Munster (Gary, Hammond, Schererville: house prices, buy, best school districts)

[WildWestDude]

Munster was my past hometown.
There are many people that inquire about this small town near Chicago.
What are your thoughts on Munster?

[MikiJayne]

I grew up in Highland, right on the boarder between it and Munster. My grandparents still live in Munster and I have sepnt LOTS of time there, though I now live in Indy. I think it is truly beautiful, and so convenient to Chicago.

I love Munster, If we had a job there and the money, I would move there in a heartbeat.

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

Munster was my past hometown.
There are many people that inquire about this small town near Chicago.
What are your thoughts on Munster?

I love it. I do most of my shopping at Strack and Van Til (on Ridge Rd.) and Target (on Calumet Ave). I like driving down Ridge Road east of Calumet and looking at the beautiful homes (on the south side of the street). I frequently take advantage of the cheap gas (well cheaper than on my side of the border). I don't know if I would move there, though. My heart belongs to the city, so if we ever make a move, I hope it would be back to Chicago.

[Capt. Dan]

lets see if my memory still works; going west on ridge road-east glen park-west glen park-calumet[where there used to be a place called RAILROAD SALVAGE]-griffith-highland-munster[where i fell in love with a young lady named Janice Matyska years ago]and then maybe hammond. Did i get it right?

[LIS123]

Munster is nice, but is getting crowded and expensive. A lot of the houses are old and still relatively expensive. People like it b/c of 'good schools' but there's no reason one could not do just as well from the Lake Central or Crown Point system. I'd choose Schererville, Dyer or Saint John. These communities aren't quite as crowded yet (though they will be in time) and have more new housing than Munster. They're probably not that much cheaper, but I just feel like things are a little less cramped in this area than Munster.

[MikiJayne]

WILD WEST DUDE,
Do you know/remember where the Little Store on White Oak Ave. is?

[WildWestDude]

Originally Posted by MikiJayne

WILD WEST DUDE,
Do you know/remember where the Little Store on White Oak Ave. is?

Yes, it barely rings a bell.....visited it during my high school days


I also remember a small little country style house at the NE corner of Fisher and Calumet Ave. I remember chickens running around that property.
It was probably the last remaining stronghold of old little Munster before it became part of Community Park and before becoming very urban. Must have been around 1980 when they demolished it

here's a bit of info on Munster:

Town of Munster ~ Living in Munster

[OPSMAN]

Munster is nice...but the residents are stuck up and the houses are way overpriced. You're much better off going south to Dyer, Schererville and Saint John where you get more house for the same money...AND you're farther away from Hammond and Gary.

Munser used to be the nicest town in NW Indiana, but that's when Dyer and Saint John were still corn fields. Now the houses and schools in those towns are way better than Munster's old brick tract houses.

I think parts of Munster are pretty (I grew up in Lansing, IL), but it has been left in the dust by the other up and coming towns to the south and southeast.

OPSMAN

[LIS123]

Nice post. I agree. Why buy an older house in Munster that requires fixing up when you could get a newer one in Dyer, S'ville or Saint John for around the same amount? Essentially, the only land left in Munster is Park West (White Oak, just south of 45th) and moving there will cost a LOT of money! That area of Munster has gone from nothing to a pain to drive through. It'll be much worse when Park West is done...

[RegionAire]

Tract housing? Maybe at the far end near Hammond, but your assertion is ridiculous. Yes, Munster is developmentally locked in and really has nowhere else to build so the housing stock is getting long in the tooth. However, the houses are all well maintained, updated, and command a better price. They command a better price because of the location and the schools. The property taxes are also generally lower in Munster than in any of the other towns you have cited because all the public amenities have already been built. No new schools or fire houses need to be added for a population that has nowhere to grow. Even with inflated housing prices, Munster is a steal for anyone looking to move into one of the best school districts in the state (and schools do count even if you don't have kids because of the premium it adds to house prices).