Is Griffith really that bad and why? (Gary, Schererville: lower-class, apartment complex)

[tigger514]

My husband and I are looking into a house in Griffith and I was really trying to find any info on the town. I see alot of people referring Muster Schererville, Dyer Saint John, and Crown point, but that's out of our price range range now. We have two kids 5&7 and the house is in the Wadsworth area for Griffith schools. Do you see any changes for the better coming along, especially since Griffith is thinking about joining Saint John township? Would Joining Saint John township help Griffith?

[msamhunter]

Griffith not leaving Cal township anytime soon and they are wanting to form their own township. Griffith isn't bad, about the same as Highland.

[Northwest Indiana]

I would say that overall, Highland as a town and school quality is much more desirable than Griffith. The main "issue" with Highland is that it has a rather old population that isn't moving out of town. While the population has been pretty stable, there are not many young families moving in as compared to towns like Dyer, Saint John, and even Schererville.

Griffith overall is OK. However one issue, and I mean a MAJOR issue that many residents have with the town is "The Mansards"...This is a large apartment complex that when first built, was a luxurious complex where young professional couples liked to live. It has now become overrun with many lower-class individuals who do not keep the area nice or safe. The town as a whole is safe except for this complex.

The complex is also owned by a company based in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and only care about making a profit, not the well-being of the town. If you move to Griffith, I would move as close to the border of Highland or Schererville as possible. The further west and south in Griffith, the better.

The town is becoming more focused on improving the downtown area which is nice. However, if the town continues to go downhill, it will be primarily because of The Mansards AND people in Griffith moving out if the riff-raff from that complex spreads into surrounding neighborhoods.

[tigger514]

Thanks yeah the house is in the downtown Griffith area, closer to Schererville. The Mansards are really tanking the city, huh? Do you think anything can be done about them, or if Griffith has already started to deal with them? If they are as bad as you say, how much damage is being done to the school system? We have two kids, 5 and 7? The elementary school around the house is great, as far as great schools go....

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by tigger514

Thanks yeah the house is in the downtown Griffith area, closer to Schererville. The Mansards are really tanking the city, huh? Do you think anything can be done about them, or if Griffith has already started to deal with them? If they are as bad as you say, how much damage is being done to the school system? We have two kids, 5 and 7? The elementary school around the house is great, as far as great schools go....

I'm going to shoot from the hip and not sugarcoat anything, so please take my opinion as clearly my opinion and nothing else. I'm not sure about where you and your family have lived in the past, but I've lived in NWI my entire life. I can tell you that many people in the area believe that Griffith is not headed in the right direction. Many people think this way due to the perceived influx of residents from Chicago (mostly in the Mansards) or Gary who MAY bring with them crime/worsening schools. Is that judgement right or wrong? I will let you decide.

The schools in the town are about average, with Beiriger being the best elementary school by far in the district. Here is a link to Indiana's Dept of Education showing the profile for the district and per school:
Corporation Snapshot, Griffith Public Schools #4700

Here is the link of the ISTEP scores from 2010 and 2011 in the PDF:

School districts' ISTEP scores

Many public school districts in Indiana have seen a slight decline in performance in the past few years due to recessionary reasons and reduced state funding to the schools. So, if you see a decline in Griffith schools, be mindful of that fact as well.

As far as crime, there was an increase in crime in Griffith in the last year as described in this article:
Crime in Northwest Indiana slightly up as crime declines nationally

The thing is, towns that are known to be very safe and desirable such as Chesterton and Crown Point are also on that list of towns with increased crimes, so take it for what it's worth.

Overall, Griffith is a very blue-collar middle class town. I agree with the Northwest Indiana poster that you probably want to stay west and south if possible. The town is become more diverse with more Hispanic and African American residents as well.

Is it a bad town overall? No. Is the crime really bad and is the town unsafe? No. Is it a town that's headed in the right direction and the best fit for your family? That's for you to decide, but I'd be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

[LIS123]

Originally Posted by tigger514

My husband and I are looking into a house in Griffith and I was really trying to find any info on the town. I see alot of people referring Muster Schererville, Dyer Saint John, and Crown point, but that's out of our price range range now. We have two kids 5&7 and the house is in the Wadsworth area for Griffith schools. Do you see any changes for the better coming along, especially since Griffith is thinking about joining Saint John township? Would Joining Saint John township help Griffith?

Griffith isn't THAT bad, but it is less-than-desirable. Maybe you can rent in one of the more preferred communities instead of purchasing in Griffith? Your home will certainly lose value as that community is stagnant at best. Plus, the homes tend to be older and run down which means higher repairs, utilities, etc. I would not purchase in Griffith.