Downtown :
Featured Stories
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Something's changing in the live music scene in Lansing. There are more shows, bigger names – and did you catch the Common Ground lineup this year? Though there are a number of reasons why, one of them is definitely Lansing's own Fusion Shows.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
We're at our final stop in our three-part series on Lansing area theater: the evolution of the theater experience. We talk to the folks who are in the midst of ensuring a theater legacy in the area through spearheading new and innovative ways to bring film to Lansing.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Join us for the second stop in our three-part series on Lansing area theater: the theaters of time gone by. We'll explore the local venues still alive and kicking, and reminisce on some of the haunts that exist only in memory and photographs.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
For some, the word 'comics' summons images of Garfield hating Mondays, or Superman saving the day. But for others, like Ryan Claytor, who teaches comic creation and produces his own, comics are more than just funny drawings or heroes in tights: they are a way of life.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Where does your mind go when you hear the word theater? Popcorn and a flick? Playbills and a stage? Glitzy marquees and red velvet seats? Come along with us as we explore all three in the Lansing area in an on-going series. First up: performance theatre!
Suban Nur Cooley
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
If you haven't had a chance to attend some of Lansing's many open mic opportunities, here's a quick synopsis of what they're like, who's going and what it's doing for the performers and our city.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Michigan Avenue is the central corridor of the Lansing region, and for years it has also been front and center in the minds of area planners and developers. Now, everyone from municipalities to non-profits to private developers are getting in on the excitement that is Michigan Avenue's future. Here, we look at how those development plans are going, and what's already underway.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Eclectic Art Tattoo Gallery owner Geary Morrill and his wife Cyndi chose Lansing to start a business and raise a family. Find out why they were called back from Southern California to begin a new adventure together.
Kate Tykocki
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
What would you do if you had 54 hours to spare? Laundry? Start a new project? How about start a business? That’s what budding and experienced entrepreneurs alike did one weekend in October when they gathered from around the globe at the Center for New Enterprise Opportunity and the Henry Center for Executive Development for Lansing Startup Weekend. By Sunday evening, five new businesses had been launched, complete with business models, research, working websites and pitches to venture capitalists.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
What is placemaking? And what does it look like? Thanks to the Michigan Association of Realtors Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper Grant, we now have at least nine great examples of placemaking projects throughout the Lansing area. Take a look at what these projects mean to their respective neighborhoods, and how placemaking will play a role in Lansing’s future.
Kate Tykocki
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
There are many benefits to the holiday that is Halloween; you get to know your neighbors, supply happy children with treats for tricks, and maybe even save some Reese's goodness for yourself. But at the end of the day, what long-lasting or local impact does Halloween really have on our region? Enter if you dare ... mwahahahaha!
Dawn Gorman
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Business owner, Camron Gnass knows a good story, and a good opportunity, when he sees one. So he jumped at the chance to publish local author Jack Ebling’s tale of the Michigan State Spartan’s renaissance.
Dawn Gorman
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Lansing resident, Ty Forquer, loves Lansing so much he launched 517 Shirts, an online t-shirt company capturing Lansing landmarks with a unique edge and providing Lansing-lovers with a hip way to wear their pride.
Andrea Kerbuski
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Meet Andrea Kerbuski, Capital Gains' fashion columnist! Andrea is a
successful personal style/fashion blogger with a day job and a love for horses and leather accessories. She attributes her eclectic sense of style to her
father. For her first column, she shares how Lansing is the place to thrift for fashion finds.
Dawn Gorman
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Across the world, community bike shares are becoming popular car alternatives. They’re great for traveling short distances, and cities call them community and economy builders. For more than two years, Lansing has dreamed of becoming a bike share hub, and that dream could soon become a reality.
Kate Tykocki
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Justin Bugsy Sailor has made the move from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Lansing twice now. In between, he spent time in more than 100 homes spread out across each of the 50 states. Find out more about how this ultimate road tripper landed in Lansing, and what he really wishes you knew about him.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The Lansing Community College Board of Trustees meeting this past April wasn’t a bit typical. For one thing, the room was full of high school students. For another, a major item on the agenda was a basketball-playing robot built by those teenagers. Want to know more? Read on to learn about LCC's program, The Early Learning College.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
So, how far has Lansing come in a decade? Have we grown, developed? Are we on the right track? Let's take a look and see, shall we! In the second part of our Lansing Growth series, we take a look at how Lansing has changed as a place to live.
Rich Tupica
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Starving artist, we’re all familiar with the term. But illustrators in the Capital region seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. We couldn´t highlight them all, so here’s a look at how some of our well-known local artists are making it by following their passion and doing what they love: art.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
So, how far has Lansing come in a decade? Have we grown, developed? Are we on the right track? Let's take a look and see, shall we! In the first part of our Lansing Growth series, we take a look at how Lansing has changed as a place to work.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Have you ever wondered about the person behind the turntable? They’re much more than just the talented hands that spin the music to get you moving, and the keen ears that drop just the right beats. Take a behind-the-music look at some of Lansing’s most in-demand and talented DJs.
Dawn Gorman
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Lansing’s Refugee Development Center has been helping refugee families find hope and build new lives for more than 10 years. Today, the organization serves hundreds of refugees and has created specialized programs that support and help children making this difficult transition into American life; so they can start anew.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
What were you doing on St. Paddy's day? Did it involve animation, costumes, video games and more? Then you must have been one of the 2,000 odd folks who headed to downtown Lansing for Shuto Con. If not, Daniel J. Hogan will tell you all about it in this week's issue.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Meet Khalid Ibrahim: scientist by day, artist by night! Pakistani by early upbringing, Ibrahim has fallen in love with what Lansing has to offer, professionally, recreationally, artistically and culturally. Whether fulfilling his passion behind a camera lens or in working to understand disease in the lab, he strives to be a teller of the diverse stories he considers himself lucky to encounter.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
The offspring at Granger Associates, Two Men and a Truck and Dean Transportation could go anywhere. They’re degreed, skilled. But they are working in their family’s Mid-Michigan companies and are bringing their generations’ green ethic with them. While getting their jobs was no cakewalk, they’re beating the poor odds for family dynasties while making huge contributions to their industries.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Lansing should take pride in providing an environment that fosters the leading ladies of women-owned creative agencies. Take a peek inside the minds and lives of some of Lansing’s top creative entrepreneurs. Through their successes and challenges, we find out why Lansing is bursting with creative agencies that are perfectly suited to serve a diversity of clients across the region and throughout the state.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Lansing has many Thai restaurants, and writer, Daniel J. Hogan went on a quest to find out which one has the best Pad Thai.
Staff
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Two-thousand-eleven has been a banner year for key development in the Greater Lansing area. It’s not just that there was an influx of any old type of building projects. The kind of development we saw in Lansing this year has been groundbreaking and innovative. They are the kind of projects inspired by collaboration, history and community - furthering growth across the region.
Veronica Gracia-Wing
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Holiday business is definitely booming in the Lansing area, but independent business owners don’t simply measure their success in only dollars and cents. The gauge for a profitable holiday season reaches beyond percentages for independents and ultimately does result in both a strengthened economy and, some would argue, more importantly, strengthened relationships and community.
Megan Polom
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
What was once the Lansing Advertising Club is now a group of individuals from a diverse creative backgrounds called the Mid-Michigan Creative Alliance ... and they are reinventing the ideals of one of Michigan's oldest advertising clubs.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Everyone knows “there’s an app for that,” but who is making all these apps? Capital Gains takes a look at three Lansing firms who make apps: Traction, Web Ascender and Gravity Works.
Megan Polom
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Impression 5 Science Center ... a place chock-full of innovation and creativity. But who are some of the folks responsible for making it all happen? Meet them in this week's issue.
Patrick Diehl
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Getting our food from local sources – and supporting those restaurants and other establishments that do – makes sense in more ways than one. Local food tastes better, it’s healthier, it makes local farmers happy and preserves family farms. It enhances the character of our community ... and best of all, it’s the right thing to do. We talked with a few eateries in the Lansing area who are also buying local to support our region.
Patrick Diehl
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
A suit-wearing, spatula-wielding Slayer fan who practices Intellectual Properties law during the day and plays fetch with his Border Collies at night and on weekends, Matt Wyman returned to Lansing after six years in the Windy City. As far as we're concerned, any attorney who loves The Big Lebowski, skydiving and making Lansing a better place in which to live and work is a vital addition to the community.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
After the first three of our four-part series on the secrets to downtown development in the Lansing area, one thing is for sure: the renaissance happening in our local downtowns isn't incidental. Learn how downtown organizations are playing a major role in revitalization.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
This past April, the first ever Capital City Film Festival highlighted and celebrated film and live music in downtown Lansing. Some of the organizers share what they learn in the festival's first year.
Suban Nur Cooley
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
In October last year, Ariniko O Meara began a crusade to walk down every street in Lansing, taking pictures and telling us stories along the way through her
City Saunter blog. She shares what she's learned and discovered along the way.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Not long ago content on Lansing Community College’s TV station centered on reruns of basketball games and still shots of billboards. Today, it has a new name, new program lineup and partnerships across the community. Best of all, it has Nicole Sclafani, producer and station manager, who embodies the bubbling energy of Mid-Michigan beginning to vibrate with the beat of a new economy. If it’s important and especially if it’s fun, know that LCC TV The Link plans to be in the middle of it.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Yes, volunteers are integral to creating a thriving downtown ... but what about economic development? We talk grants, small business, job creation and more in Part 2 of our four-part series, The Recipe For Thriving Downtowns.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
At Lansing Teen Court, first-time youth offenders are spared the scourge of the judicial system, which often leaves a permanent record of their youthful misdeeds to follow them. Instead, they face a jury of their peers: high school students, who are not exactly lenient, either.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
This is the first of a four part series by our news editor, Natalie Burg, uncovering what it really takes to revitalize our downtown hubs. This week, we focus on volunteerism.
Natlie Burg
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Capital Gains' News Editor, Natalie Burg, sat down with Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution discussing the ways we can move cities - like ones in the Capital region - into the next economy.
Suban Nur Cooley
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
If you know Robin Miner Swartz, then you know why people have referred to her as Lansing's biggest cheerleader. She's engaged, invested and connected to the Capital region, both personally and professionally. Wonder why?
Gabrielle Johnson
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
There’s a new movement occurring in the Capital region. It’s not political or religious. They aren’t trying to sell you anything, take your money, or convert you. Heck, they won’t even tell you their names. You won’t see them coming and you’ll never know when they’re going to strike. Why? Because they’re Ninjas.
Leslie Wolcott
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Was that a horse you saw on the bus last week? Don’t worry your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. That was Cali, the American Miniature Horse who might be Lansing's first guide horse. She works with her human, Mona Ramouni. The two moved to East Lansing last August, but Ramouni and Cali already feel embraced and welcomed by the Capital region.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
It suddenly seems that Mid-Michigan has a mushrooming supply of taxis. Does that reflect a trend, moving us closer to metropolitan status? The answer is yes, but not in the way you might think. So many things are happening here in the people-moving realm that we are well on the way to becoming a “transportation mecca”.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Germany’s Ruhr District is repurposing massive, abandoned industrial facilities, turning them into cultural centers, business parks and museums. Is the Capital region ready or able to do the same?
Adam Molner
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
From Neon Tuesdays to LEAK parties, Lansing’s electronic dance music scene is blowing up, and Mike Weber is working tirelessly to make sure the party never stops.
Dan Nufer
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
A collaboration between a local record store and an MSU student is bringing The Middle of the Mitten music showcase to the Loft in Downtown Lansing.
Andy McGlashen
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Capital region anglers can go head-to-head with some of the world’s most famous and challenging sport fish, right in the heart of the city.
Gabrielle Johnson
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Transplanted from the plains of North Dakota, this 23-year-old has found a lot to like in Lansing, including beautiful weather, gourmet dining and interesting people (and even a fiancée).
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
In addition to conducting and growing the successful Lansing Symphony Orchestra, nationally renowned conductor Timothy Muffitt is also a happy, local family man.
Clare Zammitt
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Photo-based scavenger hunts through Lansing are fun, entertaining and helping the community come together and realize the city's full potential.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
If Lansing hopes to build on the success of The Deluxe Inn urban art project in REO Town, it’ll have to embrace the nuances and unpredictability of authentic underground art.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Read the play-by-play as Capital Gain's man about town, Daniel J. Hogan, describes his aspirations and motivations for a recent relocation to an apartment in Downtown Lansing.
Sandra Miska
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Two new boating venues—The Grand Fish and Metro Marinas—are opening the Downtown Lansing riverfront to new kinds of adventure, entertainment and recreation.
Julianne VanWagenen
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A few young leaders decided to spend one lunch hour a week volunteering for Lansing-area organizations. They ended up inspiring hundreds of local people of all ages to join them.
Leslie Wolcott
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
In Michigan, there’s nothing to compare with a summer afternoon spent lounging on the beach with a great book. Unless, perhaps, it’s getting together with friends for a good book discussion accompanied by wine, beer and food.
Julianne VanWagenen
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
To counter the consequences of high petroleum prices, Capital region leaders are pulling together the components of a new bio-based manufacturing system that would also support researchers, farmer and parts suppliers.
STAFF
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Join Capital Gains tonight for our third Speaker Series, this time focused on Walkable, Bikeable and Livable Communities. See you at the New Lansing City Market after work!
Staff
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Walkable, bikeable, and mixed use development is critical for Michigan's future. Sign up for the Capital Gains Speaker's Series and hear how Lansing is redesigning itself for the future.
Jeff Shoup
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
In order to highlight and celebrate Lansing's destinations, the Team Lansing Foundation recently sent local leaders over
the Boji Tower’s highest balcony, 22 stories above the city.
Adam Molner
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The five local DJ’s who comprise the Lansing Electronic Artist Kollective are working hard to put Lansing's electronic scene on the national map.
Gabrielle Johnson
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
MSU recruits faculty from all corners of the country, and many have little notion of what living in Michigan will be like. We talk to two couples about life, love and sushi in the Capital region.
Leslie Wolcott
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
We're all guilty of touting success while hiding failure. But if we're serious about supporting entrepreneurship, a better strategy is to ask, "How can we help each other fail well?"
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Once again, there are too many great things happening this week for us to pick just one. Support local volunteer service or toss milk jugs with medieval implements of warfare? Good luck deciding!
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Since forever Lansing bars have allowed smoking indoors, often with virtually no ventilation. Come May 1, this will all change thanks to a statewide non-smoking mandate from the Michigan legislature. We're going smoke-free, baby!
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Staff
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
We're doing double duty this week with two amazing events: the one and only Studio Crawl and Earth Day celebrations.
Staff
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
It's hard to keep track of all the urban gardening/urban farming initiatives taking place in the Capital region, which is why we're hosting a speakers series designed to get you informed and involved.
Andy Balaskovitz
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
What will we get out of new federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds? How about $17.4 million worth of tools to address foreclosure, revitalize areas near Downtown and attract new talent?
Staff
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Welcome to Spring! Ready to grow some city greens? Join us for our second Speaker Series event, where we'll talk to local leaders about the Capital region's blossoming urban gardening movement.
John Foren
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Attracted by the convenience and freedom offered by walkable neighborhoods, authentic food and diverse culture, some Baby Boomers are trading their empty suburban nests for busy Downtown living.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Area techies are prepared to hole up at
I5 until they produce thousands of dollars in services for area non-profits as part of this month's
Give Camp.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Capital region businesses and state leaders are embracing the allure of Michigan's forests, rivers, ski trips and mountain bike adventures to help keep more young talent in Michigan.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
We think it's time to get noticed by
Google and vastly increase residential broadband access. You can help make it happen.
Julianne VanWagenen
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Foursquare.com, the up-and-coming social networking app with a flair for local flavor, is giving rise to a new informal mayoral class in Lansing.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time to get happy! Join us for some after-work drinks today, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 10.
Staff
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
What are incubators? How are they helping drive the economy in the Capital region? Capital Gains will be listening for answers at our very first Speaker Series, on March 25 at The Loft in Downtown Lansing.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Public transportation—which in Lansing means CATA buses—sometimes gets lost amid other planning considerations. But a couple of Capital region developers are making the connection in their projects.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
It's idea time! Get ready to light up one of Lansing's most innovative events—IgniteLansing!—with your mind, body and wallet.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
No one seems to know exactly how many murals the Capital region hosts. But there’s a movement afoot to create more of the wall-sized paintings.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
OK. We’ve been silent long enough. From here on out we’re going to post our number one must do, must see, must have news every week. We’re not interested in being Captain Obvious so if you have ideas that are off the radar, share them
here.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Staff
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
We’d like to introduce you to Daniel Hogan, 28, the self-described lovable geek and feature writer who'll be taking over development editor responsibilities here at Capital Gains.
Gabrielle Johnson
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Many of the area's traditional businesses and organizations are gaining new insights and support by opening board of director positions to young leaders.
Adam Molner
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Lansing residents have been using technology and social media tools to pull together public gatherings that draw attention to the region.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Beyond appreciation for cafés and great wine, what else do the streets of Paris have to teach Lansing? Capital Gains' Gretchen Cochran offers a few observations from the City of Light.
Kelly Steffen and Joshua Croft
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
As MSU works to bring car sharing to the town, two MSU students share their thoughts on what it could do for the region.
Viki Lorraine
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Proving that Lansing has plenty of opportunities for creative, passionate people, homegrown-proud Mike Stratton has found international success as a therapist, writer and DJ.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What’s the dating scene like in Lansing? Local geek Daniel J. Hogan explores the good, the bad and the hilarious of being single in the Capital region.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Video games are helping educate local area kids about technology. Combined with Michigan’s film incentive tax credits, they could also help create a future technology industry in Lansing.
Staff
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What does “green” really mean? Our readers, developers and community members ask us this question all the time. We take it to mean lots of things — LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) development, sustainable living, public transportation, walkable communities and the reuse of abandoned properties.
Throughout 2009, we’ve run several articles concerning green ideas and green developments. After much deliberation, we’ve put together our Best of Green issue.
These feature, development and innovation articles include large green developments such as the renovation of the 20,000 square foot former Cedar Street School, as well as large green ideas such as the City of East Lansing’s commitment to becoming the first Michigan city to adopt a green building policy.
Thank you for your loyal readership! Have a great holiday and we’ll see you again in 2010.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Out-of-business gas stations are abundant in the Capital region. But just because they’re closed today doesn’t mean they have to stay that way.
Deborah Richmond
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ACD.net's Kevin Schoen hopes to turn a problematic vacant property on Kalamazoo Street into a city-friendly community sculpture park.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
With the new Accident Fund headquarters and the construction of the new City Market, Lansing’s riverfront is coming alive. So what's next for the city's watery waysides?
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
One of the nation's leading thinkers on real estate trends says walkable urban places are the future. So what advice will he have for Lansing on April 15?
Christian Czerwinski
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Lansing is kicking off a summer of Smart Commuting, complete with festivals, competitions, classes and lots of reflective gear. Check out the region's committed, car-free trekkers.
Staff
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
In 2009, we heard some great ideas regarding social business, entrepreneurship and the redevelopment of one the region’s most valuable assets — the riverfront.
We also talked to individuals who are creating or have created incubators for the area’s best and brightest. Interestingly, these incubators run the educational gamut, providing services for elementary, high school and college students as well as start-ups.
Since it’s the end of the year, we can’t resist concluding with a few top 10 issues. This week, we’re running the Top Ten of 2009 so if there’s a feature, development or innovation story you missed during the year, here’s your chance to take another look.
Enjoy!
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
One Capital region entrepreneur takes a look at social business, a business model he believes could give the region a positive boost both economically and socially.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Lansing has plenty of networking groups and business organizations, but now it’s got something entirely different—a group of young professionals who are investing their time, businesses and ideas in creating a city they want to live in.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
It's movie time! Lansing makes a notable big-screen debut on Sunday with the premiere of Michael McCallum's gritty new full-length, indie noir flick, Fairview St.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Tired of fast food wrappers and pizza boxes piling up in your car? Embark on a gastronomic quest by sampling some of Lansing’s fine world cuisine.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Lansing and Pittsburgh have quite a bit in common as they scramble to reinvent economic success. Capital Gains talks with one of the leaders who helped the Steel City pull itself back.
Adam Molner
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
More communities are turning to local currencies to encourage people to buy local goods, build neighborly bonds and reward unpaid actions. Is Lansing missing out?
Jeff Shoup
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Capital Gains takes a tour of the new business and education incubators that are becoming driving forces for economic and cultural reinvention in the Capital region.
Andrea Kerbuski
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Riverfront Cycle in Downtown Lansing, offering top-of-the-line bicycles and products since 1988, recently added a manufacturing arm in Mason.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Last year's soaring gas prices fueled their popularity, but scooter fans say it's their practicality, maneuverability and style that make them a hot commodity on Capital region roadways.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
After a globe-hopping career that included visits to Europe, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea, and 41 cities in China, Shirley Saylor chose to land in and fall in love with Lansing.
Justin Caine
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
For those of you who didn’t get a chance to ride the river with the Gillespie Group's Downtown boat tours, Good Fruit Video takes you there.
Ann Kammerer
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
With an in-store jeweler, shoe-fit shop, 2,000 ties and the largest collection of tailored suits in the state, Kositchek’s menswear in Downtown Lansing delivers on every meticulously measured inch of its 140+ year legacy of quality.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Local IT entrepreneurs are joining forces to create a website guide that will help you find the hippest happenings in Lansing.
Adam Molner
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Former East Lansing mayor Sam Singh spent a year traveling the world. Now he's back and ready to put that experience to work in the Capital region.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Nick Gavrilides has soup for you. With a focus on "going local" and a hearty commitment to Lansing, he's turning The Soup Spoon Café into a tasty Eastside tradition.
Gabrielle Johnson
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Michigan Avenue corridor might be primed for a facelift as citizens, students, professors and local governments look to take on the project themselves.
Andy Owen
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Young and mobile talent in the Capital region is looking to business leaders and local government to make changes.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
The
Michigan Municipal League (MML) has established eight elements they say will help change the way millennials view Michigan.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
As envisioned by MSU interior design students, the retro-cool Knapp’s building in Downtown Lansing can be transformed into a vibrant part of the region again.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
After two years of pulling Capital Gains together in no less than 20 different houses, offices, cafes and cottages, we’ve managed to assemble an authoritative mobile workstation guide for Capital region nomads.
Tara Adams
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Public art can catch your eye or catch you off guard. In the Capital region, it's also helping capture the spirit of the community.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Capital Gains caught up with people who have left Michigan for Madison, Raleigh and Austin. Our goal? To see what coaxed them out of the region, and how we could keep them here.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
What does Lansing need to keep talented young entrepreneurs like Bunmi Akinyemiju? Try mass transit, entertainment centers and a more risk-tolerant attitude.
Bryan Mitchell
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
We've got those tiny little lakes for entertainment, but Capital region mountain biking enthusiasts are also making mountains out of Michigan's molehills.
Philip Zaroo and Peter Hughes
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The summer's heating up and grills are being lit, so Capital Gains sent two intrepid writers out on the streets to find Lansing's best-tasting beef on a bun.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Two of the region's leading economists say that, when it comes to fresh water and hard workers, no other state can compete with Michigan.
Judy Putnam
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
How does a Lansing social network and annual fund-raising blowout morph into a respected avenue for supporting early childhood development? Like this.
Suban Nur Cooley
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
How many times have you walked past a business or museum in Lansing and never stopped? Every year Lansing gives its residents a chance to re-experience the city with Be a Tourist in Your Own Town, a one day event designed to reengage citizens in their community.
Capital Gains
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
We’re looking for experienced video freelancers to produce several videos for Capital Gains. If you think you have what it takes, drop us a line.
Jeff Shoup
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Capital Gains catches up with one of the region's leading music critics and fans, and talks about what's working in Lansing's live music world.
Ann Kammerer
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
With the right combination of education, training and social savvy, job seekers can find promise by aligning with bright spots in the Capital region economy.
Bryan Mitchell
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Who finds their way to Lansing? How about a South Dakota transplant with Wyoming political credentials.
Brad Garmon
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The green economy is touted as one the key sectors for Michigan's struggling auto suppliers. Turns out, the state might have the assets and people to do a whole lot more.
Suban Nur Cooley
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
In an adventure that will have her heading to work (gasp!) on foot, CG's favorite Aussie import, Suban Nur Cooley, sets out to test the boundaries of our waistline-busting, couch-to-car commuter culture.
Larry O’Connor
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Robert Selig, executive director of the Capital Region International Airport, is pushing a global agenda that includes a $25 million terminal expansion and federal inspection area.
Daniel J. Hogan
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Many Michigan natives who venture out into the wider world also come boomeranging back, bringing with them a better sense of Lansing's assets and advantages. Some of them actually enjoy the cold!
Staff
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
At the first Lansing Give Camp, dozens of web developers, programmers and designers provided 48 hours of donated labor to the area's non-profit community. Check out all the storm-fraught fun on the video.
Ann Kammerer
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
As the City of Lansing kicks off a major initiative to update its Master Plan, one of the big issues is going to be building a transportation system that caters to people like Chelsea Kennedy.
Bryan Mitchell and Brad Garmon
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Capital Gains kicks off a new series exploring the city's efforts to revamp its decades-old Master Plan. This week, the New Economy shakes up old land use strategies.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Michigan State University's outreach efforts to China over the years has created educational and research partnerships that may soon spill over into the business community.
Brian Fisher
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Twitter, the real-time, micro-blogging and communications tool, is a surprisingly powerful presence inside Lansing's marketing, political and business realms. We offer up 10 local leaders whose chatter really matters.
Rick Steele
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Noah Filipiak, pastor of the Barefoot Church, will knock your socks off! At 22, he started a church. Four years later, its become a core community-building resource in the city.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Michigan's growing agricultural economy was a bright spot in a struggling national economy. The state’s young people are learning how to get involved.
Suban Nur Cooley
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
From vegemite to jumpers, the Chrome Cat to wedding cakes, here's Capital Gains' firsthand account of how one awesome Aussie landed in (and learned to love) Lansing.
Sandra Miska
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Hard Lessons formed in East Lansing, and have since taken their music to venues around the world. But the role-model rockers still give their home state a hearty high-five for hipness.
Staff
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
For all fans of Capital Gains, please join
our Facebook group so we can get a discussion going outside of traditional media about the issues facing this area. If you’re interested, please click
here.
Elizabeth Hoyt
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wendy Kopitsch helps keep Capital region employees fit and focused by bringing yoga right to the workaday office.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Michigan legislators and Lansing area leaders recently hosted a discussion about attracting the younger and more mobile workers that characterize the New Economy.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kira Carter, the president and CEO of Sparrow Specialty Hospital in Lansing, talks to Capital Gains about the healthcare industry, and about attracting new talent to Lansing.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hundreds of people from the Capital Region spent aweekend recycling 100,000 thousand pounds of old technology.
Adam Molner
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The edgy, underground of art culture seems to germinate best in the dark. So it makes sense that Lansing's would bubble up from Basement 414, hidden in a Downtown Lansing alley underneath the Nuthouse Sports Grill.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Choosing 10 innovations to represent the year’s best and brightest is no easy task, but we've managed to pull together 10 people who moved Mid-Michigan innovations forward in 2008.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Green isn’t just the color of the holidays—it’s also the color of the coming economy, and a hallmark of a movement that’s building a more sustainable future for Lansing.
Capital Gains Staff
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Capital Gains staff would like to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season. In light of the season, we will not publish again until Wednesday, Jan. 7. In the meantime, you can give the gift of Capital Gains! Sign up friends and family
here. See you in 2009!
Adam Molner
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Ambitious Capital region authors are bypassing the challenges of traditional publishing by turning to self-publishing to get their books in the hands of fans.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Just in time for the holidays, writer Bill McKibben visits Mid-Michigan with a wish list for building a deeper, sustainable and more satisfying local economy. Revise your shopping list here.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Lansing’s looking to its largest utility, the Lansing Board of Water & Light, for answers to big energy issues, like adding alternative energy options that include solar, wind, biomass, hydro and landfill gases.
Sandra Miska
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Lansing area businesses and nonprofits are elevating the Capital region’s creative culture by building new partnerships with the area’s performing arts community.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
While landfills put the olfactory nerves into overdrive, the growing green economy means that Lansing-based waste management and recycling firms are mining them for practical reuses.
Jeff Shoup
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Doug Neal, host of 88.9 FM's Progressive Torch & Twang, has managed to meld fluid dynamics, entrepreneurialism and an encyclopedic knowledge of alt-country music into a supremely satisfying Mid-Michigan experience.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Ryan Kincaid and Ryan Henry, both barely 30 years old, are wowing the Mid-Michigan building community with big projects and a commitment to growing Lansing's green development movement.
Jonathan Ritz
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Jonathan Ritz agreed to maneuver his way around the Capital region for a week using only the bus system. Read on for the play-by-play of his care-free, car-free Capital City adventure.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Ingham County Treasurer and chairman of the Ingham County Land Bank has discovered that everything in the Lansing region—housing, climate, commerce, quality of life—is tied to transportation.
Lydia Weiss
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Too intimidated to try the bus? Afraid your carpool might accidentally leave you car-less? CATA’s Clean Commute service is helping residents and businesses make the jump to a new transportation paradigm.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Listen in as Michigan Now's Chris McCarus talks with leading experts about the potential of powering 80 million homes with clean, Great Lakes-based offshore wind turbines.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A glimpse at an on-demand, grid-connected future where we move conveniently and happily between various small, clean vehicles depending on what we want to accomplish—and where we need to go.
Joshua Ortman
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Contributing videographer Joshua Ortman takes us on a walk-through of Lansing's popular Impression 5 Science Center with its talented young director, Erik Larson.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Hometown Lansing hero Magic Johnson has a net worth of $500 to $900 million, and he was back home in Lansing recently to talk to an eager audience about politics, economic redevelopment and community building.
Chris McCarus
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus recently joined the Capital Gains
team and will be contributing sound clips on issues like development, sustainability and culture. This week he talks about the Great Lakes Compact.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
For years, Lansing-area leaders have tried to figure out how to hold onto our college graduates, to stem their outflow to big cities. But maybe it’s time to let them go.
Suban Nur Cooley
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Meet Chad Paalman, Frederick Schramm and Justin Welsch, three young Lansing-area IT professionals who prove that our hometown techies are anything but geeks.
Allie Gruner
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
As a summer of record-high gas prices winds down, we offer the flip side of the cost equation: the positive local impacts of $4 per gallon gas.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New York Times columnist and author, Thomas Friedman, recently visited Michigan to talk green revolution, local innovation, and the opportunities for Michigan in a hot, flat and crowded future.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Denise Peek, executive director of the Entrepreneur Network of Mid-Michigan, chats with Capital Gains about Michigan’s economy, supporting local entrepreneurs, and revitalizing Lansing neighborhoods.
Yana Levovna
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Put together an entrepreneurial young Venezuelan salsa dancer, a hot local salsa band, and a Lansing riverboat captain, and you’ve got the ingredients for a booming new Lansing dance scene.
Sam Mills
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Ashley Medina is a Life Stylist. From her shop in Downtown Lansing, she's in the business of helping creative professionals grow, network and stay put in Lansing.
Kraig Westfall
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
In the first of many Capital Gains video features, Kraig Westfall gives us a glimpse into Studio Intrigue, a young, REO Town-based architecture firm that’s taking the term “walk the walk” to a whole ‘nother level.
Ann Kammerer
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Ensconced in subterranean studios at Lansing Community College, WLNZ 89.7-FM fills a niche that showcases the talents of local broadcasters, musicians and non-profit organizations.
Lydia Weiss
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Not only are designated “Green Schools” good for the environment, they’re an economically sound investment. A look at the Lansing region’s efforts go geen in the classroom.
Elizabeth Silver
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
More than 30 neighborhood gardens and one amazing greenhouse are helping Lansing improve parks, foster sustainability and provide fresh food to needy residents.
John A. Kinch
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
As the gold standard in green, Grand Rapids is giving the Capital City’s sustainability efforts a collaborative boost.
Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Even as kids head back to classes, Lansing execs are turning vacant school buildings into green ventures that fuel the local economy.
Josh Marino
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
For St. Johns, Michigan artist, Brian McKelvey, what started out as a local craft has turned into a national — and possibly global — product that's helping people re-imagine their towns.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Capital Gains launched one year ago this month. Here's a quick rundown of some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, and a few personal tidbits about just who we are, exactly.
Staff
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
You know we love writing about growth and development in the Lansing
area. Well, now we’re happy to announce that we’re experiencing some
growth of our own!
Staff
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Football season hasn’t even started, but
Michigan and
Virginia are head-to-head in spirited competition. The two states are competing for best tourism Web site. Virginia and Michigan were the only states to make the finals.So giving Michigan a boost by voting
here. Polls close August 8 at midnight.
Emily Wenstrom
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Even with some ups and downs in local industry, Lansing medical facilities continue to invest in the kinds of cutting-edge equipment and innovative health care needed to keep top medical talent in the area.
Staff
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
With the future of the U.S. economy on the line, Bruce Katz, from the DC-based Brookings Institution, is rallying the country's largest 100 metropolitan areas to action, and offering us a gut-check on how the Lansing/East Lansing metro stacks up in the new, global paradigm.
Gabrielle Johnson
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Downtown Lansing nightlife has gotten a boost from a host of successful new venues, and the young professional crowd is finding places to let loose in the city. CG's quick guide to the new places, old favorites, and hot picks for a night (or two) on the town.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Along with a cadre of other talented indy-film upstarts building high-quality films on miniscule budgets, Michael McCallum works in a world well below the radar of big-budget film incentives.
Melinda Clynes and Brad Garmon
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thanks to new state incentives and a few ambitious Lansing entrepreneurs, a vacant parking lot in Downtown Lansing may soon be bustling with the action—and cash—of big-budget, Hollywood films.
Brynn Howard
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Home sales might be struggling in the wake of the mortgage and credit crunches, but if you’re in the market for a green remodel or a neighborhood makeover, things aren’t looking so bad in Lansing.
Ann Kammerer
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Take a taste of summer with area food advocates, who are serving up a sample from the bountiful Lansing harvest of locally produced, meat, dairy and other dietary staples.
Rick Ballard
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Two new offices are returning residential real estate to Lansing’s core, and capitalizing on the growing demand for downtown living.
Sandra Miska
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
East Lansing’s popular 48-hour filmmaking contest is attracting creative talent to town, and building a reputation among area filmmakers.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The sun is out. The trees are green. And in Mid-Michigan, that means it’s time to hit the water. Welcome to Lake Lansing.
Larry O'Connor
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
New Economy jobs, a family-friendly reputation and a high quality of life are tempting talent to Lansing and East Lansing from national hot spots like California, Boston and Chicago.
Joshua Hagadorn
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Boosted by business, government and personal commitments, recycling efforts in the Mid-Michigan region have more than doubled in the last 10 years, making the region a leader in going green.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
With enthusiasm for flight and joy in his "work," Peter Kamerainen has landed his successful regional charter business among the top tier of Lansing's leaders.
Staff
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Young entrepreneurs like Jessica Decker are revitalizing Downtown Lansing by working in, living in, and loving on a Cool City that's quickly earning the chill name.
Ivy Hughes
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
There’s nothing glamorous or chic about a coffee bean, one stuffed toy or a single moving van. But, if you’re creative and have the business savvy of three of Michigan’s most successful franchise owners, you can turn one bean into 150 coffee shops, one truck into 202 international moving locations, one toy into a national franchise or one dollar…into millions.
Tracy Certo and Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Creative Class guru Richard Florida chats about his new book, Who’s Your City, and Lansing's place in a spiky, "mega-region" world where choosing the place you live is the most important decision of your life.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The 20-plus ethnic groceries in the Lansing area offer more than great salsa and hummus. They're central to our New Economy transition.
Bob Gwizdz
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Grab a front-row seat as interns at Downtown Lansing's BoarsHead Theater take over the stage on off-nights, letting the creativity fly.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Downtown Lansing is bustling with development, and people in the know point to a major driver: the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. We visit with the man at the helm, President Don LeDuc.
Ivy Hughes and Brad Garmon
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Here’s Capital Gains’ look at moving to Downtown Lansing. Also check out our guides to
visiting and
investing in Downtown.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Here’s Capital Gains’ look at visiting Downtown Lansing. Also check out our guides to
investing in and
moving to Downtown.
Bob Gwidzdz
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
You don't need a political penchant or a knowledge of Neoclassical architecture to appreciate the romance and regality of the Capital City's central figure. And did we mention the best view is from flat on your back?
Rick Ballard
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Lansing pipe organ restorer, Scott Smith, has turned a passion for Michigan's musical treasures into a nationally unique business niche.
Rick Ballard
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Lansing’s high-tech companies are growing through innovation, and a handful, like
Agate Software, are changing the way governments and companies across the country do business.
Rick Ballard
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Lansing has always had much to offer students and families with children, and now Grand River Connection is helping those in between discover each other and the Capital city.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Big changes hit downtown Lansing over the last 12 months, and 2008 promises more. We offer a quick recap to bring you up to speed as we kick off what looks to be a very exciting year in the city.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
This year alone, the capital region’s financial and insurance companies will create and maintain thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars. A quick tour of a few of the Lansing area's cash cows.
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
In the New Economy, going green is increasingly smart for the environment and good for business. Lansing area leaders are setting the stage for a green revolution in building.
Judy Putnam
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
If you’ve ever wondered how Lansing’s hardworking hordes blow off steam and socialize in the New Economy, take another look at an Old World favorite.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Chris Holman has developed Lansing's new venture capital fund, giving area financiers a look at new and emerging technology companies, and a chance to “invest and be invested in their success.”
Ivy Hughes
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Their cities are neighbors of the closest kind, sharing bizarre conjoined boundaries and most of a name. But instead of throwing leaves over fences, the mayors of Lansing and East Lansing are focused on building on the power of the region's shared economic destiny.
Ivy Hughes and Brad Garmon
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
What's behind Lansing's recent urban revival? Part of the story might be a surprisingly simple slate of small public investments that are making our city more comfy, convivial and, it turns out, contagiously attractive to private investment.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Camron Gnass' business cards say "Mr. Strategy." Entrepreneur, designer and building renovator, he’s rethinking the city's visual identity and attracting great people along the way.
Judy Putnam
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Uncork Ingham County's wine culture and you'll find the largest wine-tasting club in the state, a microbiologist running one of Travelocity.com's favorite wineries, and a surprisingly sophisticated palate.
Jonathan Ritz
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Lansing by bicycle! For a growing number of cyclists in the Lansing area, the "acoustic motorbike" is not just for recreation – it's a way to get to the office while also getting out and experiencing the city.
Brad Garmon and Ericka Kahler
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
New and attractive residential opportunities are springing up all over Lansing as the city's innovative developers pump new life into impressive buildings. And residents are responding, moving in to chase the urban nirvana of green living, readily available morning coffee, and an easy after-work cocktail.
Brad Garmon
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
What is the New Economy and what does it look like in the Lansing area? We sat down with Dr. Soji Adelaja, one of the region's (and country's) most scholarly, intelligent and courageously out-of-the-box thinkers on strategic investments for economic transition. Tapping into research from forthcoming reports about what makes certain states and regions click in the New Economy, Dr. Adelaja suggests ways to keep teaching an old economy some new tricks.