Lansing — Old Town may need a new name after adding 16 new businesses by fall.
Currently, the area offers year-round festivals including salsa, jazz, blues and October festivals, said Jamie Schriner-Hooper, director of Old Town Commercial Association or OTCA. With the business openings, the area will feature more than festivals - including art studios and various stores.
Most of the students Schriner-Hooper has met during various events wish they would have known about Old Town earlier in their college careers.
"Students haven't really discovered what we have to offer here, until they're on their way out," she said.
Festivals aren't all Old Town has to offer. The OTCA has welcomed nine businesses new to the neighborhood since September, and another seven will open by this fall, Schriner-Hooper said.
"Old Town used to be a thriving, blue-collar area," Schriner-Hooper said. "It became a rough-and-tumble area of town with the urban sprawl of the '50s and '60s."
Most of the new businesses are popping up in newly revitalized warehouses that have frequently been vacant during the past 30 years, she said.
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero used golden scissors, engraved with the words "City of Lansing," to snip a velvety red ribbon during a mass ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of the nine new businesses Monday.
Rizzi Designs, 831 N. Washington Ave.
Rizzi Designs, a marketing firm, designed press materials for the Festival of the Sun and Festival of the Moon occurring in Old Town later this month.
The firm specializes in graphic design, advertising, public relations and event planning, and interior design, said Rochelle Rizzi, the owner of the firm.
"We want to bring more jobs and credibility to the Lansing area with the Old Town community's support - and we are succeeding," Rizzi said.
Rizzi Designs operated out of Rizzi's East Lansing home before opening in its new location in Old Town in January.
Clients of the firm throughout the past four years include the East Lansing Housing and Neighborhood Services, the Clerk's Office, the Communication Department, and the East Lansing Parks, Recreation and Arts Department.
Harvest Music + Sound Design, 1011 N. Washington Ave.
Anyone who has seen or heard commercials for Nike, Ford, Chevrolet, Lincoln and Meijer has probably seen some of this production company's work.
Harvest Music + Sound Design writes and produces original music for radio, television advertising, and feature films.
Owner Steve Curran said he bought the company's new building just over a year ago. The former PTA building was gutted, renovated and now contains three professional studios.
Curran said his company typically hires two to four interns from MSU every year. Phil Detolve, a telecommunication, information studies and media, and music major who graduated in May, was recently hired after working for Curran as an intern.
"A lot of students go to class and do well," Detolve said. "But I think it's important for students to do internships and gain that professional experience because that's how I was able to land a job right out of school."
Urban Classic Interiors, 115 E. Grand River Ave.
This resale gallery and consignment shop is home to artwork, accent pieces, artifacts, furniture and other home accessories and antiques.
Owner Dan Adams said his store strives to feature unique, upscale items without becoming "stuffy" or intimidating. The store offers a "melting pot" of items, he said, from Asian, African, Indian and Russian cultures.
"We've had antique stores in Lansing in the past, but there's really nothing like this around," Adams said.
Similar stores require a drive to Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor, he said.
Grace, 115 E. Grand River Ave.
Owner Summer Schriner describes her women's clothing and accessory store, using the name of a famous fashion model and actress whose face can be found around the shop.
"We're Audrey Hepburn," Schriner said. "We sell shoes and accessories that will never go out of style."
Shoppers can find dresses, perfumes, handbags, jewelry and shoes when stopping by the boutique.
Businesses in the area work together to make Old Town a worthy stop for visitors, Schriner said.
"It's a family down here," Schriner said. "If you don't have something to offer what a customer is looking for, there's a lot of great places for you to send them to."
Imaginz Photography Studio, 117 E. Grand River Ave.
One of the portraits showcased at the front of the studio captures the bottom of a father and infant son's feet in black and white.
"I would describe our style as very artistic," studio co-owner Jason Hester said.
Hester and his wife, Jennifer Shelton, co-own this studio, which specializes in photography for weddings, high school seniors and families.
The couple formerly ran a studio out of their home but were drawn to Old Town because it is considered Lansing's art district, Hester said. They have since become members of the OTCA.
"It really is an up-and-coming, organized section of Lansing," he said.
Polka Dots, 1207 Turner St.
The beaming lights reflecting off the glossy beads and necklaces may cause some customers to adjust their eyes when they first enter this shop.
Once they've adapted, shoppers can find thousands of materials for making your own jewelry, as well as ready-made jewelry torched by co-owner Kristin Szymusiak.
"We offer an opportunity for girls to create pieces that are their own," she said.
Szymusiak owns the shop with her husband, Ken.
Girls as young as four and women in their 70s have come to the store to create their own jewelry during classes and "Girls' Night Out" parties hosted by the store.
Bella Rio Salon, 1221 Turner St.
The smell of hairspray accompanies the big city feel of Faith St. Louis' new salon.
Stylists cut and color hair in front of mirrors hanging along an all-brick wall in a newly renovated building St. Louis describes as open and inviting.
Customers are offered wine and other drinks while they wait. The salon also provides services - like permanent straightening and massages - that other salons rarely offer, St. Louis said.
"We've brought a lot of good traffic to the area that haven't been to Old Town before," she said.
Studio 1210, 1210 Turner St.
Studio is the new sister gallery to Banyan Gallery, which has displayed and sold paintings, photographs, sculptures and other pieces of art in Old Town for the last two years.
Art in the new gallery appeals to the edgier, younger audience, said Carolyn Haun, director of the studio. The nonprofit gallery receives income from classes and renting out the gallery for classes, wedding rehearsal dinners and various fundraisers.
"Artists often work in isolation," Haun said. "We want to bring artists in communication with each other and have them come in and work together."
Ciesa Design, 200 E. Grand River Ave.
A view of Grand River Avenue was one of a few factors that brought this graphic design firm to Old Town.
Ciesa began in the design industry more than 30 years ago. His company has recently worked closely with MSU through the Eli Broad College of Business, and College of Law.
"We take marketing and advertising plans, and put the visuals to it," Ciesa said.
Ciesa Design has also worked closely with promoting the arts in the area, he said. The company, formerly located across from Rick's American Cafe, 224 Abbott Road., has produced work for the East Lansing art and folk festivals.
