Pulaski (Gary)
Encyclopedia
Pulaski is a neighborhood in eastern Gary, Indiana
. It is roughly triangular in shape, bounded on the south by the Borman Expressway
, on the west by Maryland Street, and on the northeast by the Norfolk Southern railway. It is separated by an industrial corridor from Aetna
to its east; it directly adjoins the neighborhoods of Midtown
, Emerson and Glen Park
. As of 2000, Pulaski's population was 6,777, which was 96.7% African-American, 1.4% white, and 1.3% of Hispanic ethnicity.
Pulaski was originally settled by white ethnic
millworkers from the 1920s to 1950s. It was one of the first neighborhoods in Gary to be integrated, as upwardly-mobile African-American families moved in from neighboring Midtown in the 1950s. In 1970, the neighborhood's population was 11,825, nearly double what it is today.
The neighborhood was the site of Gary's first experiment with urban renewal
, beginning in 1963. This experiment caused considerable damage to the community.
There is little retail in the neighborhood, apart from a small cluster of shops at 21st and Virginia. The housing stock consists primarily of single-family homes, although there are also several apartment complexe. Pulaski's housing stock has a 96% occupancy rate and a 40% owner-occupancy rate. The neighborhood includes a large subdivision called Marshalltown. There are three elementary schools and a middle school.
The neighborhood includes a portion of the Little Calumet River floodplain in its southeastern corner, where there is significant open space. There are also several small community parks. As with many Gary neighborhoods, illegal dumping is a serious problem in disused areas.
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
. It is roughly triangular in shape, bounded on the south by the Borman Expressway
Borman Expressway
The Frank Borman Expressway is an east–west highway in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Indiana, named after astronaut and former Eastern Airlines CEO Frank Borman. The expressway consists of parts of Interstate 80 , I-94, and U.S. Highway 6 , as well as a short section of US 41...
, on the west by Maryland Street, and on the northeast by the Norfolk Southern railway. It is separated by an industrial corridor from Aetna
Aetna (Gary)
Aetna is a neighborhood in northeastern Gary, Indiana, south of Miller Beach and east of Interstate 65. As of 2000, the neighborhood had a population of 4,942, which was 83% black and 11% white....
to its east; it directly adjoins the neighborhoods of Midtown
Midtown (Gary)
Midtown, also called Central, is a neighborhood in central Gary, Indiana. For many decades it was the only African-American neighborhood in the city. It is located south of Downtown Gary and north of Glen Park along Broadway, Gary's principal thoroughfare. It adjoins the neighborhoods of...
, Emerson and Glen Park
Glen Park (Gary)
Glen Park, also sometimes called University Park, is the most populous neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. It is situated on the city's far south side, south of the Little Calumet River and Borman Expressway. The neighborhood is often divided into Glen Park East and Glen Park West, on the respective...
. As of 2000, Pulaski's population was 6,777, which was 96.7% African-American, 1.4% white, and 1.3% of Hispanic ethnicity.
Pulaski was originally settled by white ethnic
White ethnic
White ethnic is a term used in United States sociology to refer to whites who are not of European Protestant background. They consist of a number of distinct groups, and within the United States make up approximately 9.4% of the population...
millworkers from the 1920s to 1950s. It was one of the first neighborhoods in Gary to be integrated, as upwardly-mobile African-American families moved in from neighboring Midtown in the 1950s. In 1970, the neighborhood's population was 11,825, nearly double what it is today.
The neighborhood was the site of Gary's first experiment with urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
, beginning in 1963. This experiment caused considerable damage to the community.
There is little retail in the neighborhood, apart from a small cluster of shops at 21st and Virginia. The housing stock consists primarily of single-family homes, although there are also several apartment complexe. Pulaski's housing stock has a 96% occupancy rate and a 40% owner-occupancy rate. The neighborhood includes a large subdivision called Marshalltown. There are three elementary schools and a middle school.
The neighborhood includes a portion of the Little Calumet River floodplain in its southeastern corner, where there is significant open space. There are also several small community parks. As with many Gary neighborhoods, illegal dumping is a serious problem in disused areas.