He's the self-proclaimed "Ambassador of the Upper Peninsula," a Baraga native who, after graduation, visited all 50 states in a Jeep Cherokee, staying at the homes of strangers. With his adventurous spirit and love for meeting new people, Justin "Bugsy" Sailor could live anywhere. He chose the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Lansing, just minutes away from the campus of Michigan State University, where he attended undergrad.
"I moved back not knowing what I was getting myself into," he remembers. "I always kind of missed East Lansing. However, my job was in Lansing, and I didn't really realize how different that was."
Sailor works at
Traction, a nimble, cutting-edge branding agency located in Lansing proper, which handle accounts for growing Midwest accounts like Biggby Coffee, BD's Mongolian BBQ and Lake Trust Credit Union. "We specialize in logos, branding development, web design and web development," Sailor says. "I'm a web developer, but here and there I get to give input on creative campaigns."
Because Lansing is a capitol city, there's no shortage of news or activity, something Sailor appreciates — for the ability to continuously forge new connections and the positive energy the city's thriving downtown creates.
"There's a street called Washington Square, that's just one street from the Capitol," he says, "If you're downtown there at lunch hour during the week, there's incredible people watching, just a ton of activity."
If East Lansing is for the kids, Lansing is now an attractive destination for 20-somethings anxious for city life with all the trappings of small-town charm: friendly insiders, inviting restaurants, and no shortage of political and community events to dive into.
"There's just a resurgence of new entrepreneurs, young thought leaders who are stepping up and bringing their say, and it's growing," Sailor says.
While his digital footprint continues to expand (check out
www.bugsyrocker.com or
www.yoopersteez.com to see what he's working on), Bugsy sees one of his favorite Lansing attractions every time he leaves his building — and it's all natural.
"A few hundred feet outside my door is the river trail, the Grant River. It winds all around Lansing." In any season, he loves to start the day strolling by the river's edge.
After working up an appetite, he'll enjoy a leisurely breakfast at one of the many locally owned cafes around town; the Soup Stone Cafe,
Golden Harvest, or a sausage and pepper frittata at
Soup to Nuts Bistro. "At Golden Harvest, it's the Bubba sandwich. It's a breakfast sandwich, but for the bread, they use French toast."
After breakfast, Sailor might take a walk through Lansing's Old Town. "The main shopping district is only a couple streets, but it has all these wonderful little boutique stores and a couple really cool restaurants." Old Town has events throughout the year he likes to attend, from wine festivals to Oktoberfest, with regular live music in the streets when the weather brightens.
He enjoys taking visitors to the
R.E. Olds museum, the Oldsmobile collection located in downtown. " It's impressive how many cars they've got in there. They have every Oldsmobile ever made, it seems," he says. "They have the original electric car in there, different racing cars. It's still kind of a hidden gem in Lansing."
Another favorite activity? Well it'd have to be America's oldest pastime: watching the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team on a spring or summer night. The brand-new arena is located right downtown, he says, and while it's cheap to get in, he appreciates the theme nights that attract everyone from college students to families. "At least once or twice a week, they have fireworks after each game," he says. "You can see those from anywhere in the city, really."
For a dressy night out, he prefers dinner at
Troppo; if it's more casual, he'll have the Superior Stout on draft at
Michigan Brewing Company's bar downtown. Another pick, he says, is Tavern on the Square: "it's got a really unique atmosphere and feel."
A hockey nut and serious Detroit Red Wings fan, Bugsy will grab a brew and stay for games at
The Nuthouse or Evan's Past Time, which just opened. "It's more of an old fashioned sports bar," he says, "A little classier, really nice and unique food."
Despite the attraction of Michigan State sports, a thriving downtown district and a 24-7 news cycle, Bugsy says it's the people of Lansing who remain his favorite attraction.
"I'm a Yooper through and through, and there's definitely things I miss about the UP, but after my travels across the country, one of the biggest things I tell people, and that I walked away with, is that it doesn't really matter where you live — it's more the people that you're surrounded by," he explains. "Quite frankly, you could be in Hawaii, and if you're surrounded by miserable people, you're not going to have that much fun."
And by utilizing networking groups like Lunch With A Purpose, Lansing Happy Hour Club or his own Lansing Breakfast Club, Sailor says social media innovators have been instrumental in bringing Lansing's doers and changers together.
"I found an awesome community in Lansing," he says, "a community that really supports my projects and my ideas and is encouraging of each other, and really wants to innovate and see Lansing grow and make a positive difference."