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The most activity I've ever seen in downtown Gary is at the Metro Center South Shore station. And that's comprised of people like me taking the train into Chicago.
When you say shopping or business hub in NWI, I don't think anyone thinks of Gary.
Wrong on one thing since Gary put in the new stadium for the railcats downtown is getting much more activity which is a good thing to start rebounding.
The most activity I've ever seen in downtown Gary is at the Metro Center South Shore station. And that's comprised of people like me taking the train into Chicago.
When you say shopping or business hub in NWI, I don't think anyone thinks of Gary.
Not anymore no, the hub is actually Merrillville but the hub used to be Downtown Gary. Downtown is 4th - 15th Avenue North and South and the split to Grant St. East and West. Odds are, there are parts of downtown you haven't seen, granted there isn't anything east. You do realize there are city employees, county employees, state employees, the businesses in the bank building at 504 Broadway, across the street, Methodist Northlake, business on south Broadway, the police station, NIPSCO, Indiana-American, Grocery Store, etc. right? Downtown isn't just completely dead, there's activity, there's housing, some nice areas like SunnySide adjacent to Methodist. There are some other local businesses. The eyeplace around 9th and Broadway. She's a south county resident who took a chance and is being successful at it (optometrist). Meant to send her a message on FB thanking her for at least taking a chance and providing a badly needed service in the area even if it is for profit.
The blighted buildings are either owned by the county or individual holding companies/persons and just aren't doing anything with them, not even general upkeep which is a shame because the city is powerless to force them to and the owners won't sell.
Last edited by msamhunter; 08-22-2011 at 02:31 PM..
Not anymore no, the hub is actually Merrillville but the hub used to be Downtown Gary. Downtown is 4th - 15th Avenue North and South and the split to Grant St. East and West. Odds are, there are parts of downtown you haven't seen, granted there isn't anything east. You do realize there are city employees, county employees, state employees, the businesses in the bank building at 504 Broadway, across the street, Methodist Northlake, business on south Broadway, the police station, NIPSCO, Indiana-American, Grocery Store, etc. right? Downtown isn't just completely dead, there's activity, there's housing, some nice areas like SunnySide adjacent to Methodist. There are some other local businesses. The eyeplace around 9th and Broadway. She's a south county resident who took a chance and is being successful at it (optometrist). Meant to send her a message on FB thanking her for at least taking a chance and providing a badly needed service in the area even if it is for profit.
The blighted buildings are either owned by the county or individual holding companies/persons and just aren't doing anything with them, not even general upkeep which is a shame because the city is powerless to force them to and the owners won't sell.
The Health Dept can condemn the buildings & order them torn down.
Not anymore no, the hub is actually Merrillville but the hub used to be Downtown Gary. Downtown is 4th - 15th Avenue North and South and the split to Grant St. East and West. Odds are, there are parts of downtown you haven't seen, granted there isn't anything east. You do realize there are city employees, county employees, state employees, the businesses in the bank building at 504 Broadway, across the street, Methodist Northlake, business on south Broadway, the police station, NIPSCO, Indiana-American, Grocery Store, etc. right? Downtown isn't just completely dead, there's activity, there's housing, some nice areas like SunnySide adjacent to Methodist. There are some other local businesses. The eyeplace around 9th and Broadway. She's a south county resident who took a chance and is being successful at it (optometrist). Meant to send her a message on FB thanking her for at least taking a chance and providing a badly needed service in the area even if it is for profit.
The blighted buildings are either owned by the county or individual holding companies/persons and just aren't doing anything with them, not even general upkeep which is a shame because the city is powerless to force them to and the owners won't sell.
There HAVE been people,myself included, and organizations that have attempted to invest $$ and ideas into revitalizing downtown Gary. But we were thwarted at each attempt. Mostly by corrupt city "leaders" wanting thier palms greased in order to obtain the right permits and zoning changes. So any change in the fortunes of Gary must start with City Hall.
There HAVE been people,myself included, and organizations that have attempted to invest $$ and ideas into revitalizing downtown Gary. But we were thwarted at each attempt. Mostly by corrupt city "leaders" wanting thier palms greased in order to obtain the right permits and zoning changes. So any change in the fortunes of Gary must start with City Hall.
Capt Dan hits it on the head.
Its corruption in City Hall that holds back the entire city of Gary. Until that changes little will change in Gary. That is a fact. Don't try to argue with me on that. City Hall sets the tone for the whole city, and for the last five decades that has meant corruption.
Until the voters of Gary finally get in into their heads and vote these crooks out (all of them), Gary cannot and will not change. Unfortunately most running for office in Gary are more of the same.
That is the first job that has to be done to fix Gary. It is also entirely the job of the voting citizens of Gary. Nobody outside the city can do anything about it. Vote them out!
Its no wonder the overall crime rate is high in Gary. Why? Because there is so much crime occurring within the walls of City Hall, so why would anyone care about the petty criminals preying on the citizens of Gary.
Gary's city government is Gary's worst problem. Nothing really can be solved until that is changed. Everything until then is a band-aid.
Its corruption in City Hall that holds back the entire city of Gary. Until that changes little will change in Gary. That is a fact. Don't try to argue with me on that. City Hall sets the tone for the whole city, and for the last five decades that has meant corruption.
Until the voters of Gary finally get in into their heads and vote these crooks out (all of them), Gary cannot and will not change. Unfortunately most running for office in Gary are more of the same.
That is the first job that has to be done to fix Gary. It is also entirely the job of the voting citizens of Gary. Nobody outside the city can do anything about it. Vote them out!
Its no wonder the overall crime rate is high in Gary. Why? Because there is so much crime occurring within the walls of City Hall, so why would anyone care about the petty criminals preying on the citizens of Gary.
Gary's city government is Gary's worst problem. Nothing really can be solved until that is changed. Everything until then is a band-aid.
Couple of things, one I generally deal with the quantifiable, you stating or Dan for that matter that there's corruption without an ounce of proof means nothing. Seeing as you have newer companies like Vision Quest, Accint, Dusties Buffet, Kenns Ribs and Chicken and mainstays like Save More, Emoja and Faegan. That would mean all of these owners greased palms to go into business. I'll tell you what, I'll message the owner of Vision Quest on her Facebook and ask her what kickbacks she had to provide the city in order to open up business. Things that are quantifiable are the property owners of the varying properties as it's public information easily verifiable by going to the Lake County Assessors web site. Those that will hold on to a property because they do not want to sell it, but will not do upkeep or maintenance on their property. Does this mean there isn't corruption within city government, of course not. Show me any city/state in the US that does not have that problem or town for that matter as well as the Federal Government.
Corrupt people working within the city government is not the reason there is high crime in Gary. If that were the case, every US city esp. cities like Chicago would all be in shambles. The lack of jobs is the reason why there is a lot of crime in Gary. There is a direct correlation between income and crime.
For those in government that would be crooked, the positions tend to not be elected positions but either appointed and/or positions that need to be filled by normal hiring practices. I do agree that a city councilman who has been on the city council for 20+ years should not be re-elected. If your city is worse off than when you started over two decades ago, it's more than obvious you failed your constituents.
Couple of things, one I generally deal with the quantifiable, you stating or Dan for that matter that there's corruption without an ounce of proof means nothing. Seeing as you have newer companies like Vision Quest, Accint, Dusties Buffet, Kenns Ribs and Chicken and mainstays like Save More, Emoja and Faegan. That would mean all of these owners greased palms to go into business. I'll tell you what, I'll message the owner of Vision Quest on her Facebook and ask her what kickbacks she had to provide the city in order to open up business. Things that are quantifiable are the property owners of the varying properties as it's public information easily verifiable by going to the Lake County Assessors web site. Those that will hold on to a property because they do not want to sell it, but will not do upkeep or maintenance on their property. Does this mean there isn't corruption within city government, of course not. Show me any city/state in the US that does not have that problem or town for that matter as well as the Federal Government.
Corrupt people working within the city government is not the reason there is high crime in Gary. If that were the case, every US city esp. cities like Chicago would all be in shambles. The lack of jobs is the reason why there is a lot of crime in Gary. There is a direct correlation between income and crime.
For those in government that would be crooked, the positions tend to not be elected positions but either appointed and/or positions that need to be filled by normal hiring practices. I do agree that a city councilman who has been on the city council for 20+ years should not be re-elected. If your city is worse off than when you started over two decades ago, it's more than obvious you failed your constituents.
Yikes, where do I start with this one.
If you think there isn't massive corruption at Gary City Hall you are pretty naive or are not paying attention.
You have never pulled a building permit in Gary I bet? If you had, you would be singing a very different song. If the city truly wanted renewal they wouldn't handle building permits and inspection like they do.
I doubt that that person on fb is going to admit if she did something illegal, who would? If she had to do any renovations to open her business, she or one of the contractors very likely had to pay off a building inspector at some point. If you don't, you can delay finishing something for just about forever. Most business people don't want to deal with this kind of nonsense, so they go elsewhere. The few Gary business people left who try to make a living there go though a lot more stupidity that doesn't add to their bottom line then any suburban business. There is a reason you can name all the new businesses. There are that few. It costs big. My guess in ten years most of those businesses will be defunct.
Corruption at city hall very much leads to high crime rates. Crime tolerated at high levels of city government only lead to corruption lower down, all the way to down to the petty gang bangers on the corner. Gary is a extreme example of it. Cities like Chicago are barely better they as they are only slightly less dysfunctional then Gary. If you haven't noticed Chicago has a high rate of crime too.
The elected officials are the most corrupt of the bunch! They need money for reelection and their lifestyles so they do it the most. As I have said before, if the top people are corrupt the lower levels do it too, because nobody is going to stop it. That's why the building inspector gets away with demanding a bribe to pass a remodeling project. The top sets the vibe.
You want proof. Isn't the way the city looks not enough proof for you?
North county politicians are the biggest reason why places like Gary go nowhere. The lack of jobs are a direct result of corruption. Businesses avoid areas of high corruption. Gary has a very corrupt government.
Couple of things, one I generally deal with the quantifiable, you stating or Dan for that matter that there's corruption without an ounce of proof means nothing. Seeing as you have newer companies like Vision Quest, Accint, Dusties Buffet, Kenns Ribs and Chicken and mainstays like Save More, Emoja and Faegan. That would mean all of these owners greased palms to go into business. I'll tell you what, I'll message the owner of Vision Quest on her Facebook and ask her what kickbacks she had to provide the city in order to open up business. Things that are quantifiable are the property owners of the varying properties as it's public information easily verifiable by going to the Lake County Assessors web site. Those that will hold on to a property because they do not want to sell it, but will not do upkeep or maintenance on their property. Does this mean there isn't corruption within city government, of course not. Show me any city/state in the US that does not have that problem or town for that matter as well as the Federal Government.
Corrupt people working within the city government is not the reason there is high crime in Gary. If that were the case, every US city esp. cities like Chicago would all be in shambles. The lack of jobs is the reason why there is a lot of crime in Gary. There is a direct correlation between income and crime.
For those in government that would be crooked, the positions tend to not be elected positions but either appointed and/or positions that need to be filled by normal hiring practices. I do agree that a city councilman who has been on the city council for 20+ years should not be re-elected. If your city is worse off than when you started over two decades ago, it's more than obvious you failed your constituents.
Few questions/comments for you on this post:
1) Chicago actually is in shambles, ask any one of us that visits it on a daily basis. Talk to people that live in the city and you will understand. The government, crime, taxation, etc. have really hurt the city badly. And are there extremely corrupt politicians leading the city? You bet.
2) Chicago's crime is very high. Actually, comparable to Gary's. It may not seem like it because when you think "Chicago" you think of the loop, or Navy Pier, or the Mag Mile, or Lincoln Park and the desirable areas where crime is minimal. But, if you take the entire city as a whole, the crime is very very high.
3) You stated that "The lack of jobs is the reason why there is a lot of crime in Gary." I've tried getting a better understanding on this logic before and I'll try again. I agree there may not be many jobs in Gary itself. So, what is stopping them from traveling maybe a half hour or hour to a job located outside of Gary? You know, like the rest of us. One can live in Gary and work elsewhere, so to say that lack of jobs IN GARY is the reason that there is a lot of crime, seems to be a cop-out. There aren't a lot of jobs in Northwest Indiana in general. So, many of us have found jobs elsewhere, such as in Illinois. I'd never just make these excuse that there aren't many jobs in Schererville where I live so I guess I won't work, and that'll probably lead to crime. That's foolish.
4) I've said numerous times that I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to help the residents of Gary IF the people of Gary don't want to help themselves first. What I actually meant by that is what richb explained in his post. I've always meant that until the residents stop voting in the same politicians because of certain commonalities, they are simply asking for more of the same. Then they complain that things are bad, over and over.
Few questions/comments for you on this post:
1) Chicago actually is in shambles, ask any one of us that visits it on a daily basis. Talk to people that live in the city and you will understand. The government, crime, taxation, etc. have really hurt the city badly. And are there extremely corrupt politicians leading the city? You bet.
2) Chicago's crime is very high. Actually, comparable to Gary's. It may not seem like it because when you think "Chicago" you think of the loop, or Navy Pier, or the Mag Mile, or Lincoln Park and the desirable areas where crime is minimal. But, if you take the entire city as a whole, the crime is very very high.
3) You stated that "The lack of jobs is the reason why there is a lot of crime in Gary." I've tried getting a better understanding on this logic before and I'll try again. I agree there may not be many jobs in Gary itself. So, what is stopping them from traveling maybe a half hour or hour to a job located outside of Gary? You know, like the rest of us. One can live in Gary and work elsewhere, so to say that lack of jobs IN GARY is the reason that there is a lot of crime, seems to be a cop-out. There aren't a lot of jobs in Northwest Indiana in general. So, many of us have found jobs elsewhere, such as in Illinois. I'd never just make these excuse that there aren't many jobs in Schererville where I live so I guess I won't work, and that'll probably lead to crime. That's foolish.
4) I've said numerous times that I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to help the residents of Gary IF the people of Gary don't want to help themselves first. What I actually meant by that is what richb explained in his post. I've always meant that until the residents stop voting in the same politicians because of certain commonalities, they are simply asking for more of the same. Then they complain that things are bad, over and over.
It's not an issue of whether or not Chicago is corrupt. I'm pretty sure the entire country knows Chicago is extremely corrupt as it's always has been. NWI is just as corrupt, in terms of politics, it just doesn't have the notoriety due to its proximity to Chicago. One big difference is despite all of Chicago's issues, they still receive plenty of tourists, conventions and business. The Loop is still a highly valued location and people still want to associate at with it, esp. NWI communities.
In reference to point #3, yes there are jobs in other areas in the county and/or Porter County accept for one thing. People who tend to have a Gary address. Granted not everywhere is like that as my own family has to venture outside of the city for gainful employment but I would say on average, when people see a Gary address, they automatically assume, ghetto, criminals and the like. I know some of you read the comments on both nwitimes and the post and while that is a small subsection of the overall community, looking at the posts with reference to Gary is pretty much the same across the board. Always negative and derogatory.
In reference to #4, yes I can agree with that. There are groups out just about every weekend trying to clean up the area so there are definitely people out trying to make a difference in the city. I've said it before, the city feels defeated. Anything bad happens in the city NWI is piling on them. Every time something positive happens in the city, NWI is piling on them telling them why bother or it will never work etc.
Even in this topic, how many who have responded even offered up anything in the original question vs. how many chimed up asking why bother?
Few questions/comments for you on this post:
1) Chicago actually is in shambles, ask any one of us that visits it on a daily basis. Talk to people that live in the city and you will understand. The government, crime, taxation, etc. have really hurt the city badly. And are there extremely corrupt politicians leading the city? You bet.
2) Chicago's crime is very high. Actually, comparable to Gary's. It may not seem like it because when you think "Chicago" you think of the loop, or Navy Pier, or the Mag Mile, or Lincoln Park and the desirable areas where crime is minimal. But, if you take the entire city as a whole, the crime is very very high.
3) You stated that "The lack of jobs is the reason why there is a lot of crime in Gary." I've tried getting a better understanding on this logic before and I'll try again. I agree there may not be many jobs in Gary itself. So, what is stopping them from traveling maybe a half hour or hour to a job located outside of Gary? You know, like the rest of us. One can live in Gary and work elsewhere, so to say that lack of jobs IN GARY is the reason that there is a lot of crime, seems to be a cop-out. There aren't a lot of jobs in Northwest Indiana in general. So, many of us have found jobs elsewhere, such as in Illinois. I'd never just make these excuse that there aren't many jobs in Schererville where I live so I guess I won't work, and that'll probably lead to crime. That's foolish.
4) I've said numerous times that I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to help the residents of Gary IF the people of Gary don't want to help themselves first. What I actually meant by that is what richb explained in his post. I've always meant that until the residents stop voting in the same politicians because of certain commonalities, they are simply asking for more of the same. Then they complain that things are bad, over and over.
Exactly and heck another business moved just 30 miles east to NWI to avoid Illinois taxes and Crook County. Chicago is going to collasp as long as its citizens live in Denial and Crime and Corruption is rampart. Chicago is turning into Detroit very fast.
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