; 93% FOREIGN BORN; 7%

IMMIGRANT POPULATION LIVING IN OLD TOWN

• MEXICO 39%
• CUBA 12%
• LAOS 10%
• AFRICA 9%
• CHINA 5%
• THAILAND 5%
• OTHER 20%

LATINO POPULATION

• MEXICO 72%
• PUERTO RICO 3%
• CUBA 2%
• OTHER 23%

OLD TOWN ANCESTRY

• GERMAN 17%
• ENGLISH 11%
• IRISH 10%
• POLISH 4%
• DUTCH 4%
• FRENCH 3%
• OTHER 51%

Places of Interests

• Absolute Gallery and Custom Framing: Art gallery. Won The Peoples Choice Award for: Best Art Gallery 2005 and Best Custom Frame Shop 2005 in Lansing Community Paper.
• Bella Rio Salon: The salon is owned by Faith Waugh and provides a great atmosphere for any client. Services include: cuts, styles, colors, and waxing.
• By The River Side-Art gallery: Opened in August 2008, owned by Karen Massoglia. Provides pieces of artwork mostly by Michigan artists at an affordable price.
• Ceramics Studio: Allows you to become your own artist by painting different ceramic designs and then take them home after being polished.
• Ciesa Design: Provides interior design and strategies such as modes and methods of communicating at a glance. Has been open for 25 years.
• Esquire Bar: Provides entertainment all week. Mondays: provide modern rock/alternative/electronic music. Tuesdays: Free pool. Wednesdays: Karaoke night. Thursday: Euchre night. Friday and Saturday: Only $2 cover charge.
• Fish Ladder Tattoo: A tattoo parlor including two tattoo artists with extensive portfolios: Eric Jenks and Chris Boilore. Also many paintings for purchase.
• Gravity Works Design & Development: A design (print, digital branding) and development (custom software applications, mobile applications, and website) firm.
• The Grand River
• Haze Art Gallery: Shows art from 35 different artists ranging from photography, painting, ceramics, jewelry, crafts, sewing, candles, and more. Also houses Haze Paint and Take Ceramics.
• The Head Room Salon: Received many good reviews from customers. Provides cuts, colors, and styles.
• Hilltop Yoga: Offers vinyasa, ashtanga, power, basics, and pre and post-natal yoga.
• Katherine Fishburn Arts: An art gallery and display of poetry pieces done by Katherine Fishburn. Received her PHD in English and opened the gallery in 2007.
• Lansing's River Trail Access: It is 8 miles (13 km) of relaxation, exercise, and adventure.
• October Moon: An art gallery and gift boutique that offers gifts for garden, kitchen, and the home. Also has baby gifts, wearable gifts, and body and bath items.
• Old Town Manor: The former superintendent's house for the Michigan School for the Blind, available for rental; also the home of design & marketing firm Rizzi Designs, who owns the property.
• Pablo's Panaderia: A Mexican restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Peppermint Creek Theater: mission is to strive to produce classic and contemporary theatre that addresses vital issues in society, raises awareness, and encourages dialogue through entertainment. Past performances: Dog sees god, Some girl(s), tick, tick…BOOM, The Clean House, Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight, Fahrenheit 451, The Seafarer.
• Perspective2 Studio: A photography studio with an urban feel. Has spaces available for parties or special events and provides photography classes.
• Pleat's Interior Design: Provides custom window, furniture, and accessory designs. Has experts that can help design any area.
• Polka Dots-A Bead-a-full Boutique: a fun bead and gift shop that concentrates on distinctive lampwork beads, jewelry, and other accessories for the home. Jewelry classes and parties are available.
• Sir Pizza & Grand Café: café/pizza shop that provides karaoke and is open til midnight most evenings.
• Spin Bicycles: A full service bicycle shop that even provides bikes that are safe to use in the winter seasons.
• Swanson Design Studios: Interior design store. Helps with zoning, compliance, and barrier free needs.
• Turner Park/Turner-Dodge house: The house was built in 1858 and is recognized as a National Historic Registered location. It is the only 19th century residence open to the public in Lansing. The park consists of beautiful benches and picnic tables and is surrounded by pieces of metal artworks formed in different shapes.
• Unicorn Tavern: Bar that provides dancing and music as well as cold beers. Member of the OTCA and some say it may be as old as Oldtown Lansing itself.

Notable residents

• Jim Cash (screenwriter of Top Gun and other films)
• Rashad Evans (UFC fighter)
• Magic Johnson
• Chris Hansen (Dateline NBC correspondent)
• Ryan Miller (NHL player)
• Greg Raymer (2004 World Series of Poker Champion)
• Debbie Stabenow (US Senator)
• Malcolm X