East Lansing FAQ

East Lansing FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Do you consider East Lansing to be LGBT-friendly?   bars, clubs, centers, coffee shops)?

As far as Michigan goes East Lansing is one of the more LGBT friendly areas of the State.  It’s not as gay friendly as large cities like Chicago or New York, but for Michigan it’s not bad.  There are two gay bars and a lgbt friendly bookstore/café  in Lansing a short drive from Campus.  There’s one club type bar, a bar with a relaxed atmosphere and the bookstore/café with regular events and music.   There aren’t any LGBT bars in East Lansing but there are some that are more gay friendly than others.  Beggars Banquet on Wednesdays and the Peanut Barrel are two that come to mind.

The University operates an LGBT center and there is a University group for LGBT graduate students.

There aren’t any LGBT-centric coffee shops in East Lansing but most of the coffee shops within East Lansing are LGBT-friendly.  Espresso Royal on Grand River comes to mind as the most LGBT-friendly coffee shop.

If you are here during the summer Lansing hosts Michigan Pride.

What is the non-lgbt social scene like in East Lansing?

There is pretty much something for everyone as far as the non-lgbt scene goes.   There is no doubt that East Lansing is home to one of the biggest universities in the country.  There is an active nightlife scene and you can find a busy bar any night of the week.  If you don’t feel like going out to the bars there are a lot of other activities.  MSU has a number of intramural sports teams, and other student groups/activities. Lansing has a minor league baseball team that is popular during the summer.  The stadium is a short bus trip from campus.

During the summer there are a number of festivals hosted by East Lansing and Lansing.

The articles below are an accurate representation of things to do in the area: