Boring, but Reliable
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6/17/2021
As far as things to do, there is quite literally nothing to do here besides either joining a bowling league, fishing at one of the ponds that has yet to have a 'No Fishing' sign at it, or crossing the border into Illinois to walk the overgrown and muddy trails in the Plum Creek forest preserve.
Like the rest of Northwest Indiana, we have some of the most extreme weather in the WORLD, let alone the US. In January of 2019, we had a day in which the wind chill was -40 degrees coupled with a blizzard. The next day, it was 50 degrees with no wind, and all of the snow had melted causing massive flooding damage.
For fun, I track the temperatures here compared to other places in the US such as Anchorage, Idaho Falls, and Portland (Maine). Nearly without fail, it is a standard deviation colder here than in any of those places during winter.
That having been said, it is one of the safest and most convenient places I have ever lived in.
Housing is much less expensive than Chicago, but its also close enough to commute on either the South Shore Line or by driving.
Want to go out into the boonies? No problem. Lowel and Morocco are less than an hour away.
Want to go to the Indiana Dunes? No problem. Chesterton and Portage are fairly close too.
Want to go to Gary (for whatever God-Forsaken reason)? No problem. Just drive 30 minutes north on Route 41.
Want your kids to have a quality education? Well... public schools here are decent enough, but Purdue University Northwest is 25 minutes north, and offers the same curriculum Purdue West Lafayette does (for the most part) for dimes on the dollar.
Not a fan of Purdue? Indiana University also has a campus nearby.
Need to go to the hospital? No problem. Franciscan is probably less than a 5 minute drive from your house, and they're equipped for anything short of delivering a baby.
On top of all of this, you avoid the taxes, crime (the cops here are great compared to others I've met), traffic (sometimes), and lack of sanitation that comes with living in Chicago or anywhere else nearby in Illinois.
Would I recommend for everyone? Absolutely not. But, if you absolutely HAVE to live in the Chicagoland area and despise the idea of living in Chicago, Dyer is likely your best bet.
Signed:
Former Illinois resident
K. | Dyer, IN