The Most Miserable City in America

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  • čas přidán 27. 09. 2021
  • Sign up to MorningBrew for free today! bit.ly/mbcitybeautiful
    A brief history of one of the most fascinating cities in the United States, Gary, Indiana.
    Watch on Nebula here: nebula.app/videos/city-beauti...
    I’m on Patreon! Consider supporting this channel: / citybeautiful
    Resources:
    "The 50 most miserable cities in America, based on Census data" www.businessinsider.com/most-...
    "The Failure Of Industrial City Planning: Gary, Indiana, 1906-1910" by Raymond A. Mohl & Neil Betten, www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/1...
    "“The Very Model of Modern Urban Decay”: Outsiders’ Narratives of Industry and Urban Decline in Gary, Indiana" by S. Paul O'Hara journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/...
    "Lost Gary, Indiana" by Jerry Davich, www.amazon.com/Lost-Gary-Indi...
    Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Standard Studios.
    Select images and video from Getty Images.
    Black Lives Matter.

Komentáře • 16K

  • @CityBeautiful
    @CityBeautiful  Před 2 lety +4449

    Behind the scenes: In the clips where I'm talking to camera, there was an active lightning storm overhead! I was surrounded by trees and a flagpole. Not the smartest move at all -- but I really wanted to get the shot. Also, my father-in-law came with me on the shoot and gave me all of the details of what it was like in Gary during it's peak (1950s-1960s). I should have recorded his stories as a bonus commentary track or something!

    • @thomasawdffaw123
      @thomasawdffaw123 Před 2 lety +15

      awesome video my dude

    • @epicmatter3512
      @epicmatter3512 Před 2 lety +15

      @@JosephSneep This is where my great grandparents grew up

    • @BenjaminDirgo
      @BenjaminDirgo Před 2 lety +5

      That would be great! Nebula video? haha

    • @MarcanthonyHarrison
      @MarcanthonyHarrison Před 2 lety +11

      Come to Buffalo to do a video

    • @jamaalfridge
      @jamaalfridge Před 2 lety +14

      I'd love to hear his perspective. Would you post a second video on this somewhere? Maybe Patreon?

  • @TechRedstone
    @TechRedstone Před 2 lety +18751

    Gary's reputation is literally so bad that
    "a one way ticket to Gary, Indiana"
    is a cards against humanity card.

    • @oldankh
      @oldankh Před 2 lety +730

      That's honestly pretty funny, now I want to look through my deck and find it lol

    • @dacstudios1168
      @dacstudios1168 Před 2 lety +125

      Ouch

    • @angelgjr1999
      @angelgjr1999 Před 2 lety +795

      You know Gary is bad when people from even the south side of Chicago refuse to live there. Lol

    • @martinmorrissey5647
      @martinmorrissey5647 Před 2 lety +46

      Thanks for telling me that I had no idea when I got that card

    • @flowgangsemaudamartoz7062
      @flowgangsemaudamartoz7062 Před 2 lety +24

      @@angelgjr1999 Whats up with the chicago south side?

  • @grfrjiglstan
    @grfrjiglstan Před 2 lety +4763

    True story: A couple years back, Gary didn't have any salt on its roads in the winter. The city was so bankrupt, they couldn't pay the salt trucks.

    • @faizfuad8361
      @faizfuad8361 Před 2 lety +88

      I just need to affirm but i assume the salt is so to make the ice melt faster?

    • @grfrjiglstan
      @grfrjiglstan Před 2 lety +381

      @@faizfuad8361 Yes, that's correct. Salt lowers the freezing point of water.

    • @TheMrCC21
      @TheMrCC21 Před 2 lety +195

      @@grfrjiglstan Cities don't use strictly salt anymore. It's either just sand or a mix of sand and salt. Salt is a problem for infrastructure and vehicles as it is corrosive.
      Salts corrodes roads and bridges for example. It does damage to various parts of vehicles. That's why when a street is salted, you don't want to prolong washing your vehicle. Damage can start to happen.
      When salt reaches a certain temperature, it's no longer effective. It's fine for non-critical applications such as on snow that you will clear away later. But for when the application is used on roads and highways, it becomes impractically slow at lower temperatures.
      Within this search (that's where I got some of this information), I also found that around the freezing mark is when salt most effective. Or that's what it seems like anyways.
      At 30°F (-1°C), one pound of salt will melt about 46 pounds of ice. At 20°F (-6°C), one pound of salt will only melt about 9 pounds of ice. And at +1°F (-17°C), one pound of salt will only melt about 4 pounds of ice. So the colder it gets, the more salt is needed to provide a given amount of ice melting action.
      There is no industry standard for "lowest effective temperature" when it comes to highways and roads.

    • @grfrjiglstan
      @grfrjiglstan Před 2 lety +332

      @@TheMrCC21 Well, whatever it is, they couldn't afford it.

    • @faizfuad8361
      @faizfuad8361 Před 2 lety +6

      @@grfrjiglstan alright thanks

  • @user-wp3cy3fl2j
    @user-wp3cy3fl2j Před 9 měsíci +326

    Anyone who's really taken a close look at this country while traveling knows there are many Gary, Indiana's in our country, which is very sad.

    • @carstarsarstenstesenn
      @carstarsarstenstesenn Před 7 měsíci +31

      It's mainly because of single industry economies. Gary was doomed from the start thanks to it's over reliance on the steel industry. Same story with Detroit and the auto industry and cities across the midwest and south

    • @gnielsen07
      @gnielsen07 Před 6 měsíci +8

      All over the rust belt. Youngstown Ohio is similar

    • @user-wp3cy3fl2j
      @user-wp3cy3fl2j Před 6 měsíci

      Town's like that can be found coast to coast, not just the rust belt.@@gnielsen07

    • @JakeKoenig
      @JakeKoenig Před 5 měsíci

      Yeah, they are called "Places Where Black People Live."
      And they ALL end up like Gary eventually. That's the pattern, for anyone with the balls to acknowledge it.

    • @appletree9974
      @appletree9974 Před 3 měsíci

      Yes, because people have failed to build up communities and care about each other. Individualistic societies will crash anywhere. Corporations will thrive in this societies because will exploit you will deny social benefits, health care and education the very basic human rights. One does not need to be a “communist” one needs to be a human being. Corporations are to make billions pollute and live individuals jobless.

  • @tomarmstrong1281
    @tomarmstrong1281 Před 9 měsíci +180

    Several years ago my family and I were visiting America from the UK. We were staying in Chicago. My young teenage daughter a fan of Michael Jackson knew he had been born in Gary and because it was only about an hour away from where we were staying she persuaded me to drive there. The sight of the desolation and deprivation was too much for her. In tears she said "Daddy drive away from this place".

    • @mikewood5679
      @mikewood5679 Před 5 měsíci +12

      Have you ever been to Grimsby 😮

    • @canica99
      @canica99 Před 2 měsíci +10

      glad you took her so she can see all sides of humanity and how fortunate she is to live in a place she is proud to call home.

  • @willissudweeks1050
    @willissudweeks1050 Před 2 lety +5334

    The other city cutting off the road to Gary really made me laugh. Poor Gary.

    • @harveytheattorney
      @harveytheattorney Před 2 lety +112

      That city is full of racist cops and politicians, so not surprising that they made this move.

    • @lancevance5907
      @lancevance5907 Před 2 lety +67

      @@harveytheattorney And they're all Democrats. And now their mayor is running for the senate.

    • @harveytheattorney
      @harveytheattorney Před 2 lety +162

      @@lancevance5907 even as a left leaning politically person, I can tell you democrats can absolutely positively be racist, these Hammond politicians are a case in point

    • @mikemccarthy6054
      @mikemccarthy6054 Před 2 lety +260

      The road was closed in 1976 due to a toxic dumping facility on the Garry side not being properly managed causing toxic runoff going in to Hammond during floods.

    • @andrewjohnston2850
      @andrewjohnston2850 Před 2 lety +122

      that's only the beginning, I hear EPA are building a dome as we speak

  • @hawkrolla
    @hawkrolla Před 2 lety +3809

    True Story, in 2012 I took a Greyhound bus trip around the country, we pulled into Gary one evening and picked up around 8 passengers. As we were pulling out of the station all 8 of them broke out in a spontaneous Cheer laughing and clapping with the joy of escaping the city, I will never forget it.

    • @rubyparchment5523
      @rubyparchment5523 Před 2 lety +145

      That's hilarious!

    • @queeniez1970
      @queeniez1970 Před 2 lety +59

      That's an awesome story!

    • @testiclestoshirleycles5755
      @testiclestoshirleycles5755 Před 2 lety +38

      already u.s. lost its superpower hundred years ago, Its economy is developing thanks to the colonial countries in Europe nowadays

    • @eviljesus6111
      @eviljesus6111 Před 2 lety

      I would have made out with them in celebration

    • @Mr_Green1017
      @Mr_Green1017 Před 2 lety +64

      I'm gonna do that when I leave philly

  • @oneglobeoneloveofficial
    @oneglobeoneloveofficial Před 8 měsíci +95

    Also Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. His father Joe, worked at the Gary Steel Mill. The Jackson five began their career in Gary, Indiana. Mostly their rehearsals and practising. They performed in talent shows,in bars and in clubs in neighbouring towns before being discovered by Diana Ross in the Motown days. I'd say if Gary, Indiana was going to make a comeback they could honor Michael Jackson's life and legacy.

    • @ToddWerner-vp3vc
      @ToddWerner-vp3vc Před 20 dny

      That family, with all of their millions, did nothing for this city.

    • @oneglobeoneloveofficial
      @oneglobeoneloveofficial Před 19 dny +4

      @@ToddWerner-vp3vc they didn't owe anybody anything. Look at the chip on your shoulder and broaden your thinking. They were dirt poor once and truthfully the city didn't do anything for them either.

    • @ToddWerner-vp3vc
      @ToddWerner-vp3vc Před 19 dny

      ​@malakai79 many successful families give back, at least somewhat, to the community they grew up in. This family did nothing!
      Look at the original comment, the city should not honor that family.

    • @oneglobeoneloveofficial
      @oneglobeoneloveofficial Před 19 dny +2

      @@ToddWerner-vp3vc I simply don't engage with low level intelligence. All the best on your soul growth.

  • @easternrebel1061
    @easternrebel1061 Před rokem +28

    Truck driver here. Had to stop in Gary for fuel. As I was fueling at the Loves off of I-80/90 I heard popping noises. Fourth of July was 2 weeks away and so I thought maybe some kids were playing with fireworks a few blocks down. Then I heard what some like automatic gunfire and it dawned on me. I was listening to a shootout a few blocks away.

  • @thebreakfastmenu
    @thebreakfastmenu Před 2 lety +4916

    Last time I was in Gary, a pack of deer were chilling out downtown. It felt like I Am Legend or something. That place really is something else.
    Edit: Sorry to everyone I have offended for using the wrong terminology in my comment. I called this group of deer a "pack" when I should have used the word "herd." I was in a really dark place when I said that.
    I hope everyone can accept this apology and I'm working so, so hard to better myself. Thank you

    • @alexanderfrankenberger1118
      @alexanderfrankenberger1118 Před 2 lety +68

      hahahaha love it

    • @miniaturemachinist6098
      @miniaturemachinist6098 Před 2 lety +111

      We have that in Wyoming all the time. A lot of the deer in town are so used to people here that you can walk right by them.

    • @beanman6684
      @beanman6684 Před 2 lety +26

      @@miniaturemachinist6098 Shows how empty it is

    • @alexmurphy5289
      @alexmurphy5289 Před 2 lety +28

      @@beanman6684 Yes, Wyoming sounds dope AF. I actually want to live there one day

    • @platinum-or3y
      @platinum-or3y Před 2 lety +6

      @@miniaturemachinist6098 Happens in utah sometimes

  • @bluescreen243
    @bluescreen243 Před 2 lety +1672

    I was born in Gary in 1954. My father worked at US Steel as a crane operator for 22 years. We lived in a small town about 40 miles south of the town. Growing up I saw its decline over the years. I was sad to see their library abandoned. All the books were just left and as weather destroyed the building thousands of books became moldy relics.

    • @magesalmanac6424
      @magesalmanac6424 Před 2 lety +82

      That’s heartbreaking! :(

    • @trinadeerhodes
      @trinadeerhodes Před 2 lety +24

      My dad from there. So sad I hear the stories of its hay day all the time

    • @heru-deshet359
      @heru-deshet359 Před 2 lety +25

      That is blasphemous!

    • @maxsweetman6341
      @maxsweetman6341 Před 2 lety +30

      Really is time Americans left us all alone and sorted out its own sick sad sorry mess

    • @carlosnarvaez5817
      @carlosnarvaez5817 Před 2 lety +16

      What do you think about Michael Jackson and the Jackson Family? They were born in Gary Indiana. Do you have stories to share about them?

  • @mr.d.4175
    @mr.d.4175 Před 9 měsíci +41

    My first time seeing Gary was 1969 when we moved from Wisconsin to a town about 30 miles east of Gary. The sky was so rust colored at noon that the street lights were on. We drove past on I-90 on a weekend and the steel mills spewed sulpher smelling, rust colored pollution. When the wind was out of the west(most days), the smell 30 miles away was unbearable until the late 1970's when the air pollution controls forced the mills to use, "scrubbers."
    The pollution created my hometown into a cancer cluster that had 30 times the national average of rare and common cancers. It took my mother's life. The steel mills expelled their exhaust into the atmosphere and it mixed with moisture, dumped into a narrow band of land, and created polluted wells in their wake.
    My favorite moment was the view from the rear view mirror when I left for good in 1992.

  • @IWill-qo3es
    @IWill-qo3es Před 8 měsíci +65

    Born and raised in Gary, IN. It’s sad to see the city how it is now. Growing up we were taught of it’s glory days in school and it really seemed to be a great city once upon a time. All in all I’m still proud to say where I came from. Gary raises unique kinds of people lbs

    • @lurleanpeeples
      @lurleanpeeples Před 8 měsíci +3

      Yesssss!! I will NEVER deny where I was born and raised.

    • @lawren-hollienelson9948
      @lawren-hollienelson9948 Před 4 měsíci +5

      I live just North of Portland,Or and it's the same thing. Once upon a time it was a Great and Beautiful city. Now if you HAVE to go there, it is a straight drive, in and out. So Sad...

    • @PacmanBrunner
      @PacmanBrunner Před dnem

      Was great before everyone showed up

  • @hiddenXtreasure01
    @hiddenXtreasure01 Před 2 lety +2249

    I lived in Gary for 6 years when I was little. I went to a charter school. We thought it was the best place. Full of buildings to explore and create club houses. I thank God we didn’t get hurt. We were running off hanging out in abandoned houses in 4th grade! Thank God my mom never found out

    • @kevinxanity4113
      @kevinxanity4113 Před 2 lety +18

      You’re beautiful

    • @BrocoliMan2002
      @BrocoliMan2002 Před 2 lety +180

      @@kevinxanity4113 ur sussy and I'm coming for u

    • @classiccarbuff
      @classiccarbuff Před 2 lety +66

      @@BrocoliMan2002 Easy there, tough guy. The internet isn't big enough for the two of you.

    • @classiccarbuff
      @classiccarbuff Před 2 lety +22

      I wish I could have seen some of the abandoned buildings when they were in somewhat better shape. I explored St. Mary's Mercy Hospital back in May of 2017 and part of it is about ready to collapse. It didn't seem like the police cared whether I was in there or not. Kevin is right. You're gorgeous.

    • @jedaaa
      @jedaaa Před 2 lety +6

      Are the stories about fake roadblocks true, I'm from the U.K and have heard wild stories about this place . ..

  • @citadelgrad87
    @citadelgrad87 Před 2 lety +3690

    Twenty plus years ago, I rented a car in Chicago to drive to Grand Rapids for a family wedding. Flights were grounded due to snow. The car rental guy took out a map and drew about 50 circles around Gary. He looked me dead in the eye and crossed through the city like a Ghostbusters "no" sign. He said "I need you to understand this. You are not to take this car into Gary. DO not get off the freeway between these two marks. If you get 4 flat tires, keep going, we will waive the damage claim, get past and then stop. No matter what, do not take this car into Gary. Do you agree?"

    • @yuma9663
      @yuma9663 Před rokem +241

      WOW! Is it really that bad?

    • @citadelgrad87
      @citadelgrad87 Před rokem +492

      @@yuma9663 No idea, I had my mother in law with me, no way did we go near Gary. The rental guy sure thought so.

    • @BlownMacTruck
      @BlownMacTruck Před rokem +480

      Rental car person was clearly unhinged. Gary’s not the safest, but it’s hardly a terrifying no-go zone.

    • @kennethclark4306
      @kennethclark4306 Před rokem +23

      😂

    • @CaptainUnconventional
      @CaptainUnconventional Před rokem +338

      Draw a circle around Chicago too.

  • @bobbybob3865
    @bobbybob3865 Před 8 měsíci +29

    There used to be a city named East Gary but the residents voted to rename it Lake Station, even though it's several miles from Lake Michigan and has no other lakes nearby of any size.

    • @wuzzleone
      @wuzzleone Před 6 měsíci +1

      Yeah they have a news article calling lake station the poorest city in the state I live in south bend

    • @peterpiwoski
      @peterpiwoski Před měsícem +1

      Actually it was called Lake Station before named East Gary. City officials wanted to expand Gary to the east more. Though, as Gary's reputation began to become more negative, the folks there wanted to disassociate with Gary's stigma.

  • @dssunited
    @dssunited Před rokem +128

    I live in Merrillville, literally right next to Gary and the few times I've rode through Gary, such as one of the last times I saw my grandfather, left me speechless. Then I found out just how beautiful the city used to look. It's absolutely insane.

    • @AlgaeEater09
      @AlgaeEater09 Před 10 měsíci

      Used to be 90% white. Now its 90% black-
      Just stating facts, look it up.

    • @rhh176
      @rhh176 Před 10 měsíci +5

      It's looked good before it existed

    • @shawnpahl
      @shawnpahl Před 9 měsíci +1

      Maryville sucks too

    • @Telephonebill51
      @Telephonebill51 Před 9 měsíci

      Jesus, isn't Merrillville the porn capitol of the world?

    • @camieki3419
      @camieki3419 Před měsícem

      Sameee

  • @slapdat.byteme
    @slapdat.byteme Před 2 lety +733

    As my friend’s dad once said, “When the world gets an enema, Gary, Indiana is where they insert the tube”.

    • @smith1958b
      @smith1958b Před 2 lety +74

      My dad was driving past Gary with the family in the station wagon. Dad says, "If we break down here we are all dead." This was in 1966.

    • @arthurcorassini
      @arthurcorassini Před 2 lety +28

      That's one hell of a phrase

    • @darkwraithgareth4100
      @darkwraithgareth4100 Před 2 lety +6

      Imagine being named after this city, just like my case. ._.

    • @thegamingreaper1293
      @thegamingreaper1293 Před 2 lety +7

      @@smith1958b bruh even to this day lol u break down there you're probably dead or getting robbed for everything down to your boxers and socks bud 😂 places is a fuckin animals den

    • @sophieburgess4523
      @sophieburgess4523 Před 2 lety +1

      That’s a funny name

  • @vthisademu
    @vthisademu Před 2 lety +1171

    I live by Gary, and I've been there a couple times. It's terrifying because the cops said to us not to stop at stop signs. He told us we can get robbed in seconds. It was a strange feeling being there. I was in the city and it was super foggy. Since there's literally nobody there, I kinda felt like I was in Silent Hill.

    • @gregdaweson4657
      @gregdaweson4657 Před 2 lety +98

      Theres a reason for white flight.

    • @6to1
      @6to1 Před rokem +53

      @@gregdaweson4657 Self fulfilling prophecy

    • @TheLochs
      @TheLochs Před rokem +23

      Same with me, cops told me to blow off stop signs.

    • @stop08it
      @stop08it Před rokem +18

      It sounds straight up cursed.

    • @Confettifun
      @Confettifun Před rokem

      @@gregdaweson4657 you should “white flight” yourself back to Europe

  • @ashleyadillon
    @ashleyadillon Před 8 měsíci +85

    I currently live in Gary. My Dad was born here and is currently pastoring here in Gary and desperately wants Gary to thrive again. That’s what we have been praying. We definitely want to make a difference.

  • @B-t2cz
    @B-t2cz Před 11 měsíci +29

    Growing up near Chicago, my family would go camping in the neighboring Indiana Dunes. We'd pass through Gary but never stopped there. The stench was awful. I remember seeing smokestacks everywhere. I used to wonder how people could live in a place that smelled so bad.
    A few years ago we found ourselves passing through Gary. We were coming up from visiting the south. I had to use the restroom so we stopped at a gas station. Big mistake. Run down, shady characters loitering outside AND inside, cashier behind bulletproof glass reinforced with cast iron bars, etc. The bathroom was pitch black because the light was out. The door didn't even lock. Imagine taking a piss in complete darkness in GARY INDIANA. I hurried tf out of there and my Dad kept yelling at me why did we have to stop in Gary. Dad was right. Thank God I didn't get mugged or anything.

  • @chrismarek7864
    @chrismarek7864 Před 2 lety +2223

    They filmed a scene for Transformers: Dark of the Moon in Gary. It was the scene where they’re in Chernobyl and they say the film producers had to do very little, if any, editing to show the level of decay they wanted for the scene since Gary is in that bad of shape.

  • @Albertalorian
    @Albertalorian Před 2 lety +1626

    As a Canadian truck driver, our company literally had a "No Go" policy for Gary Indiana. If they seen your GPS tracker at the Pilot off Burr St in Gary, it was an instant firing!

    • @Toxic_rnr
      @Toxic_rnr Před 2 lety +95

      I only wish my company would do the same and maybe pay for rerouted miles around that shit hole.

    • @muffs55mercury61
      @muffs55mercury61 Před 2 lety +96

      Yes. When I was driving we were told NEVER to fuel at that Pilot or the TA in Gary. One year there were three murders at that TA. Robberies were common. We fueled in Lake Station (10 miles east and a tad safer) It was called the Travel Port until TA bought them out after I went to local driving.

    • @Jagg61
      @Jagg61 Před 2 lety +19

      The TA was disgusting

    • @ginalynn6963
      @ginalynn6963 Před rokem +14

      Curious as to why they'd fire you?

    • @Jagg61
      @Jagg61 Před rokem +102

      @@ginalynn6963 it was/is a super high crime area. Drivers robbed and or killed. Trucks being jacked. Its not a good place. Lol

  • @MrMarkalroberts
    @MrMarkalroberts Před 11 měsíci +5

    Thank you for adding much needed context to the “drive by” you-tubers that are showing the symptoms you mention without that backdrop and deeper understanding.

  • @claudmyers833
    @claudmyers833 Před 8 měsíci +1

    I don't know how many of these you do, but you did a great job encapsulating Gary. I'll be looking for more! Thanks.

  • @EfrainQuezada
    @EfrainQuezada Před 2 lety +1935

    I used to drive through Gary all the time. I used to pick up coils and other steel products on a flatbed from burns harbor. I always thought it looked nice and quiet. But one time, I was driving through a neighborhood with stops on every intersection and a cop actually drove up to me and said "after sunset, you don't stop." and sped off. That's when it hit me, ok maybe Gary is fucked.

    • @joeyknight8272
      @joeyknight8272 Před 2 lety +150

      Its fucked if nothing changes. But people want gary to change and theres perhaps even people dedicated to turning gary around

    • @enzop6861
      @enzop6861 Před 2 lety +410

      That is one of the last things you'd ever wanna hear from a cop...

    • @B3Band
      @B3Band Před 2 lety +107

      @@enzop6861 If he was black it WOULD have been the last thing he heard from a cop...other than the gunshot.

    • @roguedalek900
      @roguedalek900 Před 2 lety +67

      Locals call it Burns Ditch not Burns Harbor. Used to run Chicago daily back in the late 90s out of Michigan. Used to skirt the truck scales on 94 by going US 12 and follow the parade of steel haulers. Exit on Cline Avenue or Burr St off 94. Good times. Ran the rail yards. Conrail 63rd or Mopac or BNSF or Global I & II. Got shot at all the time going into Conrail. Finding bullet holes in my container would be an everyday event and this was way back 96-97.

    • @SomePotato
      @SomePotato Před 2 lety +62

      ​@@joeyknight8272 All I know about Gary I know from this video, but it seems that redeveloping the city is far beyond the resources of the city government. It'd need some serious state or federal help. I hope they get it, because from the video, it could be really beautiful.

  • @mylegs2056
    @mylegs2056 Před 2 lety +5040

    Shoutout to Freddie Gibbs. Legend he sacrificed his hair to make it out of Gary

    • @philosophy20
      @philosophy20 Před 2 lety +83

      Hahaha bruh, chill! 😆😆😭

    • @optimusprime4263
      @optimusprime4263 Před 2 lety +128

      first thing that popped in my mind when i read the title

    • @iss3831
      @iss3831 Před 2 lety +15

      😭😭😭

    • @sharktv3000
      @sharktv3000 Před 2 lety +6

      Maaaan, i thought he was from Nickerson Gardens, Watts

    • @nickfinamori9992
      @nickfinamori9992 Před 2 lety +44

      lmao that was the first name i thought of, and of course MJ

  • @rickdiaz7239
    @rickdiaz7239 Před rokem +2

    Great job! Well researched and great commentary.

  • @Corporatefashionista
    @Corporatefashionista Před 10 měsíci +6

    Born and raised in Gary, IN. It wasn't always bad, and both of my parents made 6 figures. I have great memories and miss the old days when my cousins and I could walk up and down the streets safely, and the neighbors had every right to check us if we were doing anything inappropriate. It is pretty rough now. When I visit, I can't believe the state it is in. No more Gleason Park, the homes and yards used to be beautifully manicured, Miller had beautiful beaches, not sure if the beaches are open anymore. It's pretty sad. My son is 12 and says, "Mom, I can't believe you grew up here. You don't fit in". I have a few family members trying to help rebuild the West Side, but It's going to take a lot more than them. I'm still proud to say I am from there. Definitely taught me a lot.

  • @theleperking9607
    @theleperking9607 Před 2 lety +1575

    I used to drive around the country doing foreclosures in places like St Louis, Detroit, Chicago etc. Gary is actually not too far from my own home so I bounced between Gary and Chicago almost every other weekend. Needless to say the residents of these places get curious seeing me cleaning out these houses and putting up for sale signs. Because of this curiosity I would have conversations about the area etc and in Gary I was basically told the same story every time:
    "You're wasting your money and your time. No one moves to Gary. You're either born here or you die here. No one moves here."
    And it's like a ghost town. In Detroit you'll have entire blocks of abandoned, burnt, desolate houses. In Gary, that's just the whole town.

    • @Coconutszz
      @Coconutszz Před 2 lety +112

      thats some deep lore

    • @Astrothunder_
      @Astrothunder_ Před 2 lety +72

      It is pretty reminiscent of Detroit. I would to visit family there as a kid and all those abandoned/burned down buildings and the perpetual grey sky always bummed me out.

    • @hooperbraxton
      @hooperbraxton Před 2 lety +46

      @Purple Ray no he's right unfortunatley......I live 5 min away and thats kind of how it is.

    • @ditzyhere3138
      @ditzyhere3138 Před 2 lety +24

      So did you sell any houses?

    • @gabrielshensky348
      @gabrielshensky348 Před 2 lety +26

      I'm excited to see what's to come of all these burnt blocks in Detroit. There's so many resurgences happening everywhere, and slowly but surely they'll make their way back.

  • @brianm2242
    @brianm2242 Před 2 lety +1831

    My only memory of Gary was driving through and seeing a restaurant boarded up with the "grand opening celebration" banners still waving.

    • @nelsonx5326
      @nelsonx5326 Před 2 lety +110

      Haha. Maybe Covid shut them down hours before the opening. That happened to a bakery near me in NYC. They invested all that money in ovens and such, but lockdowns hit.

    • @kargudin
      @kargudin Před 2 lety +4

      Eek lol

    • @brianm2242
      @brianm2242 Před 2 lety +184

      @@nelsonx5326 Not unless COVID-19 was around in 1999. XD

    • @lawrencebraun7616
      @lawrencebraun7616 Před 2 lety +11

      @@brianm2242 That was coven 18

    • @eddivel5954
      @eddivel5954 Před 2 lety +12

      Keep voting crat???

  • @reader1236
    @reader1236 Před měsícem +1

    This was really interesting, thank you!

  • @Powder148
    @Powder148 Před rokem +8

    I was born in Gary in 1977 and soon after my father got back into the military and moved to the Seattle area where Im at today. Ive never been there but one day I'll take I-90 east and see it for myself. My mother tells me stories from the time there and it gives her anxiety just thinking about the brief time we lived there 45 years ago

  • @williameckert306
    @williameckert306 Před 2 lety +698

    There was city next door called East Gary. Gary’s reputation was so bad, East Gary changed its name to Lake Station.

    • @wildman2012
      @wildman2012 Před 2 lety +13

      interesting! Maybe Gary should try re-branding itself. It might take more than a name change, but that could be a start. What would we call the new Gary?

    • @kargudin
      @kargudin Před 2 lety +1

      Interesting

    • @machineheadg2r
      @machineheadg2r Před 2 lety +69

      @@wildman2012 west lake station

    • @jimpatterson3286
      @jimpatterson3286 Před 2 lety +30

      Actually East Gary was called Lake Station then East Gary then back to Lake Station. Lake Station is older than Gary. It was a rail stop on the lake hence the name.

    • @HammerSSBM
      @HammerSSBM Před 2 lety +10

      I used to live in Lake station, the town was pretty nice. It's not as bad as Gary but most roads there just need adjustment. Everyone at the school was really nice but they schools at the time weren't well maintained (This was back in 2012). The last time I been to one of the school was back in 2018 when my cousin graduated and it was pretty nice looking. I don't know where I'm getting here, all I'm saying is it's a good town

  • @vernonrobinson7214
    @vernonrobinson7214 Před rokem +2465

    I just stopped in Gary for a restroom on my trip across the country. It feels like Fallout 3. It's incredibly abandoned and eerie. The folks over at the KFC were really friendly tho!

    • @1marcelfilms
      @1marcelfilms Před rokem +129

      I would rather piss my pants than stop there

    • @javiergilvidal1558
      @javiergilvidal1558 Před rokem

      This guy has the typical soy-boy appearance, and a PC abhorrence of hard facts, coupled with a fear to call a spade a spade. Even in Wokipedia you can read: "after white flight in the 1970s, the city of Gary held the nation's highest percentage of African Americans for several decades". That speaks VOLUMES about the reasons for Gary's metamorphosis from a prosperous industrial and economic hub into a hellish dunghole. If any doubt remained in the tender minds of the bleeding hearts, Wokepedia makes it brutally clear with the demographic breakdown: Whites, 8.91%. Niggas, 83.90%. That does not show in this coward's video, who piously shows EMPTY PHANTOM STREETS. No showing people at large, lest it became obvious that they were ALL niggas! Go, Gary, go!

    • @TL915.24
      @TL915.24 Před rokem +36

      KFC WOOWOO u can always trust KFC

    • @javiergilvidal1558
      @javiergilvidal1558 Před rokem +6

      @@TL915.24 What the hell is KFC?

    • @TL915.24
      @TL915.24 Před rokem +54

      @@javiergilvidal1558 the best chicken 🐔 you will ever taste "Kentucky Fried Chicken" but 9 out 10 times in a weirdo town or city u can always trust a KFC to get off and get food

  • @babusastry
    @babusastry Před rokem +8

    As a new comer to USA in 1965, my 1st Job was at Verson Steel at 93rd and Stoney Island.
    Based on my expertise suddenly I found being Chauffered to the Gary airport in 1967 in the CEO's personal plane to go to a place to evaluate a specialized machine.
    That is a fond memory for me of Gary.

  • @tonyxthextigre
    @tonyxthextigre Před rokem +19

    I grew up in south central Los Angeles. I went to Gary once while I was in Great Lakes for bootcamp. Gary is indeed the worst place in America. I felt like I could die at any moment and someone could easily roll my body into one of the many ditches overgrown with bush and it would be weeks before someone ever found me.

    • @user-ps7jc6zz1w
      @user-ps7jc6zz1w Před 10 měsíci

      For real you need to stop tripping you are from central La and you think Gary is worse than central La

    • @tonyxthextigre
      @tonyxthextigre Před 10 měsíci

      @@user-ps7jc6zz1w Gary is worse, by far. Its a shithole that has nothing going for it. Central/South LA at least has culture, great food and lively. Gary is a ghosttown and an all around terrible place.

    • @gordonlandreth9550
      @gordonlandreth9550 Před 8 měsíci +1

      Just the vast areas of abandoned houses , blocks and blocks
      of old buildings that were empty , you don't have that in Los Angeles .

  • @d36williams
    @d36williams Před 2 lety +473

    My step grandfather worked at the newspaper in Gary Ind for years. He didn't start off covering murders but it became pretty much all he wrote about until leaving

    • @thereluctantgearhead4544
      @thereluctantgearhead4544 Před rokem +10

      I wonder why that is....

    • @javiergilvidal1558
      @javiergilvidal1558 Před rokem

      This guy has the typical soy-boy appearance, and a PC abhorrence of hard facts, coupled with a fear to call a spade a spade. Even in Wokipedia you can read: "after white flight in the 1970s, the city of Gary held the nation's highest percentage of African Americans for several decades". That speaks VOLUMES about the reasons for Gary's metamorphosis from a prosperous industrial and economic hub into a hellish dunghole. If any doubt remained in the tender minds of the bleeding hearts, Wokepedia makes it brutally clear with the demographic breakdown: Whites, 8.91%. Niggas, 83.90%. That does not show in this coward's video, who piously shows EMPTY PHANTOM STREETS. No showing people at large, lest it became obvious that they were ALL niggas! Go, Gary, go!

    • @cherryjuice9946
      @cherryjuice9946 Před rokem

      I just did a search on news from Gary, and that is indeed what I found. It was all murders. That and "books offered in vending machines to get kids interested in reading". Yeah, we'll see how that works out. The stories about more murders will continue, but they'll likely forget that attempt at reading.

  • @moopi1075
    @moopi1075 Před 2 lety +1701

    This video is beautifully made, and very accurate to describe the state of my beloved home town. Looking at the abandoned buildings and churches and how ornate and pretty they looked always wowed me as a child; it was like a city that giants had left behind.
    I know Gary gets credited for being where MJ grew up but there was another hidden gem there, a man who fought Muhammad Ali. His name was Doug Jones....and he's my Grandpa!

    • @41000mf
      @41000mf Před 2 lety +36

      grandpa jones!

    • @hotstuff6131
      @hotstuff6131 Před 2 lety +37

      That's pretty cool

    • @samuraijack0876
      @samuraijack0876 Před 2 lety +68

      That's so cool, dude. Your Grandpa fought the GOAT. 💯

    • @KrispyBread
      @KrispyBread Před 2 lety +12

      Damn that's awesome

    • @edithdlp8045
      @edithdlp8045 Před 2 lety +25

      And to think that the greatest artist in the world was born here, I am talking about the one and only Michael Jackson.

  • @jerrybaird2059
    @jerrybaird2059 Před rokem

    Well done. I look forward to seeing the next video.

  • @Olivia.Boyd.
    @Olivia.Boyd. Před rokem +25

    My sister and I road tripped across the country and stopped in Gary for Taco Bell. Once we got to our hotel maybe 4 hours later, we filled in my mom on our stops and stories of the day. NEVER heard of Gary before, but I was yelled at by my mom for a good 45 minutes for putting myself in danger. But imo the Taco Bell was banger and everyone there was j chilling so 🙃

  • @chrisbrowder9184
    @chrisbrowder9184 Před 2 lety +3067

    I'm from Gary and I want to say this was an excellent piece that objectively explains what happened to the city without all the subjective , and commonly, negative opinions....thank you so much!

    • @VincentGonzalezVeg
      @VincentGonzalezVeg Před 2 lety +35

      I'm buying land in Ohio & I'll see what your city has
      (Edit; talked to the other executive's & we're going to be shopping in your neighborhoods)
      We need to preserve worthwhile development, homes
      Anywhere can be improved
      If we removed the human caused problems we see an 'ideal land'
      "If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it"
      - Willy 'Gene Wilder' Wonka
      Big Love

    • @AnimalLover-dw2wu
      @AnimalLover-dw2wu Před 2 lety +44

      Yeah...but Gary is certainly not the most miserable city. If anything, it's a tie with several others.

    • @smileyface9459
      @smileyface9459 Před 2 lety +47

      I love Black people but i not think it woud be good idea for me to move in a all Black people city

    • @RabbiPorkchop
      @RabbiPorkchop Před 2 lety +2

      And home for stericycles biohazard incinerator !
      Breathe deep my frand

    • @Gfysimpletons
      @Gfysimpletons Před 2 lety +21

      So what your saying is that the truth should be swept under the carpet?

  • @charliebrown4799
    @charliebrown4799 Před 2 lety +1336

    My friend bought a house out there for cheap. Like dirt cheap. After being shot in the wrist and having his dog stolen and held for ransom, he sold his house and moved back to CA.
    He eventually got his dog back. It was uninjured and in good health so the criminals weren't complete dirt bags

    • @Mitters
      @Mitters Před rokem +156

      Wholesome and horrifying 😅😂

    • @ddorsey1091
      @ddorsey1091 Před rokem +293

      You know it's rough when you move back to comifornia.

    • @planetcancer8492
      @planetcancer8492 Před rokem +2

      @@ddorsey1091 oh shut up

    • @fionn9852
      @fionn9852 Před rokem +126

      @@ddorsey1091 communism is when capitalism

    • @sarahsim218
      @sarahsim218 Před rokem +35

      It’s amazing he even sold it

  • @oldergeologist
    @oldergeologist Před 9 měsíci +1

    Really interesting history well presented. Thank you.

  • @laurencrouse2418
    @laurencrouse2418 Před rokem

    good coverage, thanks

  • @CrimeFighter1943
    @CrimeFighter1943 Před rokem +1127

    One of the happier days of my life was in 1979, viewing Gary, Indiana, in my rear view mirror as I left Gary, and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • @carldevries178
    @carldevries178 Před rokem +1565

    Way back in the 1990's, myself and some friends (all Canadian) were traveling thru the area. We made a few wrong turns and ended up in Gary. Within minutes a cop car approached us. When they found out we were from elsewhere, they immediately escorted us back to the interstate.

    • @hankkingsley9300
      @hankkingsley9300 Před rokem +14

      Well there's your problem lady

    • @BamBabyBrenda
      @BamBabyBrenda Před rokem

      @Brian Rogers bruh cops kill people here...
      Not too far from me a body was found chopped in pieces and the man caught was a serial killer.
      We don't put it on the news for everyone to see but some places in Canada are messed up.
      The ghetto area I used to live in had someone running around every night shooting at people for no reason. She got caught only because she shot herself by accident.

    • @nickhinton9726
      @nickhinton9726 Před rokem +2

      Halifax police strike was pretty brutal

    • @sativar6530
      @sativar6530 Před rokem +8

      @Brian the opioid problem is overwhelming because even kids are talking about doing it

    • @Theywaswrong
      @Theywaswrong Před rokem +2

      Same happened to me in Memphis, TN.

  • @7thsealord888
    @7thsealord888 Před 9 měsíci +2

    Interesting stuff. I'd recently seen another YT from someone travelling through Gary. A huge decaying church there stuck in my mind, there were many very empty-looking areas, and a few places that looked downright post-apocalyptic. But, for all that, there were still neighborhoods that, if not top-tier, did look relatively nice. Still possibilities here, to be sure.

  • @MaireGendron
    @MaireGendron Před rokem

    Very good report.

  • @chucku.farley6463
    @chucku.farley6463 Před 2 lety +656

    I remember driving through this city as a child and being on the verge of tears because it was that depressing looking. It was 1987 or so, and it felt like 1957. Literally, my memories of Gary are in Black & White

    • @ArtistsCry13
      @ArtistsCry13 Před 2 lety +13

      Gary was actually very prosperous in 1957 lol

    • @vict0ree
      @vict0ree Před 2 lety

      Gary was a nice place in 1957. Take your race baiting fake history somewhere else.

    • @chiquita_dave
      @chiquita_dave Před 2 lety +30

      @@ArtistsCry13 I think that's what they mean, it looks like how it was when it was at its most prosperous. I had the same experience driving through Welch, WV a few years ago. Some of the buildings look like they had been untouched since the 1950s.

  • @slimqt1
    @slimqt1 Před 2 lety +748

    Grew up in Gary in the late 80’s. If Gary was declining I was to young to realize it. I felt safe where I lived & spent my time. As an adult and going back, it’s sad how it looks nothing like my childhood.

  • @ericalindsey-eb1bo
    @ericalindsey-eb1bo Před rokem +89

    I live in Gary now for the past 2 years and it’s definitely not the murder capital it once was. I feel safer here than I do when I lived in Chicago where I’m from. Gary has a lot of potential if you look at it thru a different angle. The city just fascinates me. Worth investing in. I would love to do my own documentary and interview the elders here who were born and raised.

    • @sushipizza4439
      @sushipizza4439 Před rokem +4

      Idk enough about Gary, but i think that the media was/is somewhat overreacting. I live in indiana(3 hours from gary, ~1 hour from indy) and stopped there to see if the media was right about gary, and just out of curiosity. It was definitely not dangerous there at like 4 pm. There were abandoned homes, but some really nice ones too. I barely saw anyone, and a gas station I stopped at was fine too. It was like an average gas station in indiana, nothing more. I think you get what I mean

    • @_elijamal
      @_elijamal Před 10 měsíci +2

      I think this is a bad characterization of Gray tbh. My step dad has some of his family in Gray (we live in IL by state line) it’s not a place I would say have a lot of potential. Although it’s not the murder capital anymore I do believe Gray is not the safest place to be and it maybe safer than Chicago but with only 60k residents and half of the infrastructure abandon I’m sure crime exist in some form. Indiana is a corrupt state and the only reason ppl decide to live in Indy is because cost of living is way cheaper. Other than that I’m not sure why anybody would live in Indy

    • @fjb4932
      @fjb4932 Před 9 měsíci +1

      I keep hearing in the comments that it's not the murder capital any more, and actually the murder rate is quite low.
      Is that because they've run out of murder victims ? ☆

    • @gordonlandreth9550
      @gordonlandreth9550 Před 8 měsíci +4

      Get a huge demolition machine and start knocking down those old houses . The city or the state may even pay you big bucks to do it . Then collect all the bricks that can be used again , and sell 'em to the construction companies to build new homes there . Just a thought from CA . Go to the city and tell them - no more abandoned houses ! Turn it back into farmland !

  • @carlorizzo5308
    @carlorizzo5308 Před rokem +5

    5 years ago I got stuck in Gary Indiana's fire station number 13 back lot with my tractor trailer... they had to come with a wrecker to pull me out LOL. But the guys that were in the firehouse and on-call were so nice to me and they offered me dinner spaghetti with meatballs. I turned it down and just wanted to get on my way. But they had absolute awesome hospitality

  • @skipmatsey7738
    @skipmatsey7738 Před 2 lety +806

    Many don’t realize that Gary was once the most dynamic city in Indiana. Blue collar jobs with benefits, entertainment from Sinatra and the Rat Pack,affordable housing, quality post- secondary education at IU/ Purdue NW, quality healthcare.

    • @bodeezy78
      @bodeezy78 Před 2 lety +38

      And birthplace of mj

    • @mistamycall
      @mistamycall Před 2 lety +35

      The Jackson 5 were born tbere.

    • @clineshaunt
      @clineshaunt Před 2 lety +66

      @Wally Reyes It probably had to do more with 10s of thousands of steel jobs lost in the 80s when St. Reagan was in office. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your blind hate.

    • @drpicmeup
      @drpicmeup Před 2 lety +35

      I'm a Gary native and I went to Purdue NW for engineering. My dad moved to Gary from Mississippi and met my mom. I heard so many great stories about Gary from all the adults when I was younger. As a civil engineer, I look at the infrastructure and just imagine the possibilities. Gary needs a strong comeback!

    • @themidnightlycan8116
      @themidnightlycan8116 Před 2 lety +1

      Used to

  • @neurotransmissions
    @neurotransmissions Před 2 lety +6170

    I pass through Gary on my way to the Indiana Dunes and man, they do themselves no favors by having that rotten egg smell washing over the highway as you drive by. Which is too bad because there are parts of Gary that look very beautiful!

    • @fredericom2650
      @fredericom2650 Před 2 lety +31

      LMao

    • @cosslogan1043
      @cosslogan1043 Před 2 lety +128

      Reminds me of Hamilton, Ontario

    • @asklouie
      @asklouie Před 2 lety +153

      It's true. The smell is unbearable.

    • @russellmarra8520
      @russellmarra8520 Před 2 lety +248

      That smell is from one of the only remaining coke plants in America, on the east end of USS.

    • @user-vi4xy1jw7e
      @user-vi4xy1jw7e Před 2 lety +49

      Which part is beautiful exactly? Lol

  • @pacocreates
    @pacocreates Před rokem +9

    Great presentation and content! So sad to see towns like this die down. Hopefully, it will bounce back.

    • @creerenee
      @creerenee Před 11 měsíci +4

      I thought this was a great video as well! I have hope for my city and pray for a come back one day.

  • @avlasting3507
    @avlasting3507 Před rokem

    Excellent. I hope Gary does come back. 🙏

  • @heru-deshet359
    @heru-deshet359 Před 2 lety +346

    I dated a girl from Gary, In back in 1984. Went with her for Thanksgiving to visit her folks. From the moment we were picked up at the train station and drove through Gary to her house, I was shocked at what a shit hole of a place it was then. I can only imagine what a depressing hell hole it must be now.

    • @ahmedzakikhan7639
      @ahmedzakikhan7639 Před rokem +29

      Is it easier to pick up ladies in Gary. You know when you move to certain third world countries you are treated as a star.

    • @olympia5758
      @olympia5758 Před rokem +1

      @@ahmedzakikhan7639 Oh yeah, it's the same thing. They all want to get the fuck out.

    • @357SWAGNUM_MAGA_X
      @357SWAGNUM_MAGA_X Před rokem

      @@ahmedzakikhan7639 yea buddy!!!

  • @rogerwilco2
    @rogerwilco2 Před 2 lety +1400

    We have a city with a somewhat similar history in the Netherlands: Delfzijl, built around and aluminium plant.
    When it's fortunes turned, the national government stepped in and basically paid to demolish half the city and relocate the remaining residents into the other half.
    A lot of the housing was built very poorly, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, so it was easy to pick places to tear down.
    It's now doing much better, being half the size it used to be, but with a much more diverse industry.

    • @lioraselby5328
      @lioraselby5328 Před 2 lety +28

      @@donnerwetter1905 the Ruhrgbiet sounds a lot like Pittsburgh then

    • @beastateverythin
      @beastateverythin Před 2 lety +37

      @@Juan-hv9bi lots of ‘luxury’ apartments with good road or freeway access, i.e. car centric, is what I see around me as new development in the US right now

    • @daveharrison84
      @daveharrison84 Před 2 lety +11

      A big university campus would be a good idea for Gary.

    • @SuWoopSparrow
      @SuWoopSparrow Před 2 lety +42

      @@donnerwetter1905 " European rust belt cities have a much more diverse economy", I dont think its fair to say this as it implies the diverse economy was there and prevented collapse. Declining European cities made the conscious decision to diversify when they saw problems brewing. That is the actual difference - Europeans are far more likely to think long term and shift gears/diversify than Americans who want to keep things the same.
      Look at coal workers still arguing to keep their jobs around with truly compelling logic such as: "its my job". Look at how many declining cities in America double down on their current trajectory rather than expanding and diversifying.

    • @Dave_Sisson
      @Dave_Sisson Před 2 lety +49

      Geelong in Victoria, Australia, also avoided the fate of Gary. It was a city of 200,000 dominated by heavy industry; an aluminium smelter, Ford engine factory, oil refinery, etc. Then most of that heavy industry (except for the refinery) closed down within a few years.
      But both the state and federal governments poured a LOT of well targeted money into it. There was lots of assistance to establish new businesses in more modern industries. Some failed, but others are now mid-sized companies employing many people. More money was spent on retraining workers with obsolete skills. The rail line to nearby Melbourne, a city of 5 million, was improved and sped up, the freeway got extra lanes and a fast ferry to the centre of Melbourne was introduced. This encouraged people tired of the huge city to move to modestly sized Geelong and commute to work in Melbourne.
      All these projects combined to save Geelong and it didn't shrink or develop dangerous areas. The loss of the factories and heavy industry actually made it a nicer place to live and it continued to do well after the assistance and economic stimulus projects were wound down.

  • @johnwagner409
    @johnwagner409 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Both my husband and I were born in Gary in the 1930's. It was a nice town then and had some beautiful buildings. My family moved to Hammond, but my husband's family lived in Glen Park. It is so sad to see what has happened to Gary. I hope it can experience a turn around. Cheryl Wagner

  • @ericbruder6378
    @ericbruder6378 Před rokem

    Great video finally some positive stuff you have very nice sounding voice

  • @theeleven42
    @theeleven42 Před 2 lety +420

    I grew up in South Bend, about an hour from Gary. In the 90s there were multiple stories from friends who upon driving into Gary at night, would be pulled over by the police and told that it'd be in their best interest to turn around and leave as it wasn't safe.

    • @dementedmindstate7063
      @dementedmindstate7063 Před 2 lety +54

      I heard that about Camden, NJ. They said red lights and stop signs mean go.

    • @suranae
      @suranae Před 2 lety +20

      @@dementedmindstate7063 Camden NJ does suck mightly.

    • @voiceofreason1208
      @voiceofreason1208 Před 2 lety +25

      I've also heard of police telling people not to stop at red lights/stop signs because they will likely get carjacked.

    • @solidrockofjesuschristmini2423
      @solidrockofjesuschristmini2423 Před 2 lety +8

      @@voiceofreason1208 I mean yeah your asking for it if you stop, there are ppl waiting for you to stop and Rob you, you yield at best if your in a bad area, if you stop doesn't mean you will get robbed your just asking for it

    • @michaelcap9550
      @michaelcap9550 Před 2 lety +5

      Makes Flint look good by comparison.

  • @AbananaPEEl
    @AbananaPEEl Před 2 lety +773

    As an Indianapolis native, ive always heard stories and jokes about how dangerous Gary is. Then finally, in 2020, i had a bus stop there, and it was the first time ever actually being there. It didn't feel that dangerous. Just empty.

    • @Mister8224
      @Mister8224 Před 2 lety +166

      Criminal gotta sleep sometime too. Give it a couple hours.

    • @kyokusei
      @kyokusei Před 2 lety +47

      A classmate of mine was killed in Gary, which neighbors my city.

    • @leezhieng
      @leezhieng Před 2 lety +28

      Gangs will move to metropolis where there are more money to rob/make.

    • @secretsquirrel572
      @secretsquirrel572 Před 2 lety +12

      Did you get off the bus?

    • @gamecokben
      @gamecokben Před 2 lety +38

      @@leezhieng I don't think you understand how gangs operate, or honestly even what they are

  • @rpm773
    @rpm773 Před rokem +3

    That berm (0:17 in the movie) is on 9th ave and the Cline ave overpass. On the other side of the expressway, the road is in disrepair and there's the 9th ave superfund site. The berm was put in place to keep any floodwaters from the superfund site from flowing into the residential community. If the fine folks of Gary want to invade Hammond, they are welcome to do so via 5th Ave / US 20.

  • @ba-dam9991
    @ba-dam9991 Před 10 měsíci

    Well done👍

  • @mauricegillespie704
    @mauricegillespie704 Před 2 lety +231

    It breaks my heart to see the current state of the city. I grew up in Gary and graduated from that last public High School, West Side High School in 1992. Although Gary was already in a state of decline in my childhood, it was a good place for me to grow up and I now realize that we received an excellent education in the Gary School System at that time. Myself, and many of my classmates have gone on to further our education and build successful careers in every field from Medicine to Education, Law, Business and Politics. Some really amazing people came from Gary and hope that it can again become a great place to grow up.

    • @GaZonk100
      @GaZonk100 Před 2 lety +18

      you write well...that good education shows

    • @adamdavis5312
      @adamdavis5312 Před 2 lety +6

      How many of you and your well educated friends stayed in Gary yo become successful lawyers, doctors, and business men/women in that city??

    • @jeffhreid
      @jeffhreid Před 2 lety +5

      @@adamdavis5312 excellent observation. Smart hardworking folk tend to leave decaying cities, and for good reason

    • @d.e.carter5129
      @d.e.carter5129 Před 2 lety +5

      Born and raised in Gary as well (Wirt c/o '94). I grew up by Wells Street Beach, and it was beautiful. I would go back and live but its too depressing and no jobs.

    • @genevadixon8426
      @genevadixon8426 Před 2 lety +2

      LW ‘81. Gary did have a very good school system.
      Thanks for sharing your experiences there.

  • @MrsTayIor
    @MrsTayIor Před rokem +674

    My mother in law, aged 70 now, grew up in Gary. Lots of interesting stories. Her and her brothers used to play with Michael Jackson and one of his brothers when they were younger. She has lots of memories of how dangerous it was even in back in her time. Having to carry a butcher knife to the bus stop early in the mornings and almost getting gang raped while she waited at the library for her brother to pick her up outside. It was rough as far back as she could remember.

    • @tias.6675
      @tias.6675 Před rokem +48

      Wow ! Katherine Jackson spoke on how bad it had become by the 1960s as well.

    • @christopherhall5361
      @christopherhall5361 Před rokem

      need to bring a butcher knife to the bus stop....what a fine upstanding place

    • @judeirwin2222
      @judeirwin2222 Před rokem +12

      Dunder(head)... not “ Her and her brothers”, but “ She and her brothers”. English is a wonderful language. Take care of it.

    • @MrsTayIor
      @MrsTayIor Před rokem +160

      @@judeirwin2222 You failed to provide anything constructive to the topic of conversation. Perhaps you should learn some interpersonal communication skills and we'll be even.

    • @ShapezPuller64
      @ShapezPuller64 Před rokem +8

      Dude, just take the correction in stride.

  • @christinadukes6927
    @christinadukes6927 Před rokem +1

    I just moved to Thornton Illinois and I would love for you to do a video. It’s a great little small town.

  • @QuesoGr7
    @QuesoGr7 Před rokem +17

    Its crazy how this city gave us one of the most famous music artist/entertainers in history.

    • @chipskylark172
      @chipskylark172 Před 10 měsíci +8

      It didn’t take long for Michael to leave Gary in the dust lol they were living in Los Angeles since he was like a kid. Smart move 😂

  • @DejanSmaic
    @DejanSmaic Před 2 lety +672

    When I lived in Chicago during the 1990's, Gary was dubbed "Scary Gary". At one time, the Mayor of Gary had a parade of Law Enforcement from hundreds of departments as a Show of Force to the criminal element.

    • @DejanSmaic
      @DejanSmaic Před 2 lety +4

      @BleedBlue Colts True, but this did happen around 1997ish while I was living in Schaumburg, Illinois. It made national news and was a BIG deal then. Do the research...

    • @DejanSmaic
      @DejanSmaic Před 2 lety +1

      @BleedBlue Colts I’m sure it was the State troopers. I’m sorry you had to live there. I certainly would not call it a figment of my imagination. So, I’m correct for the most part. Apology accepted buddy.

    • @DejanSmaic
      @DejanSmaic Před 2 lety

      @BleedBlue Colts well, I certainly do recall LE bumper to bumper showing off their presence to Gary and news outlets.

    • @derp195
      @derp195 Před 2 lety +1

      @Purple RayNope. I live in Chicago, and Gary is stunningly bleak.

    • @docvaliant721
      @docvaliant721 Před 2 lety

      Yup scary Gary

  • @EthanPricco
    @EthanPricco Před 2 lety +237

    A few years ago my family drove through Gary while on a road trip and we were all shocked by how run-down and empty the city was. There was no one walking around and there were only a few cars driving around. It was pretty much a ghost town.

    • @richardcline1337
      @richardcline1337 Před 2 lety +9

      When gangs move in and take over, Gary is what you get! Who wants to live in a place like that?

    • @markmac2206
      @markmac2206 Před 2 lety +25

      its the armpit of Chicago now, no deodorant.

    • @iang8169
      @iang8169 Před 2 lety +6

      Richard cline . yes but the video says that Gary went from the highest murder rate in the u.s to not even making the top 10 murder rates in Indiana. So it appears that when a city s pop keeps dropping and there is a huge drop in people to rob ,then criminals move out of town too

    • @crazychase98
      @crazychase98 Před 2 lety +2

      @@iang8169 They just killed each other off.

    • @nastrael
      @nastrael Před 2 lety +1

      @@iang8169 Murder rates are down but property theft, substance abuse(meth and heroine) and "violent crime"(assault, rape, robbery etc) are sky high. As in ~2x the national average high.
      Gary is an absolute shithole.

  • @MisterRose90
    @MisterRose90 Před 9 měsíci +2

    I lived in nearby portage Indiana my entire life. It’s about 15 or 20 minutes from Gary. Its was About the same drive to Lake Michigan. My dad and his parents lived in Gary for a long time, actually. When I went to visit them needless to say we didn’t go very many places. My mom worked for Bethlehem steel then went to US steel when I was a kid.

  • @simonealexander7313
    @simonealexander7313 Před rokem +5

    This was really interesting - thank you. I agree with your assertion that cities aren't built to lose population quickly. Seems like there's a few examples like this in the US - I was aware that Detroit had whole areas of abandoned housing, and Google street view shows the same is true of Gary.

  • @Corcook
    @Corcook Před 2 lety +565

    If we want to breathe sulfuric acid and get our heads torn off by giant lizards, we can always go to Gary, Indiana.

    • @GEARofRESISTANCE43
      @GEARofRESISTANCE43 Před 2 lety +19

      Even I would never send you to Gary, Indiana!

    • @jthereffman
      @jthereffman Před 2 lety +8

      I live near there and yeah it does smell like sulfur

    • @SiameseCheese
      @SiameseCheese Před 2 lety +7

      Why does it smell like sulfur? Is it from the mill(s)?

    • @jthereffman
      @jthereffman Před 2 lety +12

      @@SiameseCheese yes

    • @jthereffman
      @jthereffman Před 2 lety +11

      Specifically from the coal used

  • @JetWarrior
    @JetWarrior Před 2 lety +449

    I'm from Vegas, so your talk of "Company Cities" really kind of caught my attention. There is one nearby--Boulder City, which was built for the workers of the Hoover Dam (back then, it was Boulder Dam). Being "paternal," as you mentioned, it is also the only city in the entire state of Nevada where Gambling is not legal. I know that wasn't the point of this video, I just never really thought upon this concept.
    EDIT - Actually, there is one other town in Nevada that prohibits gambling--Panaca. The closest casino is about 15 mins. outside of the city limits.

    • @FlymanMS
      @FlymanMS Před 2 lety +33

      Fallout New Vegas made it famous, I was surprised when I learned Boulder City is a real place

    • @SynchroSk8
      @SynchroSk8 Před 2 lety +11

      I always immediately think of Boulder City! Another one in Arizona was Goodyear, which was clearly named after the rubber company. They needed a specific kind of cotton that could be grown in Arizona. Company Cities are so fascinating.

    • @0fficialdregs
      @0fficialdregs Před 2 lety

      i heard of Boulder City through the many documentaries about the Hoover Dam

    • @tomtrask_YT
      @tomtrask_YT Před 2 lety

      I recall seeing a video once about how Boulder City was basically Ottumwa Iowa transplanted to the desert to attract workers for the dam (a little bit like the current man-camps in North Dakota to bring workers for the oil and gas development except those jobs are temporary (a dam isn't?))

    • @wernerdanler2742
      @wernerdanler2742 Před 2 lety +6

      I live in Vegas. I did not know there was no gambling in Boulder City.
      FYI: citizens of Monaco are not allowed to gamble in the casinos.
      I can understand Boulder not wanting workers on the dam to gamble while it was being built but that was way back in the 1930s.

  • @hichrisperry
    @hichrisperry Před 2 měsíci +1

    Accidentally went through Gary once on the way to Chicago. It was indescribably eerie. Abandoned streets but you feel like you're being watched at the same time. 15 minutes in that city was enough for me.

    • @peternagy-im4be
      @peternagy-im4be Před měsícem +1

      You probably were being watched

    • @hichrisperry
      @hichrisperry Před měsícem

      @@peternagy-im4be yeah, I assumed... Ended up going through a red light and down the wrong way on a 1-way road to get back on the highway quicker. Wife and I weren't waiting around. Eery place even for me and I grew up in Appalachian country.

    • @peternagy-im4be
      @peternagy-im4be Před měsícem

      @@hichrisperry for Gary read many US cities

  • @deniseconsultant1538
    @deniseconsultant1538 Před 8 měsíci

    Thanks again

  • @reallue
    @reallue Před 2 lety +427

    I live in Highland, near Gary. There was also a serial killer just a few years ago, hiding bodies in the tens of thousands of vacant buildings in gary. So, it's not exactly safe but there are ppl investing & trying to improve it.

    • @intruative
      @intruative Před 2 lety +104

      I read this as he was stuffing tens of thousands of bodies in the abandoned buildings, not that there are tens of thousands of abandoned buildings lmao, I was like how has this guy not been caught??

    • @birch8109
      @birch8109 Před 2 lety +12

      @@intruative same

    • @Alxotaku
      @Alxotaku Před 2 lety +10

      yeah i remeber that if i remeber right the guy had been doing the same thing i think in texas or it was arizona either way it goes should've kept the guy in prison

    • @johnhughes1783
      @johnhughes1783 Před 2 lety +15

      Is that your sales pitch?

    • @kylein9869
      @kylein9869 Před 2 lety +3

      @@johnhughes1783 Lol

  • @tluns810
    @tluns810 Před 2 lety +252

    As a kid back in the 60's -70's we used to travel through Gary on our way to Detroit, and I still have vivid memories of the Black smoke stacks, and awful smell as me and my siblings tried to hold our noses until we got to the other side of Gary where the air cleared up a bit.

  • @by9917
    @by9917 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Back in 1980 I accidentally got into Gary. I was driving a 22ft straight bed. Suddenly there was no one on the street and it looked like a war zone. It made me nervous, and I did a U-turn and left. At the time I live in Benton Harbor, MI, yet Gary made me nervous.

  • @mattmurphy8288
    @mattmurphy8288 Před 11 měsíci +1

    I’m a trucker that had to pick up a load of sugar in Gary yesterday… it is pretty run down… traffic signals that have gone bad have 4 way stop signs added… they didn’t bother to take down the signals… yet you see the occasional well kept house … we got money for Ukraine but nothing for cities like Gary… sad

  • @rappscallion3238
    @rappscallion3238 Před 2 lety +402

    This, if anything, shows the danger of being dependent of a single large company employer. Cities need to diversify their labor market.

    • @havocproltd
      @havocproltd Před 2 lety +41

      I'm sure the early 20th century will take note of your observation.

    • @rrsharizam
      @rrsharizam Před 2 lety +11

      Not as easy as it sounds.

    • @skaterdavedownsouth
      @skaterdavedownsouth Před 2 lety +21

      Ummmmmm the city often develops BECAUSE of the industry.

    • @munchenonyou3774
      @munchenonyou3774 Před 2 lety +6

      @@havocproltd dont repeat history you goof howd you misinterpret that

    • @havocproltd
      @havocproltd Před 2 lety +2

      @@munchenonyou3774 I'm sorry. I must have been blinded by the stunning display of the self evident. And i don't even know what "diversify their labor market" means.

  • @jah2724
    @jah2724 Před 2 lety +411

    Back in the 80s I was a teenager with my family on a road trip and our car broke down on the highway in Gary. They towed us off to a repair shop there. As middle class suburbanites, we felt trepidation. But everyone we dealt with during our 24 hour stay was without exception friendly, helpful and caring. It opened my eyes to the fact that even in a rough place, there are many fine people.

    • @phillyfan3942
      @phillyfan3942 Před 2 lety +2

      Maybe he did it intentionally

    • @billchambers7760
      @billchambers7760 Před 2 lety +6

      That's awesome. It's always a blessing to meet such people, especially in time of need.

    • @leahflower9924
      @leahflower9924 Před 2 lety +10

      oh my god are you the Griswolds? lol

    • @missesmew
      @missesmew Před 2 lety +1

      @@phillyfan3942 lmfao, your terrible sir, probably right but still terrible. lol

    • @eliwallace3825
      @eliwallace3825 Před 2 lety +11

      what kind of National Lampoon shit is this lmfao

  • @JustCurious313
    @JustCurious313 Před 6 měsíci +1

    I'm from Northwest Indiana. Please revive Gary🙏 It was such a great city!

    • @eileendonald8628
      @eileendonald8628 Před 5 měsíci +1

      I grew up in Gary, it was doomed after the steel mills pulled out. I had a great childhood there in my community. There were beautiful classic homes, we were relatively safe, it wasn’t until the end of my highs school years that we finally moved, it wasn’t because of the crime. A police officer shot at a muscle car for revving his engine and peeled out after his traffic light turned green directly in front of our house. It’s tragic how it deteriorated. I’ll always have fond memories of my life in Gary. I’d love to see a revitalization of Gary.

  • @nik1128
    @nik1128 Před rokem +2

    I once got lost near Gary. I was only there for a very short time but it's such a depressing place. Idk how anyone wakes up to this place every day. I wouldn't last a week.

  • @Blacknight00D
    @Blacknight00D Před 2 lety +406

    I'm from Cleveland and a huge Michael Jackson fan. So my wife and I went from Cleveland to Chicago for our anniversary on August 29th. We wanted to to see MJs original house on the way since it's right off rt 90 in Gary. We got stopped by a flood of armed cops and random people dancing the street. We initially assumed this happened a lot not realizing August 29th was Michael Jackson's birthday.

    • @I_Lemaire
      @I_Lemaire Před 2 lety +4

      That's so funny, though. You must love your wife so much.

    • @Blacknight00D
      @Blacknight00D Před 2 lety +57

      @@I_Lemaire maybe not as much as I thought since I put her in imminent danger just driving to Gary lol

    • @kylein9869
      @kylein9869 Před 2 lety +3

      That's an everyday thing in Gary

    • @Dave2one6
      @Dave2one6 Před 2 lety +1

      I'm from Cleveland too. When I was in the air force a friend of mine who came on leave with me seen wish bone in a western union on st Clair. Special day for him like it was for yall.

    • @dneen_ivonsUniverse
      @dneen_ivonsUniverse Před 2 lety +29

      I just visited Gary last June for Michael Jackson's death anniversary ( I'm a Super Michael Jackson fan as well) and I was shocked by the city itself, it gave me a feeling of doom, I was like, no wonder Joe wanted to get his family out of there

  • @Mrnotpib
    @Mrnotpib Před 2 lety +453

    Cleveland: well, at least we’re not Detroit.
    Detroit: well, at least we’re not Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana: *harsh, bellowing, cold winds of silent nothingness*

    • @BLSoldier00
      @BLSoldier00 Před 2 lety +37

      Youngstown, Ohio: *pats Gary*

    • @2011phill
      @2011phill Před 2 lety +8

      Atleast there not flint mi.

    • @hyrulebass
      @hyrulebass Před 2 lety +10

      Detroit > Cleveland

    • @user-di3uz7vf5f
      @user-di3uz7vf5f Před 2 lety +2

      @@2011phill I feel bad for the people in Gary because I was raised in Flint sad to say but very true

    • @idjc2621
      @idjc2621 Před 2 lety

      Well It Is What It Is…Born & Raised Hovey St to Miller Dunes.

  • @michaelschaumburg589
    @michaelschaumburg589 Před rokem

    My Dad has some family buried in that town.. All the years I’ve been in the town and I never had any thought of that the Jackson’s use to live in that area

  • @Nazz1952
    @Nazz1952 Před 10 měsíci

    I was in a band that played a benefit at The Club on Route 20 in Gary, for Mayor Hatcher.

  • @beej741
    @beej741 Před 2 lety +584

    I never knew about Hammond physically severing ties with Gary. That's really incredible.

    • @lildurpy
      @lildurpy Před 2 lety +35

      And kinda sad

    • @PrinceCezar27
      @PrinceCezar27 Před 2 lety +39

      White flight at its finest.

    • @donnix768
      @donnix768 Před 2 lety +128

      @@PrinceCezar27 That is simply untrue. I am a lifelong hammond resident, Hammond is connected to Gary by several streets, 169th street which turns into 15th avenue in Gary. It is also connected by 177th street which becomes 25th in Gary. Just like Route 41 becomes Lake Shore Drive connecting Hammond to its neighbor city of Chicago. The road in hammond that was cut off from Gary was because it was a residential area that wanted to cut down on traffic. Hammond is a multi cultural city so your theory is white flight is a lie. Don’t comment on places you know nothing about.

    • @jamesbarca7229
      @jamesbarca7229 Před 2 lety +60

      @@donnix768You're right that it had nothing to do with white flight, but it wasn't just a matter of cutting down traffic b/c there wasn't much traffic going down 9th Av. at that point. I remember when Hammond and Gary had their little "war" over that. Hammond put up a dirt barrier under the bridge and Gary came along and removed it. So Hammond put it back up and posted some cops to guard it, and Gary came along to try to remove it again and a several days long standoff ensued. Gary cried racism. Hammond said it was to prevent contaminated runoff from the Midco site. We all knew it was to stop people from committing crimes and quickly fleeing back to Gary, which happened a lot. Loven Oven Pizza, which was located right next to the bridge there, moved because they were constantly being robbed. Closing that road prevented a lot of crime in that corner of Hessville. Just the fact that they now had to go down to 169th, deal with the stoplight, and cross the bridge was enough to discourage most of it.
      It had nothing to do with racism, as you pointed out Hammond is multi racial. It was purely a crime prevention measure, and an effective one at that.

    • @sultanofswing7198
      @sultanofswing7198 Před 2 lety +53

      @@PrinceCezar27 and if the whites all wanted to move in you would call it gentrification. You are a fool.

  • @nickzap2473
    @nickzap2473 Před rokem +374

    My brother used to be a truck driver. He stopped in Gary one night, thinking a suburb would be safer than Chicago itself. He went inside a gas station, and there were security guards. That gas station has since had a massive fire.

    • @oatmeal710
      @oatmeal710 Před rokem

      gary at night is more dangerous than any part of chicago

    • @dudeinacar9680
      @dudeinacar9680 Před rokem +15

      I remember when Downton Gary got bordered up with a facade window fronts on stores. It went downhill fast.
      But 30 years later... that White Castle Restaurant is still there on Broadway, downtown.

    • @chrisnelson3046
      @chrisnelson3046 Před rokem +23

      Yeah I drive across country and thought the same thing. First gas station I go into has 3 inch thick plexiglass and the clerks expression was like wtf a white guy doing in here lol

    • @chrispychicken9614
      @chrispychicken9614 Před rokem +5

      Gas do be flammable

    • @BeBopScraBoo
      @BeBopScraBoo Před rokem +5

      the first time i drove through gary on the interstate there was a little suburban neighborhood that very closely resembled the one i grew up in, only it looked like it was built maybe 10 years earlier. it was empty, except for a couple abandonded rusted out cars in the driveways. every time i drove past it would be a little more run down, more moss on roofs, until eventually the little buffer area was so overgrown you couldn't see it from the highway anymore.

  • @schallrd1
    @schallrd1 Před rokem

    There are lots of guys named Gary from Gary. There are some nice beaches on Lake Michigan near Gary.

  • @hans-joergwahmkow2621
    @hans-joergwahmkow2621 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I worked at the steel mill from 1990 to 1992. Gary was extremly scary back then. I lived in Merrillville, which was okay.

  • @Bestfriendpete
    @Bestfriendpete Před 2 lety +149

    I drove through Gary a few years ago, and spent about 30 minutes or so in the city, went to see the house where Michael Jackson grew up… I must say, Gary is by far the most depressing city I’ve ever visited. It’s filled with abandoned homes and businesses everywhere you look. I hope one day to hear Gary has made a grand turnaround.

    • @gumity
      @gumity Před 2 lety +1

      They're doing their best to work on it. There are a lot of old dilapidated structures down Broadway that they've been tearing down and they're working on replacing them slowly but surely. There's a lot of such construction going on in a lot of areas, hopefully it'll help a bit not having to see all the burned and gutted buildings everywhere and it'll give room to grow new businesses.

    • @gumity
      @gumity Před 2 lety +1

      @Carl Ferrigno There's actually plenty of people and money to support businesses to an extent, but especially on Broadway. There are a lot of people that commute either to places on Broadway (I sometimes work at a government center there) or go through Broadway to be elsewhere, it's a pretty busy road. A lot of people are looking forward to what gets built on the stretch they're working on.

    • @supratimbhunia8063
      @supratimbhunia8063 Před 2 lety +2

      I also went to see Michael Jackson's house and nearby school etc with my family,there is surely enough points to come back again for this neighborhood city of Chicago

    • @professionalamateur1549
      @professionalamateur1549 Před 2 lety

      😂😂

    • @milomilo6404
      @milomilo6404 Před 2 lety

      Never

  • @GoldenKing05
    @GoldenKing05 Před 2 lety +621

    As a Hoosier whenever anything bad happens or looks bad in a town you always say "well it's not as bad as Gary". It's very sad to see the buildings there rot away, and even though its an end to a lot of jokes, i hope that the city can see the light of day soon.

    • @Skud0rz
      @Skud0rz Před 2 lety +24

      A lot of the buildings that are rotting look really cool and unique architecture, its sad

    • @jonathanbowers8964
      @jonathanbowers8964 Před 2 lety +22

      Honestly it is prime real estate for redevelopment. It is right on Lake Michigan and next to Chicago. It could easily become the next Holland Michigan if developers put a bit of effort into gentrification.

    • @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102
      @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102 Před 2 lety +18

      It depends. A lot of tax codes and zoning codes either prohibit people from making investments into a community or punish them for doing so. A progressive land value tax and an abolishment of euclidean zoning could help a lot of struggling US cities.

    • @jonathanbowers8964
      @jonathanbowers8964 Před 2 lety +3

      @@carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102 I agree. I honestly think that considering Gary is practically a ghost town today, it would probably be best to abolish the city and start over. Maybe call it Chicago Heights, Bay City, or Lakeview. A total rebranding and total start over could work. Not much of the buildings there are even worth salvaging and considering it lost 90% of it's peak population it practically is already abandoned.

    • @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102
      @carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102 Před 2 lety +18

      @@jonathanbowers8964 I don't know if tearing down the city and starting over is a great idea. It's near impossible to create a thriving city from scratch since cities grow incrimentally and urban prosperity is a very bottom up process. Creating the conditions that allow for economic prosperity is a much better idea.

  • @DrethenHyena
    @DrethenHyena Před 8 měsíci +1

    Late to the party here, but as someone from England's Steel city it was super interesting to see the history of somewhere based around the same industry :)

  • @grecianatalia3283
    @grecianatalia3283 Před rokem +9

    As someone from East Chicago, Indiana at Notre Dame, I often get confused for being from Gary. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I hate the assumptions people automatically make because someone can be from Gary/a nearby area. People often have a lot to say about Gary, but don’t understand why it is the way it is.

    • @emmabenedek646
      @emmabenedek646 Před rokem

      PUBLIC APATHY. The situation in US is horrific. Theres folks going around pointing cameras at semi derelict cities and towns all over the place. Theres people living there in total poverty. One of them inhabited by females on their own. Whole streets with empty shops, gas stations and diners and wharehouses all starting to collapse. How come that nation paid people to walk about on a moon. Why are they staring into space trying to find 'life' when they cant even manage what they have. Do you think any distant civilisation would tolerate the people here// Why are you assuming they would be like you. Foir instabncxer whats all this about Police killing a 1000 people a yr. They dont seem to do that to the corrupt. In UK we are experiencing Police attacks too who are sent on behalf of religion. They told us that the evidence we gathered during 12 yrs traipse round vCent London accompanied by victims cannot be revealed to public. They also told us that theres no such thing as 'Natural Talent'. theres only what your teacher teaches. That attitude killed millions US Nativ Americans and Germany did same to tribes in Africa. This is the 3rd attaxck we have experienced after doing state of the art work on so called incurable clients sent to us by Health system. They had recd anything up to 22 yrs 'treatment' They needed six hours. One of them would have died that nite had we not broken in to get to her. We wewre then told to stop the work which was threatening establ jobs so around 12-15 000 died and the issues covered up by Local Govt. Police. HM Coroners. HM Courts. HM Psychiatry Charities. Press. 17 universities who are in league with Int drug firms. f-book and Twitter destroyed all our mails and all websites also disappeared. We have no access to Parliament or Law or Health or Welfare. We are woriied anbout dying cos this place coulds be ransacked by Police and the public would do nothing. We are a Jewish Family who came to UK to escape the very activities going on in UK. We came here with two suitcases and 80 yrs old granma. we were washing up dishes in hotel and taking scraps food home. no one offered any help. We left behind jobs in the Law System. Now lets think about this site. People are goin around filming other pewoples misery so what the persons criteria. Why dont they go raise hell at the aeras Political representative for those areas. Why dont they stop and knock at all the doors to see if the folks need food por help with property maintenance. Why are peopole sitting watching all this and doing nothing. Is it becauase the victims aree not 'relatives' If so you need waking up. No change in 10.000 yrs. Stop the deception. 5000 comments have not changed anything.The UK and Europe are also horrific. The EEC has told us that nothing can be done about corruption or the attacks on us. Maybe wre should try to get out of here urgent before we end up dead. The natives that the US killed knew how to survive. You dont. You killed most them wheres the guilt we dont see any. Waste time putting comments on sites, the people are all going in different directions. There will one day be pay back because theres no attempt to change. God help me and asny innocent people. But where they are dont know.

  • @satchelh
    @satchelh Před 2 lety +229

    I walked around Gary a few times in the summer of 1996 and I have to say Gary looks better now than it did then. When I went inside a Grocery store, a liquor store and a convenient store I noticed I was the only one without a pistol either in a holster or tucked in a waistband. People were driving at highway speeds on Fifth and took off from red lights like they were on a drag strip. Union Station was an occupied abandoned building with cars parked all the way around the building. Some junk, some running with people hanging out in them. It felt like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

    • @cecilebraillie4471
      @cecilebraillie4471 Před rokem +18

      I can't imagine going to a grocery store and seeing people with guns tucked in their waistband. Wouldn't you constantly fear for your life?

    • @neville132bbk
      @neville132bbk Před rokem +8

      @@cecilebraillie4471 Being in NZ,,, the only hand guns I have ever seen, once or twice, were on the belt of s Sydney (Aust) policeman. Our police do not carry guns and it is impossible to buy one as a private citizen, unless you belong to a gun club, of which there are not very many.

    • @a.b.sproductionsllc
      @a.b.sproductionsllc Před rokem +1

      We’re you there when they were shooting the 1996 film “Original Gangstas?”

    • @eXTreemator
      @eXTreemator Před rokem

      @WheresPaul#1981 hunting, harrassing, arresting, killing people over minor issues is part of american culture. Police just runs itself.

    • @m00nAlways0nMe
      @m00nAlways0nMe Před rokem +1

      @WheresPaul#1981 That's because Japan is superior in every way.

  • @stevenclark8552
    @stevenclark8552 Před 2 lety +363

    I see why Joe Jackson was so hell bent on leaving

    • @upabittoolate
      @upabittoolate Před 2 lety +10

      Joe was there in the salad days.

    • @hught6885
      @hught6885 Před 2 lety +1

      What a shit hole!!!

    • @upabittoolate
      @upabittoolate Před 2 lety +1

      @@hught6885 you've probably never been there.

    • @hught6885
      @hught6885 Před 2 lety +3

      @@upabittoolate nope. Just looking at the pics is enough to make me NOT ever want to go there!

    • @alfredphillips3469
      @alfredphillips3469 Před 2 lety +6

      Joe Jackson left when Gary was still nice, they didn't leave because it was on the way down, the family left to pursue a dream, and the rest is history..

  • @zepar221
    @zepar221 Před 9 měsíci +2

    In the summer of 2014 the guy driving wanted to stop at the casino in Gary after dark. I have never felt such fear just driving through a city. "This would be the perfect place for a serial killer" was the thought that popped into my head. Months later on the news they announced they had caught the Gary Strangler. Still to this day I wonder if he was one of the people I saw on the streets of Gary that night.