Next Great Town of NWI

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

I don't know.

Something just isn't sitting right with me with this story. I can't put my finger on it.

Hmmmm ... I need to mull this one over a bit.

The one thing that kind of worried me was whether she would attempt to somehow sneak in three homestead exemptions. I know it is illegal, but she could technically "sell" the two other homes to her adult children and still benefit from the exemption. Other than that, I still think that this is a positive mark for Schererville.

[Northwest Indiana]

Well it isn't really "news". Considering Saint John's more recent demographics, this topic should be expected.

It seems like Munster, Schererville, Dyer, Crown Point and now Saint John are competing in attracting business (some high-end) that have not entered our market before...but so far, Highland seems to be winning partially due to the failure of the Schererville lifestyle center(s) to take off!

This is just one of many more articles probably to come, but interesting nevertheless:

St. John looks to lure more high-end businesses

[msamhunter]

Sadly, the big three will have to make some sort of rebound for NWI to be truly seen as any type of desirable location, Gary, Hammond, EC in that order.

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

Sadly, the big three will have to make some sort of rebound for NWI to be truly seen as any type of desirable location, Gary, Hammond, EC in that order.

I respect your passion for Gary and I too wish that these three towns would make some kind of comeback. But, I can't say I agree with you on this comment. There are several towns in Northwest Indiana that most people would consider desirable that therefore are not entirely linked to these three towns at all. Maybe you can't say Northwest Indiana as a whole is overly desirable like you can about the North Suburbs of Chicago as a whole. However, there are still several very good places to live that are safe, with good schools and good town services.

[CHICAGOLAND92]

I am so upset, because I had actually went and wrote my opinions on all of the towns offered on the list. I guess I spent too long writing, because I got a response saying that my time to post had expired or something.. ! Anyway, I'll try this one more time. If it doesn't work this time, then I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

My vote goes to St. John (even though I voted for Highland). I'm not too familiar with the area, but I did visit the recently built/renovated library to pick up a book. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable visit. I also went to my friend's birthday party, who lives in St. John. It's a very quiet, nice area with plenty of room. The old character seems to give the town a personality that's lacking in places like Merrillville. It also will attract a lot of high-income residents with the plethora of luxury housing. It's close (kind of) to 394, and can definitely rival Munster in the future.

Highland - Highland COULD HAVE been the next great town of NWI, but I don't think those fruits will ever bear. For one, the vast majority of the town is built out, and the preexisting homes are generally smaller than newer homes being built (especially in the northern part of town). As a result, newer constructions offer much higher prices than they would in a different town. And the town doesn't really offer too much (top notch schools, high paying jobs in town, etc.) that would warrant expensive teardowns like ones happening in Munster. Highland does have some things going for it - good (but not great) school system, a nice downtown area (but needing more investment), good location, ample shopping in the southern part of town, and also a few desirable parts of town (Arbor Hill, areas bordering Munster & Schererville, etc). Unless Highland does something to be mentioned in the same breath as towns like the tri-towns and Munster, it won't be the next great town anytime soon.

Dyer - Dyer is a nice little town and is growing nicely. I always find it odd that the town's border with Illinois is so desolate; it's almost like you've left the metro area. Of course, that doesn't take away from Dyer at all. It seems to be benefitting from people ditching south suburban communities like Glenwood and Lynwood. It has a good location with proximity to 394, a great school district, and a wide range of housing, from middle-class offerings to top of the line Briar Ridge. The main thing I have against Dyer is that is lacking uniqueness (if I don't live in Dyer, what reason is there to come?), but that is more subjective. Definitely a viable option for NWI's next great town.

Schererville - Schererville is...huge. It's also spread out compared to towns like Highland and Munster. Schererville also seems to be shaping up to be the next "Merrillville" of NWI (in terms of retail), especially if Shops on Main and/or Oak Street Shops (isn't that what the other proposed "lifestyle center" is called?) ever materialize(s). It has plenty of room to grow residentially, and plenty of places for more retail. Nice downtown area along Joliet Street. I see it shaping up to be the largest suburb in NWI, but something definitely needs to be done about Lake Central serving three towns. I think the town should also invest more in future infrastructure; two lanes for U.S. 41 & 30 won't handle traffic well in the future, especially if the area continues to grow and the new retail areas are built.

Crown Point - Being the county seat of Lake County, Crown Point has a lot to offer. The school district is a great option. It has the spread phenomenon that's present in Schererville, but I feel like it's more pronounced in Crown Point. Definitely growing due to flight from Merrillville, but it seems to be too far to be next great town of NWI. Commuting to Chicago, no matter where you live in Crown Point, is a disadvantage when compared to the tri-towns & Munster. Unless it develops as a major employment center for the area, I can't really see Crown Point as NWI's prime destination.

Griffith - This is just my opinion, but Griffith seems to be on the decline. Like Merrillville, it seems to suffer from a "better than Gary" mentality. However, the town definitely has a more "proud" feel than Merrillville. Unfortunately, the most proud residents are generally older and not being replaced by residents with the same enthusiasm for Griffith. More people are leaving Griffith than moving in. There's nothing about Griffith that says "I need to live here!" For example, schools are about average, retail is satisfactory, downtown area is okay, etc. It's fine now,but without any incentive for new residents to move in (besides low housing prices I suppose), Griffith's future isn't very bright.

Lowell - I'm not too familiar with Lowell. I wouldn't suggest Lowell as being NWI's next great town due to the distance. It also lacks continuity; whereas Dyer only has a desolate border with Illinois, Lowell is desolate on all of its borders. Definitely the most "Indiana" of all towns included. I'm not too familiar with Lowell to go into detail.

Hammond - Hammond has the potential to be the "next great city" of NWI. It is currently the largest city in NWI (due to Gary's sad decline) and has a lot to offer: PUC, easy access to Chicago, plenty of retail, diversity, etc. The schools offer great scholarships to students who graduate from a Hammond school. I believe of the big three (Gary, Hammond, EC), Hammond has the best chance at revitalization. It's not desolate like Gary, and not losing population as fast as East Chicago. If the city concocts a comprehensive plan to bring people back to Hammond (instead of focusing on stabilizing the population), it could easily be a mini Chicago. I definitely wouldn't mind living in Hammond (then again, I don't have children yet).