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Old 06-29-2015, 03:09 AM
 
2,433 posts, read 3,307,238 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Play View Post
Your last sentence was a great observation, and something that too many (most, probably) people in NWI seem to miss when defending the desirability of the area. It's not close to major suburban areas of employment (Schaumburg, Oak Brook, Northbrook) or shopping - which is in or near those aforementioned areas. Suburbs close to those "hubs" have jobs and shopping/amenities close by. Some also have closer train stations.

Munster has some areas with very solid housing stock, and is the closest to downtown Chicago of any middle-class area in NWI (not counting Hammond/EC as middle class). On those two measures, Munster compares quite favorably to some other good suburbs of Chicago, and those are long-term advantages.

The schools are still decent as well, which is another plus. Taxes being low is another plus.

But proximity to jobs and shopping is simply not there. The white collar work force is nearly absent in many of the surrounding towns as well.

I'm originally from Munster (not living there now) and think the place has so much potential, but it's declining surroundings aren't helping it's cause. Frankly, the town needs to be marketed better anyway.


ugh.....you do realize there is a train line in NWI...which means region residents have access to by far the largest pool of jobs in the Midwest...central Chicago. And your quote abut "white collar people" is one of the reasons I fled the North Shore for the South Shore...people here have friends of every color...unlike status obsessed parts of Chicagoland.

And proximity to shopping? not a priority for me but there is this thing called the internet...lotsa shopping there. And Indiana has better prices and lower taxes so thats an aspect of shopping that's important to me.

And the most prestigious University in the region is located closer to Northwest Indiana than it is to the Northern or Western Suburbs...tons of UC people have lived in the Region...ever hear of Indiana Jones?
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Old 06-29-2015, 04:31 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by midwest1 View Post
ugh.....you do realize there is a train line in NWI...which means region residents have access to by far the largest pool of jobs in the Midwest...central Chicago. And your quote abut "white collar people" is one of the reasons I fled the North Shore for the South Shore...people here have friends of every color...unlike status obsessed parts of Chicagoland.

And proximity to shopping? not a priority for me but there is this thing called the internet...lotsa shopping there. And Indiana has better prices and lower taxes so thats an aspect of shopping that's important to me.

And the most prestigious University in the region is located closer to Northwest Indiana than it is to the Northern or Western Suburbs...tons of UC people have lived in the Region...ever hear of Indiana Jones?
I know you are defending the Region, but honestly, sometimes this area just is not a good match for people and that is okay! As far as jobs, yes, the region is near jobs in the loop but other than that, the major high-income employment centers are in the north suburbs, northwest suburbs, and west suburbs.

And with regards to the correlation of White collar people and "people here have friends of every color", I would say there is no correlation to that. When you look at basic exposure to individuals of different races, ethnicities, religion, and other aspects of culture, I would bet that white collar individuals will have more exposure and the opportunity and willingness to engage with a diverse group than blue collar individuals whom are here in much larger numbers in NWI...also, its more about the lifestyle and not as much the income when comparing white collar to blue collar...many blue collar professions have "white collar pay".

Proximity to good shopping (even despite the internet) is important because usually near great shopping areas are other forms of entertainment such as theaters, restaurants, etc...yes yes, I know you can get movies and food from the internet too. But its about getting outside and not always being a homebody (which I feel honestly adds to the rather insular nature of many people in NWI).

And yes, while U of C is prestigious and close to NWI, I have known way more U of I faculty, staff, and alumni to reside in the Homewood/Flossmoor area than in NWI save for Munster and the Tri-town area (and not very many folks either).
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Old 06-29-2015, 08:40 PM
 
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For what it's worth...there is a very large trend of suburban companies moving back downtown as so many younger workers don't want a suburban lifestyle...the list of companies moving all or some of their offices back to the core, meaning back to within reach of NWI residents is very long indeed and growing.

So what was once an advantage for areas to the North and West is gradually diminishing as the downtown core rises.
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Old 06-30-2015, 02:07 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by midwest1 View Post
For what it's worth...there is a very large trend of suburban companies moving back downtown as so many younger workers don't want a suburban lifestyle...the list of companies moving all or some of their offices back to the core, meaning back to within reach of NWI residents is very long indeed and growing.

So what was once an advantage for areas to the North and West is gradually diminishing as the downtown core rises.
But even then, connectivity to Chicago is much much better from the west and north suburbs than from NWI...and I am not talking about far-flung areas like Aurora or Gurney either. There are more train lines and stops for people going to the city just as one example.
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Old 06-30-2015, 07:38 AM
 
Location: Valparaiso, IN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana View Post
But even then, connectivity to Chicago is much much better from the west and north suburbs than from NWI...and I am not talking about far-flung areas like Aurora or Gurney either. There are more train lines and stops for people going to the city just as one example.
All the more reason to keep on encouraging the infrastructure that's eluded a majority of NWI. I'm not sure what could expedite the South Shore Extension, but it sure holds promise to change a lot of ways of life for many Chicago Loop workers. It just stinks it'll be 10 years before it happens.

Oh yeah, and re-envisioning Merrillville to be a corporate hub...
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Old 07-17-2015, 11:38 PM
 
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one more corporation fleeing the burbs and now will be within spitting distance of the South Shore terminus at Millenium Station. Kraft employees woud be well-advised to do like I did and switch from the North Shore to the South Shore....used to commute via Union Station to North michigan...much easier if your train drops you off at Michigan and Randolph.

Headquarters of Kraft business heading to downtown Chicago | WGN-TV
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Old 07-18-2015, 02:30 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by midwest1 View Post
one more corporation fleeing the burbs and now will be within spitting distance of the South Shore terminus at Millenium Station. Kraft employees woud be well-advised to do like I did and switch from the North Shore to the South Shore....used to commute via Union Station to North michigan...much easier if your train drops you off at Michigan and Randolph.

Headquarters of Kraft business heading to downtown Chicago | WGN-TV
A move from the North Shore to the South Shore is not only a complete lifestyle change for the vast majority of individuals who would do so, but the company is moving downtown...not to the south side, so I don't see how this would be well-advised for people to do. Unless a family REALLY wanted to get out of Illinois...but again. the overwhelming majority of people making the move to Indiana are either from declining south suburbs or from southwest suburbs where the higher costs for homes in areas with some comparable amenities and schools to some NWI towns makes it reasonable to move especially if the commute to the city does not change much.

I could see more people from the North Shore moving to the city than to NWI.
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Old 07-18-2015, 02:49 PM
 
Location: Sweet Home Chicago!
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^ I agree. The only viable option for train service to downtown from NWI is Chesterton and that's nearly a 2 hour ride (each way)! No way in hell the average person is going to spend 4 hours per day commuting. Munster may also be an option, but then you'll need to drive to the train...

On the flip side, Train service from Lagrange and Hinsdale area clocks in around 25 minutes and most other Chicago burbs are well under an hour.
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Old 07-19-2015, 10:08 PM
 
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the ride from Chesterton is not 2 hours. more like 1 hour 20 minutes, and just one hour from Miller. The Kraft headquarters will be directly across the street from Millenium Station, as I said a much easier commute than from Union Station. And I have met several people from the North Shore that now live in the Duneland area.

Here's a Miller home on the beach that would be ideal for someone who, like me, would never consider living more than walking distance from Lake Michigan..

Lakefront!

Yes there are million dollar homes in Miller, Gary...
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Old 07-19-2015, 10:50 PM
 
Location: Edmonds, WA
8,975 posts, read 10,107,511 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flamadiddle View Post
^ I agree. The only viable option for train service to downtown from NWI is Chesterton and that's nearly a 2 hour ride (each way)! No way in hell the average person is going to spend 4 hours per day commuting. Munster may also be an option, but then you'll need to drive to the train...

On the flip side, Train service from Lagrange and Hinsdale area clocks in around 25 minutes and most other Chicago burbs are well under an hour.
2 hours is a little dramatic/inaccurate. Unless you are catching the south shore from Kouts or something.
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