ColDay Presents: Gary - Page 2

Austinlee · #21 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 4:05 AM**

Indiana's premiere metropolis.

Crawford · #22 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 5:17 AM**

I'm surprised Gary has rowhouses. Are they common in the city?

Gary actually looks a bit better than I expected. I thought is was more urban praire.

How's Hammond? It looks about the same from the train, but it's hard to tell.

ColDayMan · #23 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 6:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawford

I'm surprised Gary has rowhouses. Are they common in the city?

Gary actually looks a bit better than I expected. I thought is was more urban praire.

How's Hammond? It looks about the same from the train, but it's hard to tell.

Gary commonly does not have rowhouses. That was just a "freak" section Segun and I saw on our way out. Gary has a ton of urban prairies (it'll remind you of Gratiot in Detroit) and Hammond isn't nearly as bad as Gary. Hammond seems, well, intact.

Tom Servo · #24 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 6:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

Damn, that town is ghetto.

What's the population of Gary? Is it part of Chicago's metro?

gary is to chicago as newark is to new york city. it's ~20 miles from the city center, and it has ~100,000 people or so. and it's the worst place in the world to get lost while trying to come home on a cold night.

ybrynner · #25 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 6:40 AM**

Thanks so much for these, ColDay. The building bpg88 pointed out would be absolutely spectacular if it were fixed up.

But, Adrian: Newark is nothing like this.

Tom Servo · #26 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 6:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ybrynner

Thanks so much for these, ColDay. The building bpg88 pointed out would be absolutely spectacular if it were fixed up.

But, Adrian: Newark is nothing like this.

i know... but he asked if it was part of our metro. and it's just across state lines just like newark...

ChrisLA · #27 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 7:48 AM**

Sad looking place, I wonder if Michael Jackson would sing the song "I'm going back to Indiana" today?

Still it looks like at one time the place was booming, hopefully something can be done to fix it up.

Chelsea Spy · #28 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 9:42 AM**

grim!

Tom In Chicago · #29 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 5:01 PM**

Nice photos. . . Gary is vacant. . . Hammond is typical suburban. . . Whiting on the otherhand is quite nice. . . surprisingly. . .

relnahe · #30 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 7:04 PM**

I remember getting lost in Gary about 4 and a half years ago. The thing is I had no clue I was in Gary. My ass was visiting a friend in Minneapolis and his roommate heard I was driving back home to Western New York. He told me "Just don't stop in Gary, I grew up in South Side Chicago and even I knew better to stay away". Of course I thought it was all hot air, I mean it usually is.

Anyways I needed to get gas around Chicago but the prices were too high. I figured I'll take the first exit out of this city. The exit comes through and I see a homeless man with a sign that says will work for food. Looking around nothing looked urban or even suburban it was very rural than I notice an abandened house. I realize its been hundreds of razed homes around me and that I'm not in the country but a sign on the side of the street says Gary, Indiana. A gas station pops up next to some rib shack and I go in. The clerk of Eastern Indian descent is arguing with a black boy about 9 or 10 over some candy. Couldn't tell what it was about. Within walking the clerk gazed at me me as if I was the lightest face he had seen since Clinton was president. He diverts his attention totally to me while dismissing his line of customers and asks what I want. I SAY "10 DOLLARS IN GAS" in a hurried way. As soon as I walk out I leave the door open for the boy who couldn't get candy and he lets out a big "Thank You, sir". Get the gas and I'm out and I think to myself "Gary ain't so bad".

Echo Park · #31 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 7:19 PM**

i think gary is beautiful in a way.

themapman · #32 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 9:31 PM**

Haunting, but beautiful in a way....East St. Louis sadly doesn't even have that many terrific architectural assets.

As a society, I do have no idea how we can let that happen. It blows my mind.

Cbautz · #33 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 9:35 PM**

These are awesome. Thanks!

MolsonExport · #34 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 9:47 PM**

Shameful. So much wasted urban space.

RockHillJames · #35 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 9:53 PM**

Spectacular. That is, indeed, the money shot.

Tito! Get me some tissue!

totheskies · #36 Posted **Dec 4, 2007, 10:19 PM**

LOL it's beautiful for a graveyard...

Gary hurts my heart, but I have no admiration for abandoned structures. There's nothing urban about that place.

ybrynner · #37 Posted **Dec 5, 2007, 12:16 AM**

This website has several pictures of the inside of the Jackson Five theater. Small, but would have been spectacular in its day.

SJPhillyBoy · #38 Posted **Dec 5, 2007, 12:22 AM**

It really is a shame as there are definitely some beautiful buildings in Gary as displayed in some of your photos.

kcexpress69 · #39 Posted **Dec 5, 2007, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

Damn, that town is ghetto.

What's the population of Gary? Is it part of Chicago's metro?

Gary, I believe is now below the 100,000 mark. Around 40 years ago it had close to 200,000. It is part of the Chicago metro area. At one time, Gary was the largest producer of steel in the U.S.. I'm not sure what's left of it. It probably suffered the same fate as the steel mills in Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia. I know there's a ballpark that they recently built for some independent league.

boden · #40 Posted **Dec 5, 2007, 1:16 AM**

First Cairo, now Gary.
Interesting collection.