Gary, Indiana

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is best known for its urban decay. Gary is adjacent to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

History
The city was founded in 1906 by the United States Steel Corporation as the home for its new plant. The city was named after the lawyer and founding chairman of U.S. Steel, Elbert H. Gary.



Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. The growth of the steel industry brought prosperity to the community. Broadway Avenue was known as a commercial center for the region. Department stores and architecturally significant movie houses were built in the downtown area and the Glen Park neighborhood.

In the 1960s, like many other American urban centers reliant on one particular industry, Gary entered a spiral of decline. Gary's decline was brought on by the growing overseas competitiveness in the steel industry, which had caused U.S. Steel to lay off many workers from the Gary area. As the city declined, crime increased.

Rapid racial change occurred in Gary during the late 20th century. These population changes resulted in political change which reflected the racial diversity of Gary. Gary had one of the nation's first African-American mayors, Richard G. Hatcher, and hosted the ground-breaking 1972 National Black Political Convention.

In the 1960s through 1980s, surrounding suburban localities such as Merrillville, experienced rapid growth including new homes and shopping districts. Due to white flight, economic distress, concerns about crime, and alleged mismanagement, many middle-class and affluent residents moved to other cities in the metro area such as Chicago and surrounding areas in Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary had the highest percentage of African Americans of U.S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more, 84% (as of the 2000 U.S. census). This no longer applies to Gary since the population of the city has now fallen well below 100,000 residents.

U.S. Steel continues to be a major steel producer, but with only a fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to reestablish a manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the 1990s although this has been aggravated by the state closing of Rt.912 (Cline Ave.), an important access to the area. Today, Gary faces numerous difficulties, including unemployment, decaying infrastructure, low literacy and educational attainment levels.

2006
Three-term Democratic Mayor Scott King resigned from office in March 2006, citing a desire to return to private law practice. Then-deputy mayor and former Calumet Township Trustee Dozier T. Allen Jr. became acting mayor, pending a formal election by local Democratic party officials. On April 4, 2006, local officials chose former Lake County Commissioner and King rival Rudolph Clay to fill the remaining 21 months of King's term.

The Gary Chicago International Airport has recently secured nearly 100 million US$ in grants and private donations. The FAA approved GYY's master plan which includes the expansion of runways, land acquisition for a larger terminal, an integrated transportation center, and provision for a third runway. The first part of the plan requires that the EJ&E line, which runs at the end of the runway, be relocated.

Dallas-based HomeVestors of America released its "Top 10 Markets for Real Estate Investing" list on December 9, 2006. Gary earned the number one position on this list, which represents activity of investors who purchase homes below market and then sell.

After celebrating its 100th year in 2006, the city of Gary presented several examples of progress and economic rebound, after years of economic depression. Many buildings that have been left vacant for years are now finally slated for demolition and development. Many new homes were built through the HOPE VI grant from HUD.

2007
Gary was rated the 17th most dangerous city in the United States according to Morgan Quitno's 2007 analysis of crime rates (City Crime Rankings, 14th Edition), down from 10th highest in the 2006 edition. The city recorded 51 homicides in 2006, a 13.5 percent decrease from the previous year.

2008
Forbes Magazine listed Gary 39th on their Top 100 Best Cities for Jobs in 2008. The ranking was up from 89th in 2006 and 84th in 2007.

In March 2008 the Chief of Police, Deputy Chief and a police sergeant were all indicted by the federal court for violating the civil rights of a Gary resident.

2011
Property tax limitations implemented for the entire state of Indiana have left Gary in a financially difficult situation. The city is one of the few in the US that uses cash based accounting, a system usually limited to use in very small businesses and not municipalities with budgets greater than 80 million dollars. Gary currently is under temporary reprieve from full implementation of the state tax caps, an implementation that is scheduled to be applied to Gary in 2012. At that point Gary's property tax revenue of approximately $60M is projected to be cut to approximately $30M. The budget changes necessary at that point are widely viewed to be devastating. Due to its cash accounting system, there is difficulty determining what Gary's one-time liabilities are. In late 2009, they are at least $34M in debts and unpaid judgments by the city to various parties in addition to the upcoming projected structural deficit due to mandatory tax caps.

In April 2011, 75 year-old mayor Rudy Clay announced that he would be suspending his campaign for re-election, owing to ongoing treatments for prostate cancer. After exiting from the race, Clay endorsed rival Karen Freeman-Wilson, who won the Democratic mayoral primary in May.

West
Ambridge Mann is located on Gary's near west side along 5th Avenue. Ambridge was developed for workers at the nearby steel plant in the 1910s and 1920s, and is named after the American Bridge Works, which was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. The neighborhood is home to a huge stock of prairie style and art deco homes. The Gary Masonic Temple is located in the neighborhood along with the Ambassador Apartment building. Located just south of Interstate 90, the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street. Brunswick is located on Gary's far west side. The neighborhood is located just south of Interstate 90 and can be seen from the expressway. The Brunswick area includes the Tri-City Plaza shopping center on West 5th Avenue (U.S. 20). The area is south of the Gary Chicago International Airport. Downtown Gary was developed in the 1920s and houses several pieces of impressive architecture, including several structures designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium for the Gary SouthShore RailCats, U.S. Steel Yard, was constructed in 2002, along with contiguous commercial space. A significant number of older structures have been demolished in recent years, but a number of abandoned buildings remain in the downtown area, including historic structures like Union Station and City Methodist Church. Interstate 90 divides downtown Gary from the United States Steel Plant.

Tolleston is one of Gary's oldest neighborhoods, predating much of the rest of the city. It was plated out by George Tolle in 1857, when the railroads came to the area. The area is to the west of Midtown and south of Ambridge Mann. Tarrytown is a subdivision located in Tolleston between Whitcomb Street and Clark Road.

South
Black Oak is located on the far southwest side of Gary, in the vicinity of the Burr Street exit to the Borman Expressway. It was annexed in the 1970s. Prior to that, Black Oak was an unincorporated area informally associated with Hammond, and the area has Hammond telephone numbers. The community was convinced (after 3 previously failed attempts) by Mayor Hatcher that its residents would benefit from better services, provided by the city, than those provided by the county. It is the only majority-white neighborhood in Gary.

Glen Park is located on Gary's far south side, and is made up mostly of mid-twentieth century houses. Glen Park is divided from the remainder of the city by the Borman Expressway. The northern portion of Glen Park is home to Gary's Gleason Park Golf Course and the campus of Indiana University Northwest. The far western portion of Glen Park is home to the Village Shopping Center. Glen Park includes the 37th Avenue corridor at Broadway.

Midtown is located to the south of Downtown Gary, along Broadway. This was, traditionally, the original "black" neighborhood in the pre-1960s days of segregation.

North and East
Aetna is located on Gary's far east side along the Dunes Highway. Aetna predates the city of Gary. It was a company town founded in 1881 by the Aetna Powder Works, an explosives company, which closed with the end of World War I. The Town of Aetna was annexed in 1928 around the same time Gary annexed the Town of Miller. A building boom happened shortly afterward in the late 1920s and early 1930s making Aetna home to an impressive collection of art deco architecture. The rest of the community was built throughout the 1950s after the Korean War in a series of phases. On its south and east, Aetna borders the undeveloped floodplain of the Little Calumet River.

Miller Beach, also known through the years as Miller Station or just simply as Miller, is on Gary's far east side. Incorporated as an independent town in 1907, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary in 1918. Miller developed around the old stagecoach stop and train station known, as early as the 1840s, as Miller's Junction. The Miller Beach area has remained somewhat separated from the rest of Gary both culturally and geographically. Miller Beach continues to be racially and economically diverse, and attracts investor interest due to the many year-round and summer homes within walking distance of Marquette Park and Lake Michigan. Prices for lakefront property are affordable compared with Illinois suburban communities. Lake Street provides shopping and dining options for Miller Beach visitors and residents. East Edge, a development of 28 upscale condominium, townhome, and single-family homes, began construction in 2007 at the eastern edge of Miller Beach along County Line Road, one block south of Lake Michigan.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 57.24 sqmi, of which, 50.23 sqmi of it is land and 7.01 sqmi of it (12.25%) is water. The city sits on the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric Lake Chicago, and the current Lake Michigan. Most of the city's soil nearly one foot below the surface is pure sand. The sand beneath Gary, and on its beaches, is of such high quality that in years past it was mined for the manufacture of glass. Gary has many statues of Elbert H. Gary in the city. It also has a lot of historical sites to visit. Gary is "T" shaped, with its northern border on Lake Michigan. At the Northwesternmost section Gary borders Hammond and East Chicago. Miller Beach, its easternmost neighborhood, borders Lake Station and Portage. Gary's southernmost section borders Hobart and Merrillville.

Climate
Although Gary is located at a roughly similar latitude as New York City, the climate is colder in the winter because of a more continental influence. In July and August, the warmest months, high temperatures average 84 °F (29 °C) and peak just above 100 °F (38 °C) and low temperatures average 63 °F (17 °C). In January and February, the coldest months, high temperatures average around 29 °F (−2 °C) and low temperatures average 13 °F (−11 °C), with at least a few days of temperatures dipping below 0 °F (−18 °C). The weather of Gary is greatly regulated by its proximity to Lake Michigan, as it sits at the lake's southernmost point. Weather varies yearly. In summer months Gary is humid. The city's yearly precipitation averages about 40 inches. Summer is the rainiest season. Winters vary but are predominantly snowy with regular blizzards. Snowfall in Gary can average 24 to 36 inches per winter, but sometimes large blizzards hit because of "lake effect snow", a phenomenon wherein large amounts of water evaporated from the lake deposits onto the shoreline areas inordinate amounts of snow.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 102,746 people, 38,244 households, and 25,623 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,045.5 people per square mile (789.8/km²). There were 43,630 housing units at an average density of 868.6 per square mile (335.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.03% African American, 11.92% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 4.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The U.S. census figures show that Gary had a population of 80,294 for the 2010 census, a nearly 20% drop compared to the 2000 census.

There were 38,244 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,195, and the median income for a family was $32,205. Males had a median income of $34,992 versus $24,432 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,383. About 22.2% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

Parks

 * Brunswick Park
 * Marquette Park
 * Pittman Square
 * Gleason Park
 * Jefferson Park
 * Buffington Park
 * Hillman Park

Medical Facilities

 * Gary Community Health Center and Adult and Children's General Dentist 1021 West 5th Avenue, Gary, IN 46402
 * Methodist Hospital 600 Grant Street, Gary, IN 46402-6099
 * Rainbow Medical Center 1465 West 16th Avenue, Gary, IN 46407-1025

Education
There are three school districts serving the city as well as multiple charter schools located within the city.

Public Schools
Most public schools in Gary are administered by the Gary Community School Corporation. The other public schools within the city are administered by Lake Ridge Schools Corporation, which is the school system for the Black Oak neighborhood and unincorporated Calumet Township. Due to annexation law, Black Oak residents retained their original school system and were not required to attend Gary public schools. Some Gary residents in the eastern edge of the community attend schools administered by the River Forest Community School Corporation.

Charter Schools
Charter schools in Indiana, including those in Gary, are granted charters by one of a small number of chartering institutions. Indiana charter schools are generally managed in cooperation between the chartering institution, a local board of parents and community members, salaried school administrators, and a management company. Charter schools in Gary as of 2011 include KIPP Lead College Prep Charter School, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, Charter School of the Dunes, Gary Lighthouse Charter School, Twenty-first Century, and West Gary Lighthouse Charter School.

Higher Education
Gary is home to two regional state college campuses:
 * Indiana University Northwest
 * Ivy Tech Community College Northwest

Public Libraries
The Gary Public Library System consists of the main library at 220 West 5th Avenue and several branches: Brunswick Branch, W. E. B. DuBois Branch, J. F. Kennedy Branch, Tolleston Branch, and Woodson Branch. In March 2011, the Gary Library Board voted to close the main library on 5th Avenue and the Tolleston branch in what officials said was their best economic option. The main library will close by the end of 2011. Lake County Public Library operates the Black Oak Branch at 5921 West 25th Avenue in the Gary city limits. In addition Indiana University Northwest operates the Indiana University Northwest Library on its campus.

Public Safety
Gary is served by the Gary Police Department and Gary Fire Department. Gary is also served by the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

Transportation

 * NICTD (Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District) operates the South Shore Line, a commuter rail system (one of the United States' last original operating interurban railway systems), running between Chicago and South Bend.


 * GPTC (Gary Public Transportation Corporation) a commuter bus system that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. GPTC also has express service to locations outside of the city including connections to Chicago transit. Front door pickup is available for disabled citizens at no extra cost.


 * GYY (Gary/Chicago International Airport) is operating as the "third airport" for the Chicago area. It is currently undergoing much federally funded expansion, and the administration is courting airlines aggressively. Boeing already bases their corporate fleets here. The National Guard is intending to base their Chicago area air operation there as well, which would add much needed security to the airport, taking away some of the stigma of an airport in Gary.


 * Interstate 90 (Indiana Toll Road), Interstate 80, Interstate 94, and Interstate 65 run through Gary, as well as U.S. Routes 12 and 20, Indiana State Road 912/Cline Avenue and a former stretch of Indiana State Road 312 now decommissioned.

Arts and movies
The 1996 urban gangster movie Original Gangstas was filmed in Gary, Indiana. The movie starred Pam Grier, Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Richard Roundtree and Isabel Sanford, among others. Since the early 2000's Gary has experienced a surge of Hollywood filmakers wishing to shot movies in the city. In 2009 scenes for the remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street were filmed in Gary. Scenes from Transformers: Dark of the Moon wrapped up filming on August 16, 2010.

The History channel documentary, Life After People was filmed in run-down and derelict parts of Gary, Indiana.

Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man featured the song "Gary, Indiana,", and described Gary Conservatory as the alleged alma mater of lead character Professor Harold Hill ("Gary Music Conservatory, Class of '05!"). The joke in Hill's claim, of course, is that the City of Gary wasn't founded until 1906. Willson's musical, set in 1912, later was the basis of a film (1962) and a made-for-television film (2003).

Sports
The following sports franchises are based in Gary:


 * The Gary SouthShore RailCats are an American Association, professional baseball team. The team plays in Gary's U.S. Steel Yard baseball stadium. The RailCats played in the Northern League from 2002 until 2010 and were the 2005 and 2007 Northern League Champions.


 * The Gary Splash are an International Basketball League, professional basketball team. The team plays in Gary's Genesis Convention Center. Formerly the Gary Steelheads played in the IBL, CBA, USBL and IBL.

Sister city

 * Fuxin, People's Republic of China

Notable natives and residents




Gary is the hometown of the Jackson family, a family of musicians who influenced the sound of modern popular music. Joe and Katherine Jackson originally moved into their two bedroom house at 2300 Jackson St. in Gary, Indiana, after they got married on November 5, 1949. The famous siblings would later record a song entitled "2300 Jackson Street" in the 1990s. Other notables include
 * Members of the Jackson family include:
 * Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson (born May 29, 1950)
 * Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951)
 * Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (born October 15, 1953)
 * Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954)
 * La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956)
 * Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957)
 * Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
 * Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (born October 29, 1961)
 * Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966)
 * Dan Barreiro, sports radio talk show host
 * Albert M. Bielawski, former Michigan State Representative
 * Frank Borman (born 1928), astronaut on Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, former CEO of Eastern Air Lines
 * Avery Brooks (born 1948), (born in Evansville) actor, director, best known for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
 * Karen Freeman-Wilson, former Indiana Attorney General, attorney, politician
 * Freddie Gibbs, rapper
 * LaTroy Hawkins (born December 21, 1972) MLB Pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
 * Gerald Irons, former NFL star, Oakland Raiders
 * Tank Johnson, NFL star
 * Alex Karras, former NFL star, actor in Blazing Saddles
 * Robert Kearns, inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper systems.
 * Bob Kuechenberg, former NFL star, guard on 1972 Miami Dolphins perfect season team
 * Karl Malden (1912–2009), (born in Chicago) Oscar winning actor
 * William Marshall, actor
 * Brandon Moore (born 1980), NFL guard for the New York Jets
 * Dan Plesac (born 1962), former Major League Baseball pitcher with an 18-year career, now a MLB Network analyst
 * Glenn Robinson (born 1973), former NBA basketball player
 * Paul Samuelson (1915–2009), economist, recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal (1947) and the Nobel prize (1970)
 * Joseph Stiglitz (born 1943), economist, recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal (1979) and the Nobel prize (2001)
 * Ernest Lee Thomas, actor
 * Deniece Williams (born 1950), Grammy Award winning R&B artist
 * Fred Williamson, former NFL star, actor, director, producer
 * Tony Zale (1913–1997), middleweight champion of the world twice

Media

 * Newspapers – Gary is served by two major newspapers based outside the city, as well as a Gary-based, largely African-American interest paper. These papers provide regional topics, and cover events in Gary.
 * The Post-Tribune, originally the Gary Post-Tribune, is now based in Merrillville, a suburb of Gary.
 * The Times, previously known as the Hammond Times. Offices and facilities for The Times are in nearby Munster.
 * The Gary Crusader, based in Gary and largely focused on black or African-American interests and readership.
 * The INFO Newspaper, based in Gary and largely focused on black or (African-American) interests and readership.
 * The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times are also prevalent in Gary.


 * Broadcast – Gary is served by five local broadcasters plus government access and numerous Chicago area radio and TV stations, and by other nearby stations in Illinois and Indiana.
 * WHNW-LD (Channel 18) a repeater of LeSEA's WHME in South Bend.
 * WPWR (Channel 50) is the Chicago My Network TV affiliate, but is licensed to Gary. Studios and transmitters are co-located with WFLD's in Chicago, and like WFLD, WPWR is owned by Fox Television Stations.
 * WYIN (Channel 56) is a PBS affiliate licensed to Gary. Their studios are in Merrillville.
 * WGVE (FM 88.7) is owned by the Gary Community School Corporation, and is used primarily as a teaching facility. Programming is maintained by students in the broadcast program at the Gary Career Center. WGVE also carries limited NPR programming.
 * WLTH (AM 1370) carries syndicated talk programming, and is owned by Pluria Marshall Jr.
 * WWCA (AM 1270) is presently a Relevant Radio owned-and-operated radio station, carrying programming from the Catholic-oriented Relevant Radio network.