That's total murders, however. In a city much larger - Chicago has almost 3 million people to Gary's 69,000. Per 100K, Gary's murder rate is 3 times higher than that of Chicago's.
I had a flat tire on the way out of Chicago just inside of Gary probably 5 yrs ago. A man stopped to help and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be murdered or something else. Instead of the worst, he changed my tire for me and we had a nice chat. I offered to pay him, but he refused.
You should consider yourself lucky. I don't think you realize that death was lurking right around the corner. I live in Chicago and avoid Gary like the plague. At least in Chicago the gang bangers leave civilians alone.
At 32:08 to 32:18 this video shows what used to be a soft drink bottling company named Superior Beverage. My father managed that company for the owner for 30 years. I began working there each summer starting at age 12 and and by the time I was 17 graduated to working summers in the steel mills because my father could not match what the mills paid. I paid for my entire college education working for US Steel during summer vacation. I am now a retired Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon looking back to where it all began and can only remember the loving and hard working people who once built Gary and made it a safe and successful place to live. It breaks my heart to see what has happened here. I could write a fifty page essay about how and why it occurred. I witnessed the whole process. Gary is the best example in the USA of the American dream turned into the American nightmare.
My father who never graduated high school, was functionally illiterate, could barely read a menu or newspaper, was able to move from the rural South to the North and get a job at a unionized auto factory when UAW members were still divided over whether blacks should be union members. Although the UAW had, despite a lot of opposition, began allowing blacks into the UAW about 10 years before my father got the job, the shops were mostly still segregated and there were strikes or protests over integrating the shops. Along with many thousands of whites, my father got that job over resident black men who lived there and, being from the more developed Northern cities with better funding for schools, often had higher educational attainment than the Southern whites migrating to the North for those jobs. My father retired with a pension and health insurance after 38 years. My mother didn't graduate high school either, though her RWA (reading, writing, arithmetic) proficiency was in-line with an average high school graduate. Without that union job, and the racial discrimination that favored him, I am unsure whether my parents would have done nearly as well for themselves.
so if one was not smart enough to go to college to persue a profession, then what??? Whitout these blue collar jobs why do you think many are doing crime instead............
I was in LA on business and had just been given a hotel room. In my room I found a rat in my bed. When I went downstairs to tell the guy at the desk, he said I had been given the wrong room. The rat in my bed was on vacation from Gary.
Not plausible. A rat from Gary couldn't afford the vacation nor the night at the hotel. That rat lied.. The rat was either from LA or a "newcomer" from Venezuela.
That rat lied. The rats in Gary all died from starvation. Was the rat really big, well fed? If it was, he was probably on vacation from NYC. If he had a funny accent and smoked reading the newspaper, he was from Paris.
@@renaudmichel1 The rats I saw at Gary Works of U.S. Steel looked pretty well fed. I never saw a French rat--smoking and reading the newspaper. (Do they speak French? I do much better in German.)
My son, his girlfriend, and I drove through Gary Indiana a few months ago. It’s terrifying. At every red light, everyone is checking you out to decide whether or not to rob you.
If they were looking to rob you, you would've gotten robbed. Gangbangers do that when they're either looking for enemies or weary of an oncoming enemy.
A trucking company I used to work for had a terminal in Gary. I once got lost and made a wrong turn into Gary after dark. I stopped at a stoplight (still working). A cop came along and told me that I shouldn't stop at the lights after dark; the prevailing practice was to just run right through, to avoid getting robbed. Imagine a COP telling you that! 😬
It breaks my heart and soul to see my hometown like this. The best memories of my life were in Gary, we used to go to Miller beach, Lake Michigan, Lake Etta, the Village mall and had a great childhood. I grew up on 21st and Hendricks, westside tarrytown. Visitng my grandmother next week in Gary. I really appreciate this video showing the good, the bad, and the ugly of my city. Thank you.
"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " and "I came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through me" This is the truth that Jesus came into the world to be put fourth as a propitiation/ sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who trust in him shall not be condemned by their sins but be forgiven and receive by him the eternal inheritance of the rightouness of God obtained by faith in God through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and this is life the true life that persists forever and does not perish but to all those who have not believe they are condemned because they have not believed in the Son Of God Jesus but as the bible says "wothout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" so then trust in him and be forgiven and "but to those who did receive him gave he power to become the children of God born not od the will of flesh or blood but of Spirit" become the children of God and receive in yourself the gift of the God which is the seal of promise unto eternal life The Spirit of God who indwells every believer and makes them thw righteousness of God, and the children of God and if children then heirs to the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
It broke my heart when you read the graffiti that said ACKNOWLEDGE ME. Every human being has the need to be known and cherished. So many of us have no idea how lucky we are. 💕
If they want to be acknowledged, they need to get off their butt's and move elsewhere to get a job and work for it. Instead of staying in a dying town, with no jobs and a high body count.
It's always surprising to me how fast a house can fall apart because it is not occupied. As if the roof was thinking "Well...there's nobody living in here, I give up!".
I've often wandered about this, but I think what's really happening is the windows are being broken and this allows the elements INSIDE where the house is vulnerable. Once mold sets in, it makes quick work of the walls allowing plant life to follow. Additionally, occupants keep the home warm in winter and cool in summer, preventing extremes in temperature from warping the house's foundational wood beams.
It's usually longer than 30 years and also usually because of vandals. Bad ass kids busting out windows allow moisture, plant life, and bugs into the home. It expedites the decay process. The overgrown grass attracts vermin. Termites do the rest.
People move out when the house starts to become unlivable otherwise they would stay or it would be occupied by somebody else. A building just gets to a state where it’s just not worth putting more money in. The electoral wiring needs to be replaced, a major pipe is leaking and needs to be dug out and replaced, the roof has a leak, the basement floods. Finally it’s just time to move on. Within a year the building becomes a teardown.
My dad told me Gary was the saddest, bleakest, most necrotized thing he ever saw. He passed through on a road trip from New England all the way to Nevada. He said it couldn't be called a graveyard because graveyards usually have a sense of peace and dignity. Not Gary. Really stuck with him.
Grew up just 20 min down the road in East Chicago, IN. At 18 my first real job was in the steel mill. I quickly figured out that the area was doomed so I quit my job, did my military obligation, and then moved to CA. In 1963 CA was a free, wonderful, thriving, and opportunity-filled state. In 2020, I once again, packed up and moved out of CA to a free state. At age 84 my life has been an exciting adventure and journey. As for Gary, it needs to be bulldozed and at best become a small town. It will never return to the city that it once was ... and I do remember what a great middle-class and upper-middle-class place it once was.
Looking at that big magnificent church in such terrible shape made me so sad. The whole town/city is very depressing. Thank you Joe, for sharing this with us.
"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " and "I came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through me" This is the truth that Jesus came into the world to be put fourth as a propitiation/ sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who trust in him shall not be condemned by their sins but be forgiven and receive by him the eternal inheritance of the rightouness of God obtained by faith in God through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and this is life the true life that persists forever and does not perish but to all those who have not believe they are condemned because they have not believed in the Son Of God Jesus but as the bible says "wothout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" so then trust in him and be forgiven and "but to those who did receive him gave he power to become the children of God born not od the will of flesh or blood but of Spirit" become the children of God and receive in yourself the gift of the God which is the seal of promise unto eternal life The Spirit of God who indwells every believer and makes them thw righteousness of God, and the children of God and if children then heirs to the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
Day after Easter, 2024. So sad. I watch videos of road trips out west where the railroad or freeway went a different way. Gary isn't unique. still sad.
Must admit that I found this video heartbreaking. The architectural beauty alone that is rotting away is enough to bring a person to tears but seeing all those vacant homes that once housed families full of dreams, joy and laughter, well, there are just no words.
I live in the UK and buildings like this aren't allowed to be destroyed or amended. Anything over a certain age is considered "listed" and therefore must be protected. Is there any kind of law in place in America that helps to maintain historic architecture?
I grew up in Gary in the 1950's , early 60's. It was such a great city! I am filled with such fine memories as I see these buildings and streets again. As kids, we were outdoors playing all the time. The parks were nearby with perfect slopes for sledding. Everything was within walking distance and very safe. For one brief shining moment there was a great city there!
My mom grew up there in the 60's and 70's and she says the same things about how it was back then. She said it gives her a twinge of sadness in her heart seeing what it's become
Similar to Detroit. Once it was on it's ascent with thoughts towards a world class city, only to all but fold largely from government mandates during the "Energy Crisis" in 1973. The decline was perhaps slower than Gary, which had to be a grand city in its day, but it's been pretty much the same result.@@AlysiaTribeca
Because in "The Music Man", there is a song called "Gary, Indiana", I always assumed it was a great town. Back when that musical was written (50's, 60's) likely it was as you said.
I remember Ron Howard as a little boy in "The Music Man" singing the song "Gary Indiana" back in the early 60's. The song was about how great it was to live there.
As a resident of Indiana, I’ve always had to pass by Gary whenever I went to Chicago. Never been brave enough to actually explore the city. It already looks like a dilapidated ghost town from the outside, but it was kind of crazy to see just how deep it goes. It truly does look post-apocalyptic. Depressing. The church was particularly tragic to see… it must have been so beautiful at one time. Thank you for taking the time to show us.
The last part of the church building you showed looked like what might have been the sanctuary. You are either very brave, somewhat nuts, or heavily armed to have done this video in the first place. Fascinating work though. God keep you.
I worked for the local utility company in Gary for 2.5 years, it was such a grounding experience and really put into perspective how little I had to complain about in my life compared to what others deal with everyday.
"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " and "I came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through me" This is the truth that Jesus came into the world to be put fourth as a propitiation/ sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who trust in him shall not be condemned by their sins but be forgiven and receive by him the eternal inheritance of the rightouness of God obtained by faith in God through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and this is life the true life that persists forever and does not perish but to all those who have not believe they are condemned because they have not believed in the Son Of God Jesus but as the bible says "wothout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" so then trust in him and be forgiven and "but to those who did receive him gave he power to become the children of God born not od the will of flesh or blood but of Spirit" become the children of God and receive in yourself the gift of the God which is the seal of promise unto eternal life The Spirit of God who indwells every believer and makes them thw righteousness of God, and the children of God and if children then heirs to the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
Right? I'm European & it's hard to understand. I guess you can sleep in your car in a pinch but your bedroom can't drive you around to work or the grocery store.
As a 17 year old I worked on a nomadic magazine crew, selling subscriptions door to door. Gary was one of the towns that we worked. At that time it was a beautiful place, everybody worked in the steel mills and made lots of money, a happy hunting grounds for a magazine crew! I don't recall anybody NOT buying something from me. It's sad to see it the way it is today.
"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " and "I came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through me" This is the truth that Jesus came into the world to be put fourth as a propitiation/ sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who trust in him shall not be condemned by their sins but be forgiven and receive by him the eternal inheritance of the rightouness of God obtained by faith in God through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and this is life the true life that persists forever and does not perish but to all those who have not believe they are condemned because they have not believed in the Son Of God Jesus but as the bible says "wothout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" so then trust in him and be forgiven and "but to those who did receive him gave he power to become the children of God born not od the will of flesh or blood but of Spirit" become the children of God and receive in yourself the gift of the God which is the seal of promise unto eternal life The Spirit of God who indwells every believer and makes them thw righteousness of God, and the children of God and if children then heirs to the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
I know a girl who grew up in Gary and she said it was really bad. She was constantly bulied for being white, shoes/ backpacks stolen at least once a week if not more and beaten up often. She left in 10th grade with her grandma and moved to florida, leaving her parents behind. Her grandma was a widow of a former steel worker from the 60's and both parents had their own issues....definition of an escape. Very sad...but Im happy to say shes moved and is now happily married with a 2 lovely kids!
I grew up in South Bend, IN. When I was a freshman in high school in 2011 my football team made the playoffs and had to play a team from Gary in Gary. Their school looked like it hadn’t been touched since 1960. We ended up beating them like 49-0. But the kids on the other team were just happy to have something to do. I felt bad for the conditions they had to grow up in though.
So your team is in the playoffs and the team you guys played from Gary was also in the playoffs? That doesn't make much sense were yawl that good or were they that bad?
If its the school i used to deliever to on 45th avenue( Lew Wallace) they closed it down a few years ago, but yeah walking through there was like going through a time machine. Except they had metal detectors.
Your probably too young to remember Marquette elementary school in the bend ,the old one off west Hamilton street . I went there lived on north O’Brien a while
I grew up nextdoor in Hammond where my parents families came to from the 1870's to 1900. My grandfather was a home builder and land developer that was offered the lakefront acreage that became the site of the US Steel plant. He turned it down since it was nothing but sand dunes with swamps in between them. USS drained the swamps and sold the excess sand to Chicago for filling in their swampy lakeshore to make parks. Thomas Edison saw concrete as the construction material of the future so invested heavily in cement production. His first project to prove his point was the construction of Yankee Stadium in NYC in one continuous pour. His houses used massive set of forms which were filled by a continuous pour using concrete that was mixed on site then taken up by a conveyor belt to the top of the forms. Edison couldn't get contractors to buy his concrete home system due to the cost of the forms and equipment, the time it took to set those up then take down, the hassle of getting the cement, rock and sand on the jobsite to do a continuous pour and mixing it. They also had to wait for a month or more for the concrete to cure out before they could start finishing the interior and exterior. Many contractors were like my grandfather that preferred building Sears kit homes and Mom & Pop stores since they could have those move-in ready within 45 days or less.
I lived in Gary Indiana 25 years. Back in 2014 I moved to Hammond Indiana. Gary has good neighborhoods and bad like any other cities. I am currently 72 years old and white and most times feel safe walking and shopping in Gary in the daytime mostly. My basic rule is spend as much of your income where you live. If you can’t purchase what you need go to a neighboring city. KEEP YOUR MONEY AS CLOSE TO HOME AS POSSIBLE. If everyone did this all of our cities would be thriving.
A few years back, my friend's daughter went to Gary with her friend to hang out with this guy. He wouldn't release them, took her truck, and her friend returned a few days later by herself. My friend's daughter was missing for a year until they found her remains. He was later arrested and charged with her demise. Her name was Jessica Flores. 😢
What they really need to do is level three quarters of Gary and rebuild factories and homes but nobody wants to invest in an area that's controlled by thugs and violent criminals.
Grew up just South & a little West of Gary (Schererville). My mom told me she and my aunt would go shopping in downtown Gary after WW2 (1950s) and it was really nice. By the time I cold drive (1974) no one would ever dare go into Gary, especially after dark. There used to be a big Methodist hospital there. And a commuter campus (Indiana University) with a well regarded nursing program.
Gary is basically the end result of a company town when the company leaves and the people are left alone to pick up the pieces. It's why people are very nervous about volatile companies like Tesla trying to recreate the same thing. We know how this ends already.
US Steel never left Gary. All of Northwest Indiana lost population after the steel plants began shutting down departments due to downturns in the industry. Gary had a crooked city government that did nothing about the violent drug gangs that appeared in 1970 then grew in numbers. Stores left the Downtown after shoppers took their business elsewhere where they wouldn't get robbed on the sidewalks or have their cars stolen. Thefts, break-ins and home invasions became a constant problem so residents simply left after giving their property to the city since nobody would buy a house in Gary.
I was one of the 10% white people who grew up in Gary. That was a trip down memory lane. Loved hearing the train again. We grew up right next to that railroad track. We were robbed often, the house was shot at once. Today I live abroad as a missionary in a place that is considered dangerous. I have never felt I was in danger, probably because of where I grew up. My family still lives there.
@iatealready But your story is one of thousands where it's not a "race" issue, it's completely a "culture" issue. The culture of idolizing ignorance and criminality is what plagues black America today far more than any other perceived reason.
@@daddybandit4431 Race is a cultural construct. And historically in the US it was used to favour one group over another and as a justification for ruthless exploitation. The race problems we see lingering today in America link back to a dark economic legacy. So, you can say it's a culture issue but that's true mostly in respect to our culture having deep racial inequalities as a matter of state policy. Ultimately though, it all boils down to the wealthy versus the working class. It's just that historically, the bottom of the totem pole in the working class has always been people of colour, since race was chosen early on in America as a class marker. This shaped the destinies of millions for generations to come and we're still living in the cultural blast zone of those exploitative decisions.
@iatealready That's a good take, my grandmother grew up in Gary Indiana in the 1930s when it was predominantly white people before the "white flight" and her family relocated to San Diego, California where my dad was born. After hearing stories about Gary, I'm fortunate my grandma and her family moved to California
I’m from Chesterton, Indiana. I have taken the South Shore train into Chicago all my life and it goes through Gary. Always interesting to see Gary and how different it is from my hometown only 20 minutes away. I’ve met people who recently had to move out to nearby towns because of the corruption with the government in the city of Gary. Schools closing down, mayors stealing money, and not much there for people anymore. Super sad.
Currently a Gary resident. This video focused on downtown and the east side of town where there is majority of the abandoned buildings. There are beautiful homes and communities on either sides of Gary and areas where the abandoned homes and businesses are being tore down. Not condoning casinos but Hard rock casino is in the west side of Gary right off of 80/94 that brought in a lot of business and jobs to the area. The casino is hosting concerts and shows with big names celebrities that I never thought would even be named to be in this area. Gary is slowly being rebuilt but it’s being rebuilt from the outside first then working towards the inner city.
I worked at the casinos there..yes brought in jobs but within 10 years,businesses closed down..casinos rake the money,and if you look where casino boats are at in other states,its the same..people get addicted and loose and businesses close down and crime gos up!! GARY was bad even b4 the casinos..I lived and worked all around there!
Ms. Jordan, can you explain Gary in less than two paragraphs? Where are the "good" areas? Bad areas? Is the north side "white" and the south side "black" like Chicago? I hear many Hispanic families are moving in too. Any advice would be appreciated.
Notice how there isn’t any leaves on the trees. And people were bundled up the ones you did see. This had to have been filmed early spring right after the snow. Makes sense there aren’t many people out and about. Go there today on these hot days and Ian willing to bet those areas are filled with unsupervised children running out in front of cars.
@Loneshark luckily most cities don't get anywhere near this bad because they can keep the gangs somewhat under control, this town's police force must've just been slowly overrun over the last few decades so there's nothing to stop the crime
My plane was grounded for 3 days in Gary Indiana because of a snowstorm! Needless to say, I was glad to get back in the air😊 this was a few years ago and I’m sure it hasn’t improved any since then
It's fascinating, just watching this is surreal. It feels like nostalgia, and I can almost smell the air ripe with broken dreams and lost souls. What a quintessential American tragedy of a town. The rise, fall, and the result.
Thank you for not laughing at this sad city as others do. I can tell that you are a good compassionate human being. What happened to Gary could happen to any town that relies on one employer........... "Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee"
"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " and "I came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through me" This is the truth that Jesus came into the world to be put fourth as a propitiation/ sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who trust in him shall not be condemned by their sins but be forgiven and receive by him the eternal inheritance of the rightouness of God obtained by faith in God through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and this is life the true life that persists forever and does not perish but to all those who have not believe they are condemned because they have not believed in the Son Of God Jesus but as the bible says "wothout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" so then trust in him and be forgiven and "but to those who did receive him gave he power to become the children of God born not od the will of flesh or blood but of Spirit" become the children of God and receive in yourself the gift of the God which is the seal of promise unto eternal life The Spirit of God who indwells every believer and makes them thw righteousness of God, and the children of God and if children then heirs to the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
I was born in a town in Germany called Georgsmarienhütte. This town was also founded to provide a home for the workers of a new steel mill. In the 1970s there was also a steel crisis in Germany. The steelworks almost perished, as did the entire city. But only almost. A former manager bought the plant for a symbolic price. In fact, one of his first steps was to take out the trash. On Saturdays he helped out himself to set an example. Then he had all the dilapidated parts of the work demolished. The area was sold very cheaply to new companies from other branches of the economy. And he installed a new blast furnace in the remaining area that could fabricate special steels. The steel mill is now making a profit again. The city has been growing again for many years. So it's safe to say, if you need to start over, start by clearing out the trash.
Sadly, many of the folks living in this area will typically always remain in ‘victim’ status and never strive for better. I enjoyed your story though, sounds like an admirable man who saved the German town
@@Deetroiter His name is Jürgen Großmann, he is still alive and is now one of the 100 richest Germans, his fortune is estimated at around 1.35 billion euros. The special thing about him is probably that he grew up in the shadow of another steel mill and simply took on responsibility as a manager. He certainly didn't need to collect rubbish back then, but he didn't just want to make money, no matter how. Rather, it was a personal matter for him. He knew the culture and pride of the steel workers. With actions like this, he freed people from their role as victims and swept them along. Incidentally, this also included the fact that he knocked off rust together with the very simple workers and gave the motto: "Nothing will rust here anymore and no paint will flake off." Fun fact: He bought the Georgsmarienhütte steelworks for EUR 2, which was around USD 2 at the time.
Back in the day people were terrified to even drive into Gary at night, now people are terrified to go into Chicago, I live in Valparaiso Indiana, a very safe and beutiful town.❤
You can see the sadness in your eyes. It's so depressing. This is how we feel when we go back home. It's hard to visit the remaining loved ones that stayed. They dont notice how bad it is until removing yourself from Gary for a while. It use to be a thriving and beautiful city when I was a child. Very well to do individuals and a very happy place to live😢
I’ve driven through Gary 3 times and what you just can’t pick up from the video is how dystopian and surreal it feels. You feel like you’re driving through Chernobyl if squatters moved in. First time I stopped here was for gas and i didn’t even bother filling up. I got just enough gas to get the hell out.
Trippy. As he was walking through The Church ⛪ i had to keep reminding myself: that *I* was safe... *Trippy* some people haven't waited for 'the end' (reference: dystopian)
I messed up on my way back from Wisconsin in my early 20s with an SUV full of my friends and it was low on gas at about 3 AM when I had to pull into Gary to fill up. Most of them were asleep when I went to go in. My girlfriend at the time was in the passenger seat and I woke her up and left the keys and told her to lock the doors when I got out and if anything happened drive away. Scary Gary.
@@TheRealMasonYoung I live in Gary, and i feel okay with walking alone in the dark (call me crazy) but i do pack some kind of protection. Its not the people of Gary i find a problem, It's usually those from Chitown that want to ruin the peace and fun.
@@TheRealMasonYoung I did the same thing when I was younger. The worst part is I had no cash and my cards stopped working because my bank saw transactions from multiple states (drove to Toronto). I was running on fumes and had no money and I was in Gary. I scrounged up some loose change in my truck and filled up with what I had and got out of Dodge.
I was born next door in Hammond. Nobody on our block was well to do; we were all poor but.....we didn't trash our neighborhoods, we didn't steel, loot, or riot. Our parents did the best they could. Our clothes were patched up but were clean just like we were. There's no excuse to tear up your town because of poverty.
You have no idea what real poverty is or why it’s perpetuated. Educate yourself. Read. Why do you think it’s the fault of poor people that this place is in ruins? Do their landlords not have any responsibilities? What about the owners of the massive abandoned buildings? Someone owns all that property. Landlords purposely buy cheap residences and rent them to people who can’t fight back when the landlords refuse to do even basic upkeep.
Gary, Indiana! What a wonderful name Named for Elbert Gary of judiciary fame Gary, Indiana, as a Shakespeare would say Trips along softly on the tongue this way Gary, Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary, Indiana Let me say it once again Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana That's the town that "knew me when" Now if you'd like to have a logical explanation How I happened on this elegant syncopation I will say without a moment of hesitation There is just one place That can light my face Gary, Indiana Gary Indiana Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, but Gary, Indiana Gary, Indiana Gary Indiana My home sweet home The Music Man by Meredith Willson
Lived there as a kid. We moved out to nearby Merrillville when I was very young, but many of our friends and family were still there. My parents tell me it was an awesome city in the late 60's and even early 70's. I moved away and now moved back to a nearby town, and I won't set foot in that city if I can avoid it. Not necessarily because of the crime, but because of the sadness it brings to me to see many of the fun/vibrant places I remember, looking so run down.
WOW VERY DANGEROUS SIR! 😠 😠I WILL NEVER GO TO USA!!😠 BUT THIS WHY IM SO LUCKY LIVE IN SUPER INDIA THE CLEANEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD 🇮🇳🤗 , WE NEVER SCAM! WE GIVE RESPECT TO ALL WOMEN THEY CAN WALK SAFELY ALONE AT NIGHT AND WE HAVE CLEAN FOOD AND TOILET EVERYWHERE 🇮🇳🤗🚽, I KNOW MANY POOR PEOPLE JEALOUS WITH SUPER RICH INDIA 🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳
@@nickeyfynn3270 Obviously, that is a troll channel making fun of India. In that part of the world, literally every country seems to have beef with one or two neighboring countries.
That's what happens when the Rich re-write laws and get away with using cheap slave labor in other countries, so they have no use for american workers.
I lived in Gary for a while in the 80's. I remember people openly carrying guns down our street. I also remember many houses burning completely down on our block. There were hoodlums constantly trespassing in the yard and trying to steal stuff from our storage shed ....so we called the Gary PD. I remember the officers telling me..if you shoot one of them, make sure to drag them into your house so it looks like self defense. I also remember a few nights laying on the floor of the bedroom from the gunfire out in the street. Good times!
100% facts and police say the same thing to this day it's wild here but people comment saying Chicago is better not crime wise I'd say we run a tight 2nd
I love it that you went right up to the gates of U.S. Steel Gary Works. As an engineering consultant, I've been through those Gates a few times many moons ago.
I would drive down the streets of Gary, but I don't think I would walk into the abandoned church by myself. You have the guts to do it which makes for a good video.
To be fair, even driving around can be a bit of an adventure in some cities. I was doing a bit of a tour in Detroit, and then found myself in a not so fancy area. 'You take a right turn down a small residential street, drive for a little bit, all of a sudden you have a group of gentlemen having some sort of town meeting in the middle of the road and they all look as if you came in a bit too late to join them.' That's the moment when you realize that you made a mistake and the right turn you were planning on making probably happened a street too soon. Well luckily there was still room enough to do a 180 so I didn't have to get further lost down the wrong path...
My Uncle gave me the Grand Tour of Gary in his 58 Fairlane. When the Steel plants were operating the sky was a Weird Orange/Yellow, It actually ate the paint off some of the cars. People had money back then you would see Luxury GM cars parked in modest homes. The rest is History, Thanks Lord Spoda.👍👍👍👍👍
@@Mattology1 Birmingham, Alabama was once known as 'Smoke City' & Tuscaloosa had Paper Planet & was Orange City At Nights. The Paper Plant closed down & the Skies Of Tuscaloosa were Clear again. Birmingham USS closed & Skies became Clear again.
"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " and "I came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through me" This is the truth that Jesus came into the world to be put fourth as a propitiation/ sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who trust in him shall not be condemned by their sins but be forgiven and receive by him the eternal inheritance of the rightouness of God obtained by faith in God through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and this is life the true life that persists forever and does not perish but to all those who have not believe they are condemned because they have not believed in the Son Of God Jesus but as the bible says "wothout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" so then trust in him and be forgiven and "but to those who did receive him gave he power to become the children of God born not od the will of flesh or blood but of Spirit" become the children of God and receive in yourself the gift of the God which is the seal of promise unto eternal life The Spirit of God who indwells every believer and makes them thw righteousness of God, and the children of God and if children then heirs to the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
I grew up one town over in Griffith where everyone worked the steel mills until they closed and you captured Gary pretty well. I wish you had driven further north to the communities on lake Michigan the houses are beautiful. The average Joe can afford a nice home in walking distance to the lake and the Dunes.
The problem with such towns is that they don't demolish the empty buildings. That drags down the value of the rest of the area and you get a downwards spiral. Where I live in Holland they would clean these wrecked houses up and make the place look ok. That makes all the difference.
Banks dont care about making the city look nice. once a private investor is interested in the property, the bank sells it and it's up to the investor if they want to start from scratch or remodel. Tearing down the building and getting rid of the material waste is an unnecessary expenditure for the Bank.
@@geekers8644 You see. You completely missed the point. The value of the land is rock bottom when the whole street is full of wrecked abandoned houses. So the bank looses everything by not cleaning up. Selling a house for 5k dollars is the same as giving it away. This system of is not debatable. They figured this out a century ago and is a well proven system.
@@Dani-it5sy - you're thinking smaller than the banks do. They don't care about selling individual lots - a bank will own blocks of these, and when they DO sell, the people buying them don't care what's there NOW, as they will level, dig and build a completely new structure or set of structures on that land. Why clean up the old structures when they aren't stopping the bank from selling the land as they want to - in large scale blocks? It's sad and it's sick and it robs the city of meaning anything to those who continue to be there, but the banks don't care about that, as they aren't required to.
if they can't clean up garbage like that they sure as hell ain't demolishing and cleaning up an entire house. Best thing people in Gary could do is get out and just let the city die
@@Dani-it5sy The US banking and housing systems operate nothing like Holland. The US government bails out the banks all the time (not just in 2008). The US banks just write the property off, give it back to the city and then the city becomes responsible for tearing the buildings down - with no tax base to raise the funds to do so. So you end up with a city in continual decline and it stays that way for so long that nobody would ever move back even if it was completely torn down and rebuilt. Not to mention these are all usually cookie cutter cities built after WWII with small lots and small houses for low income people working in factories that don't even exist anymore.
Can believe cities like this still exist in America...I'm from NJ and passing through Camden since I was a kid now in my 40's is still the same. We contribute more to other countries then taking care of our own
Driven through Camden NJ on a greyhound and was saddened to see the conditions 😢 But one lady got on next to me and was very nice 👍🏼 It’s sad when good people have to live in these conditions
I spent the first eleven years of my life in Camden NJ. The day my parents said we would be moving, I was so happy. I have many fond memories of my childhood home but the neighborhood itself was absolute garbage. It hasn't changed much in the 30+ years since we lived there. If anything it's gotten worse.
My parents were thrilled when they bought a home in Gary in 1968. I was 16. I felt like a rock had been dropped in the pit of my stomach. Even then at my young age, I sensed that it was a city headed in a downward direction. The desolation you see today began many years ago even before the collapse of the steel industry..
@@ent1311 They have passed on. Many homeowners, especially retirees are trapped there. Low property values mean they can not sell and have enough money to buy elsewhere. That is if they can sell at all.
Interesting I was just mentioning in 1968 Gary elected its 1st black mayor. During this time whites didn't want a black mayor so many packed up their business and left. Taking jobs with them. Once the Steel Mills closed that was it.
i was born there in 1961,my mom used to walk AT night to and from work as a telephone operator, my dad worked at US steel...we escaped in late 60's when certain kids teens young adults started hanging out on street corners and yards started to be piled up with junk and litter and houses started to have broken windows and boards over them...we knew it was time to get out.. we moved to hobart right next door, after i was in my teens you could tell when you drove across the border of gary and hobart immediately! like day and night
What causes that. Yes, we all know when a industrial based economy City loses that industrial base, we see what happens. But, why does the violence, destruction enter into it, the crime enter into it? The neglect of homes, the ill respect of classical architecture, it's as if the people remaining hate where they live, hated the town previously, and now almost hate their existence. Is there no employment in other towns, be it employment at a Walmart, supermarket of some type? I see that many are dancing around the questions, and dancing around the answers. But, we've got to start facing these facts. The number one issue is, the industrial based economy is long gone. That concept is over100 years old, and now at the very, very least it is 60 years out of date. It is time to think of of another economy base for the town, and people need to get out of that state of mind, where the only successful business is apparently the liquor store / bar there. That's the only thing open in that entire area, other than to downtown Supermarket the other necessity apparently.
This blight and decay actually affected me physically, I got a terrible stomach ache. I'm an old man and have lived in many places from one end of the country to the other. It truly saddens me to see both the physical, moral and political demise of the country I grew up in. I have great memories of my travels and life experiences, but glad I am near the end. Rome had nothing on us. Still a Patriot..
That's the first thing I thought of when I saw how small M.Jacksons family home is. All those brothers and sisters squeezed into that little home. WoW🙂 As a long haul trucker I see so much urban decline across America. Is very sad to see. I always try and imagine what it was like to live in these places back in the days when they were vibrant. Gary is one of those places I go to a few times a year for truck loads. Is a city that is really hard on the eyes. Always relieved to get in and out of there without incident. Great coverage of this area! Thanks
Back in the early 60's we would drive from our home in the Northwest Suburb of Des Plaines, Illinois to Toledo, Ohio to visit our cousins. I remember looking out the car window from the expressway as we were passing Gary. The steel mills were in full operation, and as kids we were fascinated by all the different colors of smoke belching from the steel mill smokestacks in the distance. So sad we lost all that industry.
If you go down some rabbit holes on the internet you will find out why so many small towns and industries were moved from US…..America being killed from the inside out ! So very said to see these once thriving towns looking like ghost towns. This has. LOT to do with the elites running our world ! Wake up people !!!!!
Im sure not quite as sad as the families of the workers who's health deteriorated and eventually succumbed to all the posions they were exposed to in those jobs. catch-22.
I hear ya. My family lived in what was in the 60's a "Leave It To Beaver" neighborhood, Jeffrey Manor on the far south side of Chicago. We traveled back to the Buffalo/Rochester area each summer to visit relatives. We passed by those steel mills running full steam in that 1957-1967 time frame. Got out of the South Side when it was imploding and now is a haven for gangs and shootings. How sad how things can and do change when the wrong element moves in.
I was born in Terre Haute Indiana in 1944. Tony Hullman, of Hullman & Company, the makers of Clabber Girl Baking Powder. He pretty much owned the whole town. He also owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and started the annal race each year by announcing to the car drivers; "Gentlemen, start your engines". My father went to high school with him and they stayed in contact into the mid 50's. Nobody got a civil service job in Terre Haute unless you were somehow connected with Tony and his bunch. Terre haute has the dubious distinction of having the highest crime rate of any city in Indiana. My Uncle Russell used to call it; "Little Chicago". We moved to Phoenix in August of 1955. I was 10.
My friends' family nearly bought that red house visible on the right side of the road starting at 29:20. It was awesome, it had an entire separate apartment set up in the basement, I would've been ready to move in with them there.
I grew up just a few miles from here, I'm still in the area too - my family actually lived on Grant Street in Gary up until I was almost 5. The main reason you aren't seeing homeless people around those abandoned buildings you were exploring, outside of your vehicle, is because that's not a real safe part of town. I mean, there aren't many GREAT spots to be sleeping unprotected outdoors in that town - but that would be a prime spot that someone with ill intentions might start to look for a victim who won't be noticed missing right away. Sad but true.
Are there homeless at all? I would think anyone that can't afford their mortgage would just move into the nicest empty house.. even just squat right where they're at if it's not a nicer area. Can't imagine the banks have a whole lot of leverage there.
I’ve lived in Gary for almost two years now, and the thing about Gary is that there are very dangerous places and relatively safe places. The thing I love about Gary is the people. I’ve lived all over Indiana and never have I had such nice neighbors. The thing I hate about Gary is people’s lack of interest in change in the city. Although Gary has made progress in the past five years it is no where were it used to be. Because Gary has a bad stigma most developers pass by the city. Crime may be high in Gary but Gary also has one of the best hospitals in the area, and one of the best Police Departments(at least from what I’ve seen). Gary has the potential to be great, if only people would care to help.
@@lillysbookcase9682 That's what first came to my mind when he said he saw no homeless people, "isn't it obvious? with that much abandoned property if someone's homeless they're likely to pick a home that nobody cares about", there seems to be a bunch of those. Also, it's nice that someone who lives there chimes in to talk about the human aspect behind the numbers and the pictures.
Very good point, highlighted by the piles of trash that were passed by. While this is so true, what motivation(s) are the local government performing to help get people involved and care again? It's been over a decade since I worked with the local officials there, I pray most our gone and your once great city can heal once again.
The crime and murder rate etc doesn't really reflect the reality that well. We're not talking about "common" people getting murdered on the streets for the sake of it like the movie purge.
I just happened to catch your vlog....I was raised in Gary. Gary, like so many other towns that lost it's original purpose..in Gary's case it's steel..but Gary is a victim of at least one success...a great school system but little job opportunity. Every one of those buildings that you drove past had a story for me...Sears, Goldblatts, Woolworth, the Palace Theater. My parents, born and raised in Chicago, moved to Gary in 1955...from Chicago...where as WWII Vet"s, both were WWII...my parent"s could not use their veterans benefits to purchase a house in Chicago! By the way...we are Black! So, we moved to a brand new black working class neighborhood in Gary filled with steel mill workers, there were 2 passenger train conductors on our block..CTA and IC, postal workers, RR Donally next door, We even had doctors who lived in the neighborhood and made house calls! Our neighborhood was built by a black contractor. Most of my neighbors were also black, many were veterans who also had moved from Chicago and like my dad...yes I had a dad as with practically every household in my neighborhood...the folklore being that black famlies don't have fathers...we weren't raised in a fatherless environment. After I finished high school I also worked in Chicago. Gary is a product of it's own success. As a product of the Gary school system...which was one of the best in the 50's through the 60's...the height of the civil rights movement which I had been a part of during the 60's and the 70's, my black neighborhood produced many of the top graduates in our high school...based on SAT scores.. during the 60's the state of Indiana decided to "integrate" the high school system and worked hard to inspire all of us to get a higher education. Not only was it the era of the Civil Rights movement but the beginning of the Vietnam war. And many after graduating from collage relocated to where they could take advantage of that education they obtained. Gary, being a steel mill town, offered few opportunities for those who successfully finished their higher education..there were a family of Harvard graduates down the street, Columbia University in N Y scholarship across the street, IU scholarships in my family, classmates who went to Purdue, to Lincoln in Mo.,Ball State, and so many other collages and relocated where they went to collage. Or some like me, got a great job that became a career and went to collage in my spare time. In your vlog you drove north down Broadway passed 5th Ave, but somehow you missed the massive campus of Indiana University NW which is on 35th and Broadway where in one of my Labor Study classes I learned that Gary is no different than Pittsburgh and any other steel mill town where steel production was moved over seas. Or no different from coal mining towns, like in Appalachia, where coal mines are shut down, but many of those people have actually remained in those states, and in poverty. But somehow, usually only Gary gets the notoriety! In addition...Chicago is less than 20 minutes down the expressway. When a number of their projects were closed down, former residents were given vouchers to move to Gary. I can go on and on about the political issues that initially began Gary's decline starting way back when I was a youth member in NAACP in Gary when Richard Gordon Hatcher ran to become the first black mayor in a metropolitan city...he won, became the mayor, and funding for anything pertaining to Gary soon became the political object! But we were blessed to still have had access to a great education, even our children from subsequent generations who graduated from the same schools we went to are doing great and representing all over the country! We also are proud products of a great neighborhood where everyone looked out for one another and our parents knew our neighbors 3 and 4 blocks away! Very few can say that today! But in America you go where that great job and financial security leades you! However, like so often all over this Nation many get stuck in those traps created to divide us. We are not at all ashamed of Gary, we/I come back home all the time and we hope and believe one day our city will recover! Noone can really tell the truth about Gary if you ignore or don't know its history!
If you had a chance to repopulate that city with immigrants and homeless people from the west coast, would you do it? It would mean jobs for the current residents.
@@davidtrotman5990 I don't understand how you deduce that bringing homeless people and immigrants to Gary would "provide jobs"? The issues of homelessness and immigration won't be solved by dumping people into any city...and by the way, I love to remind people that unless you are Native or a decendant of slavery (I am) this Native land is a nation of immigrants where people came..running from all the isims in their original Nations to seek a better life! Like Chicago there are plenty of local homeless people and those in poverty in Gary so without federal funding or jobs...Gary isn't a dump site and there are plenty established neighborhoods in Gary where people are not in poverty. Gary just needs restoration. Just like my parents moved into a brand-new neighborhood in the 50's new neighborhoods can be rebuilt. I've seen Chicago tear down old neighborhoods and build new homes and it can happen in Gary!
I don’t agree with David’s insinuations but wouldn’t it be great if we could successfully and WITH ASSISTANCE help relocate homeless people and immigrants seeking sanctuary and give them the opportunity to fix this mess up. I know there’s myriad reasons for homelessness and I typically shy away from sweeping generalizations but specifically every immigrant I’ve ever known from Mexico and South America were the hardest working and most dedicated people I’ve ever had the privilege to work alongside of. It’s disgraceful that certain politicians (namely Abbott and DeSantis) are literally trafficking desperate human beings for a political stunt. Give people something of their own. That they can be proud of. Don’t like it? Better get used to it because as the rich become richer and the poor become slaves the rest of us are going to be refugees from either climate or food instability. Not to mention the RW gun nuts who will murder anyone for seemingly any reason or actually lack of a reason.
I agree with your comment about how hard-working many of the people are that politicians love to malign, but then you say “Give people something of their own,” and you lose me. Are you offering to “Give them” some of your property and money? How’s about you “give them” some of your children’s or families homes or land? When you GIVE someone something is it truly “their own?”Then you go on some sort of rant about “RW gun nuts.” I’m former military and I own guns. My son and daughter both own firearms and we enjoy going to the outdoor range to shoot. I suppose WE are the problem? All of us are college educated, my daughter is a vegetarian but I grew up hunting and eating what I killed. I’m sure if you take our guns away, the murder rate in Chicago will drop dramatically. 🤔. You need to think things through on a little deeper level-in my opinion. I’m a “nut” though so my opinion isn’t really valid anyway. ❤️🫡
One thing that troubles me is this: My ggg-grandfather worked in the lumber industry in SE Wisconsin. There were acres and acres of these massive trees. The lumber companies just went through clear cutting the huge centuries old trees, and then sold the land cheap to immigrant farmers. That lumber went to build so many of these homes from the first half of the 20th century. The massive trees have been cut to build these houses, and now the trees are gone, and so are the houses.
Truly heartbreaking. I was born in Gary and my father worked in the steel mill. He passed in ‘84 from asbestos poisoning due to working there and in ‘85 we moved to Detroit. As a teen, I would go back to visit friends and family and prior to 2019 my last visit was about 20 years ago. Just seems like a ghost town compared to when I lived there 😢😢
I was born in Gary in the mid 50's. My parents were married in the Methodist Church, and I was stunned to see what has become of it. We lived in Glen Park, then moved to Miller and lived only blocks from the beach. And, yes, my dad worked at the steel mill. My grandfather owned an appliance business on Broadway in the 50's and 60's. It breaks my heart to see what has become of a once lovely little city.
I was born and raised in Gary. Graduated from Roosevelt high school. We lived in Glen park mostly, but we also lived in Marshalltown also. I left in 2002. I know how bad that city was/is. I was scared for this gentleman going in that church. Please be careful going in any abandoned buildings in Gary.
It’s crazy that a church is failing apart that was built in the 20s and vacant since the 60s but there are pyramids and other ancient structures that have stood strong for literally thousands of years
It's very humid in the Midwest (at least where I live) if something isn't actively growing, it's being broken down by the elements. What I think is most destructive is how many times we go above and below freezing here it just wrecks everything it touches.
@@ethograb That, and the pyramids are just giant blocks of rock stacked on each other. It would cost a gazillion dollars to build something like that in modern times.
I would imagine that homeless people tend to congregate in places where there are people and institutions willing to provide them with free goods and services. You'd be as likely to see them hanging out in Gary as you would see them hanging out in the middle of a desert.
They came to Oregon. My town is nothing like it use to be. In fact, the whole state is nothing like it was before. The homeless people are everywhere here.
I was born n raised in Gary, Indiana resided there for 29 years. I left in 94 for Mississippi after 6 mos, back in Gary, after 5 months moved to Minnesota in September 94, been here every since. I enjoyed your video, cause at least you showed some decent parts of the city unlike many. Wishing you all the best on your endeavors. 💯👌😊
Lord Spoda, I have to commend you for having the balls to get off the Indiana Toll Road in Gary and actually exploring the city. Thank you for your service.
got balls, indeed. grew up in Highland, In. went to IUN right off Broadway. worked at US steel in summers. all I kept thinking is "I hope this guy's packing"
For a Dutch citizen , it is hard to imagine the decline and decay, of these once florishing american towns. And yet it is fascinating and almost mesmerizing, to behold this utter desolation. Impressive documentary , guys.
The American willingness to let financial considerations be our sole decision criteria leads to this situation in every one of our states. Along with the abandoned buildings are abandoned people, even some who have moved away.
I live in Ohio. One town realized for years they had been overcharging for city tax for like 10 years. They won’t be sending the money back because they don’t have it to send. 😂
I've been going to Gary a lot lately this year. From the 90's til now, I've watched a decline. It was crazy how I drove down the streets and the traffic lights don't work, as if they didn't pay the light bill. The many homes I lived in are now, appears to be abandoned. The four that I remember. Tried to show my girl where I grew up, it was embarrassing, because it wasn't like that in the 90s. A couples cities over, and you'll see a world of difference.
It's devastating to see what most of Gary looks like today versus what it once was. A lot of people who are still there do take pride in their city and I feel like it will rise again out of the ashes. I lived in Hobart a city that touches both Gary and Merrillville where you stayed and it is night and day drastically a different place. Good schools low crime rates jobs etc. People from neighboring cities take their trash and dump it in Gary because nobody stops them 😢 and they don't want to pay a dump fee. So the trash is not just from the residents. I wish we could get some sort of initiative to put people to work cleaning up the city and rebuilding and rehabbing the homes and structures worth saving and demolish the ones that need to go. You should also look at the homes in Miller Beach and show Marquette Beach on lake Michigan,they are both in Gary Indiana. ❤️🤍💙
Thats what happens when you build a whole town that relies on one industry. I'm a colorado native and my state was first populated during the gold rush. Colorado didnt end up being one of the best places for gold but they diversified with farmland on the east and mining other minerals on the west. More recently, when colorado legalized marijuana, there was another influx of people. The state parks are well-maintained, there are many universities, taxes are relatively low etc. All these things make a place attractive to live at and keep the money flowing unlike Gary.
I'm from Sweden and I think it's depressing to see a city just fall apart like that. In Sweden it's mostly small villages that you can say looks the same.
"follow the money" - instead of re-investing in the business, the money gets sucked up by the owners and deposited in off-shore bank accounts where it sits to finance their lavish lifestyles elsewhere. residents will have less money to spend, the tax burden for maintaining the infrastucture will be deemed too high and cutbacks will accelerate the downfall of the community
I grew up in Gary in the 70s and 80s, graduating from Wirt High School in 1984, and have great memories of living there. I have been in Virginia since 1987 after being stationed at Naval Station Norfolk and being discharged from the Navy in 1988. I still have family living in Gary and surrounding cities, and I have been going home every two years since 1989 to visit my parents, brother, and other relatives. We lived in a beautiful middle-class neighborhood six blocks from Emerson High School. Every time I go back to Gary, I always drive through the city and am heartbroken over the decay of much of the city. It's sad to see that all of the schools I attended are closed and most of the buildings are abandoned with broken windows. There are, however, still some beautiful neighborhoods in parts of the city. Unfortunately, what most people see from the highways as they pass the city are old, dilapidated buildings.
I ended up driving around in Gary a couple years ago during covid and couldn’t stop myself from driving through the dilapidated residential neighborhoods. Being in real estate I could just imagine how nice these grand homes used to be. You see it all through the South Side of Chicago too. Such amazing history and almost inconceivable to imagine how things became so run down for once thriving communities.
I live in south Philly now, grew up right outside Camden Nj. It’s 100% conceivable why the town failed. Camden used to be beautiful too. Residents move in around the 60s and stopped maintaining properties, the people who lived there before moved, riots happened and they burnt down the city. Huge sections are still burnt out from those riots that happened 60 years ago. No one wants to open a business there because the residents will either rob the place blind or burn it down at some point. Drug dealers on every single corner. Some people refuse to live like civilized humans.
I'm hoping for a manufacturing boom in the US after covid taught us to not rely too much on international trade and supply lines. Plus relations with China not being great. Gary needs blue collar jobs that don't require a degree. I'm sure the city would offer up tax incentives on a silver platter to any potential factory.
@@MakerInMotion there’s not going to be a manufacturing boom in America again because American workers won’t work for the extremely low wages that caused outsourcing to start in the first place.
Thank you for going to Gary. I wanted to see just how bad it was, especially in 2023. The state of that beautiful church is so sad. It looked like it was absolutely beautiful when it was first build. When you stated the murders rate and income per family, my jaw dropped. So sad.
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During the summer, I often explore different towns on my motorcycle to see other areas of Indiana. I honestly don't see me riding through Gary any time soon.
I had a great uncle that worked in the steel mill and moved out to Washington state before i was born and i’m 65 now. I was born at the other end of the State in Evansville
I grew up 2 towns south of Gary, about 20-30 minutes away. Everyone knows to avoid Gary if they can. I used to work construction and helped remodel a few houses there, so many abandoned and run down buildings that need to be completely gutted to nothing and rebuilt. Most aren’t even worth it, better off bulldozing and starting from scratch. But this is an example of how there is still hope for building the town back up, it’s not on a big scale or anything but work is being done. During the day, not too bad in the more populated areas. But at night, can’t even stop at stoplights. Slow to a roll, look left and right then go. Town is eerie after dark. East and south of Gary are all pretty safe and well established towns. The steel mills still provide a lot of jobs and I know multiple people who work or have worked at them. It’s sad that a place like this exists especially being so close to a place I call home. Feels more like the run down parts of Chicago than anything. But then you drive 10 minutes away and everything nothing is like it. It’s also crazy that so many people know about Gary, never knew it was as well known as it it. Almost 4.5 million views!
I feel like Gary is far more known than you think! Here in NW Ohio, most trips out west runs through Gary. Everyone here knows the notoriety of it. I'd love to visit, I'm a hobbyist architecture historian dealing with school buildings in particular and I know the city is riddled with them. Sadly, I don't think I'd have the guts to go.
@@KarsenKeith it looks a desperate place indeed , we have some decay in British towns and cities that in comparison to European countries are pretty bad. The UK is a very unequal country in European terms but I’m afraid we don’t have anything as bad looking as Gary . Our old industrial cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds , Liverpool, Newcastle etc while desperate under Thatchers rule as she was the key to their swift demise are now at least in central parts and business districts have turned the tide sure there are still some dodgy estates you wouldn’t want to walk around at night . It’s the medium sized towns and smaller towns that have not been redeveloped that are the worst , even our most desperate seems a couple of leagues away from Gary . A pity , sone lovely looking houses or at least they once were .
The abandoned architecture almost reminds me of Chernobyl's Pripyat in an eerie sort of way. Except instead of radiation and a government coverup, it was global imperialism through cheap labor that destroyed Gary.
Either way the end results are almost same and it’s the hard working class of people that struggle. Minus all the English signs etc if someone says this is Bahkmut, would be believable
I made numerous trips to Gary Indiana to work with a Georgia Pacific papermill. I’m surprised to see people stopping at red lights in your video. When I went through there and stopped at a light, everyone just cruised right past me. People would drive up the railroad tracks and enter the plant day and night to steal anything that wasn’t nailed down, boldly walking in, saying hello, and walking right out the same door carrying metal and other things. On one occasion, staff members went out to lunch. Men wielding rifles made everybody lie down on the floor, while they went through their pockets and robbed the till. Very sad, living situation for those who have lived there over the decades
I can see how beautiful Gary was. The homes were like mansions. Unfortunately, as was mentioned, Gary, Indiana was booming when the steel mill was there. When the mill left, so did just about everyone else. This is what happens to industrial towns. When the biggest employer leaves, it destroys the town.
There are two actions here and the main cog always seems to be forgotten. I only know how their local govt reacted to their pending housing crises - with inaction to form their own actions. Did they try to go after other companies in Chicago or surrounding areas? Did they build office buildings to attract the like at lower cost than their neighbors? What did they do with tax payers money except collect empty houses, crumbling structures and gobbled up land that they once sat on? I honestly don't know as my reactions are from the standpoint of working with them trying to put new home owners and landlords into these structures before they turned to dust. They refused.
The Industrys were just the white people that held it all up, they left when it started to fail because they had the ability too and left all the african americans who worked in the industry to they're own devices with no jobs suddenly in a deserted town, that's what happened to all of these "Booming" towns around that part of the US. Their's a reason why Gary is almost entirely African American.
In the '70s my aunt and many of my family members lived in Chicago and Gary Indiana. The interesting part is that one of my cousins actually grew up in Gary, Indiana when I was just a child and actually knew all of the Jackson 5 kids because they all went to the same school with the Jackson 5's. I remember how nice that town was and then going back 10 years later and how wiped out it appears as Detroit.
