DERELICT - A Visit to The Village at Gary

Welcome to Gary Indiana. An American Tragedy. Join us for their only mall, The Village Shopping Center. A faded, but unique front-facing corridor mall.

[dant]

The dude laying down was mall security 😂

[dniksich]

Born in Gary and still live here. I remember the Village way back when I was a kid and we'd come see Santa here at Christmas and I'll never forget coming here with my brother and our mom to go to Pennys for our "Plain Pockets" jeans for school. Gotta admit I haven't been back for years but might have to now knowing the Vienna Red Hots stand is still there! I do remember that from my childhood too. Crime is bad here as I just had my shed broken into a couple weeks ago and 2 mowers and 2 pressure washers stolen but I still haven't been stabbed or shot yet. House broken into twice and garage once but I'm still alive so that's something. lol

[SynchroSk]

Those monument and entry signs are fantastic. Growing up in Chicago, we always knew about Gary’s issues - in High School, we went to check the city out, we were just curious kids. Even in the late 90s, it was so clear the toll lost industry and white flight had on the community. I have seen news programs and interviews of folks that are trying to get Gary in a better direction, but I worry its too late. Reminds me of sections of Detroit for sure. Thank you for covering this.

[stevengordon]

The hot dog place was there decades ago. The smell used to suck me in every trip to the Village.

[andysorensen]

My grandmother grew up in Gary. The only thing she ever told me about Gary was that her place was not far from the Jacksons House.

[robertbarnes]

Gary’s decline really started in the late 70s. The Village was still pretty vibrant in the 70s. I remember my mom taking me to go shopping there and buying comic books. The real decline hit in the mid-80s. The sad thing is all of the great architecture that’s crumbling. There was no real reason for Gary to exist outside of the steel industry. It was never able to find anything to replace steel at a critical point…and this is what you get.

[taydestiny]

Well….if a guy being passed out on the floor isn’t a sign that a mall is dead, then I don’t know what is.

[cecuniversity]

Suprising Gary has a larger population than most thriving towns. I don’t understand how they do it.

[NorteKalifas]

Very intimate heart felt story telling... I enjoyed this... I went thru Gary once as a young teen on amtrak.... went right thru it... Saw the iconic abandoned train station and all.. Had heard of Gary, Indiana from a 90's movie called "Original Gangstas". Very good video you've produced here!

[jaysonwallker]

It didn't use to be an enclosed shopping mall. It was an open shopping center. You drove right up to the store and walked in the front door of the store. He is correct kresge's was there and a lot of other stores. That's where we did most of our primary shopping when I was a kid back in the 60s. There was a popular sewing shop there too I think it was called the sisters. Mom used to get her thread and other sewing stuff there. I was surprised to see that they turned it into a mall.

[ms.zelman]

So sad to see The Village Shopping Center in this state. This video was a bit depressing to watch, but I still like all your videos either way.

[redpanda]

This mall has seen better days and I don’t think Gary should have a mall any more

[thecandyman]

Dang son, I'd say you went from Doomie Grunt to Doomie Spec Ops w/ this one. Much respect here.
Fun fact:
Gary was such an emblem of American industry that the Soviet Union recreated Gary in the 1950s in their top steel producing town (either in Russia or Ukraine if I remember correctly) block for block, even using fake trees to mimic the native variety found in Gary (Pine or Spruce or something like that).

[charlestonpinballarcade]

Mmmmm, should have got one of those Vienna dogs!

[WhittyPics]

Looks pretty abandoned? I heard Gary can be a dangerous place at night?

[charlestonpinballarcade]

All these old steel towns were beautiful decades ago. People had jobs and owning a home was a reality. Great vid! Oddity sunroom style corridor malls like this are fascinating! Imagine all the nice stores that once occupied the spaces.

[michaelstanich]

there used to be a hotdog place when i drove a cab around the area.

[rustbeltrich]

I live about 1/2 hour from Gary and pass through there often…indeed quite sad. Marquette Mall, my childhood mall, is in Michigan City right next door and would be cool for you to check out if you’re passing through! Sadly you can only get in a little ways to the post-office inside. Southlake Mall is pretty cool in nearby Hobart, though not a dead mall. NWI is def a hot spot for some derelict digs 😁

[iworkout]

Last weekend a nephew passed through Gary on his way east. Nearly the first thing he mentioned was passing through Gary, a scary experience. Then I watched "Adam the Woo" who has a cross country blog on interesting places. If you can watch it, as he took some video of the city as he passed through. He usually doesn't say much about the condition of a place and he likes to look and stop at interesting roadside attractions along the way.. Needless to say, he took video, but not what he usually puts in his blog.

[jeee]

Going where nobody has gone before, lol. Always something to look forward to every week with Doomie!
I think Gary can and will come back.