City Pulse

11/24/2025

Barnes & Noble is back in Frandor — and this time, it’s hyper-local. The new store features Lansing authors, Michigan true-crime favorites, a cozy room-style layout, and a staff that already knows what local readers love.

Once upon a time, every Barnes & Noble location ordered essentially the same books. That’s no longer so. As part of a strategy shift that began in 2018 and has seen the store turn …

11/24/2025

On freezing nights at Sleepy Hollow State Park, Barb Barton sets up her telescope and disappears into the universe. From comets and auroras to galaxies millions of light-years away, she’s capturing breathtaking images right here in mid-Michigan.

On a cold, clear Monday evening in early November, two Subarus rendezvoused in an otherwise empty parking lot at Sleepy Hollow State Park, about 20 minutes’ drive north of Lansing. The sun …

11/22/2025

There’s been a lot of emotional moments at MSU Opera Theatre — and for good reason. Composer Ricky Ian Gordon is on campus mentoring students for this weekend’s production of The Grapes of Wrath, and his powerful music has everyone in tears.

There’s been a lot of off-script crying at recent Michigan State University Opera Theatre rehearsals Ricky Ian Gordon, one of America’s most celebrated theater and opera composers, …

11/21/2025

Michigan’s hitting pause on big corporate handouts after the SOAR and Gotion backlash. Now lawmakers are pushing a new plan letting companies keep part of their workers’ income tax. Different names, same idea — and it’s shaping up to be Lansing’s final big fight of 2025.

The governor and lawmakers are done giving a few corporations buckets of cash to come to Michigan. Millions to Gotion, a Chinese-owned company? The public backlash is a little too toasty …

11/20/2025

A $1M+ vision is taking shape downtown: Devil’s Day Tattoo is redeveloping three historic buildings into a larger studio, a community space, retail, and affordable housing—powered by OPRA support and LEDC guidance.

The Devil’s Day Tattoo co-owners are planning to redevelop and restore the units right next door to their current spot: The former Baron’s Window Coverings building and neighboring …

11/19/2025

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Silver Bells in the City, a tradition for more than 40 years, returns Friday to spread holiday cheer to residents of Greater Lansing and far beyond. The main events kick off at 6 p.m. with the …

11/17/2025

Hela’s Kitchen has found a new home! 🌮 After two years in the Lansing Mall food court, Angelita Cabrera and her husband Pedro opened a standalone Tex-Mex spot on West Saginaw on Oct. 4.

When Famous Taco moved out of its West Saginaw location in 2023, one of Angelita Cabrera’s friends told her it would be the perfect standalone spot for her restaurant, Hela’s Kitchen. …

11/16/2025

Under the weather but craving comfort food? Writer Lizy Ferguson found the perfect cure at Charlie Kang’s in downtown East Lansing — and discovered an unexpected obsession: the wings.

If classes are in session, I avoid downtown East Lansing even when I’m in perfect health. So, when I was under the weather last week and craving Charlie Kang’s, I had to choose the …

11/15/2025

What does freedom look like from inside a prison cell?
The new exhibit “Bridging Walls [–] Different Worlds” at Michigan State University’s LookOut Gallery invites viewers to experience life inside Michigan’s prisons through the art and poetry of incarcerated people.

People who have never been inside a prison might imagine that life inside is a daily fight for physical survival, like it is on shows like “Oz” or “The Mayor of Kingstown.” To …

11/14/2025

*SPONSORED CONTENT*
🎸 The Verve Pipe Returns to Lansing! 🎸
Michigan’s own iconic rock band, The Verve Pipe, is back and taking the stage at Grewal Hall on November 28, 2025! Get ready for a night of unforgettable hits—from “The Freshmen” to “Photograph”—plus fresh new music.
Joining them are local favorites Narc Out the Reds and Atomic Annie for a show you won’t want to miss.
🎟 Tickets available online: grewalhall.com