Highland (Hammond, Bloomington, Lafayette: cheap apartment, loans, new home)

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by deechee '

Yes but those are only four towns. Did you know CCH is planning an outlet mall. And better news is that Markham is planning a retail center on the north side of 159th just west of I-294. YEA SOUTHLAND AND NWI!!! dee dee cee cee hee hee DEECHEE!!!

Ok FAKE deechee

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana.

I would love to see Neiman Marcus come to NWI

So now you make a fake username of me? Wow...loser

[Chuckity]

I feel so left out.

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Thanks for finding that information out! Also, is Mr. Volkmann confusing Discovery Clothing with DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse)? Many people confuse the two and DSW is typically takes up a lot of sq. footage mostly closer in size to the Circuit City. I don't think Discovery Clothing would need that much space at all.

Also, was he at liberty to say who the proposed anchor from October was? I am assuming that unless there is absolutely no chance of that tenant working out, he would be at liberty to speak about it. But I am no legal expert.

Mr. Volkmann e-mailed me back and said that it is is Discovery Clothing from next to Albert’s. They simply want more space. He said he hasn't seen the plan so he don’t know if they are taking the entire Circuit City space or not (I would highly doubt that). The application from Discovery Clothing has been submitted to the town but he said it is "waiting on plans", whatever that means. Also, he completely avoided my question about the anchor tenant from back in October, so he either didn't want to answer it or couldn't answer it. I'd really like to know though.

[goboillermakers]

The biggest issue with indiana border towns is population density. The population is just too spaced out per square mile and the area overall when you include the blacks and hispanics is working class. Most towns have too much open land which makes it look really country and incomplete. Lots of half empty strip malls in the middle of fields. Sure there are some nicer seperated subdivisions that are more upper middle class in some towns. But overall this area will never have the same kind of amenities that an area with a larger ratio of upwardly mobile residents would have. There just aren't enough upwardly mobile families who want to locate here.

Also the good areas are all white and the bad areas are all mostly black or mexican. It seems like northwest indiana may be a good second or third option for some middle income white families looking for cheaper taxes and housing. But it's the last option for middle income minorities. So the minorities in most towns tend to be mostly poor and uneducated. Which means as more hispanics and blacks continue to move to certain towns, the more poverty will be an issue. Aside from merrillville where some of the decent non low income blacks and mexicans from gary moved to, there is no sizeable population of middle income minorities out here. I think that is an issue given that lake county is atleast 45 percent minority. And minorities will probably be the majority in the the very near future in lake county if not already. Many of the lower middle class and middle class families from illinois who were looking for affordable new construction houses with cheaper property taxes moved here. But where is the future growth going to come from now?

Also most of the new construction housing was built in the cheapest way possible. Almost no brick was used to build most of the housing. Most of the the newer houses were built with cheap interior finishes that look great when new but don't look so great 5 years later. My mom purchased a new construction home in cedar lake 5 years ago for a very good price at the time. But the flooring in the house was all low carpeting that quickly began to look worn. The kitchens and bathrooms looked great when we moved in. But the cabinetry and fixtures now look like they need to be replaced already.

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by goboillermakers

The biggest issue with indiana border towns is population density. The population is just too spaced out per square mile and the area overall when you include the blacks and hispanics is working class. Most towns have too much open land which makes it look really country and incomplete. Lots of half empty strip malls in the middle of fields. Sure there are some nicer seperated subdivisions that are more upper middle class in some towns. But overall this area will never have the same kind of amenities that an area with a larger ratio of upwardly mobile residents would have. There just aren't enough upwardly mobile families who want to locate here.

Also the good areas are all white and the bad areas are all mostly black or mexican. It seems like northwest indiana may be a good second or third option for some middle income white families looking for cheaper taxes and housing. But it's the last option for middle income minorities. So the minorities in most towns tend to be mostly poor and uneducated. Which means as more hispanics and blacks continue to move to certain towns, the more poverty will be an issue. Aside from merrillville where some of the decent non low income blacks and mexicans from gary moved to, there is no sizeable population of middle income minorities out here. I think that is an issue given that lake county is atleast 45 percent minority. And minorities will probably be the majority in the the very near future in lake county if not already. Many of the lower middle class and middle class families from illinois who were looking for affordable new construction houses with cheaper property taxes moved here. But where is the future growth going to come from now?

Also most of the new construction housing was built in the cheapest way possible. Almost no brick was used to build most of the housing. Most of the the newer houses were built with cheap interior finishes that look great when new but don't look so great 5 years later. My mom purchased a new construction home in cedar lake 5 years ago for a very good price at the time. But the flooring in the house was all low carpeting that quickly began to look worn. The kitchens and bathrooms looked great when we moved in. But the cabinetry and fixtures now look like they need to be replaced already.

Regarding the housing quality, you have to look at the builder...Most of the newer homes in Cedar Lake, Lowell, parts of CP, parts of Merrillville (and pretty much all Olthof Homes) are very cheaply built. But most of the homes in Munster, Highland, and most of Schererville, Dyer, and Saint John are custom built and in areas with strict covenants.

Also regarding the retail, the sad truth is that, while more of the upwardly mobile Black population is moving to places like the south suburbs, there is a much larger minority percentage there so it will be even more retail redlining despite having areas like Olympia Fields and Flossmoor that have high income. The developers would not have bought the land in these places if there wasn't interest. However, retail construction financing is extremely difficult to secure.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

I feel so left out.

I know, right?

[subject2change]

The comment about population density and open land is true of Cedar Lake, and parts of St John and Dyer near State Line Road, but not at all true of most of Dyer, St John, Schererville, or certainly anywhere north of there.

[goboillermakers]

The houses in many subdivision were built very cheaply. The older they get, the cheaper they look. No landscaping, very little brick used to build them, cheap aluminum exterior doors. I have been in cheap apartments that have just as good of quality interior finishes as what were used in many homes like the new construction home my mom bought 5 years ago in cedar lake.

As far as amenities. The only thing that Northwest indiana has an impressive amount of is over glorified chain burger joints. And what we completely lack is enough quality restaurants that offer a dining experience that is in any way different from the zillions of chain restaurants. I read somewhere that indiana has the most fast food restaurants per capita out of any state. And I bet you Northwest indiana has the most in the state. If it's not served on a bun by a big chain restaurant. Then I guess people around here won't eat it. Whenever a new big chain burger joint opens, it seems people around here go nuts and treat it like a big local event. And when a big chain restaurant opens that many of the nice chicago suburbs already have such as when starbucks and panera bread finally came to town after exhausting it's market share in chicago suburbs, everyone got completely beside themselves and there were lines running outside of the stores when they first opened. I spend a lot of time in chicago suburban areas. There aren't hardly any good places to hang out. And I can tell you that most other areas have a decent amount of non chain good quality stores and restaurants owned by individuals not corporations. Out here alot of people will consider going to red robbins or the golden coral to be fine dining experience. There is nothing lin northwest indiana ike Hamadas in tinley park, jack givens steak house in oak forest, cooper hawk winery in orland park, Bogartes in homewood, or flossmoor brewery in flossmoor. It seems like many chicago suburbs are trying to mimic chicago and have more old character, class, local amenities such as a downtown area with bars, and nice restaurants, racial diversity.

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by goboillermakers

There is nothing lin northwest indiana ike Hamadas in tinley park, jack givens steak house in oak forest, cooper hawk winery in orland park, Bogartes in homewood, or flossmoor brewery in flossmoor.

Untrue.

Actually, there are lots of falsehoods (and misspellings) in your posts.

But you seem chomping at the bit to get out of your mom's house and NWI ... so go. What's stopping you?