Relationship and Neighborhood

I’m waiting for my car to be repaired. The car repair place is in the Foster Community Center Eastside Neighborhood.

This is “my hood” although I don’t sleep here anymore. I work, shop and live as much as possible on Lansing’s East Side. It just FEELS like home. I always run into folks I know here. Today has been no exception.

Singing the Praises of the Eastside Neighborhood

East Michigan Avenue is a special place in Lansing. Almost every business on this stretch (from the Capitol Building to 496/ Frandor Shopping Center) is family-run. I love the personal service and I love frequenting the businesses owned by my own neighbors.

It’s a perfect time to visit my friends at Gone Wired Cafe. They now have Michigan Beer, for those who are interested. This new liquor license is a big deal for them. I’m glad they could go through with it.

The Joy of Supporting Local Restaurants

Small locally-owned restaurants struggle. Things are especially tough in summer when people go out of town. Travelers are more likely to eat at McDonald’s or other chains by the highway exits, instead of locally-owned places in vacation destinations.

Consider finding a locally-owned restaurant/cafe/pub next time you choose to pay for a meal you didn’t make yourself. OK? Every Single Customer makes a difference.

Some of my favorite Lansing locally-owned restaurants:

• Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine, East Lansing – African, both vegan and meat dishes
• Gone Wired Cafe’, East Side – Breakfast, Burgers, healthy options
• New Aladdin’s Restaurant, Frandor and Downtown Lansing – Lebanese/ Mideastern
• Pablo’s Panaderia, Old Town – Mexican)
• Seif Foods, City Market – Egyptian/ Mideastern
• Asia’s Finest, South Side – Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese
• el Oasis Food Truck, East Side (Michigan Ave. at Francis Ave.) – Mexican

If you don’t want ethnic food and want a little more fancy environment with a bar, try:

• Emil’s Italian Restaurant, East Side – oldest locally-owned restaurant in Lansing
• Clara’s Lansing (train) Station – Stadium District

If you don’t live in Lansing, Michigan… well, there is a summer adventure waiting for you. Look for local businesses (not just restaurants) and celebrate them by buying there.

(I’m off to go buy Arabic tea at the Halal market on this block, then walk back to the car shop a few blocks away. Car repairs are done for the day. Yeah!)

Photos? Gone Wired Cafe, a photo I took in 2009. Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine this past winter.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 at 12:41 pmand is filed under Food, Lansing, Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.