Gary

Beginning as a factory town in the late 19th century, Aetna has grown into a single-family home neighborhood with access to parks, restaurants and nearby attractions. The neighborhood lies just south of the southernmost point of Lake Michigan and is approximately a one-hour drive from downtown Chicago. With an average listing price of $90,000, Homes in Aetna are significantly lower than those in surrounding neighborhoods like Miller Beach and Lake Station. Bi-levels, brick ranch-style homes and Cape Cods make up the majority of the market here, and houses sit on quarter-acre lots. The lower end of the market features manufactured homes and fixer-uppers, with a two-bedroom, $750 square-foot home listed for $75,000. Investors will find empty lots and abandoned homes listed for $30,000 and less. Buyers with bigger budgets can find three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot homes for around $200,000. A variety of local and chain restaurants can be found within Aetna’s borders. Great Lakes Café in the neighborhood’s western corner provides patrons with a wide selection of breakfast and lunch options from biscuits with gravy and hearty omelets to savory burgers and chicken sandwiches. After a meal out, locals can travel to 18th Street Brewery to try out their various house brewed IPAs and pale ales. Aetna is also home to a selection of chain restaurants such as Popeye’s, McDonalds and Denny’s. Residents can pick up their groceries and daily necessities at the Family Dollar or Miller K Market, both found on Melton Road. Local Kindergarten through 12th grade students can attend 21st Century Charter School, a tuition-free charter school serving over 1,300 local children. Students are divided up across three campuses based on grade level, and the institution earns a C-plus overall rating from Niche, with an impressive A-minus grade on its teachers. The school holds a 94 percent graduation rate and a 90 percent retention rate and, in 2017, 21st Century Charter graduated the first Indiana student to earn a bachelor’s degree while in high school. Locals enjoy the neighborhood’s walkability and can use its sidewalks to travel to one of Aetna’s community parks. Glen Ryan Park, located on 6th Avenue, provides nearby residents with a playground, picnic pavilion and basketball courts. A mile to the southeast, locals will find June LaBroi Park which features an open field, a playground and a miniature statue of liberty. For a weekend outing, Aetna locals can travel along Miller Avenue to Lake Street, which will take them to Lake Street Beach, where visitors can go for a cool swim in Lake Michigan or walk along the sand. Interstates 90 and 65 intersect in the neighborhood, and I-90 can take people 3 miles west to central Gary or 42 miles north to Chicago’s city center.

The Ambridge-Mann neighborhood in the northwest Indiana city of Gary is about 30 miles southeast of Chicago. It’s home to the only hospital in the city. “A long time ago, people moved to Gary to work at the steel mills,” says Tammey Hale, a real estate broker with Ms. Hale Realty, LLC with about 20 years of experience. “Only two of those mills are remaining. People move here now because they can buy a home with cash, and the property taxes are cheaper than in Illinois.” Gary Works is one of the steel mills that’s still open, employing over 2,000 people. On the CAP Crime Score Index, the neighborhood is a 5 overall, but there are some high scores for violent crime. Methodist Hospital-Northlake Campus is on Grant St. at the neighborhood’s eastern edge. In addition to emergency care, the hospital specializes in maternal and infant care and has a comprehensive behavioral health services department dealing with sleep or eating disorders and other treatments relating to emotional illnesses. Next to the hospital is a physician’s center, home to private practice facilities. Most of what’s in the neighborhood are single-family homes built in the early part of the 20th century. The houses that have been renovated are in good condition, with the price range pushing $200,000. A 1927 Saltbox-influenced brick two-story house with about 5,000 square feet has had renovations and is worth over $200,000. Houses that are below $100,000 may need a little work. Styles include bungalows, ranch-style, Cape Cod and Colonial Revival. In addition to what’s being done in this neighborhood, the city of Gary is getting $3 million in state funding to remove existing blight scattered throughout the city. Along Bridge Street, in the northern part of the neighborhood, is a boat ramp with access to the Grand Calumet River. There is fishing, with the possibility of carp and golden shiners being caught. Part of the Gary Green Link Trail follows the river about a mile between Bridge and Roosevelt Streets. The trail continues through the neighborhood, on sidewalks, and to the city hall building to the east. Round trip on the trail is a little over 4 miles. There’s plenty of parking at Roosevelt Street and West 2nd Avenue. A unique bakery specializing in dairy, nut and egg-free breads has its building located on 5th Avenue. The primary means that customers can get the product from Organic Bread of Heaven is through shipping, either locally or in 48 states. Sourdough bread is a best seller and can be in the form of tortillas or a sweet cinnamon treat. The neighborhood has mom-and-pop convenience stores, and the closest supermarket is Fresh County Market, a couple of miles south at the intersection of Grant Street and Interstates 80 and 94. Opening in 2021, located a few miles to the southwest just off Interstates 80 and 94, is the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, also a significant employer in Gary. Billed as more than just a casino, the 200,000-square-foot facility also has a 2,000-seat performance venue for concerts and other shows. The gaming area includes blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines. Council Oaks Steaks and Seafood is a high-end restaurant, and it’s one of a few dining options. School-aged kids can start their educational journey in the public schools at Beveridge Elementary School. It’s rated a D on Niche with a student-teacher ratio of 17-to-1. Bailly Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders and has a D grade overall. West Side Leadership Academy is a college preparatory high school offering dual credit and advanced placement courses. The school gets a C-minus overall Niche grade. The neighborhood is only 3 miles from Gary/Chicago International Airport, meaning that living in this neighborhood may cause periodic air traffic noise. Public buses stop on 4th and 5th Avenues. Downtown Chicago commuters can catch the South Shore train line at the Gary Metro Center or the airport.

The Little Calumet River runs through Black Oak, Gary’s most recently-added community on the southwest corner of the city. Annexed by the city in 1976, the neighborhood was previously an unincorporated area associated with nearby Hammond. As a result, parks are run by Lake County instead of the city and homeowners have Hammond phone numbers. The neighborhood’s newest addition is Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, bringing with it the potential for economic growth. Interstate 94 West takes Black Oak residents on a straight shot to downtown Chicago in about 34 miles. They head in the opposite direction for quick medical care at Methodist Hospitals Midlake Campus, as well as the campus for Indiana University Northwest, which sits about 5 miles from the community. Methodist Hospitals is a four-mile drive away, down the street from the Gary stop on the South Shore Line into Chicagoland, which takes about an hour. For commercial flights, Chicago-Midway International Airport is about 30 miles away. “The community itself is on the rise with the Hard Rock Casino and is a very big flip community,” says Jennifer Parham, Managing Broker and Owner of Lighthouse Realty. “House prices have gone up quite a bit.” Ranch-style homes, Cape Cods and mobile homes—some with up to four bedrooms—are the predominant styles available in Black Oak. They’re surrounded by foliage cover and plenty of space on all sides. The most recently renovated options are priced as high as $225,000, with fixer-uppers available as low as $33,000. Late Etta County Park sits off West 29th Avenue as the only park located fully within Gary and a tranquil spot for families and friends. The park features 112 acres of hiking trails, a fishing pier and a canoe launch on the Little Calumet River, as well as a banquet hall and wedding pergola. Spring Park located on Chase Street is a small park featuring an artesian well where neighbors can come and fill up their jugs with fresh spring water. Kids run off steam on the playground at Seberger Park. Some students in Black Oak are zoned for Steel City Academy, a public charter school for students in grades K-12 that earns a C-plus from Niche. The school is hailed for its small class sizes and strong student-teacher bonds, as well as its college visit opportunities and college readiness focus. Others start at Aspire Charter Academy before moving on to Calumet High School; these options receive a C-minus and a C-plus, respectively. For parents looking to enroll their kids in private school, Ambassador Christian Academy is just to the east of the neighborhood and provides a faith-based private education for K-8 students. Indiana University Northwest is also just to the east of Black Oak and boasts a strong dental program. Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana also has five restaurants and is conveniently located in the northwest corner of the neighborhood near Interstate 94. Opened in May of 2021, the casino features a large gaming floor and concert venue where visitors catch national comedy and music acts. The casino also features Joe Jackson’s original guitar, Michael’s famous glove, the red leather jacket from the “Beat It” music video and other memorabilia from Gary’s most famous family. Because the Little Calumet River contains hazardous contaminants like PCBs from illegal waste dumping, residents should have caution when using the waters for recreational purposes, such as fishing and swimming. Black Oak is also the site of Lake Sandy Jo, a now-closed landfill located at 3615 West 25th Avenue. This site is under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund National Priority List, and the agency continues to monitor the site’s groundwater and other factors after remediations completed in 1994.

Brunswick is a community on the cusp of revitalization. Situated just south of the Indiana Toll Road and Gary/Chicago International Airport, the small, conveniently located neighborhood is packed with early- to mid-20th-century homes that buyers are starting to snatch up and make their own. “Brunswick is one of the more desirable neighborhoods in Gary for both investors and owners,” says Kristin Trzoski, a Realtor with Advanced Real Estate. “The houses are a little more affordable than other neighborhoods, and the taxes are much lower than even nearby Hammond.” The neighborhood has a grid-style layout, and the houses are neatly lined along the streets. Two- to three-bedroom bungalows and Cape Cods dominate the area and appeal to first-time buyers. “It’s an up-and-coming area where people are starting to do a lot of rehabs, so now is the time to get in before prices go up,” says Miya Armstrong, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker. Homes needing a complete remodel start at $19,000. Larger four-bedroom options and properties with modern updates range from $146,000 to $199,000. Yards are small and uniform, with most tree cover along the back end of the homes. Small walkways lead to front stoops and are connected to the neighborhood’s sidewalks. Though railroad tracks are running through Brunswick, and the airport sits to the north, Armstrong says, “It still feels very quiet. Even if there is some noise, you get used to it after a while.” Commuters to Chicago have easy access to Interstate 90, which runs through the neighborhood’s northern end. The city center sits roughly 29 miles away. Locals can also catch the Metra Red Line at the Gary/Chicago Airport stop on Brunswick’s eastern edge. Gary Community School Corporation serves public school students living in Brunswick. They may begin their education at Beveridge Elementary before filtering into Bailly STEM Academy. Each earns a D rating from Niche and has become STEM-certified by the Indiana Department of Education for its project-based learning efforts in science, technology, engineering and math. Students later attend West Side Leadership Academy, which earns a C-minus from Niche. For quick errand runs, there is a Family Dollar along West 5th Avenue, which runs through the heart of the neighborhood. Finding more extensive grocery options will require a 4-mile drive southwest to Save A Lot. Though the neighborhood is primarily residential, a few restaurants are dotted along its main thoroughfare. Kelly’s Soul Kitchen is a casual spot serving homestyle fried catfish and greens, while SteelCity CheeseSteaks is a go-to for Philly cheesesteaks and burgers. Closer to downtown Gary, about 4 miles east, is Great Lakes Café. Many of the steelworkers at Gary Works stop by the old-school diner in the morning for omelets and biscuits and gravy. Plans are in the works for a fresh start in the city, thanks to partnerships with area businesses like the Hard Rock Casino. The entertainment venue is one of the city’s biggest attractions and employers. $3 million was donated by the casino to revitalize the downtown district, which has seen storefronts stand empty for years. Hiking trails wind through the woods at the neighborhood’s namesake greenspace. Brunswick Park also features two small playgrounds and picnic tables shaded by pavilions. Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve / Shirley Heinze Land Trust on the neighborhood's west end is a 53-acre preserve with a short half-mile hiking trail accessible from the parking lot off Colfax Street. Walk through the black oak savannah and take in the variety of local plants and animals. Shirley Heinze Land Trust also features a Nature in the Arts series in which people can create nature-themed art to take home.

Downtown Gary has played a major role in history and pop culture by being both a major steel producer and the birthplace of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family. While the neighborhood has witnessed its share of layoffs and restructuring, steel production and the addition of casinos and the RailCats baseball stadium fuel today’s Gary economy and provide meeting spaces for the community. “Gary has a downtown too, but what has helped put it on the map is the Hard Rock Casino, established several years ago; it is right off the expressway, which is convenient too,” says Tish Herrera, a Broker with Baird and Warner Gold Coast in Chicago who lives in the neighboring Whiting area. Downtown Gary has opportunities for investors, many of which are mixed-material American Foursquare houses. While limited, turnkey properties, such as brick split levels with original hardwood floors, are also found within the neighborhood. “There are more of your ranch-style homes and then some bi-level homes in Midtown,” says Nakia Dunlap, a Managing Broker and Property Manager of Residential Real Estate for the past nine years. While rental properties comprise the majority of the neighborhood, homes available for purchase list between $19,000 for a three-bedroom home and $214,000 for a three-unit apartment building. Most of these properties were built between the early 1900s and 1950s as housing for steelworkers. While few properties have been remodeled, some new owners treat their homes as a blank canvas ready to be customized. Many of the single-family homes feature backyards primed for a picnic table and personal garden. Traveling across Gary is convenient with Indiana Toll Road, also known as Interstate 90, to the north, Interstate 65, and bus stops along Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Travel out of Gary to Chicago for work and pleasure is also accessible with Adam Benjamin Jr. Metro Center north of Fourth Avenue and Gary International Airport, less than 5 miles away. Within Gary Community School Consolidation, school-aged children may attend Beveridge Elementary School, which holds a Grade of D from Niche. Starting in sixth grade, students may attend Gary Middle School, which places emphasis on fine arts and also earns a Grade of D from Niche. For high school, students may attend West Side Leadership Academy, where they are offered rigorous classes, including Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit courses. Niche gives this high school a C-minus grade. The 21st Century Charter School at Gary helps students enroll in classes at Ivy Tech Community College, even covering tuition, books and transportation; many students have earned a degree by the time they graduate. Gary Middle College is a public high school that opened in 2011 and is notable for its flexible scheduling and evening classes; this school also has a partnership with Ivy Tech that covers tuition for college courses. Connecting to the community outside of the home happens in many ways here. ArtHouse calls itself a “social kitchen,” where residents and business owners experiment with flavors, take classes and increase the cultural vibrancy of Downtown Gary. Save More Food Center, off Broadway, offers discount deals for everyday grocery items, while 3 miles away, Fresh County Market provides a wide selection of produce. Broadway also houses fast food chains such as KFC and local restaurants such as S and G Waffle Shack, where they serve everything from chicken and waffles to shrimp and grits. Downtown Gary’s parks offer open green space, but the most engaging outdoor amenity is the Gary Green Link Trail, an almost 5-mile paved path that follows the Grand Calumet River and extends into the city. Across from City Hall, Hudson Campbell Sports and Fitness Center offers residents a place to exercise indoors when the weather becomes too cold to walk the trails outdoors. The colorful façade of the Gary Public Library and Cultural Center invites people to explore the area’s history or join a local club. Residents continue to appreciate the proximity of their homes to these neighborhood meeting places and work, with the convenience of public transit.

South of the city of Gary’s central areas, locals live and study in Glen Park, the oldest neighborhood in the Indiana city. As the home of the Indiana University Northwest campus, the area’s also gained the name University Park in recent years. But residents still largely know the area by the name it’s had since before the city of Gary itself was established. “There’s a lot of renovation and revitalization going on in Glen Park, and the local university has been bringing a lot of growth to the area, especially with recent expansion,” says Jennifer Parham, the managing broker at Lighthouse Realty. Parham has more than 15 years of experience and was born and raised in Gary. Glen Park’s home market consists mainly of small bungalows and ranch-style homes, with a few Cape Cod houses available. Investment properties and fixer-uppers are plentiful, and buyers can find a large selection of renovation-ready homes for $75,000 or less. From $75,000 to the $160,000 mark, locals can find turnkey ranch homes in the area’s various styles, with many dating back to the mid-20th century and featuring extensive internal updates. Values generally top out at about $230,000 for the area’s largest homes, most of which offer contemporary stylings inside to contrast the nostalgic façades. Glen Park holds high CAP Index scores for certain types of crime compared to the national averages, particularly for homicide and assault with weapons. In recent years, Gary’s local government has worked to mitigate violent crime through initiatives such as the Gary for Life policy strategy, modeled after similar rehabilitation efforts in New Orleans, and the Community Violence Intervention Program. Locals have organized anti-violence rallies and other efforts, with a 13% decrease in reported homicides between 2022 and 2023. Glen Park’s student population is primarily served by the Gary Community School Corporation, which has seen several financial and leadership challenges. Efforts to improve conditions have included implementing programs such as the Gary Area Career Center, a facility where middle- and high-school level students at local schools can get hands-on experience with technical fields such as aviation, barbering, criminal justice and more. Young learners attend Glen Park Academy for Excellence in Learning from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 32:1 and holds a D-minus grade on Niche. Bailly STEM Academy offers classes from sixth to eighth grade and holds a D grade. West Side Leadership Academy offers high school-level classes and dual-credit options for college-bound students. The school earns a C-minus on Niche. Private school options include Andrean High School, a Roman Catholic school with an A grade. For grocery shopping and picking up everyday essentials, locals can find an Aldi store on the neighborhood’s west side, along with a Dollar General and two Family Dollar locations within the neighborhood and a Save a Lot store to the south. Nephew’s Steak & Hoagy is a locally beloved spot for sandwiches and burgers, while Big Daddy’s BBQ is a reliable counter-serve restaurant with rib tips, jerk chicken tacos and fried catfish. Locals can also pick up meals from chain eateries such as Beggars Pizza, Subway, McDonald’s and Dunkin’. Additional shopping and dining options are available in downtown Gary to the north. Just north of the Indiana University Northwest campus, the Little Calumet River Prairie and Wetlands nature preserve is maintained by the university and is home to more than 200 plant species. The area connects to the Little Calumet River Levee Trail, a 13-mile multi-use path that residents can take a walk on, bike down or use for fishing trips. The river itself runs through the center of the preserve and has a launch for boats and kayaks near Jefferson Street. “Most of the neighborhood’s residents commute to either downtown Gary or Merrillville for work,” Parham says. Glen Park sits about 4 miles from both areas, with downtown Gary to the north and Merillville to the south. The neighborhood connects to the Interstate 94 highway on its northern side and to Interstate 65 on the east end. Broadway acts as the neighborhood’s central north-south thoroughfare. The Gary Public Transportation Corporation offers stops for the Broadway Metro Express rapid bus line along Broadway, along with connections to Route L4 throughout the neighborhood and Route L1 on the northwest side. The nearest hospital, Methodist Hospitals Midlake Campus, is about 4 miles north from the center of the neighborhood. Most flights out of the greater Chicago area depart from Chicago Midway International Airport, 35 miles north of the neighborhood, and from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, 56 miles northwest. On the north side of Glen Park, undergraduate students and adult learners attend classes at Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech Community College. Residents can attend either school to earn career certificates, online degrees and other credentials for professional development. Locals in Glen Park can also find a number of churches nearby, though houses of worship for other faiths are further away.