Merrillville, IN

The area now occupied by Merrillville was once the densely forested home of the Potawatomi Tribe, who took full advantage of the bounty of hunting and fishing in an area that included such landmarks as Turkey Creek and Deep River. By contrast, the major points of reference in today's city are Interstate 65 and U.S. Highway 30. Merrillville is a major center for shopping and business in northwest Indiana. The city has a permanent population of about 35,000 residents, but that number swells to more than 100,000 on weekdays due to the influx of workers and shoppers. Because of its many malls, businesses, restaurants, and banks, Merrillville has earned the nickname "Downtown Northwest Indiana." Unlike many of the surrounding areas and counties in northwest Indiana, Lake County (and thus, Merrillville) is in the Central Standard time zone. This difference is due to the county's proximity to Chicago.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

In contrast to neighboring cities (most notably Gary) in northwest Indiana, Merrillville's economy is not heavily dependent on manufacturing, although many residents do work in production, metalworking, or electrical equipment repair jobs.

Ameriplex at the Crossroads, an Indiana Certified Technology Park that opened in 2005 along the Broadway business district, is a business complex designed to stimulate economic development by encouraging high-tech, high-wage businesses to open in the area. To that end, the development includes the Purdue University Technology Center of Northwest Indiana and a Purdue Research Foundation center. These are two of the city's top employers.

Other major Merrillville employers include NIPSCO (NiSource), Frito Lay, Chase Bank, National City Bank, and Methodist Hospital.

SHOPPING

The major shopping corridor in Merrillville runs along both sides of U.S. Highway 30 for several blocks east and west of Interstate 65. Westfield Southlake Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in the state, with four major anchor stores (Carson Pirie Scott, JCPenney, Macy's, and Sears) and more than 170 other shops. Even more stores and restaurants ring the mall and fill the strip malls that line both sides of the highway. Many national retailers maintain locations in this vast regional shopping area; these retailers include all of the major "big box" stores (Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Meijer), bookstores (Borders and Barnes & Noble), and clothing retailers (including Old Navy and Kohl's).

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Merrillville has a number of thriving residential neighborhoods, including:

• Deep River/Ainsworth: This quiet neighborhood features mostly midsized homes (three to four bedrooms) with a smattering of small and large homes and a few apartment buildings.
• Town Center: A good mix of housing styles (single-family homes, apartment buildings, and row houses) characterizes this upper-middle-income neighborhood, which is served by Eagle Park Community School and Jonas Salk Elementary School.
• Lottaville/Turkey Creek Meadows: Homes in this well-established neighborhood (most of the homes were built between 1940 and 1960) tend to appreciate well.

FAMILY FUN

Many Merrillville residents take advantage of the city's proximity to Chicago (less than an hour's drive) to visit the museums and cultural institutions found there. However, there is still plenty to see and do around Merrillville, including:

• Albanese Candy Outlet Store: In addition to offering a wide selection of candy, Albanese allows visitors to tour its candy factory and sample the wares.
• Star Plaza Theatre: This 3,400-seat venue is host to everything from concerts to live productions for children.
• Merrillville Community Planetarium: Merrillville's planetarium offers public programs about astronomy and space.
• Merrillville Ross Township Historical Society Museum: This museum chronicles local history through exhibits that include a turn-of-the-century kitchen and schoolroom and a Victorian parlor.

FOR VISITORS

Merrillville is a city blessed by its proximity to several interesting destinations. For local outdoor activities, it's hard to top Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which are located on the shores of Lake Michigan in nearby Chesterton. For a more local experience, 17 parks within the city of Merrillville offer plenty of outdoor opportunities. Other outdoor activities include visits to:

• Deep River Water Park: In addition to water slides, water rides, and pools, Deep River offers beach volleyball and Paddles' Play Zone, an area for small children.
• Hidden Lake Park: Sledding hills, sandy beaches, paddleboat rentals, sports facilities, and shelters make this park perfect for any season.

LOCAL MEDIA

Merrillville is within the Chicago broadcasting area, so local television channels include:

• WLS Channel 7 (ABC)
• WMAQ Channel 5 (NBC)
• WTTW Channel 11 (PBS)
• WGN Channel 9 (CW)
• WBBM Channel 2 (CBS)
• WFLD Channel 32 (FOX)

Local news, sports, and weather are provided daily by the Post-Tribune of northwest Indiana, which is part of the Sun-Times News Group. The Times of Northwest Indiana also serves the area.