F RI DAY, OCTOBER 4, 2024
FALL HOUSING GUIDE 2024
Michigan State’s Independent Voice
STATE NEWS.COM
WEST VS. EAST: Students discuss differences in living near Okemos or Lansing By Hannah Locke hlocke@statenews.com When deciding whether to live on the east or west side of East Lansing, the biggest decision you’ll be making is between the hustle and bustle or the calm and secluded. History and social studies education junior Kat Paloyan lives near Hannah Plaza, which is off North Hagadorn Road, closer to Okemos on the east side. She said this side tends to be calmer. “The east side has less people, foot traffic,” Paloyan said. “During game days and stuff, it’s a little bit more peaceful, or at least… it can be a little more quiet.” The lack of hustle and bustle also pertains to days without sporting events. Interactive media and game design senior Simon McElhoe lives in the Prairie View apartments on the west side of East Lansing, closer to Lansing. “I get a lot of road noise because I’m on Grand River, and a lot of people will walk from the
neighborhoods like the Lansing side to the bars, and they’ll be pretty loud, and it kind of sucks,” McElhoe said. McElhoe also had the experience of living on the Okemos side, as he lived in a house on North Hagadorn last year. He said that at times he misses the calm of Okemos. “It was a lot more quiet,” he said. “While North Hagadorn is like a major road… there aren’t nearly as many students just walking around it all the time.” Apartments on the Lansing side tend to be closer to campus and the life of Grand River. McElhoe said this is something to consider when deciding where to live. “I think if you’re someone who really likes going out, like with people, then living on the Lansing side so close to Grand River is definitely the move,” McElhoe said. McElhoe also noted that by choosing to live on the more condensed Lansing side, he doesn’t have to drive around as much. “I can take buses now that I live here, and I really have, I’ve been using (buses) way more this year than I did last year,” he said. “The only bus that ran by where I lived (last year) was one that I had to pay for.”
The buses he has access to now follow the 30 routes, all of which are free because they travel on campus. “Living on the east side feels a little further away compared to if you live right above campus, or towards the more west side,” Paloyan said. With the seclusion of the east side, it also comes with the cost of a longer commute. When compared to the west, the east is much more spread out. Psychology junior Hannah Ajumobi said the distance can also make getting to campus harder, especially if you are someone who prefers commuting on foot rather than driving. “The walkability, to me, is something that I don’t love,” Ajumobi said. “The trail system and stuff is pretty good, but it’s still pretty hard to cross Hagadorn and stuff, and the accessibility to campus isn’t super great.” For those in Okemos, the distance can put somewhat of strain on the social life of students.
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Illustration by Zachary Balcoff.