Tips for East Lansing?

Submitted by CTSgoblue on October 16th, 2018 at 4:59 PM

The mgowife and I will be heading up to East Lansing this weekend and we've never been to a football game up there.  The wife is pretty leery based on a prior bad experience at OSU several years back.  Would appreciate any tips from the folks that are more experienced...

**How bad is traffic in EL on game day?

**Any tips on where to park / where not to park?

**How bad are the fans on the walk to/from stadium? At the stadium?

**Our seats are Sec 120...bad? Terrible? Awful?

**Any other piece of advice?

ChiBlueBoy

October 16th, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^

I suggest learning at least a few phrases in the native language. I found that "thank you," "where is the bathroom?" and "the fucking couch is on fire!" can come in handy.

 

ClarkstonBlue

October 16th, 2018 at 5:10 PM ^

I'd start with a gas mask. I would then add in a protective suit. It is called east landfill for a reason. By the way there is an app in the app store that you can use to translate intelligent discussion into Spartan. Might be helpful if you need to communicate with the natives. SPARTY NOOOOOO

BlueAggie

October 16th, 2018 at 5:14 PM ^

On the topic of parking, depends what you're looking for.  Munn Field is no more, but you can pay $30 to park in the Cherry Lane Park (and tailgate).  If you're cheaper, park in the commuter lot and pay $5 to take the shuttle bus.  If you're really cheap, park in the commuter lot for free and walk, it's about a mile and a half each way.  Decent amount of info here:

https://msuspartans.com/sports/2018/9/13/football-gameday-information.aspx

doughboy

October 16th, 2018 at 7:30 PM ^

The neighborhood North and West of Michigan Ave and Harrison is a great place to park for free unless they've changed things (my old neighborhood).  Walk down to Quality Dairy or Harrison Roadhouse for refreshments.  Cross at Michigan and Harrison and head to the path between the Red Cedar River and the Kellogg Center.  It's a pretty walk with old trees and rushing water - very picturesque in the Fall.  Just past the Kellogg Center fans will funnel over the bridge and head East towards the stadium.  All-in-all, from the corner of Michigan and Harrison, it's about a 15 minute walk.  

Dr. Hamlet

October 16th, 2018 at 5:21 PM ^

I think the Communication Arts parking garage on the corner of Red Cedar and Trowbridge Rd is a decent option.  Pretty straight 10 min walk to the stadium (maybe $20 if I recall) and you can avoid walking directly though heavily populated tailgating areas. 

There will most likely be some comments directed your way but I have never encountered anything too over the top.  I have experienced worse in Madison and much worse in Columbus. 

BeatOSU52

October 16th, 2018 at 5:30 PM ^

Don't trust the in-stadium police there.  If a Sparty fan sucker punches you, the cop will probably just laugh in your face.  It's truly a disgusting fanbase.  

mgokev

October 16th, 2018 at 6:09 PM ^

I had someone pour a whole coke on my head at the start of the game and the stadium usher shrugged and told me "welcome to east lansing. go green." girlfriend at the time laughed and said "go white". 

granted, this was in 2007 so it's been a while. michigan won that game and my girlfriend was super salty so i figured it was as good of time as any to break up with her. I drove back to ann arbor and have never been back to east lansing since. 

 

The Mad Hatter

October 16th, 2018 at 5:41 PM ^

If you happen to be swingers, I recommend taking a broad spectrum antibiotic for 10 days after your visit.

Take the full 10 days, don't stop once the burning sensation goes away. 

plaidflannel

October 16th, 2018 at 5:44 PM ^

I have been to two Michigan State vs. Michigan games (2009 Tate Forcier comeback/OT loss and 2011 bumble bee uniforms/Trash Tornado).  Both times I wore maize and sat in the MSU student section with Spartan friends.  Some notes from my experiences:

  • Most people will be fine with you and not really acknowledge your existence.
  • Some people are going to say some mean things to you and they will be loud and in your face.  You should ignore these people.
  • A select few will be awesome and offer you food/beverages and quality conversation (slash playful banter).
  • Their stadium isn't nice.  Maybe they have renovated since 2011, but it felt like a mega-sized high school stadium to me (drab architecture, lots of concrete, poorly lit concourses).  Their campus, in contrast to their stadium, I found to be quite picturesque.

Overall, I enjoyed my two visits to EL even though both ended in losses for us.  I never feared for my safety in East Lansing (which I have heard can't be taken for granted in Columbus), but I am also easy-going and don't mind letting rude comments slide down my back.  I did have some rally towels thrown on me after we scored with 2 seconds left in 2009... I found that to be funny.  As long as you can avoid the trolls and use common sense as a road fan in a hostile environment, you should have a good time.

Unfortunately I can't comment on parking as I was driven there both times by other friends.

MgoHillbilly

October 16th, 2018 at 5:54 PM ^

My only advice is to make sure you are around other Michigan fans in the stadium.  Their trashy fan base is usually so drunk by the time game starts that some douchebag with an inferiority complex wants to talk at you exclusively all game (while spraying spittle everywhere and bumping into you while he tries to maintain his balance).  Fucking annoying.  

BlueinLansing

October 16th, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^

Have fun.  Spartan fans are dicks, ignore them, walk with confidence and don't be a dick yourself and your day will go fine.

As far as driving in, I've only encounter backups at Trowbridge Rd of 127.  I take US-127 and exit at Dunkle and wind my way into the parking area on Farm Lane.   Okemos Road exit off I-96 can get crowded as well.

I park out on Farm Lane Rd at the commuter lots, there's more parking South across Mt. Hope road I find super easy in and out at the Livestock Demonstration building, grass and pavement parking.  Bus service to stadium and back from Farm Lane commuter lots, but construction at the stadium has made it a cluster fuck getting out of there.   Its not a bad walk (1.5 miles I think) and actually pleasant.  You might even get lucky and find some friendly tailgaters along the way.

 

Section 120 is upper deck West side, probably in the corner with other Michigan fans.  Not bad, but not great seats if you like close action.  You can see the whole field and might even be mildly protected if the wind is from the West.  The walk up can feel like an endless climb up a parking ramp, take your time.  Concessions are Ok up there but get busy at halftime, restrooms up there are packed at halftime, leave early or you'll likely miss the 2nd half ko.

 

Pregame if you like the bands, you'll find MSU's band warming up North of the stadium across the Red Cedar River.  Then they march to the stadium from there.  I believe Michigan's band will march to the stadium from over there somewhere as well.  If you get there early enough you can watch UM unload off the buses and walk into the stadium as well as the "Spartan Walk".

 

 

Before or after I might recommend getting a little ice cream from the MSU Dairy store on Farm Lane.  Great stuff, used to have a "big ten" flavor selection but they've mixed it up a bit.  My personal fav was the Rutgers something something that they call Cholate Raspberry, another personal fav was Buckeye Blitz which I think is still Buckeye Blitz.

 

Enjoy a great big Meeechigan victory on Saturday.

 

 

 

the Bray

October 16th, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^

The lots at the Harrison Roadhouse open at 8am. Should be $20, and you usually get a $10 or $20 voucher to spend there on gameday. Good option, practically free. If those lots are full, most of the streets in the Chesterfield neighborhood (across from the Roadhouse, behind QD and the Jimmy Johns) have free parking. That will get full, but not for a while. About a 15 minute walk to the stadium from that area.