Michigan City (Washington, Long Beach: houses, neighborhoods, to buy)

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Michigan City artist colony near completion

Hopefully this spurs more activity in the downtown area. Many think that with the outlet mall being literally right next to downtown, it has eroded any hope of the downtown area coming back. However, call me crazy, but even though many of the people coming to the outlets are there to save on taxes and get outlet prices, some of these people have a ton of cash to spend (and lose at the casino) and Michigan City should capitalize on that with developing the downtown area with more nightlife. I'm also talking boutique hotels, etc. It can be a local get-a-a-way destination area for nightlife. Turning a day-trip to the outlets into a weekend trip has the potential to seriously boost MC's economy. A huge factor is also the fact that while MC's crime rate is not the lowest, it is also not something that is scaring shoppers and tourists away as the case is with Gary. Personally, I would like to see more upscale storefronts in the downtown area.

St. Anthony's right near downtown is closing & moving. They'll be building new right at the northwest corner of 421 & 94. I believe the old hospital will most likely be torn down.

Not that that has anything to do with what you posted, NWI, just thought I'd throw that in there.

[midwest1]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Michigan City artist colony near completion

Hopefully this spurs more activity in the downtown area. Many think that with the outlet mall being literally right next to downtown, it has eroded any hope of the downtown area coming back. However, call me crazy, but even though many of the people coming to the outlets are there to save on taxes and get outlet prices, some of these people have a ton of cash to spend (and lose at the casino) and Michigan City should capitalize on that with developing the downtown area with more nightlife. I'm also talking boutique hotels, etc. It can be a local get-a-a-way destination area for nightlife. Turning a day-trip to the outlets into a weekend trip has the potential to seriously boost MC's economy. A huge factor is also the fact that while MC's crime rate is not the lowest, it is also not something that is scaring shoppers and tourists away as the case is with Gary. Personally, I would like to see more upscale storefronts in the downtown area.

I agree wholeheartedly about MC...literally no small city in the Midwest has more potential than Michigan City. The improvements from when I lived in the area in the mid-90s to today are astonishing. So much grassroots investment is percolating there...just was driving around today.

Having said that, Miller in Gary is attracting lots of tourists...increasing by the day

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

St. Anthony's right near downtown is closing & moving. They'll be building new right at the northwest corner of 421 & 94. I believe the old hospital will most likely be torn down.

Not that that has anything to do with what you posted, NWI, just thought I'd throw that in there.

Yeah, I saw that in the paper. I know that the big push is to locate hospitals in outlying areas for easier access and visibility; however, I still feel like some sort of a hospital should be in city centers in most places. Just my opinion though.

Originally Posted by midwest1

I agree wholeheartedly about MC...literally no small city in the Midwest has more potential than Michigan City. The improvements from when I lived in the area in the mid-90s to today are astonishing. So much grassroots investment is percolating there...just was driving around today.

Having said that, Miller in Gary is attracting lots of tourists...increasing by the day

I agree. I am also glad that Miller is attracting lots of tourists..it is just sad that the primary hinderance to even more progress is the fact that it is within Gary. That is a huge burden that MC does not have to contend with that also gives MC an additional advantage when talking about redevelopment and resurgences. If Miller or even the entire 46403 zip code was a separate municipality, soooo much more could be happening.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Yeah, I saw that in the paper. I know that the big push is to locate hospitals in outlying areas for easier access and visibility; however, I still feel like some sort of a hospital should be in city centers in most places. Just my opinion though.



I agree. I am also glad that Miller is attracting lots of tourists..it is just sad that the primary hinderance to even more progress is the fact that it is within Gary. That is a huge burden that MC does not have to contend with that also gives MC an additional advantage when talking about redevelopment and resurgences. If Miller or even the entire 46403 zip code was a separate municipality, soooo much more could be happening.

Miller's largest obstacle isn't Gary. It's Indiana dunes. They get funny over their property which is a huge chunk of Miller. That leaves lake st, Miller ave between lake and grand Blvd and part of 20 that can be repurposed. Gary owns the lake from just east of Marquette park to about 100 ft west of the boat launch at lake Street beach. Everything else is Indiana dunes and all that prime real estate.

[midwest1]

Plenty of available development sites in Miller, the Dunes is the attraction. And there has been a lot of discussion abut the miller/Gary relationship. It seems the tide has turned into a more pro-Gary feeling. At InieIndieBangBang, a very successful boutique on Lake Street, you can even buy I heart Gary t-shirts. Gary, like Detroit, has the potential to become a hip, edgy city brand....despite what many in the region feel.

[iidreamtheaterii]

Originally Posted by midwest1

Gary, like Detroit, has the potential to become a hip, edgy city brand....despite what many in the region feel.

That may be more wishful thinking than anything. I hope it's true, but I wouldn't bet on it being as trendy without a crime stigma attached.

[midwest1]

Since I moved to Miller four months ago, I can't tell you how many newcomers from all over that I have met. A Vietnamese-American, a Korean guy, an artist from Baltimore, a German dancer and his Texas wife...I could list nearly a hundred...none of them care about the stigma of living in Gary. All over Miller homes are being renovated, many for vacation rentals...a lot is happening and I only see more down the road.

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by midwest1

Since I moved to Miller four months ago, I can't tell you how many newcomers from all over that I have met. A Vietnamese-American, a Korean guy, an artist from Baltimore, a German dancer and his Texas wife...I could list nearly a hundred...none of them care about the stigma of living in Gary. All over Miller homes are being renovated, many for vacation rentals...a lot is happening and I only see more down the road.

I think that is great and the more people who come to Gary and can ignore the stigma, the better! However, growing up in NWI burbs, I can tell you...while Gary was heavily stigmatized, we never associated Miller with Gary (yes, very ignorant, I know..but we we younger!)...Miller was just "the beach". I think that if Miller can also attract more full-time residents with children, it would be great and more development could be spurred.

[iidreamtheaterii]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

However, growing up in NWI burbs, I can tell you...while Gary was heavily stigmatized, we never associated Miller with Gary (yes, very ignorant, I know..but we we younger!)...Miller was just "the beach".

I suppose this is what I meant by my previous comment. I would find it hard to believe that it was "cool" to be from Gary, rather than say "I'm from Miller!" and have an awesome feeling from it. I think the "I'm from Gary!" trend would not be so glamorous. Better to embrace the Miller scene at this point still.

Now, if somehow this was like that "Midas Touch" that started a chain reaction of turning everything to gold if it's touching it, and spreading from the center of Miller outward? That would be pretty slick! Figure out the Miller Expansion while keeping the integrity intact. That's gold.

[Northwest Indiana]

I agree with this article, especially the more upscale housing part (and by more upscale, i mean more new homes in the $200k-400k range...not million dollar homes)..I wonder if Olthof or another big developer would express interest there? That would be a game changer for sure. Also, if you read between the lines, when the author states "Test scores in the schools are also up as part of the strategy being closely followed to upgrade the quality of the local workforce" what is really being said is that it is not that he current students are performing better, but that the newer students to the district from better educated families are improving the district as a whole.

Thoughts?

Michigan City on the cusp of resurgence