Walking Michigan City (Indiana)

For anyone who's wondering who the author is: Chris Arnade got a Ph.D. in particle physics at Johns Hopkins University, and then worked for 20 years as a bond trader on Wall Street. In 2011, he became interested in social class in the US -- what he calls the distinction between "front-row kids" and "back-row kids."

So he became a sort of itinerant photographer/journalist, documenting the lives of poor or middle-class people in unglamorous places -- often Rust Belt towns.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Arnade

Odd that the author does not mention the lake. Hugely important reason why industry located there. It’s also the reason why it is a massive regional vacation destination (right next to the indiana dunes national park) and selling summer houses and condos is probably the reason that real estate agent mentioned out-earned everyone else in the state.

Walking is a great way to experience a place properly. I only discovered how much I enjoy walking during the lockdowns a few years ago when taking long walks was the only entertainment. I mostly walk around Berlin where I live. Exploring the areas in between the destinations where I normally by simply walking through them (as opposed to taking public transport and not seeing or noticing these areas), shows you a lot about a city.

Michigan City looks like a friendly enough place. Not that dissimilar from the working class areas here in Berlin. Lots of Berliners that live a bit further from the center.

One note, spectacular as that coal plant might look; living that close to one is not that great for your health. Coal plant pollution tends to affect health statistics (average age, incidence of lung related problems, etc.).

We usually stop by Michigan City every time we're driving through the area (usually on our way to somewhere in Michigan or on our way back), mainly to make two stops: Cool Runnings Restaurant and Bar (excellent jerk chicken and catfish) and FLUID Coffee Roasters (really good coffee). Both highly recommended.

The city itself seems like a relatively quiet city. There's some parts of town that seem kind of run down but not too bad, and the downtown area (where FLUID is) is nicer.

We went to their outlet mall once (which is all I knew about the place ahead of time, people would say how it's a great place to shop) and while there's a decent number of stores there, the courtyard was surprisingly bland and undecorated at the time, like it was never finished. We haven't had the urge to go back since. I've been more impressed with shopping centers in the Chicago suburbs (where I'm from), like the Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, or the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.

Also stopped by their beach once, and it's fine, but I think other beaches not too much further away in SW Michigan or the Indiana Dunes are nicer (especially the Dunes).

The home town of Ward Cunningham, the developer of the wiki (among other things)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham

It's also a great place to catch steelhead trout. They spend most of their life in Lake Michigan and then run upriver to feed/spawn depending on the season. When they head up the St. Joseph in the fall it's hard to find a bank along it without an angler lying in wait.

As humble as Michigan City is, it's also a popular vacation destination for Hoosiers seeking an inexpensive summer getaway. I grew up in Indiana and have many fond memories of going to Michigan City in the summer: swimming at the beach, walking to the lighthouse and zoo, and looking at Chicago's skyline from across the lake. As a kid, I thought the power plant tower was cool, too.