I Drove Through The WORST Parts Of Gary, Indiana. This Is What I Saw.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- This was dangerous. Gary might be the most rundown place I've ever seen.
In this video, I drove north on I-65 from the Lafayette area to the city of Gary, Indiana, one of the worst places you can live in the country. It was a clear day with highs in the mid 50s, and a recent snowfall had already melted. The day was Saturday, December 20, 2019 and it was about 1 in the afternoon.
As I pulled into Gary, it was immediately clear that this rundown city in northwest Indiana would resemble the slum that I had written about in the past, but had not yet seen firsthand. What was surprising, though, was it wasn’t AS bad as I had thought it would be.
Of course, there were some very bad areas, which we’ll see shortly. But the dangerous riff raff which is notorious among all dangerous regions, was still indoors. It’s become clear that in order to avoid confrontations, I must drive these dangerous neighborhoods in the daytime.
After all, a somewhat to do white man with a camera on top of his Jeep doesn’t necessarily blend in.
And the rows and rows of slums that I had seen pictures of are slowly disappearing, as Gary, like other struggling communities, was slowly being turned back to nature.
We’ll begin by driving through downtown Gary, and visit a housing project, and then maneuver through the worst streets I could find, through online searches, forums and by zig zagging throughout the city for a number of hours on this unusually warm winter afternoon.
Before I headed to the projects and then on to the worst parts of Gary, I drove Main Street in downtown Gary, which was grimy and forlorn.
I wanted to head south on Connecticut Street and head towards Gary’s more infamous areas, the Dorie Miller Housing Project. This will be my first stop, but as you’ll see, I didn’t stay long.
Here’s the Dorie Miller Housing Project. Now, I’ve been to some really bad areas before, and I am rarely intimidated, but the vibe I was getting here made it VERY clear that I stood out and it just wasn’t safe for me to be driving through these projects. So I left quickly. Perhaps if i come back, I’ll venture deeper into Dorie Miller’s bowels.
The next stop was an area that online research indicated would be a really rundown area. A slum if you will. That’s the way I went.
I was not disappointed. Not only was this pretty much the worst part of Gary that I witnessed, but like many other ghettos I’ve toured, there was a lot of open space - where homes which once proudly stood had been leveled. There were many open fields or wooded areas which looked even more hopeless with the early winter brown tint. There wasn’t really much of anything in Gary that was green.
Gary’s population was once nearly 180,000. That was in 1960. Like other rust belt cities in the region, it was a restructuring of the steel industry which hit this city hard. Now, the city is a shell of its former self, with a population of 80,000 people. It’s estimated nearly one-third of all houses in this city located just 20 minutes south of Chicago, are unoccupied or abandoned.
Upon a little more research, I came across the dollar lot program, something I hadn’t heard of before. For a buck you can buy a home like this as long as you fix it up and live there for 5 years and have a decent job. Apparently, the program is limited to certain homes, and there’s a waiting list.
Gary is fighting blight in other ways. Besides just straight up knocking down large swaths of homes, some of the larger buildings downtown we saw earlier will one day be turned into ruin gardens. The plan isn’t to just demolish the entire building, but to remove the most fallen down parts of buildings and leave the rest of the buildings there, encouraging gathering points where people can plant gardens, put in benches and tour Gary’s history.
Gary is challenged for sure. While many lament areas like this as democratic strongholds that won’t encourage growth or incentivize the population to take initiative and fend for themselves, there’s been millions set aside to help this mess.
Alliance Steel plans to open a new $35 million facility. HMD Trucking recently announced plans to build a $6 million trucking depot, set to create 500 jobs.
$5 million more in state funds have been set aside to address blight. A plan to revitalize the waterfront areas is in the works, and Gary’s trainyards and direct connection to Chicago are being restored and rebuilt to encourage more tourism to the area.
But we’re a LONG way from that. Can Gary rebound? Perhaps. But it’s going to take more than millions of dollars in band aids. The people who live here are going to have to decide they want change and do the hard work themselves.
At one point I was way too exposed, off in a far corner of town with no help nearby. I almost became trapped in an alley due to the debris and narrow roadways. It was time to leave Gary before I became stranded or approached.
Here's my entire Unboxing America Series: th-cam.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6yqgM1vGG305six5T7dqGURF.html
one day i got stuck in the snow in one of these areas at night... i saw like 4 guys come out of the shadows and they helped me push my car out of the snow and was very grateful...
Human beings
Yeah really doesnt look as bad as people say on the internet. I live 20 minutes from Detroit. Ill tell you the real beast is in Flint. Theres literally 1000 people to one police officer and only have 97 police officers who patrol the whole city. South Side Chicago looks about just like this. Guess i cant say whats better or worse..
@@chrishandsome6542 And to think it was , not long ago, an industrial powerhouse with great jobs putting out world class leading autos and AC Delco electrical parts . Such a loss .
@@richardhertz1989 The crooked politicians sold out jobs to overseas. The deterioration of the middle class, steel Mills, and now poverty manifesting itself through low paying job.
@@Ir-of4zn Well said and a sad reality
A few years back the GPS took me through Gary on the way to Chicago. My car broke down and a group of homeless looking people came running out of nowhere and got my car running again in 20 minutes. They refused to take any money for their services and just literally ran back full speed into the woodwork like madmen for no apparent reason lol. Not the outcome that I was expecting when I saw them running at me for sure!
Aww that gives me hope about people thanks for sharing!!!
@Noah Ohlhaut or just people
The people in Gary are friendly for the most part. I grew up there and moved when I got older to a place where people are kinda stuck up. Everytime I go back to Gary I feel welcomed even though it doesn't look so good.
@@MySingleLifeADollShow Agreed, people there take care of each other. Most of the fighting and killing is in the past anyways.
@Noah Ohlhaut --- Or maybe succor from a succubus.
I have a friend from here. He told me that even if you didn't want to join a gang, they'd consider you part of a certain gang just based on what block you lived on. He said he was beaten up many times going to school, but he was smart and managed to work his way out. I'm happy for him.
your friend probably made that up while playing grand theft auto
@@inorelin No gangs literally singled people out based on what color they were wearing. Its no joke
@@ifeawosika966 yup!
Why don't you show the beautiful old mini mansions around-bouts 12th and Roosevelt?
Definitely isn’t how that works here …
Went to college in Gary at Indiana University Northwest. I’m female and I look white. I was in Gary for classes, errands, etc sometimes very early, sometimes after dark. Never had any issues. Because my tuition was relatively affordable, like $10k per year, and with the help of scholarships, I was able to finish my undergrad with no debt. This allowed me to afford law school. I’m now a practicing attorney. It’s fair to say I wouldn’t be where I am without Gary, IN.
I went to Ivy Tech and also graduated from IUN. I tutored for Ivy Tech too. Many of the people in Gary need help. One of the tutors that I worked with was an amazing mathematician. She had also lived in her car with her kids. She ultimately died of heart disease at a young age. So sad and such a loss to the people whose lives she touched and all those she helped.
All the suburbs inter-states were designed inter-colonies possessed by different countries themselves possessed individually, grouped, and together. The suburbs were designed since before our founders were born North/South colonies. It knew the cities would be the way they are. All spots are tactically denatured. We're in a semi-ancient trap. Even in the other countries; it's the same thing. All exceptions are in demonstration of the same thing/s. Our founders left us to explain to the world how the breaching method/s forced us to entertain economies as entertained, too. We could only afford to fix the tactically denatured everywhere with a species body plan. I just looked at a video of Detroit looking just like this. Hartford looks like it. We have to discern how the best/worst spots are landscape theater tactically denatured.
How did you manage to look white?
@@doctorpanigrahi9975 Just look at Lil Mosey, probably either lightskin or racially mixed
I too went to Indiana University Northwest. My parents couldn’t afford for me to go to Bloomington, so I lived at home and attended IUN.
Still remember the old billboard on 80/94: “Last one out of Gary, please turn out the lights.”
How long has it been?
Thats kinda dark
Damn!!!
@@Ketannabis Literally.
How sad.
I'm originally from Indiana and I swear if you visit any place in the Midwest at that time of year, it'll look 10x worse than it does in the summer. Go back when there's vegetation. I guarantee you, at least some of those places will look very different. It won't be Shangri-la, but it won't seem as sinister
I've noticed he always hits these places in winter.
Very true
I grew up not far from Gary and yes, the winters are bleak. The rest of the year the trees are beautiful but they can't cover up the poverty here.
I work in Gary, and during the summer it's still bad.
I grew up in Chicago and always liked that time of year in the Midwest.
When even the Dollar store is closed, that's pretty bad!
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Thinkin same thing; when your Dollar store has bars on it.........
😱😱😱
I know especially sense they started taking coupons if you if you speak with the manager and can have the manager do a purchase order to match the coupons you already have and walk out with free everything then yeah it's bad
Not closed...
I graduated high school from Gary, and the problem with Gary is not the people it's the people in office that are in charge.
And who’s voting those people into office? The surrounding cities don’t have the same problems as Gary. Why? It IS the people. At the end of the day, the PEOPLE are responsible for who they choose to represent them.
These people believe that officials are elected and not placed into power lol.
@@mrsirendude6931 people running for office often tell lies of what they'll do if elected, once in office it's another story (lie) you can't blame the citizens for the lies politicians tell, c'mon are you serious...
Bullshit man
It's a lot of the people also..
This is what happens when a business creates a company town that relies on one industry. When the industry fails, the company town fails.
The steel mill is still open and going strong. All the surrounding towns of Gary, which are just as old as Gary (like Griffith, Hobart, are doing great. They are clean, have nice fairs, farmers markets, and are wonderful to live in. They have great schools and low crime but yet they bump up to Gary. Down town hobart is beautiful and just As old as Gary.
Not exactly. The cyclical nature of the steel business did hurt Gary, but not as much so as the city politics, which were corrupt deamonRAT types. Then the civil unrest of the sixties saw White fright/flight to Merrillville, Indiana, a new city that would have been annexed by Gary before becoming incorporated but was not allowed to do so by the county politics to expand southward of the Gary Southern city limits back in the 50’s/60’s. Basically, Gary grew right up to the Interstate 80 and Interstate 94 and U.S. 30. A physical barrier that kept the city from expanding into the Merrillville, Indiana vicinity, before Merrillville was incorporated by county politics that blocked several attempts. by the Gary city officials to annex this once unincorporated land. Merrillville is where many of the Whites fled to.
robert but Gary lost over half of its population and jobs and all the property tax that came with it the people who stayed were the people who couldn’t afford to leave
yeah
Nein mann. It's the people. They have their basic necessities, even electronics. They have zero capacity for work and investment.
Surprised by the statement “the people who live here are gonna have to decide they want change and do the hard work themselves”. The belief that social adversity can be solved simply by deciding to work harder shows indifference and reinforces social inequality. Sorry, it’s going to take more than a drive through video to figure that one out.
This video creator seems to lack a social consciousness when it comes to places of lower economic development. It is a shame and the creator should not be supported.
Yes it takes more than hard work, but it most likely isn't what you think it is. It takes personal responsibility; it takes discipline; it takes social stability; it takes a moral compass; it takes strong values and ethics; and most importantly it takes leadership who speak the TRUTH and have honesty and integrity, but that takes a citizenry who is strongly involved in all aspects of our society and its leadership. It also takes an honest media and centers of influence must be not be monopolized.
I used to live in Gary and ever since the steel mill shut down, it's been on a downward economic spiral and shows no sign of rebounding. It's quite depressing.
You could always go somewhere else. Better job oppertunities.
@@arminiusofgermania Go back and read what was said because you totally missed the point.
@@bryansimpson8694 and did you leave when it was in your better interests? Even if you have property there, it will be there when you get back. Same as momma in da hood. She's going to get her check whether the man in her life is there or not. Why just reduce yourself to waiting on your wife, when you can hop a bus, and leave the hood in Noo Yoark and go somewhere where the economy is actually growing?
@@arminiusofgermania Feel better now?
Arminius of Germania or bring new industry
It’s a tragedy that a town that was once a hive of industry is left to decay like this, unfortunately it’s no different in the UK.
And it’s even sadder that the cause is so simple. Yet no one will talk about it.
This is what our politicians have brought us over the years. Selling out jobs to China, taking in money to line their pockets while not helping the community. It’s all a joke, people are so easily wrapped up in social media, TH-cam, and other entertainment, they don’t care about what is actually going on.
The UK doesn’t have places as desolate as this though, I can’t think of a town in England so rundown
Yeah Gary is what happens when u let democrats run things. Gary will be what the rest of the country will look like. Just wait and see with the new communist party in the white house. Enjoy America.
@@hoosierproud7718 I take your point, but did Trump really make any difference, seriously? He didn't exactly change things for the better.. Made things worse in some cases.
i feel bad for the trees that are there. Couldnt move even if they wanted to...
LMAO that's cold essseeee
You could probably say the same about a lot of the people there to be honest.
@@deltacat27 I am just glad I got out of there I grew up there
@@thedeplorablepatriot7284 same
Be quiet.
I can be at 5th and Broadway in 5 minutes. I live just 1 town over. If you don't go there asking for trouble, you won't find it. Know when to be there- and know when not to. I've partied in GI, drove in to work there at US Steel for 24 years, never had a problem.
Hammond?
Should have shown the Jackson’s five old home! That would have been cool.
Yea except he’s only interested in shaming it.
thomas grokenberger I wanted to visit that place when I was in Indiana and I asked my Mom if we could go. She sounded scared and was like, “I don’t know,” and now I see the reason why.
Masquerade Anonymous shut up. Also you have the dumbest screen name ever!
thomas grokenberger Its really nice. Drive by there all the time.
thomas grokenberger been there 3x lol
I love the fact that you run some of these stop signs, and honestly, I don't blame you.
My friend had a gun pulled on him when he stopped at a stop sign on the south side chi
🤣
I’ve had officers tell me roll through signs when driving through Gary in order not to get car jacked
Hahaha I had to go downtown, (Nick drove by the building) and I didn't stop at one light or sign, of course I made sure it was safe first.
@@caitlynguthrie it’s true. Me nd some friends were headed to Gary but had to turn off cause of a toll road. Stopped at a gas station nd dude told me to gtfo or we’d get shot for being white nd at the wrong area so we tried to leave nd my car got surrounded by 7 guys so I stepped on it🤣
"I drove through the WORST parts of Gary, Indiana" - That seems to be ALL of it.
Kirk's Hair Piece exactly
*That
that's = contraction of "that is/has"
All of Gary is not like what this person showed! How dare you comment on something of which you obviously don't know about?
In some areas actually look really nice asf lmao u just have to find it
Actually, the Miller neighborhood (which is in far northeast Gary) is quite pleasant.
Thank you for taking this video, my heart goes out to these people who have to live here, and in some of those very run down areas, but at the same time you have something like billionaires’ row in New York. The problem isn’t that billionaires’ row exists, the problem is that billionaires’ row exists and places like this also exist at the same time. There just seems like some of that billionaire money should go more towards helping the less fortunate in our country rather than going towards a $150,000,000 condo. Makes me very grateful that I live where I do and I have the job that I do, and also it makes me want to help others more. Thank you again for this video!
Stop reproducing?
Al 458
Elaborate plz
3:24 First rule of driving through the hood, ignore the stop signs.
Always.
Scared white guy drives thru black neighborhoods.lol. Ur a hack
@@DrKOKONUTZ bruh it's not cause its a black neighborhood, its because it's Gary Indiana. Officers sometimes will pull you over if you stop and will tell you to just go through them.
When they fix Gary up it won't be Silicon Valley. But then it never was Silicon Valley.
Like they say in the 'hood' red lights mean dead lights if you stop. You keep the pedal to the metal and still might get a brick thru the window.
Gary has so many assets going for it. The video briefly mentions the steel mill. Lake Michigan is another asset. Lake Michigan in Gary is the location of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as well as the Dunes State Park. Gary is served by 3 interstate highways and Gary is a rail center for the same reason Chicago is. It's possible Gary will recover. Of course, Gary has been failing to recover for decades.
It's all political
I grew up just 30 miles south of Gary when I was a kid use to go there all the time with my gf to the movies over in Broadway and to where the Montgomery wards shopping plaza use to be and just behind that is a place called black oak use to have some friends there in high school and hang out with them and play ball ..it's sad to see what happened to Gary now I know most of the people moved out down to Merrillville and farther south where I lived at but I always loved going there at Christmas time because it was better than going to Chicago then and closer
I go here all the time to explore abandoned places with my friends Many of the people here are pretty chill. The locals aren't very hostile (they're actually welcoming in some cases) towards people who obviously don't belong in that town. For instance, I once struck up a conversation with a guy who's brother owned a church right next to an abandoned one I was checking out, and he gave me a tour of the church. I haven't (yet) had a problem with the people there. But if you DO run into the wrong person, it could turn ugly very quickly. A friend of a friend of mine who explored in Gary was robbed at gunpoint in an abandoned theatre. It is a dangerous city, but its not a death sentence to set foot in the town like people think. Go during the daytime and stick to the downtown areas and you should be fine. When we decide to go out at night, we usually run 5 deep at least. Don't go out at night unless you're with at least 5 people who can throw a punch lol. Or just play it safe and don't go out at night!
Next time you're there check out the abandoned methodist church! Its arguably one of the city's most iconic structures!
A punch😂 come armed to the teeth those gangs got illegal automatics and all I’ve seen it
I’ve been to the abandoned Methodist church, and an abandoned theatre downtown. I wonder if it’s the same one your friend got robbed at 😳
I love old run down neighborhoods I think they tell a story with out even saying a word. Coolest stuff ever.
I know there's more coming up in the next couple weeks 😉
They give me the creeps
They aren't cool, when you live out there its just sad
theres actually something very scary about this area of Gary.
ima just say- d e a t h
I grew up in a little town bordering Gary worked there spent lots time in gary till mid 80s when i moved across states. I was never worried or fearful. I'm white, from the Region Think one thing it taught me is how to have compassion and love for all mankind.
Yelp sorry grew up there worked from Miller to Glen Park we all got along just fine left in early 80s
Gus Perez yes worked for ANCO in Gary and lots others 1st at 16 McDonald's on hwy 12/20
@@oldgoat50 yep windshield wipers
@@oldgoat50 I also tended Bar all over the area for 10 yrs, So I probably knew many Tony's
I actually live in Gary and while there are bad parts, there is also good parts as well. The city is trying to do its best so you gotta have faith. I hate when people do these types of videos and say oh its bad. Just imagine living in Chicago or Detriot or the worst parts of L.A.?
💯 I'm originally from Gary and can imagine those other places aren't so great either.
I'm originally from Gary and I'm looking to invest in realestate there now.
I'm I. Chicago, it's not as bad as gary!!! Not even our worst neighborhoods!!
The area at 4:00 looks exactly like a typical british council estate
Trust
But better, I was brought up on one .
My first thoughts as well
But cleaner
It makes me so sad to see all the industry here dead and gone. In my head I try to visualize what it looked like in the 60s. A bustling town full of hard workers, trucks coming and going, kids running around, school buses going to and fro. Now you can buy what is essentially lakefront property for less than a new car. These industrial towns used to be the backbone of our country, and now that they’re mostly gone, I can see why the United States has become so spineless.
@3:45 I'm wondering how he got the impression he didn't belong when there was really nobody around. Perhaps it was the camera on top of your Jeep that made you look like a Narc to the guys who WERE out there. Just guessing.
Camera was inside the car and you couldn't see their faces and eyes like I did
@@NickJohnson Mia culpa. Thought I heard that it was mounted atop the car.
@@NickJohnson I say & feel the same way when I'm driving through your neighborhood but I bet you'd say I was just being paranoid huh.You have a fear of the people who live in a neighborhood,I have a fear of the people & police when I'm in yours.
Naw he just playing up the scared thing he's a coward that wouldn't look you in the eye so he's spreading lies an despair
I live in Indianapolis and go to Gary all the time. While the places you’ve shown may be dreary, the people that live there are really nice and laid back.
I’ve honestly never felt in danger any time I’ve been there.
You still alive?
Well, of course. You're not white.
You have to come back in the summer. Gary looks nice in the summer. And you'll see alot of people out and about. We are doing better as of recently since our corrupt mayor has been replaced. Roads being redone. Building finally being torn down and replaced. We have a bunch of new apartments and houses. And with that amazon and Walmart near by there are more people working which is good.
Ok so the comments below kind of bummed me out. What…exactly…is so scary about anything in this video?? What vibe are you picking up? From WHAT? From WHO? You are afraid of empty streets? Of mature trees? Of people walking and getting their exercise? I kinda feel like the truck with the camera and the white dude driving randomly pryingly around the neighborhood is the scariest part of the video, to be honest. This town is a victim of an economic wave that came in and quickly out. Nothing more. People are all the same, everywhere. You are too, in your heart, watching this. Let’s all go buy up and rebuild Gary. So many people work from home now. I bet this is already happening and I just have stumbled across it yet. But I’m gonna go get it soon before its too late. I got FOMO like a MOFO. Open land for gardens?? Affordable housing with just a little bit of fixer upper elbow grease?? Full on cathedral churches with TREES growing inside them??I can’t imagine anything more wonderful. I’ll be there by Jan 2022. See you there 😘
So are you there now?
@@insanatty I went last October to check it out! Loved it! My man wasn't so down with the whole adventure, but, we ain't married so, maybe soon!!! Dreams are awakening more and more these days for me
I agree with you. The scariest part of what I saw is the man making this video while running stop signs and picking up the "vibe" of his own prejudice. I work in Gary and never had a problem. The people of Gary are kind and civil. The city fell on some hard times, but hopefully it will rise again.
@@tu8bo 💜💜💜💜💜 lets hang when I get there! New eta is springtime. 😀
Wow, I haven't been through Gary in years so this was interesting. Back in the 90's it was a lot more dangerous just because there were a lot more people still living there. I can't believe how empty those residential areas are now.
The Dorrie Miller projects are slated to be torn down soon so won't be able to get back there FYI.
Seems like the city just needs to fully empty out, then a new city will grow there being the location is actually good but the image of the place is still too dangerous for that to happen in the next 10 years.
I agree with everything that you just said..
Like most other third world countries, the churches are kept clean and well maintained, while the rest of the place looks like it was used to test H bombs.
The biggest church in Gary is a gutted ruin.
My work friend was beaten& robbed there died in a coma year later we did fund raising for his family R S - RIP
Really?
As someone that lives and walks around the West Side of Gary.... It's not that bad.
I'm from Sacramento California I thought it was bad here but seeing this video was just depressing. How is it on the west side of Gary?
@@joelvaldez4246 It's not horrible, I mean, it's not very well taken care of in terms of the roads and such, but it's not as violent and scary as it's made to be.
@@TheAddictEmily what about the murder rate being 15 times the national average. That's facts
I'd like to see your bud🤗
okay
This man said, "Perhaps if I come back, I'll venture deeper into Dory Miller's bowels" lmfao I'm dead
The Jacksons has entered the chat
"The Jacksons has entered the chat" -- Impressive English grammar.
@
Well, they has....
@@PAULY-P Ebonics -- or just arrogant ignorance?
*have
Not really. None of the Jacksons has ever done a single thing for Gary. What did they do? Visit once or twice?
I was born and raised in Gary until I was 12
Born in 1951..I got to see Gary in its heyday..man it was awesome..it literally was a microcosm of Chicago...to see it now is painful...I shined shoes..work the theaters shoveled snow and cooked in restaurants..always a hustle to make quite a few bucks up till I worked at uss steel..amazing times until the late 70s..it went down fast..great memories 👌
Got stranded in Gary in 1995 (car broke down) for several hours off Burr st. People were cool towards me. Should not judge a book by its cover! People of Gary are some of the realest people you will ever meet!!
@ Keyon Vinegar- Those were Thee Murder-Capp Ye@r$, I am glad you had a g00d experience in Gary.
At 1:26 you said you drove Main Street. There is no "Main Street" in Downtown Gary. The street you were driving on was 5th Avenue.
Balog Cottage and Broadway!
Troll
Had to turn at Connecticut before he hit the Steel Yard. :-D
Its crazy some of these neighborhoods go from decent looking small homes. Then on the next block, its a bunch of abandoned decaying houses. Then theres some really nice looking homes that are right next door to crack den looking houses. These are just a few examples.
7:48
8:25
9:57
10:31
12:44
Yep!! Great observation!
Seems like an affordable place to live with a reasonable commute to Chicago. It also doesn’t look dangerous at all, just in need of some restoration and TLC.
This guy is just very afraid of black people
@@EiseniaFoetida I've doordashed as late as 12/1am in the middle of summer, alone, and nothing ever happened. I'm also a white female. So, yeah, I have to agree with you. Every place will have bad and good. But, it's videos like this that put unnecessary fear in people.
There's a reason for the title "Murder Capital"
I love to see "then and now" footage of some of the streets.
my whole family is from Gary and it was so much better when my parents were growing up there. it was fully of life and still is amongst the locals. all stores were open and the schools too. its also where the Jackson 5 were born and raised so tourist would go to their house, but that stopped awhile ago when the statute was taken down. it's crazy how when the factory shutdown people just left and it turned into almost a ghost town
@@jean5570 true Gary has been lively a couple years ago. Just not the same
I'm from Gary.... left in 68 after a brief experience at USS Sheet & Tin Mill.... Tuff town back then too
“Unusally warm winter day.” Yup only northwest Indiana natives know.
thanks for making these video's, repairing mac books all day watching this lets me know others are struggling and be I need to be grateful for what I have.
Apparently cops there will pull you over at night to recommend that you don’t stop at stop lights or stop signs.
Gary has gotten so much better. You used to get killed for being out past 5 pm
A few years ago right down my grandpas street someone got shot and killed right on their porch. We got some new neighbors and there good people. It's definitely gotten better.
Why they kill people like that?
That's because it got so bad even the criminals moved out
I am not even from America but I love watching these types of videos
Most small towns are going to look like this, if not already. The main cities will become the Mega Cities
Half of Americans have never been to a place like this.
We're same.👍
you should come visit ... this is not a true depiction of the US ..even outside of our major cities... you should come and enjoy...
These are the worst places as a whole it's a great nation
This is the town that has produce more steel than any place on earth. Been doing it since 1906
Everyone is strange when you're a stranger
-Jim Morrison?
“People are strange, when you’re a stranger.”
DEEP DEEP. DEEP
I once worked in Gary as an insurance service and sales representative. I had to drive in those neighborhoods and go in the homes to collect insurance payments. I’ve seen some terrible things and some very sad situations and living conditions
Like what?
Like what??
180,000 people used to live here... Now it's a ghost town.
I really like just driving and looking, especially with your commentary about history and statistics.
Glad you enjoy it Patricia!
I live in Gary. Thank you for showing different parts, I got to see places I have never seen before.
Same. Honestly, I'd love to just see a series of American cities driving tour. Relaxing videos like this with commentary about the history of the city and some unique facts and such overlaid. Doesn't have to be limited to shithole or interesting cities either. Who knows, maybe interest would run out quickly but it may be a fun series.
I grew up in Merrillville south of Gary parents worked in Gary Mom worked for IUN, the old man was a principal in the Gary school system. Gary was busy and thriving until around 1967 when they elected their first black mayor. Once that happened, the white flight out to the south of Gary was intense. Towns like Merrillville, Crown Point, Hobart, Portage and Schererville exploded in popluation and businesses started to make their main headquarters in Merrillville along US30 which became overloaded with traffic. The new mayor even tried to stop the flight by not allowing for sale signs in front yards but that failed. The steel industry was starting to fail in the mid 70's and finding good jobs was becoming harder. I left the area in 1980 and never looked back parents sold their house in Merrillville in 1977 for big bucks as we lived 300 feet off of US30 so they sold the house as a commerical property. They moved 2 counties away to Demotte IN and commuted to Gary until they retired in the mid 90's. There was so much corruption in the local government that never got challenged or taken to trial that lots of money pumped into Gary was basically stolen and not used to encourge new business to locate there.
I was born in Gary,In in 1960. And lived in 45 states and 3 countries, now in Dallas,Tx. I've have dreams of turning Gary's land scape into golf looking turfs. With streams and brooks with lake front restaurants, athletic courts and water sports. I have many dreams for Gary, but millions are needed to do so. I'm creating a Red carpet clothing line, and i'll make Gary, IN & Las Vegas the head quarters.
3:27 no cop no stop
No that's overkill☺️😊😊
7:07 another no stop!
@@bextar6365 wow really? I live here and there's no need for me to have bulletproof glass none whatsoever.
@@bextar6365 what do you mean amongst my own? It don't matter if you're white or black you still can end up getting hurt or worst anytime anyplace it does not matter when it's your time is your time.
@@NickJohnsonif I was a police officer I would have pulled you over and gave you a fine and took you to jail because that's reckless what you was doing running stop signs
This is comes off as exploitive. You’re treating Gary and similar places like a zoo. You’re invading people’s home, pointing a camera at it, and posting it for views. It’s upsetting that you’ve done so much research into the “worst parts of Gary” yet didn’t keep share that same enthusiasm for the history or positive lights of the city. (And if you did, you didn’t share it with the viewers)
There is nothing wrong with acknowledging the fact that the city is a shell of its former glory. I appreciate that you mentioned ways that the city is trying to heal. This doesn’t feel like you’re concerned about the health of this city.
You seem detached from humanity.
eeesuhhh ...well said.
Thank you as always for sharing these drives- it's a great series. Humorous note- I think you might have been slightly nervous approaching the Miller projects- you flew through a stop sign 3:27
😂😂😂 aww!
Good thing Mappy isn't with you he would be terrified 😂🤣
Nice not to have that thing interrupting. IMO
Mappy was off. He said Jill is pretty!
Awhhh thanks mappy😀
1. I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio and haven't stopped at a stop sign in Youngstown since 1973. 2. If you want to film slums the best time is Sunday at 7:00 am
This brings back some memories of working out there. That Rallys at the beginning never made my burger right, always said no onions and they always added onions. GFD station 1 right next to the minor league baseball stadium. The projects scared the Hell out of me a few times. Then I realized some of the nicest people lived there. Gary has a rough rep but there is hope.
REALLY...what does one expect , when an area was once a thriving industrial location , and industry shipped out . after the industry left , the people had no choice but to leave as well . but it has a chance to come back..........it's so close to Chicago , what a shame.............
😢 I grew up in Harvey Illinois, and it has gone through the same thing, once a thriving boom town, major factories, big mall, then slowly but surely, they were offered better tax breaks in other towns, a few corrupt city 0fficials, a few gangs, trying to settle in, now, nothing but a shell of it's once former self,😢😢
@@shadypinesma8909 ..........I know what you mean . the town I grew up in , underwent the same thing . city officials were so greedy , they jacked up the industries taxes, through the roof . I guess they didn't think industry would pick up and leave....well they did . at one time , the town boasted the biggest pay-role in the country and had the most millionaires per-capita , of anywhere in the u.s. . it had malls , cotillions , a thriving downtown and for music stars , it was a destination to perform . now it's a link in the rust belt...sad..........
@J Smith You do know MORE WHITE PEOPLE utilize welfare,especially section eight than all minorities combined?
@@G.I.Joe- facts and the whites that used to reside here I see their grandchildren and great-grandchildren has moved back here. It's people with big money that have invested in Gary already.
@J Smith so what type of people live here? because I still live here and I know a lot of people that still live here and they are hard-working people and if I had the money to buy up some of these houses I would because that's what people with big money are doing even people with money from Chicago has money invested in Gary.
Myself and a couple of my friends (all three of us women and the driver was from Hobart) drove around as she told us stories about some buildings, stores, and other stuff, kind of like a tour guide, about 20-25 years ago while we were there to visit her. It still looked about the same then as the present time in your video. We didn't feel threatened in any way and by no means am I saying it isn't safe or is safe to be there. I don't know either way, but we didn't encounter any problems when we were there. No one really paid any mind to us. I did notice that there were mostly men on the sidewalks/streets though and thought where are all the women at lol. The only thing our friend who was driving said to us that was in a concerned tone was how we needed to go because it was going to get dark soon. I asked her to drive around a little bit longer and she said we had to go. I didn't ask any more questions. We left. There were a lot of run-down buildings, boards on windows of some stores and houses, burnt down houses or partially burnt, and graffiti on things. I love the art of graffiti so I really enjoyed looking at it on our visit there. I see a lot of potential there, still!!! PS... we stopped at stop signs and stoplights lol.
Haha well i DONT stop at stop signs in bad areas ;)
I'm a truck driver and been there many times. Aww struck every time. Whole city looks like a spray paint factory threw up on it.
I live in Gary for 70 years and it’s not that bad at all they are always a bad side to any town but we still have beautiful homes all around Gary you just want to see the bad side and where I live nobody has broken in or stole any of stuff .
BS these are the nice homes, you're delusional or lying. Gary Indiana is one of the most horrid looking places I've ever seen, I think I need to make a video to expose the truth.
Pretending its better than it is is so harmful, you have no clue, lies and propaganda never make things better. These lies are shameful.
It didn't look so bad. There were a few run down houses. It was in December so there wasn't much green instead the dead look of winter. What can you expect? For a town that lost so much of its job it didnt look as bas as I expected.
You should see the nice areas.
Plenty of houses for sale
Joe MacDonald if I had the $$$$ I would buy a couple of houses, maybe in the near future I will, I know a lot of people here who own multiple homes.
Exactly, he called the backwoods looking places slums 🙄 I expected to see trash and filth everywhere
I drove thru Gary in 1995, it was much more dangerous back then.
Dangerous anytime!
@@MH-WM no
I live in Gary and hammon Indiana just as i lived in the Humboldt park in Chicago! And i don't know which is worse
Too bad they can't "frag" the city like a computer hard drive and move the better parts closer together and then level areas of it and build a new international airport to serve the southside of Chicago and NW Indiana
@@timothycook2917 they need to send all the jack a** who are making this problem and destroying the city, to war!
@@Mike_B4141- That is a good idea. I like it and will pass it on.
Why do you still live in the area Do you have family living there? Even if I HAD family I'd still leave. Left that area for Montana fifteen years ago and never looked back.
@@thelton100 i don't live there, i moved back to east coast in 2001 and been here since.
Ive been to Gary and it really is very depressing. Try to find accommodations like a nice clean
cafe to eat lunch is very challenging. I feel for the ppl raising kids there as I honestly dont know why anyone would want to
live in such a blighted economically challenged area. I hope for the sake of its residents major
restructuring and removal of all the falling down structures happens soon.
Was just in Gary visiting the hard rock was never so glad to get out of there. Bad spot for a casino
A huge problem with that casino is the people from Illinois areas that arent great either coming over and causing problems as well. So, you got some of the people in Gary who do cause trouble and then the ones from Illinois also. It's rough.
On a deep and dark winters day the somber and depressed become ever so much more....
Even the trees look so depressing. Its like a scene from Silent Hill.
I grew up in Gary, my Grandparents owned the EL CORRAL restaurants all over the city, I also lived in Glen Park and went to Riley School in the mid 70s.
I read that in the UK nobody named their kid Gary last year, a classic British name, maybe the city just needs to rename itself Hayden, Jayden or Braeden and it will start to thrive once more
Ignorance
I was a white letter carrier in stop 6 for 6 years delivering to the projects and surrounding areas. This takes me back big time.
Loved that piano music, really beautiful. Thanks for the tour
Hey Leslie!
Lmfao ugh
when you are first driving down that 3 lane road when the video is starting that looks strikingly close to my hometown Decatur, IL. Another small city in the midwest thats slowly dying with lots of abandoned buildings. It’s really weird how similar a lot of these rough cities in the midwest look.
A friend of mine bought a house there... I seen pictures very nice.. but needs work.... He thinks that Gary will come back.. He is a great guy... I hope it does...
Me too!
Yes Vince Gary is coming back and your friend did the right thing I wished I can buy a couple of houses out here if I could I would. But I do know some people that have purchased some houses and of course it's people that used to live here they still actually own their property just renting them out.
Make sure to tell him goodbye
I see why my grandfather r.i.p. ventured to los angeles and just worked came home layed on the couch and watched the lakers and dodgers all day
That’s what it’s all about
Look guys I drive through Gary everyday to get to work, The area may look shitty but the people are amazing
Good!
Hometown of the Legendary Jackson 5
This looks like my drive home from work through Hartford CT lmao
Albany ave 😂
As someone who grew up in a third world country slum, this doesn't look scary or dangerous although it may be. It just looks... sad.
This is like any old city on the map. Everything gets old. No need to judge.
Really, oh really, what are you used to...doesnt look like any other city to me!!!!
Ivy, are you from the ghetto???
Why aren’t there ppl walking down the street ?
✋✋✋✋✋
San Diego is old but doesn't look like this.
truly an honest thing to say: "They have to decide they want change and do the hard work themselves." I hope they do. everyone is worth it.
Great, enjoyed that thanks. An observation from a non-US person is that on the wide main roads there's little opportunity for pedestrians to cross the road. Living in some of those places would be reliant on owning a car.
You 100% need a car in most cities in the US. There are some big ones like NY, or certain parts of Philly, Chicago that you could get away with living close enough in walking distance or biking/public transportation to everything you need… but in most cities here are like this (not the decaying part lol, just the layout).
As you say, Mr. Johnson, it will finally be up to the people there to decide if Gary is worth rebuilding or not. From this video, it seem more abandoned than purely scary, but yeah I realize it's daytime. Anyway, best of luck to the folks trying to make Gary happen again.
Thanks for the "boots on the ground" report. Beats "hear say".
*hearsay
@ 3:28 stoptional?
Traffic control devices in the ghetto are just a suggestion.
Yes!
@@NickJohnson anytime a stop light stops working in Gary, rather than fix it, they just throw up a stop sign. It’s gotten so bad that when I drive through Gary, I find myself at working stoplights coming to a quick stop and starting to go, with no regard to the color of the light, exactly as if I were at a stop sign. 😂
I spent some home health time working in Gary. The scariest part is just how apocalyptic the town looks , one of few Midwest homes that are hurricane ready all year round
I'm not from the US, but I've watched a few of these videos highlighting depressed or poverty stricken areas. What always strikes me as out of place, is how well street lights and road signs are maintained. I live in a resort town, and even roads look better in Gary.
I grew up in Hammond, next door, in the 50s and 60s. I remember when downtown Gary was bustling and alive. Sadly, Hammond, too, though not as ad, is barely recognizable from what it was just 50 years ago. It is all dried up.
Yay! Thanks for doing my request
Mine too
I try!
I grew up in Gary. Besides downtown, the city actually goes out to 53rd Avenue. My home was in Glen Park and I went to Lew Wallace High School. As historians look at the remaining parts of Gary, be sure to take a look at other areas besides downtown.
And I went to Calumet.
@@jaysonwallker1648 My late husband went to Calumet, Kenny Coates. He graduated in 1976.
I was thinking of the musical “The Music Man”
I was going to make a comment about that. It must have been a nice place back in those days.
I'm from Gary and I have family that still live there. It's nowhere near as bad as he's making it. Granted, it has it's issues but this guy's attitude about my old town just rubs me the wrong way. The reason Gary went to crap is because of the people that run it. Corruption at the highest level. Makes me sad to see my childhood home dragged so badly.
why he drives around everywhere I'm from Flint Michigan don't you think that I don't like the way my city got ran into the ground but now I'm in fort Wayne Indiana and it's nice. Gary looks very comparable to Flint.
Gary is scary during the day, I would be afraid in the dark when the cockroaches come out of hiding.
LIAR!! its not!!!
well there are multiple serial killers that live in gary so yea it would be scary at night
You should have done this video at night in July. It would have been much more interesting for everyone.
OMG, I was cycling Chicago to South Bend and got lost in Gary on my bike at like midnight and went in circles for an hour as I was too scared to stop, let alone pull my phone out to look at Google Maps. It was mid July and terrifying.
@@mdlg1983 did U encounter anyone? Thank god I live in Fishers where I am safe
You would think the Jacksons would want to invest back into their hometown and help clean it up. I guess he decided to build Neverland instead.