Is Gary, Indiana Really That Bad (work, home, bathroom)

[artemis]

Originally Posted by carenab

Gary is bad!! Gangs, high crime rate, abandoned buildings with broken windows and graffiti, drug dealers on corners, etc.

Thankfully the crime in Gary doesn't really overflow into the neighboring communities. It is cut off from the rest of NW Indiana. I live pretty close and while I don't live in the best of neighborhoods, I feel safe. I grew up in Crown Point which is VERY safe.

Yes, their crime does overflow into neighboring communities. Ask the people who live in Northern Merrillville. Or the folks in Griffith who are close to Black Oak, and the people who live on the West side of Hobart near Ridge Road.

Crime doesn't stop at the City limits.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by artemis

Yes, their crime does overflow into neighboring communities. Ask the people who live in Northern Merrillville. Or the folks in Griffith who are close to Black Oak, and the people who live on the West side of Hobart near Ridge Road.

Crime doesn't stop at the City limits.

I've also heard horror stories about shopping in Merrilliville and Hobart. I had a friend who was walking into Kohl's and as she opened the door, a guy came running out light a bat out of Gary with 2 cops behind him. The guy who came out at least said "thank you" to my friend though. A robber with manners. When we lived in Valpo, I was so happy they were bringing in shopping so I wouldn't have to go over there to shop. People were getting robbed in the parking lots ... hopefully it's getting better, but at the turn of the century, it was pretty bad.

[artemis]

I'm so glad that Valpo is getting some more stores in their area. With both of my kids out that way, they usually don't go to Merrillville unless they absoulutely have to. (very rare)

[kobefan1013]

Hello,

I grew up in Gary, IN and loved it. There is a crime problem, but me living in Milwaukee, WI now can't really see a difference. There is crime everywhere, I think people more or less focus on Gary, IN because it is an African American city. If you look at the stats of Milwaukee, Chicago, St.Louis, Detroit, etc. you will see that crime in those cities are just as bad. I moved away from Gary, IN because my oldest sister lives here in Milwaukee and she was very ill. I moved here to help her out for a couple of months and found 2 good jobs in the mean time so decided to stay. I had really great jobs in Gary ( U.S. Postal Service, Majestic Star Casino, and attended Purdue University ). So Gary is not that bad of a place if I survived, and succeeded to become a 33 year old adult. I will eventually move back to Gary and live out my years there. It will always be home to me. Yeah a lot of Gary looks abandoned and ghostly but the government refuses to put any money into the city ( like they refuse to put money into most URBAN/MINORITY city). So don't blame the people of Gary totally, they can only work with what is given to them to bring-up the city.

[Sandpointian]

Kobefan...

...uh, the cities you mention all have significant African-American populations!! Once a city starts to crumble, the rule of law gets abandoned and hapless governments try to use SMEs and corporations to compensate for moral and social decay, those firms levae and with them the tax money to support a city government. A hundred years ago, Gary would have already become a ghost town. Today....cities like Gary are effectively ghost towns, with living ghosts who don;t know that they are already dead.

Solution: (1) stop all welfare payments in the city; (2) invite a major coporation to set up on unincorporated land next to Gary with major tax incentives; (3) Let this major corporation hire from Gary with few restrictions.

Those in Gary who really want to work an honest job will self-select to work for the firm. Those who cannot be bothered, will soon run out of cash and drift somewhere else until death or a hunger so bad they join the adult world of work.

But let me tell you, the incentives of setting up a business in Gary are so horrible that it will take a mayor with brass balls willing to air out lots of ditry laundry before the city gets turned around organically. But that won;t happen...insted what we will see is the area deyaing further and further easy year. Very, very sad..especially when the answers are so darn obvious...

[Cal city native]

When I was a kid (35 years ago) my Grandparents owned an apartment building on Broadway Ave. On the northern end of the street. That was the coolest thing in the world. We walked around to the store and down to Lincolns for sub sandwiches. It was a nice neighborhood. That lasted up until someone strongarmed his way into the apartment and robbed her. It changed her forever and they moved south right after that. I drove by that building the other day and the windows were all boarded up. Pretty similar to most other buildings around the area.

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by Cal city native

When I was a kid (35 years ago) my Grandparents owned an apartment building on Broadway Ave. On the northern end of the street. That was the coolest thing in the world. We walked around to the store and down to Lincolns for sub sandwiches. It was a nice neighborhood. That lasted up until someone strongarmed his way into the apartment and robbed her. It changed her forever and they moved south right after that. I drove by that building the other day and the windows were all boarded up. Pretty similar to most other buildings around the area.

Remember ROUND THE CLOCK restaurant on 5th Ave?

[artemis]

Originally Posted by Cal city native

When I was a kid (35 years ago) my Grandparents owned an apartment building on Broadway Ave. On the northern end of the street. That was the coolest thing in the world. We walked around to the store and down to Lincolns for sub sandwiches. It was a nice neighborhood. That lasted up until someone strongarmed his way into the apartment and robbed her. It changed her forever and they moved south right after that. I drove by that building the other day and the windows were all boarded up. Pretty similar to most other buildings around the area.

Was that Lincoln's in Glen Park? I love their subs!

[ekrz44]

The only remaining bright spot of Gary is IUN, and the neighboring golf course and its surrounding neighborhood.

But Gary is South Central LA, East St. Louis, and Chicago west/south side all rolled up in one. Abandoned big factories, access to big a big city who's occupants allow the inmates to run the asylum.
Everyone is waiting for government to come to save the day. That city needs to change from within.

[mslisab]

yes,gary is really bad,if you have teenagers,please get them out of gary.I've been in gary all of my life and i have had tragic in my family.Gary have some good points but i can't think of any right now.In the next few years,i plan on relocating because gary have too many shootings and killings.