Hobart (Indianapolis, Gary, Portage: homes, new construction, schools)

[AdventureAwaits23]

Hello. I've been looking around NW Indiana and I really like Hobart. I like the small town feel with the closeness of amenities. It seems like there is a really good sense of community there. I discovered that there was some flooding in 2008 and 2018. I was googling to see if there are any flood zones but I didn't find anything that was very helpful. Does anybody have any information on this or thoughts on Hobart?

Thank you for any comments!

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by AdventureAwaits23

Hello. I've been looking around NW Indiana and I really like Hobart. I like the small town feel with the closeness of amenities. It seems like there is a really good sense of community there. I discovered that there was some flooding in 2008 and 2018. I was googling to see if there are any flood zones but I didn't find anything that was very helpful. Does anybody have any information on this or thoughts on Hobart?

Thank you for any comments!

Things that come to mind when I think of Hobart:

Aging Population
Boomed in the 80s
Still safe
Blue collar
Better sense of community than most towns in NWI
Affordable housing (that can be a pro or a con)

[bigpop007]

There was some extensive flooding in 2008 and 2018. There was some elevated water levels and slight flooding earlier this month. You can locate information about flood zones from the Indiana Floodplain Portal provided by the DNR.

https://dnrmaps.dnr.in.gov/appsphp/fdms/

In general, the flooding is usually concentrated to the lake/river areas close to downtown and by two bridges (3rd Street and Arizona Street). It's not particularly traumatic for most folks and typically impacts only a few homes in the immediate vicinity of the water.

As for the points noted in the previous post, statistically, the data doesn't support viewing Hobart as an aging population. Hobart is actually in the middle of the road with respect to the median age (as indicated by both Wikipedia and City-Data):

City Wikipedia City-Data
Munster 44.8 44.6
Dyer 42.9 45.3
S'ville 40.9 42.1
St. John 40.2 44.7
Highland 40 42.7
CP 39.6 41.4
Hobart 38 39.6
Chesterton 37 38.8
M'ville 36.7 38.4
Portage 36.4 39.0
Griffith 36.1 36.8
Michigan City 35 38.4
Valpo 33 33.5


As for the rest of the items, I'd say Svillechris is pretty spot on. While other surrounding communities have had an increase in development activity over these last few years with these boom times, progress has been pretty slow in Hobart without much new residential or commercial activity started in the last decade. That doesn't mean that there has been zero activity, it just isn't anywhere close to the scale of CP, Portage, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Valpo, or the tri-town area.

There is a general feeling of safety with a strong sense of community...seemingly, everybody knows everybody. The housing is generally affordable with most homes listed in the range of $75-225k. There is a smattering of newer homes above $300k but rarely anything on the high-end ($400-450k+). That probably correlates with the perception that the city is blue collar. Hobart isn't exactly a bastion of white collar professionals. If one is looking for that, then locales such as Valpo, Chesterton, CP, Munster, and the tri-town area would be better places to look.

All in all, if you can overlook the lack of local newer retail or are okay with a drive, there's a home to suit most budgets and the community feeling is unlike most in the area. The schools are decent but not exceptional. Hobart has its charm and a ton of potential. Personally, I feel that it's underrated and overlooked, but that's just me.

[AdventureAwaits23]

Thank you!

[valpofan11]

Originally Posted by AdventureAwaits23

Hello. I've been looking around NW Indiana and I really like Hobart. I like the small town feel with the closeness of amenities. It seems like there is a really good sense of community there. I discovered that there was some flooding in 2008 and 2018. I was googling to see if there are any flood zones but I didn't find anything that was very helpful. Does anybody have any information on this or thoughts on Hobart?

Thank you for any comments!

Hobart is a decent city. Blue collar hometown pride, gritty, homes are generally kept up pretty well. Hobart does have the reputation of being unwelcoming to outsiders, especially if you're black. I don't like Hobart because growing up I always felt Hobart people felt they were better than everyone else despite the fact they were nowhere close as desirable in any metric compared to the higher end NWI locales.

[midwest_gal]

Originally Posted by valpofan11

Hobart is a decent city. Blue collar hometown pride, gritty, homes are generally kept up pretty well. Hobart does have the reputation of being unwelcoming to outsiders, especially if you're black. I don't like Hobart because growing up I always felt Hobart people felt they were better than everyone else despite the fact they were nowhere close as desirable in any metric compared to the higher end NWI locales.

While I would agree on Hobart having a past of being unwelcoming to black people, sadly many NWI working class areas are like this (Griffith, Lake Station, Cal Twnshp, etc.) this doesn't mean I agree with racist ignorant people in Hobart (which is FAR less than any of the other towns mentioned, Griffith residents are far more racist); but it is unfair to think of Hobart as the only place nearby that is like this. I would almost say that statement is somewhat ignorant and stuck in the past. There are definitely racist people in Hobart (like there are in every place in the US) but I believe it is a very small minority.

And to your other point, yes, I believe there are snobby people in Hobart; but being a server in one of the local restaurants I can say people have (overall) been nothing but kind and courteous to me; and much friendlier than in virtually every area of NWI. Of course I am white, so my observation and the way I am treated can be/is different than how minorities are treated!

What is your measurement of "desirable in any metric"? Personally, I look for a nice downtown corridor with an emphasis on uniqueness & walkability. Hobart (to me) is far more unique than Munster, Highland, Griffith, anything in Tri-town, etc. Lake George brings so much life and nature into the community and the downtown corridor along the water is beautiful. This is not to say that Valpo or Crown Point aren't very nice affluent areas with nice downtowns, I love both of those cities; but outside of their town squares what do they offer? Vinyl villages, boring suburban designs & (I would say) MUCH snobbier/racist people than what I have encountered in Hobart! I would pick Hobart any day! Personally, I think Hobart & Whiting are some of the most unique areas in the country, both with vibrant downtowns, somewhat walkable (more so Whiting) both along the water: Hobart (Lake George)/Whiting (Lake Michigan)

[midwest1]

I totally agree about Hobart....it is like a mysterious lost island....even to me and I live in Miller. It is all tucked away from major arterial roads...which may have hindered its development before....but was a blessing in disguise as downtown Hobart is free of the suburban style traffic that afflicts Muster, Highland, Schererville.

[midwest_gal]

Originally Posted by midwest1

I totally agree about Hobart....it is like a mysterious lost island....even to me and I live in Miller. It is all tucked away from major arterial roads...which may have hindered its development before....but was a blessing in disguise as downtown Hobart is free of the suburban style traffic that afflicts Muster, Highland, Schererville.

Yes! All great points, the only "main" roads that come to mind are Ridge Rd/37th Avenue, Old Ridge & Wisconsin Street and of those only Ridge/37th is 4 lanes (2L+2L) virtually all other roads in Hobart are 2 lane one-ways; and it feels much less crowded than the insane mess of Indianapolis Blvd, US-30 & Ridge Road further west (near Griffith/Cal Township area) Absolutely a blessing in disguise!

Another funny point: how you feel about Hobart being a "mysterious lost island" is the same way I view Miller a somewhat secluded remnant of Gary between railroad tracks & the lake. I believe both Miller & Hobart are on the up-and-up & would again pick either over any of the other towns filled with boring, overpriced new construction!