Greater Lansing’s Superheroes vie in Top of the Town 2024

Superheroes abound during the election season, and 2024 is no exception. All the candidates, presidential and beyond, are trying to summon their superpowers to heroically offer solutions to our state, local and national challenges.

But we have plenty of superheroes right here in Greater Lansing, in the business, service and artistic communities, and you have a chance to let us know who are the best of the best, starting now. We’re proud to launch our 17th Annual Top of the Town contest and give you an opportunity to vote for the restaurants, bars, cannabis shops, restaurants, hangouts, artists, services and “whatever” that you think are the superheroes who deserve the ultimate recognition in their respective categories.

Superheroes must be lean and fit to do their job. Likewise, so does our contest. Last year, we had more than 330 categories, by far the most ever. For 2024, we’ve trimmed it down to 249, making it easier for you to vote in each one!

Most notably, you’ll notice the absence of the People category from last year. That’s because we’re now giving Greater Lansing’s most outstanding individuals their own Top of the Town-type contest, launching in January after the holidays (see related story).

Meanwhile, three new categories make their debut this year, recommended by you in last year’s “Best Category We Didn’t Think Of”: Best Mural, Best Disc Golf Course and Best Pet Grooming Business.

 

Here’s how to vote in this year’s contest:

— To get started, please visit lansingcitypulse.com and click on the banner at the top of the home page. That takes you to the contest’s homepage, where you can register or sign back in. Clicking any of the category groups below will also give you prompts to sign in or register.

— Next, begin voting! Please note that all votes are submitted automatically. Once you’ve cast them, you’re done. 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 exactly where you left off. You can always log out of your voting session and, when you are ready to resume voting, log back in and get back to the contest.

— As always, 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. Tuesday, Oct. 1. That should give you plenty of time to make even the most gut-wrenching of decisions!

— The Top 5 vote-getters in each category will advance to the second round, which will be announced on Oct. 16. You will then have two more weeks to vote for the Top 3, which will be announced in our Nov. 13 issue.

— If you are the first one to nominate a business, please be patient. It will be submitted to an approval process so we can verify it is in the right category, spelled correctly, etc., so it may not show up immediately. If you do not see it after 24 hours, please contact Steve Underwood at (517) 999-6704 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays or steve@lansingcitypulse.com.

— Also, 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 winner and second- and third-place finishers.

—  You can also send us your list of votes via snail mail to Steve Underwood at City Pulse, 1905 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912.

— Everyone who votes in EVERY category, in each round, will be entered in a drawing to win prizes from some of our winners!

— And make sure you sign up for our timely and informative newsletters. If you’re not sure if you’re one of the nearly 12,000 signed up already, enter your email address and we will sort it out for you and make sure you only get it once.

We are excited to again partner with RevFluent and Friends2Follow, showcasing all the categories, nominees and, ultimately, our Top 5 next month and Top 3 in November.

The integrity of the contest is of utmost importance, so all nominations will come from the community. Yes, winners past and present often place ads, which sometimes results in more votes because of greater exposure. But it does not influence the results in any other way, and buying an ad is not required to participate or win. Top of the Town is absolutely a people’s choice contest.

Top of the Town is THE platform in Greater Lansing to vote for the best of the best, and our new Lansing Guru website will host the Top 5 results after the contest concludes and serve as an invaluable reference for our community all year long!

Thanks so much to Dennis Preston for his outstanding artwork on the cover and within this story!

—  STEVE UNDERWOOD

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 LGBTQ-Friendly Bar

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 Marijuana Provisioning Center - East Lansing

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 Crab Legs

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 - 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 Beach

Best Biggby

Best Bowling Alley

Best Cafe

Best Coffee Shop (non-Biggby)

Best Comedy Night

Best Corn Maze

Best Disc Golf Course

Best Escape Room Venue

Best Golf Course

Best Hangout for Seniors

Best Hangout for Students

Best Hangout Solo

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

Best Place to Play Video Games

Best Place to Shoot Pool

Best Public Park

Best Sober Hangout

Best Trivia Night

Local Arts

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 Theatre Organization

Best Mural

Best Pottery Studio

Best Public Art/Sculpture

Best Rock Artist/Band

Services

Best Accountant/CPA

Best Appliance Repair

Best Audiologist/Hearing Firm

Best Auto Body Shop

Best Auto Detailing Service

Best Auto Repair Shop

Best Bank

Best Barber Shop

Best Bicycle Shop

Best Car Wash

Best Caterer/Catering service

Best Cemetery

Best Chiropractic Office

Best Cleaning Service

Best Credit Union

Best Curbside Pickup

Best Dance Studio

Best Day Spa

Best Dentist Office

Best Estate Sale Company

Best Facial

Best Financial Planner/Company

Best Funeral Home

Best Gym/Fitness Studio

Best Hair Salon

Best Heating/Cooling

Best Holistic Healing

Best Home Healthcare Company

Best Insurance Agency

Best Landscape Company

Best Laser Hair Removal

Best Law Firm

Best Local YouTube Channel

Best Massage Studio

Best Med Spa

Best Music Lessons

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 Residential Remodeling Company

Best Senior Living Community

Best Tanning

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 Consignment Shop

Best Farmers Market

Best Florist

Best Furniture Store

Best Gardening Center

Best Gas Station

Best Gift Shop

Best Grocery Store (locally owned)

Best Hardware Store

Best Hot Tub/Pool/Sauna 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 Place to buy Mums

Best Quality Dairy

Best Record/CD Store

Best Secondhand Shop

Best Sex Shop

Best Thrift Store

Best Tire Store

Best Used Car Dealership

Best Vape Shop

Best Wine Shop

Whatever

Best Axe Throwing Venue

Best Casino

Best Category We Didn’t Think of

Best Day Trip

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

Best Vehicle Ever Made in Lansing

Best Wifi Spot

Cleanest Public Restroom

In Memoriam: Businesses Lost

Most Trustworthy Business

Worst Eyesore

Worst Pothole (specific location)