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Old 10-10-2010, 02:39 PM
 
Location: Humboldt Park, Chicago
2,686 posts, read 7,870,272 times
Reputation: 1196

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Allen,

You are mistaken if you think Gary, Hammond, Merriville and Munster are not part of Chicago metro area.

Munster is 40 min car ride from Chicago. Schaumburg is the same distance or even further (miles and time-wise).

People as far south as Remington IN listen to Chicago media. Anything within an hour of Chicago should really be considered the Chicago suburbs. Areas like Aurora are actually further out.

I will let you and others duke it out over home prices but all areas have seen decline since 2007. Some have just seen more.

 
Old 10-10-2010, 02:59 PM
 
829 posts, read 2,088,216 times
Reputation: 287
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humboldt1 View Post
Allen,

You are mistaken if you think Gary, Hammond, Merriville and Munster are not part of Chicago metro area.

Munster is 40 min car ride from Chicago. Schaumburg is the same distance or even further (miles and time-wise).

People as far south as Remington IN listen to Chicago media. Anything within an hour of Chicago should really be considered the Chicago suburbs. Areas like Aurora are actually further out.

I will let you and others duke it out over home prices but all areas have seen decline since 2007. Some have just seen more.

We were discussing real estate values. Northwest Indiana is not part of the greater chicagoland area MLS. Schaumburg is considered to be an actual suburb of chicago and is included in the greater chicagoland MLS. What is considered to be an actual chicagoland suburb has to stop somewhere, which is why there is a different MLS for northwest indiana. And, no it isn't a state law thing or distance thing. Other metro areas that overlap into other states share the same MLS. Washington, DC's MLS includes DC, and suburbs in Maryland, and virginia. But, northwest indiana still is culturally and distance wise part of the chicagoland area.

Last edited by allen2323; 10-10-2010 at 03:10 PM..
 
Old 10-10-2010, 03:13 PM
 
Location: Humboldt Park, Chicago
2,686 posts, read 7,870,272 times
Reputation: 1196
Allen,

I agree with your last post regarding the MLS piece.
 
Old 10-10-2010, 03:34 PM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 6,075,642 times
Reputation: 705
There is no strict definition of a Chicago suburb, so it is a question of opinion and common practice to some degree. I agree that most people include NWI as part of Chicagoland, and it possesses many features that one associates with a suburb. At the same time, there is a barrier in crossing state lines that one notices in how the area is referred to. For example, I live in Hyde Park, where thousands of people from Indiana come to work every day. None of them is known as living in the far southeast suburbs. They are just from Indiana. No one even says where -- just "indiana". No one even knows what cities are in Indiana. This is different from other southeast suburbs (Lansing, Cal City, etc) where people say "I'm from the southern suburbs" and actually say the name of the town.
Not a mind-blowing observation but I see where Allen is coming from.
 
Old 10-10-2010, 06:01 PM
 
2,156 posts, read 5,491,199 times
Reputation: 1572
Regarding the MLS, I suspect then (since it is not with laws as I thought) is because Northwest Indiana only recently was considered more of an option for people from Illinois to move to. D.C. commuters have always lived in NoVa and Maryland suburbs but Chicago commuters really began moving to Indiana in the 90s. SO as far as that goes, yes, I concede that they are separate. However, that still does not mean that we are not part of the metro area.

The reason many people do not know many of the cities in Indiana is because aside for cheaper gas and cigs and MAYBE the beach, there isn't that much of a draw for visitors to come. It is mostly a draw for people looking to move. Another thing is that many people honestly think Gary = Northwest Indiana. I have met so many people that did not even know E.C. existed, but of course they knew Gary. And many people don't know about the other NWI towns as well. I have even encountered some people from the North Shore that don't know the names of any South Suburb except for Harvey of course -- but yet, they can still say that the south suburbs are terrible (without knowing each one that exists). As for NWI, Gary is one of the stigma's we have to deal with. On the other hand in Illinois, many people not from the area know of Naperville (great city) but do not know that Lisle, or Wheaton, or Warrenville exist at all. Naperville in a sense drowns out those towns because it always makes this list or that list for being the best place to live, or raise a family. Now since Naperville is not a wasteland or anything, it is not necessarily portraying a bad image for the area. But the fact that is kind of steals the light from others could be a reason that people from out of the midwest flock to Naperville and don't even consider Lisle or other nearby burbs unless they are told so. And it could be said the same as to why many people from out of the midwest do not move to Munster or Saint John because they are told "Oh No! Gary is there! Don't move!" and this is often told by people who do not live anywhere near here.

By definition, Munster is a suburb because it's growth was a direct result of employment in Chicago. The only industry in the town itself is very local (Pepsi Bottling and Munster Steel) and those are not common employers for residents in town. The largest employers are the Hospital and the doctors offices. But still a huge chunk of people work in Chicago. We may not be recognized on the Chicago MLS, but that could also be because Illinois would not really benefit financially if people move to Indiana. And vice-versa....as for D.C., well it doesn't matter because Virginia or Maryland, the U.S. government gets the money anyway!
 
Old 10-10-2010, 06:07 PM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 6,075,642 times
Reputation: 705
"By definition, Munster is a suburb because it's growth was a direct result of employment in Chicago ..."

Is that the universally accepted definition of suburb? I didn't think it was so concrete at all. Can think of lots of examples that fit and don't fit that general mold.
 
Old 10-10-2010, 06:10 PM
 
Location: Hoosierville
17,402 posts, read 14,631,586 times
Reputation: 11596
Quote:
Originally Posted by allen2323 View Post
We were discussing real estate values. Northwest Indiana is not part of the greater chicagoland area MLS. Schaumburg is considered to be an actual suburb of chicago and is included in the greater chicagoland MLS. What is considered to be an actual chicagoland suburb has to stop somewhere, which is why there is a different MLS for northwest indiana. And, no it isn't a state law thing or distance thing. Other metro areas that overlap into other states share the same MLS. Washington, DC's MLS includes DC, and suburbs in Maryland, and virginia. But, northwest indiana still is culturally and distance wise part of the chicagoland area.

LOL!

There are properties listed in MLSNI that are also listed in GNIARMLS. And there are properties in GNIARMLS that are listed in MLSNI.

To use a MLS as proof of NWI not being considered part of the Chicagoland area fails miserably.
 
Old 10-10-2010, 06:10 PM
 
2,156 posts, read 5,491,199 times
Reputation: 1572
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajolotl View Post
"By definition, Munster is a suburb because it's growth was a direct result of employment in Chicago ..."

Is that the universally accepted definition of suburb? I didn't think it was so concrete at all. Can think of lots of examples that fit and don't fit that general mold.
I cannot say for sure that it is universal; however, in this specific case, I believe it is true.

Now based on the actual definition of a suburb, Munster definitely fits the the definitions!

Definition of "suburb"

Last edited by Northwest Indiana; 10-10-2010 at 06:16 PM.. Reason: added definition
 
Old 10-10-2010, 06:32 PM
 
829 posts, read 2,088,216 times
Reputation: 287
Quote:
Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana View Post
I cannot say for sure that it is universal; however, in this specific case, I believe it is true.

Now based on the actual definition of a suburb, Munster definitely fits the the definitions!

Definition of "suburb"

Munster is not a suburb of chicago. It is a nice middle class town in northwest indiana. Yes it is right next to lansing which is an actual suburb of chicago. You can not even find munster on the greater chicagoland MLS because they don't consider munster to be a suburb of chicago. I think they know that munster exist, but chicagoland suburbs have to stop somewhere. Northwest indiana town would be the proper description of munster.
 
Old 10-10-2010, 07:03 PM
 
829 posts, read 2,088,216 times
Reputation: 287
Quote:
Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana View Post
Regarding the MLS, I suspect then (since it is not with laws as I thought) is because Northwest Indiana only recently was considered more of an option for people from Illinois to move to. D.C. commuters have always lived in NoVa and Maryland suburbs but Chicago commuters really began moving to Indiana in the 90s. SO as far as that goes, yes, I concede that they are separate. However, that still does not mean that we are not part of the metro area.

The reason many people do not know many of the cities in Indiana is because aside for cheaper gas and cigs and MAYBE the beach, there isn't that much of a draw for visitors to come. It is mostly a draw for people looking to move. Another thing is that many people honestly think Gary = Northwest Indiana. I have met so many people that did not even know E.C. existed, but of course they knew Gary. And many people don't know about the other NWI towns as well. I have even encountered some people from the North Shore that don't know the names of any South Suburb except for Harvey of course -- but yet, they can still say that the south suburbs are terrible (without knowing each one that exists). As for NWI, Gary is one of the stigma's we have to deal with. On the other hand in Illinois, many people not from the area know of Naperville (great city) but do not know that Lisle, or Wheaton, or Warrenville exist at all. Naperville in a sense drowns out those towns because it always makes this list or that list for being the best place to live, or raise a family. Now since Naperville is not a wasteland or anything, it is not necessarily portraying a bad image for the area. But the fact that is kind of steals the light from others could be a reason that people from out of the midwest flock to Naperville and don't even consider Lisle or other nearby burbs unless they are told so. And it could be said the same as to why many people from out of the midwest do not move to Munster or Saint John because they are told "Oh No! Gary is there! Don't move!" and this is often told by people who do not live anywhere near here.

By definition, Munster is a suburb because it's growth was a direct result of employment in Chicago. The only industry in the town itself is very local (Pepsi Bottling and Munster Steel) and those are not common employers for residents in town. The largest employers are the Hospital and the doctors offices. But still a huge chunk of people work in Chicago. We may not be recognized on the Chicago MLS, but that could also be because Illinois would not really benefit financially if people move to Indiana. And vice-versa....as for D.C., well it doesn't matter because Virginia or Maryland, the U.S. government gets the money anyway!


Why is northwest indiana a place that needs to recruit residents? As far as munster, the area is already built up to what it is and will be. It was cheaper than middle class suburbs of chicago a while ago which is what spurred it's growth, and now it's really not any cheaper than actual middle class suburbs of chicago. I think the real question now that people ask is why pay all of that money for a home in northwest indiana when I can afford a home in a nice middle class chicagoland suburb, now that home values have fallen. And as far as a region, northwest indiana has the worst violent crime problem outside of chicago in METRO chicago. Why should anyone who is looking to move there overlook that? And yes, munster is located literally minutes away from the violent crime problems.

Last edited by allen2323; 10-10-2010 at 08:13 PM..
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