Thirty miles southeast of Chicago in Indiana, near the shores of Lake Michigan and the Illinois state line, Hammond is a city of adapting to modern times. After the decline of an old shopping mall, the city partnered with the YMCA to build a new recreational center that opened in 2024. The new Hammond Family YMCA -- complete with family pool, fitness center and outdoor water park -- was built over the old mall, next to the Hammond Sportsplex & Community Center, another recent economic development project that created space for more public recreation and sports tourism. “These are some of the major projects that have happened under the current mayor of Hammond, who cares and listens to city residents,” says Jessica Lee, a Realtor with Keller Williams Preferred Realty and a Hammond native. “He holds periodic Mayor’s Night Out events where he listens to concerns, and it’s a good way to know what’s going on.” Those meetings are also broadcast live on social media and archived for those who miss it.
Hammon sits on Lake Michigan with Chicago just 25 miles away.
Hammon's beaches are neaw the casino with views of Chicago, 25 miles away.
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Outdoor parks in Hammond
Lee says Mayor Michael McDermott Jr., elected to a sixth four-year term in 2023, has focused his administration on improving the city’s parks and recreational amenities in recent years. Pulaski Park is in the western part of the city near the border, and some of the recent improvements include lighted tennis courts and a place for ice skating. Hessville Park has an interactive spray park near the playground, a skate park and a quarter-mile walking path. Edison Park has a playground with an agility course, a place to play cornhole, and dozens of new trees were planted when the park renovations were complete in 2018. “This was all done to keep kids busy and occupied,” she adds. In the northern end of Hammond, Wolf Lake stretches over 800 acres and is a popular place to fish, boat and birdwatch in the neighboring wetlands. The pavilion at the lake is known as "The PAV" by locals and is where occasional free summer concerts happen, and kids enjoy the fun at the Wolf Lake Aquatic Play Center. Whihala Beach is crowded during the summer to enjoy the 20 acres of sandy shoreline along Lake Michigan.
Hessville Park, located at 173rd St. and Kennedy Ave. has a skate park and other amenities.
Explore fishing at the Dowling Park Lake in Hessville, IN.
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Addressing crime in Hammond
The push to improve the parks has also been part of the city’s efforts to reduce crime. According to data compiled by Niche, the rates of theft and some violent crimes are above the national average. In 2023, Mayor McDermott ordered all gas stations in the city to close between midnight and 5 a.m. to deter crime. “A gas station can be open after midnight only if it’s well-lit,” Lee says. “It’s made me feel safer as a woman, and I think it’s worked.” Every August, the Hammond Police Department holds a National Night Out gathering for the community at the Pavilion at Wolf Lake. For the past couple of years, the department has also organized a Trunk or Treat event for the kids at the police station on Douglas Avenue.
Horseshoe Casino, the largest employer in Hammond
The Horseshoe Casino on Lake Michigan is the largest employer in the region, with about 2,200 employees, according to the city. Restaurants, an entertainment venue and over 3,000 slot machines make up the amenities. The Venue, a concert hall with a capacity for 3,300 people, attracts performers such as Johnny Mathis, Patti LaBelle, Reba McEntire and Nelly. Other significant employers include the Hammond City Schools and Lear Corporation, an automotive seat manufacturer. Industrial plants in the city include Cargill, a food manufacturer and Unilever, a consumer goods company. Both have between 200 and 300 workers. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified the site of a former metals plant in the north part of Hammond near Lake George as a Superfund cleanup site. The issue was that some surrounding houses had lead-contaminated soil.
Horseshoe Casino is Hammon's largest employer and largest entertainment draw in the area.
Horseshoe Casino in Hammon is next to a marina and beaches of Lake Michigan.
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Tax advantage on the Indiana side
The median single-family home price in Hammond is $180,000. Housing costs in Hammond are generally lower than in other parts of the Chicagoland metro area, especially because of “huge tax advantages” associated with living in Indiana, Lee says. “The annual taxes on the Illinois side could be twice as much." There’s also a price advantage compared to nearby communities in East Chicago and Gary. “I can sell a house in Gary for $340,000, and that same house in Hammond is $230,000,” she says. Most of Hammond's homes were built between the 1940s and ‘70s. The First Street website, which tracks various environmental factors, indicates that the air quality in Hammond sometimes reaches the moderate stage, which may pose problems for those with respiratory issues. Houses near the Grand Calumet River are in a moderate flood zone.
There are rows of Bungalow Homes in Hammond Indiana with large front and back yards.
This is a beautiful four square house in the Harrison Park Historic District of Hammond.
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Grocery store options in Hammond
Aldi and Food4Less are two grocery chains with locations in Hammond. Walmart Supercenter is south on Indianapolis Boulevard, just off Interstate 94, along with a Cabela’s sporting goods store. Chain restaurants and Greek, Italian, Mexican and American diners line Calumet Avenue and Indianapolis Boulevard, both major north/south roads.
First choice market off Sohl Avenue In The Harrison Park Historic District of Hammond.
Check out Carniceria El Tapatio, A Mexican Grocery Store in Hammond.
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Hammond public schools
The School City of Hammond district is rated a C-minus by Niche and serves over 11,000 students. The city is served by two high schools: Morton Senior High School, rated a C, and Hammond Central High School, rated a C-minus. Hammond Central students can earn 30 general education credits as part of the Indiana College Core program, which can be transferred to any public college or university in Indiana. Hammond Academy of Science and Technology is a public charter school for grades six through 12. It’s rated a B. The campus of Purdue University Northwest has an enrollment of just over 9,000, with about 1,000 postgraduate students.
Hammond Central High school just finished a complete renovation and is now home to 900 students.
Morton Senior High School is located conveniently in a residential area.
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Hammond is between two highways
Hammond is located between Interstate 90, or the Indiana Toll Road, to the north and Interstate 94, or the Frank Borman Expressway to the south. While the Gary/Chicago International Airport is not far to the east, it’s a facility that attracts mainly corporate and cargo flights. Midway International Airport is 30 miles away, while O’Hare International Airport is 20 miles north of Midway. The South Shore Line is the commuter rail service into downtown Chicago, and the Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority operates public buses.
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