Illinois To NWI Migration (Indianapolis, Fishers: public schools, live, fence)

[Northwest Indiana]

I know I can speak for most of NWI when I say that the downfall of Chicago would be our downfall as well. Remember when the CHA projects "crumbled" down? Guess where most of those residents went? Other south side neighborhoods, south suburbs, and some into NWI. And now, more low-income folks (not all of whom cause issues) are overwhelming areas such as Gary, EC and other cities in Indiana like Lafayette, Kokomo, Indianapolis, and Terre Haute. As much as I do not like some things about Chicago, wishing the worst to that city and its suburbs as an Indiana resident is just downright stupid as all hell.

[iidreamtheaterii]

[quote=Northwest Indiana;45265319] Remember when the CHA projects "crumbled" down? Guess where most of those residents went? Other south side neighborhoods, south suburbs, and some into NWI.quote]

Exactly Right. Had I been intelligent enough in my youth, I would have never purchased my starter home in Lansing in 2006. Worst timing with the projects' population swinging down as well as the housing crash looming.


Lessons learned, and life goes on!

[Humboldt1]

Sorry about Lansing but at least you did not buy 500-600k house in Flossmorr or Olympia Fields in 2006. You would literally be in the hole well over 100k with huge property tax bills.

When did you get out of home in Lansing?

I had similar experience buying building in Humboldt Park in 2006. It cash flows but may take another 5-10 years to get back to what I paid for it.

Same building in Lansing and much of the south suburbs of Chicago would still be worth less than paid for 20 years later and with increasing taxes.

[Northwest Indiana]

[quote=iidreamtheaterii;45269152]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Remember when the CHA projects "crumbled" down? Guess where most of those residents went? Other south side neighborhoods, south suburbs, and some into NWI.quote]

Exactly Right. Had I been intelligent enough in my youth, I would have never purchased my starter home in Lansing in 2006. Worst timing with the projects' population swinging down as well as the housing crash looming.


Lessons learned, and life goes on!

I definitely understand. But at least Lansing didn't fall as hard as some other burbs like Humboldt mentioned as far as prices. Even South Holland which has always been wealthier and more expensive overall than Lansing fell harder than Lansing did price wise and even saw way more flight as well.

[jvr789]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

I know I can speak for most of NWI when I say that the downfall of Chicago would be our downfall as well. Remember when the CHA projects "crumbled" down? Guess where most of those residents went? Other south side neighborhoods, south suburbs, and some into NWI. And now, more low-income folks (not all of whom cause issues) are overwhelming areas such as Gary, EC and other cities in Indiana like Lafayette, Kokomo, Indianapolis, and Terre Haute. As much as I do not like some things about Chicago, wishing the worst to that city and its suburbs as an Indiana resident is just downright stupid as all hell.

I agree, a major dive in Chicagoland/IL is not good for NWI over the long term but I think NWI provides less risk overall in terms of tax increases as IN is in a much better financial position. Very disappointing to see the IL redistricting amendment shot down. Not good.

I do have a question though, regarding your statement that Gary and EC are being recently overwhelmed by poor IL transplants. Is this really the case? I guess I was of the opinion that these cities already were basically dealing with major economic issues due to the loss of manufacturing jobs as well as movement of more affluent residents to the south in NWI. Data I've look at seems to suggest average income levels in Lake Co IN are increasing and certainly improving better than Cook County, IL. Also, wouldn't the poor go or stay in the state that provides the best benefits. How does IL vs IN compare in that regard and is that impacting migration trends? I've heard that Chicago is a sanctuary city and I am unaware of any city in IN that has been coined that. Does that impact migration trends too?

This all said from a former downtown/northside resident who choose to live in NWI vs an IL west/north suburb Shopped them all!

[jvr789]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

Apparently i was right about crime spiking in the Chicago Loop and North Side: Violent crime spikes on Chicago’s North Side | WGN-TV

I know you didn't get a lot of love on the NWI forum for posting this. I will say that the article is true though. Sister lives on the northside and says violence has really ticked up in her neighborhood. She is north of Lakeview in Ravenswood. She isn't leaving the city though over it. She is hoping it is just a phase with rival gangs dueling at the moment. I guess time will tell. If she couldn't afford private school for her kid she would leave the city. For sure. But I think she would go somewhere in IL, like LaGrange. Some people will never live in IN b/c well, it's Indiana! (Clearly I am not one of them, but at some point after having a rational discussion we just need to say -- to each his own!)

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

The CHA projects are a small % of the total population. How in the world can we say NWI would suffer from Chicago collapsing by using the CHA projects? If anything Wisconsin and Indiana will benefit. Illinois will really suffer. The Midwest as a whole will take a modest hit but recover especially the states with a large city like Indiana, Minnesota , Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri and possibly Michigan. (Depends on Detroit)

I didn't say that the CHA projects alone would cause a total demise in NWI. I added the fact that low-income (which is not limited to CHA residents) are attracted to NWI as well. It is not just the middle-class that is leaving Illinois -- they are just more mobile AND can appear to "move-up" when they move to Indiana (e.g. trading a 70s outdated quad-level in Orland Park for a newer 2-story french country executive home in Saint John but worth the same and less taxes and minimal school trade-offs)..the poor and low-income have been leaving IL too for cheaper states.

And as svillechris stated: "A weakened Chicago means a weakened job market both in the city and in its suburbs, that has a direct correlation with the quality of life of many of those living in NWI."

Originally Posted by jvr789

I agree, a major dive in Chicagoland/IL is not good for NWI over the long term but I think NWI provides less risk overall in terms of tax increases as IN is in a much better financial position. Very disappointing to see the IL redistricting amendment shot down. Not good.

I do have a question though, regarding your statement that Gary and EC are being recently overwhelmed by poor IL transplants. Is this really the case? I guess I was of the opinion that these cities already were basically dealing with major economic issues due to the loss of manufacturing jobs as well as movement of more affluent residents to the south in NWI. Data I've look at seems to suggest average income levels in Lake Co IN are increasing and certainly improving better than Cook County, IL. Also, wouldn't the poor go or stay in the state that provides the best benefits. How does IL vs IN compare in that regard and is that impacting migration trends? I've heard that Chicago is a sanctuary city and I am unaware of any city in IN that has been coined that. Does that impact migration trends too?

This all said from a former downtown/northside resident who choose to live in NWI vs an IL west/north suburb Shopped them all!

Yes, it is the case. Granted, this is not to say that the IL transplants are the source of ALL of the social issues in the urban areas of NWI, but they do contribute to the exacerbation of the social issues in the area, including SOME of the increase in crime (I will not place blame on just IL transplants for this because there are a lot of homegrown criminals as well). One thing for example is increasing rents and housing costs in the area. To many IL folks (at all income levels) comparable housing for the most part looks very "affordable" but if you are working in IL where salaries are higher, that is the case. Many folks are paying inflated costs for housing that folks native to NWI would never pay and this has contributed to costs rising locally. Sure, you can't beat the low taxes but if you live AND work in NWI, living in a desirable area is tougher than if your employment is based in IL (exceptions to mill jobs and medical jobs). I have run into some folks whom left Chicago for Gary because of crime and school issues. I really thought they were crazy by giving up all of those amenities the city has to offer. But at the end of the day, if you can't even afford to take advantage of those amenities and you are living far from them anyway, moving to Gary is not the biggest trade off. Crime in Gary isn't exactly low at all, but it is more sparsely populated and easier to mind yourself than Chicago is.

At the end of the day, to each their own. But when other folks on here are basically cheering on the collapse of Chicago, they need to realize that just like we in NWI like to promote how we are basically suburbs of Chicago, that comes with the good AND the bad. Most of the growth in the upscale areas of NWI have been due to Chicagoland-jobs with a Chicagoland-income. The tax advantage won't mean a damn thing if Chicago collapses. Most of NWI would go right down with it. Furthermore, I love NWI...but for me to think that the average North Shore/Hinsdale/Oakbrook resident would leave IL due to "high taxes" AND come to NWI (even in Munster, or Dune Acres, or Saint John) is asinine. The growth in NWI has been originally from the southern states (due to mill jobs), then from the south suburbs (due to changing demographics, worsening schools, increasing taxes), and more recently some southwest suburbs (increasing taxes). The southwest suburbs are probably the best area of Chicagoland that we will see growth from in NWI.

[Humboldt1]

Mod cut.

I agree with Northwest Indiana. If Chicago fails so does the rest of the region, including much of Indiana. Without those high-paying Chicago jobs you would lose much of the middle and upper middle class people in NWI.

[PJSaturn]

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