Westside (Gary)
Encyclopedia
In Gary, "West Side" may also refer collectively to the neighborhoods west of Broadway, including Westside, Brunswick
, Ambridge Mann
and Tolleston
.
Westside (also spelled West Side) is a neighborhood in west-central Gary, Indiana
, bounded by the Cline Avenue expressway on the west, the Norfolk Southern railroad on the north, Clark Road on the east and 25th Avenue on the south. It lies directly east of the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond
. Within Gary, it adjoins the neighborhoods of Brunswick
, Tolleston
, and Black Oak
. As of 2000, Westside had a population of 6,153, which was 63.3% African-American and 31.9% white, with 10.1% Hispanic ethnicity.
Much of the neighborhood's acreage is devoted to industrial and institutional uses, including a landfill. Westside's housing stock is concentrated in the northeast and southern areas. As of 2000, its 2,340 housing units were 92% occupied and 60% owner-occupied. Most development in the area occurred after 1960, giving it a younger housing stock than most other Gary neighborhoods. As of 2007, the neighborhood had the third highest housing values in Gary, behind Miller
and Ambridge Mann
.
The 1964 comprehensive plan for Gary had designated the entire Westside area for industrial use, but "the area was invaded by speculators, who built isolated housing tracts." Construction continued into the 1970s, including some affordabe housing projects. Westside and Miller were the only neighborhoods in Gary to gain population between 1970 and 1980, when Westside's population reached 6,368. However, crime soon became problematic; in 1984, when Westside was still largely middle-class, the Jewel supermarket
serving the area closed down due to repeated thefts and robberies. Today, retail business in Westside is quite limited, except for a retail cluster near the Burr Street exit of the Borman Expressway
, on the boundary between Westside and Black Oak.
Westside is home to an elementary school and West Side High School
. There is an 8-acre city park, Seberger Park, near the neighborhood's southwestern corner.
Brunswick (Gary)
Brunswick is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana, just south of Gary Chicago Airport. It borders Hammond and East Chicago to the west, and the Gary neighborhoods of Ambridge Mann to the east and Westside to the south. The borders are defined by the Indiana Toll Road on the north, Chase...
, Ambridge Mann
Ambridge Mann
Ambridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge, is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south...
and Tolleston
Tolleston
Tolleston is a neighborhood and former town in west-central Gary, Indiana. It is situated south of Ambridge, west of Midtown, east of Westside and north of Glen Park. Tolleston is the site of two large city parks , a historic cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River...
.
Westside (also spelled West Side) is a neighborhood in west-central Gary, Indiana
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...
, bounded by the Cline Avenue expressway on the west, the Norfolk Southern railroad on the north, Clark Road on the east and 25th Avenue on the south. It lies directly east of the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
. Within Gary, it adjoins the neighborhoods of Brunswick
Brunswick (Gary)
Brunswick is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana, just south of Gary Chicago Airport. It borders Hammond and East Chicago to the west, and the Gary neighborhoods of Ambridge Mann to the east and Westside to the south. The borders are defined by the Indiana Toll Road on the north, Chase...
, Tolleston
Tolleston
Tolleston is a neighborhood and former town in west-central Gary, Indiana. It is situated south of Ambridge, west of Midtown, east of Westside and north of Glen Park. Tolleston is the site of two large city parks , a historic cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River...
, and Black Oak
Black Oak (Gary)
Black Oak is a neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. As of 2000, Black Oak had a population of 4,216, which was 84.7% white. It is Gary's only majority-white neighborhood, and the most recent neighborhood added to the city....
. As of 2000, Westside had a population of 6,153, which was 63.3% African-American and 31.9% white, with 10.1% Hispanic ethnicity.
Much of the neighborhood's acreage is devoted to industrial and institutional uses, including a landfill. Westside's housing stock is concentrated in the northeast and southern areas. As of 2000, its 2,340 housing units were 92% occupied and 60% owner-occupied. Most development in the area occurred after 1960, giving it a younger housing stock than most other Gary neighborhoods. As of 2007, the neighborhood had the third highest housing values in Gary, behind Miller
Miller Beach
Miller Beach is a community on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. Originally an independent town first settled in 1851, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary, Indiana in 1918...
and Ambridge Mann
Ambridge Mann
Ambridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge, is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south...
.
The 1964 comprehensive plan for Gary had designated the entire Westside area for industrial use, but "the area was invaded by speculators, who built isolated housing tracts." Construction continued into the 1970s, including some affordabe housing projects. Westside and Miller were the only neighborhoods in Gary to gain population between 1970 and 1980, when Westside's population reached 6,368. However, crime soon became problematic; in 1984, when Westside was still largely middle-class, the Jewel supermarket
Jewel (supermarket)
Jewel-Osco is a supermarket chain headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Jewel-Osco has 182 stores across northern, central, and western Illinois; eastern Iowa; and portions of northwest Indiana.Jewel-Osco and Jewel are currently wholly owned subsidiaries of Eden Prairie,...
serving the area closed down due to repeated thefts and robberies. Today, retail business in Westside is quite limited, except for a retail cluster near the Burr Street exit of 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 boundary between Westside and Black Oak.
Westside is home to an elementary school and West Side High School
West Side High School (Gary)
West Side High School is a four year public school of the Gary Community School Corporation in Gary, Indiana, United States.- History :...
. There is an 8-acre city park, Seberger Park, near the neighborhood's southwestern corner.