Lewton Rich

Take a short-but-sweet drive through the compact Lewton Rich neighborhood for a relaxingly residential experience. The Lewton Spanish Immersion/Global Studies Magnet School and Dwight Rich School of the Arts bookend the curving streets with two dynamic approaches to elementary and middle school education.

The neighborhood has an established feel, with split-level homes alongside classic ranch-style houses. These bread-and-butter housing styles are typically well maintained, many with modern renovations, and rest on single city lots. While the similar, simple architectural features bring the neighborhood together, a few tasteful distinctions, from brick walls to columns by the entry, help your new home stand out. Prices tend to be between $100,000 for two- or three-bedroom options and $240,000 for larger homes, often with four or five bedrooms. “It’s a community with pockets,” says Brian Ozbun, a Realtor with Bellabay Realty, LLC. “You’ll find a lot of starter homes, but it’s also right by the country club and a million-dollar-plus community.” There are also apartments along the west side of the neighborhood, along with the Grandhaven Living Center, an assisted living facility.

At Lewton Spanish Immersion/Global Studies Magnet School, students are immersed in bilingual education with a strong focus on global and intercultural studies. Alternatively, students can apply to Dwight Rich School of the Arts for a Bernstein-inspired educational approach known as “Artful Learning.” Teachers integrate music, performance and visual arts into the entire curriculum, with the help of an artist-in-residence program and partnerships with leading local institutions, like the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. While both magnet schools immerse students in their own distinct educational opportunities, they’re both part of the Lansing Public School District.

The Lewton Playground is a great place for a quick trip to the playground or an impromptu picnic on the lawn, but Lewton Rich residents are also near Frances Park. From the rose gardens overlooking the Grand River to the paved pathway that meanders for almost a mile along the riverbank, Frances Park is an elegant option for a morning jog or evening waiting for the sunset. Take a stroll through the woods or play a round of disc golf at Ingham Park.

Members of the Country Club of Lansing can navigate the 54 sand bunkers spread across the 18-hole course. Founded in 1908, the club also hosts many social gatherings, from business events to holiday parties in the elegant clubhouse right by the Grand River.

You won’t walk down the street and find your favorite coffee shop or bar on the corner in Lewton Rich, but residents aren’t far from Mancino’s Pizza and Grinders and China Garden, both popular takeout options along Mt. Hope Avenue. The center of gravity for dining and nightlife in south Lansing is REO Town, so head up Washington Avenue to sample the latest brews at Ellison Brewing Company, meet friends over a latte at Blue Owl Coffee or fill up on slow-smoked goodness at Saddleback BBQ. REO Town’s busy eateries and local shops have transformed the historic warehouses and commercial buildings that may feel like a world away from the gently curving streets of Lewton Rich but are just a few miles down the street.

“There was a lot of industry, a lot of desirability in the area back in the ‘80s and ’90s,” Ozbun says. “But when that third shift community of the automobile companies left south Lansing, it really changed the greater community.” Like the rest of south Lansing, Lewton Rich may have lost the buzzing, around-the-clock energy that came with the automotive manufacturing plants, but it continues to offer residents a relaxed, suburban experience just a few miles from the Capitol Complex and REO Town’s restored spirit.