NW Indiana's image problem (South Bend, Gary: lease, to live, shops)

[WildWestDude]

Be it because of the ghettos, corn fields or heavy industry, NW Indiana has an image problem. People from the rest of the state and from the rest of the Chicago area don't talk favorably about the Region.
Please discuss and comment below and add how this image problem can be changed.....

[grmasterb]

That's a very good question. Much of the problem lies in the image of Gary. I live in the Indy area and travel to NW Indiana for business, and I find myself having to explain to folks down here that, Gary aside, there are some really nice communities in The Region. I'm lost as to what to do about Gary. Expanding the South Shore to run through Munster, Schererville, Merrillville and Valpo could make the area a more attractive option for Chicago commuters. The development that would arise from that influx of people could help.

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

Be it because of the ghettos, corn fields or heavy industry, NW Indiana has an image problem. People from the rest of the state and from the rest of the Chicago area don't talk favorably about the Region.
Please discuss and comment below and add how this image problem can be changed.....

Having lived the first 20 years of my life in Gary i can tell you that I NEVER heard one complaint about a cornfield!!!!!!!!!!!!

[domergurl]

NW Indiana has been the ugly stepchild of the state of Indiana for ... ever. The primary image problem exists because the state capital is far enough away where the people in power can just dismiss the area as "part of Chicago" ... can you blame NW Indiana for being so Chicago centered? I sure don't. I love NW Indiana. The culture, ethnicity, history ... and of course ... THE FOOD!!! Gary is Gary and will continue to be Gary until Gary takes responisibilty and weeds out their own dirty people (not the residents, the people in charge). I seriously don't think folks in the region particularly care about how Indiana views them. They are proud of who they are and where they live. There are so many people from Illinois moving in, so NW Indiana has something going on that people want. Everyone I talk to down here and when we lived in Fishers, who moved here from the region miss the place. I know I do. I'd go back in a heartbeat if a job presented itself.

Now, if this state decided to make Valpo the state capital .. then you'd see lots of changes! But until then, the region will be what it is and that's ok. It's a proud place. You can't really say that about the rest of the state.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Now, if this state decided to make Valpo the state capital .. then you'd see lots of changes! But until then, the region will be what it is and that's ok. It's a proud place. You can't really say that about the rest of the state.

Now, now domergurl.......have you forgotten how us Indy folk have staunchly defended our town in other threads?? We're proud here, too.

As I stated earlier, NW Indiana is full of nice communities. There's even redeeming value in Hammond and East Chicago, IMO. The only things that really turn me off in NW Indiana are: 1) Gary and 2) The Borman Expressway, which has to be the most God-awful stretch of highway with the ugly brown sound-barrier walls and the gazillion billboards advertising strip clubs (What a way to say, "Welcome to Indiana!"). Every region has its warts, however.

I don't know that folks here see The Region as "Chicago-centric." I think it's viewed more as Chicago-wannabe, and I say that because, for the most part, Chicagoans want nothing to do with NW Indiana.

I sense that whatever rift may've existed between Indy and NW Indiana is healing, which is probably due to migration back-and-forth due to work. I couldn't help but notice that the sporting goods shops at Southlake Mall display as much Colts gear as they do Bears gear. So, it appears folks up there are coming around. Now if we could do something about all of the Cubs gear.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

Now, now domergurl.......have you forgotten how us Indy folk have staunchly defended our town in other threads?? We're proud here, too.

As I stated earlier, NW Indiana is full of nice communities. There's even redeeming value in Hammond and East Chicago, IMO. The only things that really turn me off in NW Indiana are: 1) Gary and 2) The Borman Expressway, which has to be the most God-awful stretch of highway with the ugly brown sound-barrier walls and the gazillion billboards advertising strip clubs (What a way to say, "Welcome to Indiana!"). Every region has its warts, however.

I don't know that folks here see The Region as "Chicago-centric." I think it's viewed more as Chicago-wannabe, and I say that because, for the most part, Chicagoans want nothing to do with NW Indiana.

I sense that whatever rift may've existed between Indy and NW Indiana is healing, which is probably due to migration back-and-forth due to work. I couldn't help but notice that the sporting goods shops at Southlake Mall display as much Colts gear as they do Bears gear. So, it appears folks up there are coming around. Now if we could do something about all of the Cubs gear.

The rift widened with the toll road lease. I think they should make 465 a toll road.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by domergurl

The rift widened with the toll road lease. I think they should make 465 a toll road.

Seriously?? Folks up there are still bent about that?? Why??

[domergurl]

Yes, people are still "bent" about it. People south of US 30 don't have to deal with the additional traffic on secondary roads or higher tolls.

So searches in the local newspapers about it. Hammond Times, Gary Post Tribune, South Bend Tribune.

It would be a great moneymaker don't you think??? Or do you think it would just cause more traffic on secondary roads? Get my drift??? One of the toll road lease stipulations was that no roads within "x" miles of the toll road could be widened during the duration of the lease. That doesn't seem fair to me ... basically, use the toll road, or use these crappy narrow roads, like 6, 20, 12 ... lots of trucks on those roads now too.

Oh well, I'll be long dead before the lease is up anyway and I don't live there anymore. They are trying to force people to get these EZ passes too ... there's only 1 change lane anymore and those lines get backed up horribly now since there is only 1 live person in the toll booths now. But again, it's just a sliver of the state that has to deal with it on a daily basis, 75% of the state could care less.

[LIS123]

Talk about a pandora's box type question. At the end of the day, the economy is NWI is weak, to say the least. There's the standard stuff (Healthcare, retail, etc.) you have everywhere plus the steel industry and, more recently, gaming. That said, it has very little presence in professional services (financial, IT, etc.) The region doesn't have the world's greatest talent pool either, at least amongst younger adults. It seems like many of the more motivated and driven people who grew up in the region leave while the others stay (many times, continuing to live at home). USS draws some people from outside the region, but not a lot of companies and or industries do that.

People moving from IL to NWI says as much (if not more) about the South Suburban area of Chicago being undesirable as it does about them really loving NWI. That said, for the same money, I'd much rather live in NWI than most of South Suburban Chicago. I wouldn't extrapolate too much from this migration.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Yes, people are still "bent" about it. People south of US 30 don't have to deal with the additional traffic on secondary roads or higher tolls.

So searches in the local newspapers about it. Hammond Times, Gary Post Tribune, South Bend Tribune.

No, DC, I don't mean to stick it to Indy. It would be a great moneymaker don't you think??? Or do you think it would just cause more traffic on secondary roads? Get my drift??? One of the toll road lease stipulations was that no roads within "x" miles of the toll road could be widened during the duration of the lease. That doesn't seem fair to me ... basically, use the toll road, or use these crappy narrow roads, like 6, 20, 12 ... lots of trucks on those roads now too.

Oh well, I'll be long dead before the lease is up anyway and I don't live there anymore. They are trying to force people to get these EZ passes too ... there's only 1 change lane anymore and those lines get backed up horribly now since there is only 1 live person in the toll booths now. But again, it's just a sliver of the state that has to deal with it on a daily basis, 75% of the state could care less.

If you use I-Zoom you pay tolls at the lower rate (before the increase), which is the same way they do it in Illinois. Plus, you can use it on Illinois open tollways and the Skyway. I have one for my travels up there.

I spent time on 6, 12 and 20 when I was up there last week. The traffic wasn't bad at all.