Is Gary, Indiana Really That Bad (South Bend, East Chicago: for sale, renters, big house)

[Humboldt1]

"Let them eat cake" is actually referring to "cake", which the burnt bread on which bread is baked in large ovens. Marie was telling the poor to essentially eat burnt bread. One of the more misinterpreted quotes of all time, leading to such things as "you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Regarding white trash (WT) in Lake County there certainly is a fair amount but no one seriously believes that most of the crime is coming from them, though certainly some of it is.

How much of the crime in Lake County is being committed by whites vs. Blacks vs. Hispanics?

Poverty and crime are often related but not always. Where I am from in rural southern Indiana is not a wealthy area but we have virtually no crime. It is a morally bankrupt culture that breeds crime and "baby's mommas". I hate that expression. So wrong on so many levels.

If you feel safe driving thru Gary you are in the minority. Gary really is that bad.

[LIS123]

My take is that the economy here is not that great. There are your basic jobs you have everywhere (retail, healthcare, education, gov't, etc.) plus some steel mills and gaming. There's not much in the way of professional services (high tech, fin services, etc), so it's hard to get the 'brain power' that other areas get (despite the proximity to Chicago). Though we're close to Chicago, we may as well be half a world away in some respects.

Because of a relatively weak economy, we don't get as much influx of smart, ambitious people. There are some people who fit this mold who move from IL, but many still work in IL and it doesn't really help the local economy that much.

Amongst younger people, people who grew up here and don't have the skills or talent to leave are a large portion of this group. That's not a promising sign for the future. Attitudes with regards to many different areas are nonchalant, so I don't see much improvement in the near future. My friend described it along the lines of ignorance is bliss. That's fairly accurate, in the sense that many long-time residents haven't been exposed to more competitive areas and don't have the same drive that others in those places have.

Gary is towards the bottom of the entire Region; it's highly unlikely that it will improve anytime soon.

[bwissinger]

You don't have to tell me that Gary is that bad. My grandfather's bedridden wife was raped by a group of thugs in the old Polish neighborhood in the early 1990s while they made him watch. Her injuries were so bad that she died a few months later.

I wanted to say two things:

1) Many parts of NW Indiana are also depressed due to poverty and substance abuse. Lake Station suffers from economic decline, but thankfully doesn't have the gang problems that Gary has. (As far as I know. My mother doesn't mention any gangs). Still, it seems that once a family is a bit better off, it leaves Lake Station for Portage or the nicer Hobart areas. That's what I meant by "white trash": those who have given up. And Lake Station has too many place to drink and see naked women, based on population.

There was the report at Christmastime of a shooting at a Merrillville hotel. I don't remember all the details, but it involved people from Gary. So the crime that starts there affects all the neighboring communities, unless the powers that be are strong enough to fight back.


I know that southern Lake County isn't necessarily affluent, only that the quality of life is better. I was surprised to see the subdivisions going up around Merrillville. I don't know if I would want to spend $700,000 on a house there, because I'm not sure that the infrastructure (schools, police, etc, although the hospitals are good) can match. But I'm not in a position to judge. All of my friends from Merrillville went to Andrean, but that's because they were in Catholic grade school.

2) I realize that Gary is not safe. I was only making a comment that it is not automatic that you will be assualted or abused just by entering the city limits. During my Christmas visit, we normally caught the South Shore from Ogden Dunes because it was closer to the hotel. But one time needed to get to Chicago early in the morning, and so a friend took us to Metrocenter. It was cold, and during the school vacation, so it was probably not a typical travel day. The people waiting for the train were friendly and I didn't feel frightened there.

A previous post mentioned Mayor Hatcher. My mother worked as a crossing-guard for the Aetna grade school in the late 1970s. I remember her coming home one day saying that she'd received a letter from the mayor's office asking for a voluntary "donation" to his re-election campaign. But the implication was that if she didn't "donate" she'd be out of a job. (My mother contributed because she needed the job at the time). I think this sort of corruption is the reason that Gary is doomed to stay the way it is.

I am pleased that I found this website and this thread. I was hoping to return to the area with my children in a few years, and all the information is helping me decide which areas would be best to live in. My mother still goes to St. Mary's and she tells me how nice Miller is now, but I think she wears rose-colored glasses.


Barbara Wissinger

[rice80rice]

My wife and I might be working for Resorts East Chicago Casino soon. I have done some research online about the area. We currently live in a blue collar area in Kansas City. We are looking for the same near the Resorts Casino. We have no kids, so schools dont matter. But we dont want to get in a place like Gary, IN., high crime and racial imbalance.

Currently, we are paying $550 for a small 2 bedroom house. It seems that the Hammond area and the Whiting area may be the areas that would suit us. It seems that the rent is around $750+ for a 2 bedroom house there.

We are planning a road trip to the Resorts, and to check out the area. Is Resorts a nice casino? How does it stack up to the other casinos in the area? What clientele plays at the Resorts?

Could someone respond with more info please? Thanks for any help, or additional info that I may have forgotten about!!

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by rice80rice

My wife and I might be working for Resorts East Chicago Casino soon. I have done some research online about the area. We currently live in a blue collar area in Kansas City. We are looking for the same near the Resorts Casino. We have no kids, so schools dont matter. But we dont want to get in a place like Gary, IN., high crime and racial imbalance.

Currently, we are paying $550 for a small 2 bedroom house. It seems that the Hammond area and the Whiting area may be the areas that would suit us. It seems that the rent is around $750+ for a 2 bedroom house there.

We are planning a road trip to the Resorts, and to check out the area. Is Resorts a nice casino? How does it stack up to the other casinos in the area? What clientele plays at the Resorts?

Could someone respond with more info please? Thanks for any help, or additional info that I may have forgotten about!!

You might have better luck if you start a whole new thread about casinos and where to live.

Good luck to you!

[Cal city native]

Dear rice80rice
I grew up and lived in this area my whole life. I can offer you a few tips.

1. Resorts casino is now Ameristar or something. They changed names and or owners. But from the gamers I know they offer alot of comps and pay out pretty decent. Clientel is from all over. It is my understanding that they are one of the better payout casinos around.

2. For the rent you are paying where you are at you wouldn't be able to touch a 2 Br. house here. You'd be lucky to get a 2 Br. Apt. for that. It wouldn't be in a very good neighborhood either.

3. The casino is located (virtually) between 2 steel mills. There is prospects for a career in gaming around. Chicago wants gaming (and they will get it) and Binion's Horseshoe is near Ameristar as well.

Gary is a pretty worn out town. Major sections of it are plain old beat down. Whitting IN is something to consider particularly the Robertsdale area.

Aurora IL. has a casino and is pretty decent. It could be pricey to live out there but it would be close to the casino.

Good luck

[TheTravellers]

Originally Posted by willow

To the NW along the lake is Whiting, a quiet, qaint little blue collar town on the lake.

Whiting has some cute older homes, but it does have that pesky little problem of the BP oil refinery pollution. Not a pretty sight or smell.

[kobraf150]

It's a lazy racial slur directed towards whites. The concept is that they are richer and thus "let them eat cake" kinda dumb I know. but the guy said it like it was something he shouted every day.

[Tinabme2]

My husband and I are thinking of moving to the Black Oak area, right off the Burr street exit, where the houses can be seen from the expressway. My concerns are, is the small area there safe and will there be an issue with the fact that we are of a different color. We are in our 50's and think that it looks like a peaceful little block away from mostly everything and right at the exit to the highway which comes in handy for my husband to get to work. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, Tina

[artemis]

What part of town does your husband work?

I haven't been down that way in a long time, although I have been on Ridge Rd & Burr.