Areas to avoid in Gary, IN (Indianapolis, South Bend: hotel, casinos, taxi)

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

this is the reason the GARY airport will never get off the ground
literally no one wants to be associated with the city of Gary
sad but true

This is why they should probably change the name to something like "Northwest Indiana Regional Airport".....however, the problem with that is then if something bad happens to fliers at the airport, they will associate it with all of NWI and not just Gary...then again, we couls name it after a person...problem is that if the airport actually becomes very successful, then it may be completely attributed to the person it was named after (even if they had nothing to do with its success)...decisions decisions..

[msamhunter]

Gary International can stay that as it will not matter in the end as it will be off the ground long before peotone has a ground breaking. It's funny how people esp. Lake County residents talk about Gary with such disdain because that's how downstate Indiana talk about Lake County (ALL of Lake County). You all are lumped together as one county and instead of banding together as a community lake county residents want to dump on the easy target but you all are one and the same as far as Indiana goes; might as well be a part of Illinois.

Now Gary is a dangerous city, no getting around that, but its perception is not the same as its reality. Bottom line, Gary is not a city where people just go out looking for trouble, if you don't mess with them they won't mess with you. Problem is people especially those that don't live in Gary like to not mind their own business and end up getting caught up in stuff they didn't have to be caught up in if they minded their own business. Their like soap opera characters, everyone all up in everyone else's business.

Can Gary get better, oh heck yes! problem, its residents feel defeated and until that changes nothing else will change. US Steel has the city in a bad way (not purposely), the mill just strong armed any other type of business so the city could never diversify its economy like an Indianapolis. The city wasn't built to be a city, it was built to house US Steel workers that became a city without the proper planning to do so. at roughly 4700 employees of which maybe 20% are Gary residents and 7 miles of lakefront they own and won't sell or relinquish, it's in Gary's best interest to stop bending over for them and if they threaten to leave so be it because you would employ more people tearing it down, cleaning up the area and opening up lake michigan for development than you are keeping it there and the city needs to take high risk chances at this point.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

This is why they should probably change the name to something like "Northwest Indiana Regional Airport".....however, the problem with that is then if something bad happens to fliers at the airport, they will associate it with all of NWI and not just Gary...then again, we couls name it after a person...problem is that if the airport actually becomes very successful, then it may be completely attributed to the person it was named after (even if they had nothing to do with its success)...decisions decisions..

Yes with all due respect to Gary, IN
The name itself needs to be lets say re branded

It is all well they want to improve the runways but every airline that has attempted to fly in has pulled the plug a year later after they see the numbers.

I would gladly travel to Gary vs. Ohare
Midway is my favorite locally little hassles.

[msamhunter]

I prefer midway over O'Hare, there were several smaller airlines going to tourist destinations, Gary's airport still has a lot to be done with as far as having amenities around it like a full scale airport such as restaurants, hotels, the area in general just cleaned up and with better access to it outside of industrial rd to get in and out.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

I prefer midway over O'Hare, there were several smaller airlines going to tourist destinations, Gary's airport still has a lot to be done with as far as having amenities around it like a full scale airport such as restaurants, hotels, the area in general just cleaned up and with better access to it outside of industrial rd to get in and out.

Peotone probably will not happen for a long long long time if ever
but i do not see

Think about this do you honestly think the state of Illinois is going to lose coveted gate fees for Gary , IN
No way , not a chance- that money will stay right in Illinois and not in Gary

Illinois giving up revenue such as gate fees etc.
will not happen.

Everyone prefers Midway the only problem is they have limited flights and carriers and its so much easier
I wish all airports were that way

Do you honestly think an airline with a razor thin margins is going to take a chance on having gary as a destination?

I really dont mean to harp on Gary but it is the hard truth of the matter.

[msamhunter]

Illinois no they would die to lose out to Indiana BUT Chicago, yes just to screw Illinois. Peotone, Illinois wants control and Chicago would never go for that. Gary's airport needs some help along with the area in general. People will come. In the beginning, no one ever thought that anyone would goto downtown Gary to watch the railcats esp south lake county residents but people do go downtown to watch a good baseball game. Point being, there's a need for a third airport and Gary has the what second longest runway in region after O'Hare unless midway has expanded theirs and the infrastructure already in place.

It won't be along the lines of O'Hare but could serve just as Midway does right now, you add additional infrastructure (additional access roads, businesses, Riverboats only a few minutes away and it could be more feasible). Last aspect is Lake and Porter county residents need to buy into it and just make their minds up that you will work together for the betterment of the region. Let's face it, anything outside of Indianapolis gets a good old college try from state government and Lake County doesn't even get that. You continue to rely on Illinois and you shoot yourselves in the foot.

I've been in Indianapolis for 20 years but still travel up to Gary to see my family and the stark difference between there and here when it comes to supporting one another is astounding. Sure the suburbs hate that Indy gets whatever it wants but they also understand that in the end it will benefit the entire Metro. Lake County residents need to realize that a better Gary is a much better Lake County. It has the most lake front and outside of Indiana Dunes has the best beach in Indiana or Illinois at Marquette park.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

this is the reason the GARY airport will never get off the ground
literally no one wants to be associated with the city of Gary
sad but true

Nobody frets about flying into Newark when going to NYC. The major issue is the runway is too short for anything larger than about a 727, and it's not as easy as just lengthening it. To lengthen the runway they have to re-route a set of railroad tracks and high-tension wires had to be put underground. Federal funding has already been secured and the project is underway. IIRC they are also building a new terminal.

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Drover

Nobody frets about flying into Newark when going to NYC. Part of the problem is the runway is too short for anything larger than about a 727, and it's not as easy as just lengthening it. To lengthen the runway they hae to re-route a set of railroad tracks and high-tension wires had to be put underground. Federal funding has already been secured and the project is underway.

Newark has A LOT more going for it than Gary...Gary is more comparable to somewhere like Camden.

[Drover]

I see my fan club is riled up again.

[msamhunter]

Drover does have a point, you build it they will come. As long as it's safe, gets them in and out relatively quickly, people would use it if they are offering flights to other destinations outside of vacation spots which are almost always doomed to fail with specialty airlines like that.