It’s Top of the Town time
Glad to have you along for another year of Greater Lansing’s best contest: Top of the Town.
City Pulse has been bringing you our annual contest now for 19 years and we’re glad that WKAR is again our partner in finding some of the best places, food and other things in Greater Lansing.
Nominate your favorites at:
https://lansingcitypulse.revfluent.com/tott
Voting went live today at 5:30 a.m. (Oct. 7) and will continue through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 20.
We’ve trimmed down some of the categories this year to make it easier for you to finish voting. But there’s no need to vote on everything. Dip in and out as you’d like.
We plan to do a separate feature for our people-related categories, including some of the artists and others we love. Look for that early in 2027.
Meanwhile, we wanted to highlight some of our favorites like Best Place to Cry, Best Non-Bar or Restaurant Date Night and Worst Pothole. And, of course, all the restaurants and foods and shops and hangs you love.
We added a little measure of accountability, and fun, this year. Call us out about how our contest messed up last year with the Biggest Whiff in Last Year’s Contest.
We’ve got a lot of categories and we can handle it if you don’t agree with what our voters said last year. That’s just more drive to push your favorite to number one this year.
Because this is a vote-driven process.
It’s about what you think is the best. But we’ve got to have some proof and that’s why we need YOU to vote in the contest.
We’re free, no paywalls, and there’s no obligation or sales pitch at the end.
To get started
- Use the QR code here or visit lansingcitypulse.com, then click on the Top of the Town banners at the top of the page to get to the contest site. There, you will find links to register.
- To begin voting, select any category and follow the prompts in the pop-up window. All votes are submitted automatically. Don’t worry about a second submission screen.
- If you need to stop and come back to your ballot, or your internet browser closed, you can return to the site and continue voting where you left off. Remember that you can always log out of your voting session and, when you are ready to resume voting, log back in.
You can vote in as many (or as few) categories as you wish, but please remember to finish your ballot before 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 20.
That gives you plenty of time for your toughest decisions!
The Top 5 in each category will advance to the second round, which will be announced Nov. 4. You will then have two more weeks to vote for the Top 3, which will be announced in our Dec. 2 issue.
If you are the first to nominate a business, please be patient. We can use humans to verify it is in the right category, spelled correctly, etc. If you do not see it after 24 hours, please contact our human, Steve Underwood, at (517) 999-6704 or steve@lansingcitypulse.com between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
When you vote or nominate, you have an opportunity to comment. Please do so! We may want to use those comments in the next round, when the Top 5 nominees are winnowed down to the Top 3.
If you can’t vote online, you can also send your list of votes via snail mail to Steve Underwood at City Pulse, 1905 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912.
And make sure you sign up for the City Pulse newsletters!
We are excited to again partner with RevFluent and Friends2Follow, which help to keep the data independent.
The integrity of the contest is vital, so all nominations will come from the community.
Winners past and present often place ads, which could lead to more exposure and more votes.
But ads do not influence the results or nominations and businesses do not need to pay to play, participate or win.
Top of the Town is a people’s choice contest.
Top of the Town is THE best platform in Greater Lansing to vote for the best of the best, and when our Winners’ Issue is published Dec. 2, you’ll have a great community resource all year long!
Thanks so much to Dennis Preston for his outstanding artwork on the cover and within this story!
Nomination round
Oct. 7-Oct. 20 at 11:59 p.m.
Finalist round (Top 5)
Nov. 4-Nov. 17 at 11:59 p.m.
Winner announced (Top 3)
Dec. 2 edition
Bar
Best Bar Food
Best Cocktails
Best Dance Bar
Best Dive Bar
Best Happy Hour
Best Jam Night
Best Karaoke
Best Lansing-Area Brewery
Best Lansing-Area Distillery
Best Margarita
Best Mocktails
Best Neighborhood Bar
Best Pub/Tavern
Best Spartan Sports Hangout
Best Sports Bar
Cannabis
Best Cannabis Flower – Hybrid
Best Cannabis Flower – Indica
Best Cannabis Flower – Sativa
Best Cannabis Growing Brand
Best CBD Store/Boutique
Best Distillate Cartridge
Best Gummy Edible (Cannabis)
Best Indoor Grow Shop
Best Marijuana Provisioning Center
Best Non-Gummy Edible (Cannabis)
Best Non-Solvent Concentrate (Cannabis)
Best Solvent Concentrate (Cannabis)
Best Topical
Dining
Best Bagels
Best Bakery
Best Baklava
Best BBQ
Best BBQ Sauce
Best Breakfast
Best Brunch
Best Bubble Tea
Best Buffet
Best Burger
Best Chicken Strips/Tenders
Best Chinese Food Restaurant
Best Cider
Best Coney Dog
Best Cupcake
Best Deli
Best Dessert
Best Diner
Best Donuts
Best Drive-up location
Best Family Friendly Restaurant
Best Fast Food
Best Fish Fry
Best Food Truck
Best French Fries
Best Greek
Best Hibachi
Best Ice Cream
Best Indian Restaurant
Best Irish
Best Italian
Best Lasagna
Best Late-Night Food
Best Mediterranean
Best Mexican Restaurant – Chain
Best Mexican Restaurant – Non-Chain
Best Nachos
Best New Restaurant
Best Olive Burger
Best Pancakes
Best Pho
Best Pizza
Best Prime Rib
Best Ramen
Best Ranch Dressing
Best Restaurant Beer List
Best Restaurant for Seniors
Best Restaurant Wine List
Best Reuben
Best Salad
Best Sandwich/Wrap
Best Seafood Restaurant
Best Signature Dish
Best Soup
Best Steak
Best Sub Sandwich
Best Sushi
Best Tacos
Best Thai Restaurant
Best Upscale Dining
Best Vegan/Gluten Free Dessert
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Dish
Best Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten Free Restaurant
Best Wings
Hangouts
Best Biggby
Best Bowling Alley
Best Cafe
Best Coffee Shop (non-Biggby)
Best Comedy Night
Best Corn Maze
Best Escape Room Venue
Best Golf Course
Best Hangout for Seniors
Best Hangout for Students
Best Hangout Solo
Best LGBTQIA+ Friendly Hangout
Best Library
Best Local Attraction for Kids
Best Movie Theatre
Best Music Venue
Best Nature Center
Best Non-Bar or Restaurant Date Night
Best Patio
Best Place to Play Pinball or Video Games
Best Place to Shoot Pool
Best Public Park
Best Sober Hangout
Best Trivia Night
Local Arts
Best Blues Artist/Band
Best Choral Group
Best Country Artist/Band
Best Cover Band
Best Folk Artist/Band
Best Hip-Hop Artist/Group
Best Jazz Musician/Group
Best Local Concert Series
Best Local Theatre Organization
Best Mural
Best Pottery Studio
Best Public Art/Sculpture
Best Rock Artist/Band
Services
Best Appliance Repair
Best Auto Detailing Service
Best Auto Repair/Body Shop
Best Bank
Best Barber Shop
Best Bicycle Shop
Best Business IT Support Service
Best Car Wash
Best Caterer/Catering service
Best Cemetery
Best Chiropractic Office
Best Cleaning Service
Best Computer Repair Service
Best Credit Union
Best Dance Studio
Best Day Spa
Best Dentist Office
Best Dog Training Business
Best Estate Sale Company
Best Facial
Best Funeral Home
Best Gym/Fitness Studio
Best Hair Salon
Best Heating/Cooling
Best Holistic Healing
Best Insurance Agency
Best Landscape Company
Best Law Firm
Best Local YouTube Channel
Best Massage Studio
Best Med Spa
Best Moving Service
Best Nail Salon
Best News Source
Best Non-Profit Organization (local)
Best Pet Grooming Business
Best Pet Rescue
Best Pharmacy (locally owned)
Best Photography
Best Plumbing Service
Best Radio Station
Best Senior Care/Living Facility
Best Tattoo Parlor
Best Therapy/Therapist Service
Best Towing Company
Best Veterinarian Service
Best Wedding Services
Best Wifi/Internet Service Provider
Best Yoga Studio
Shopping
Best Antique Shop
Best Art Gallery
Best Art Supply Store
Best Auto Dealership
Best Beer Selection in Retail Store
Best Bookstore (locally owned)
Best Butcher Shop
Best Candy Store
Best Cheese Department
Best Clothing Store (locally owned)
Best Farmers Market
Best Florist
Best Furniture Store
Best Game Shop
Best Gardening Center
Best Gas Station
Best Gift Shop
Best Grocery Store (locally owned)
Best Hardware Store
Best Jewelry Store
Best Lingerie Store
Best Liquor Store
Best Metaphysical Store
Best Musical Instrument Store
Best Organic/Natural Market
Best Pet Store
Best Quality Dairy
Best Record/CD Store
Best Sex Shop
Best Thrift or Consignment Shop
Best Used Car Dealership
Best Vape Shop
Best Wine Shop
Whatever
Best Axe Throwing Venue
Best Category We Didn’t Think of
Best Eye Candy Building
Best Facebook Group or Page (local)
Best High School
Best Historical Place
Best Instagram Account (local)
Best Local Art Festival
Best Local Event/Festival
Best New Business
Best Outdoor Adventure
Best Place to Cry in Public
Best Place to Find Quiet
Best Place to Work
Best Shop Pet
Best Staycation Hotel in Lansing
Biggest Whiff in Last Year’s Contest
Cleanest Public Restroom
In Memoriam: Businesses Lost
Most Trustworthy Business
Worst Eyesore
Worst Pothole (specific location)
Author
