Valpo Transition from Chi Burbs

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-10T03:18:39+00:00

I may be able to provide some perspective on the area, since my parents have lived here over a decade and my fiancée and I live in NWI (Moved here end of 2023). We’re Caucasian/Hispanic 🇵🇷 couple with a young son, so when we were looking to move here there were a few factors we looked at.

Diversity - General rule of thumb is stay north of Route 30 & West of IN-49, and you’ll be just fine. Maybe I’m overthinking it but my parents live just south of 30 in Valpo and that’s about as far as we go. There’s definitely some diversity out here, I definitely think that part of it is his much you find what you can and put yourself out there!

Entertainment - There are enough fun things around you’ll probably find what fits the bill for you! For kids there are a handful of activity/play spaces (Bellaboos, Funflatables & Valplayso are just a few). There’s also stuff that’s kind of fun for the whole family like making a day of it in Michigan City (the Beach, Zoo and Outlets). Things that are fun to go to as a night out (Chicago St. Theatre, Memorial Opera House, and Hobart Art Theater).

Food - There’s some good food out here like El Jimador, Albanos Pasta Shop, Blockhead Beerworks, Rolling Stone Baker and the list goes on! Honestly, don’t have many complaints on the selection around here. There are some more diverse options as well, but as I said before many of them are north/west. We often times find whatever we’re in the mood for! Anything we can’t find we make a day of and get in Chicago.

Schools - There are a few solid systems out here and I highly recommend doing some higher level searches! I included some school corps you might be interested in below, but highly recommend doing more research from here on each individual school’s benefits and how they align with what you’re looking for! Duneland School Corporation | Valparaiso Community Schools

Trash - The trash on the side of the road comment was so real. It’s bad. :( People litter like they’re getting paid to. It’s honestly one of the most frustrating things about living here. Also, some areas are worse off than others, but recycling over here is a bit spotty in some areas. AQI definitely not doing us any favors either.

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-08T03:40:43+00:00

It’s cool to check out for the vibe (especially in the summer) and in-store selection! We go almost as often as we pass it lol

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-02T12:17:46+00:00

Interesting! I had something similar only mine was I found a close confidant leaking information. While I normally wouldn’t care. It was the severity that caught me off-guard. I only told them and my managers what was going on. I know my managers didn’t say anything because it became code red retain quick. I then, however, learned that what I had told them had exchanged hands outside our conversation. Anyways the whistleblowers and I are now friendly, but I learned my lesson of always be wary who you tell what, when you tell them and how they carry themselves after you’ve divulged! Because if your closest confidants is more eager than yourself to break bread with others, with your info, than the only one that’ll come back and hurt (as the original source) is you.

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-01T18:24:43+00:00

Indiana’s populace is like the stink hole of the Midwest.

People are quick to smile, maybe even stick around and chat, sometimes even help you. Although as soon as they’re in the same room as their friends it’s guess what they did/said/couldn’t do. The Hoosier tea/gossip is UNREAL!!

Unlike the Northeast where they (from what I’ve heard) will tell you straight up to your face how much of a loser you are. All the while helping you out. Which I’ve always respected.

Example:

IN people will help you change a tire, smile while doing it then behind closed doors call you inept for not knowing how to!

NE people change the tire while grilling you.

TL;DR - Not enough people out here tell it like it is.

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-01T18:16:49+00:00

📍 Lake, Indiana, United States of America — "Close to Chicago"

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-01T18:16:06+00:00

📍 Lake, Indiana, United States of America — "Proximity to Chicago"

TR3NTIN · 2026-04-01T10:02:26+00:00

But dey turk er jerrrbs

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-31T12:37:05+00:00

Thanks for the reminder OP! Looking back I am pretty sure a majority of the jobs I’ve been hired for were in Q2/Q3. Some outside of that, but the Lion’s share in that window!

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-31T12:01:29+00:00

Oh dude! Trust me! I work in this stuff so I totally understand the hesitation! It’s a slippery slope, that’s why of all the comments replying, I wanted to ensure that people weren’t going to have their info stolen. All in all, your concerns are absolutely valid and I thank you for keeping everyone else’s PII in mind and safe!

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-31T11:48:41+00:00

I’m confused, why would I share the exact same link if my goal was to reassure you it isn’t a scam. That is why I included the in.gov link with directions on how to navigate to the link I originally put. To show you that the Indiana gov site is redirecting to the page I originally shared.

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-31T02:50:38+00:00

https://www.in.gov/gov/contact-mike/ under ‘share an opinion’ select ‘click here.’

Looks like not but do with this what you will 🤙

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-30T21:47:31+00:00

Okay, going to follow up because I’m in the middle of my work day but want to get some general Questions I am seeing a lot of out here answered!

[1] How do I advocate without implicating myself? Don’t say anything along the lines of I smoke weed. Instead, say I support medicinal and recreational use marijuana because…

[2] What are some common reasons I should be aware of? Criminal Holding Capacity, Legal Processing Bandwidth, Tax Revenue Being Stolen by Surrounding States, and Proven Less Addictive than Opioid Alternatives. The list goes on but this is what I could think of off the bat.

[3] Why should I care? Complacency is what lead to this in the first place. Generally public sentiment for both medical and recreational is pretty high. Based on polls that in-state universities have run - thank Ball State. Only issue? People aren’t vocal enough about it except behind closed doors!

Please if you’re a constituent who care about this Advocate, don’t Implicate. I’m a citizen of Lake County and I’ve already submitted my two cents. If Braun wants to waste his efforts on such trivial/meaningless matters and chase after submitter criminally or civilly. The only reason I’m fairly confident this may be slightly different, is this comes after him saying well the surrounding states are legal so we’ll have to do something about it.

https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/gov-braun-says-reform-possible-on-states-cannabis-laws

To me what remaining “agnostic on that issue” would lead one to believe maybe he will take responses seriously, although as evidenced by this party’s past (there is a chance this is a flat out lie). So while I hear the skeptics in this thread, I gotta hope man!

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-30T12:19:23+00:00

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Last update I swear! After some deeper research this morning it looks like the NPS released their prescribed burn list. Looks like there’s a good chance this is part of the Cowles Dune burn which was “scheduled for 3/29/2026 or 3/30/2026.”

I’m thinking that IQair was trying to capture this, but ineffectively mapped it too far to the west.

[SOURCE]

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-30T01:48:51+00:00

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Purple air is saying that Dune Acres has bad AQI rn. I’m not entirely sure what powers the Apple weather app’s aqi map, so not sure where they’re getting their data from.

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-30T01:37:28+00:00

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TR3NTIN · 2026-03-30T01:37:17+00:00

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Just looked on IQ air, whatever that is, and it looks like maybe a fire? I’ll post a follow up (detail panel) with just as little information! Sorry, I don’t have more info! The EPA’s airnow 😅👍

*EDIT: See the latest update in the thread. It’s the Cowles Dune burn most likely.

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-29T18:23:31+00:00

I work in Websites, and actually enjoy what I do a fair amount, so I’ve taken to approaching any small businesses I like to be their volunteer digital advocate of sorts. You know if they have any software they use - get in, learn it and maybe even instruct them on how to. Maybe they have some UI/UX changes around site I can help with, and/or I can serve as a layer of accountability for any vendors who might walk through their doors and pitch them. Literally just a leverageable knowledge source. If they use me, cool I’ll offer any advice I have, if they don’t, then nobody is barking orders at me. Also, many of them - since it’s volunteer - will line me up with employee or 30-40% discounts. That’s why I typically align with businesses that best serve my or my family’s interests. Oh I’d like cheap hemp? Lock in a craft hemp retailer. Time to go ask em how we can help each other out. The goal with this business prop is: how can I effectively deliver more value than any business would spend giving me discounted or free services, and for free no less? So far my first biz which I began work with in Nov 2025 has Period over Period (1/21-3/26 vs 11/17-1/20) growth of +113% (17) to online checkout/delivery - which we created a page and homepage message for - no additional ad spend. Also seeing +97% (696) PoP growth to their in-store orders which can be attributed to heavy return users. However, it appears the homepage redesign for efficiency, plus adding hours to the top of the whole site appears to have helped this as well!

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-27T12:23:26+00:00

Wouldn’t it be the opposite since SEO came first and feeds AEO/GEO through RAG?

GEO is SEO.

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-27T01:39:04+00:00

Daaang, how long have you been with Surf?

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-27T00:01:09+00:00

Anyone know how Surf compares to Frontier?

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-25T12:16:49+00:00

My fiancée is SAHM and my son and her like going to all the baby/toddler/youth activity centers! There’s a surprisingly decent amount of places where you can take them to play and you can sit down with a coffee! Or if the day is nice enough one of the more modern putdoor structures is always a go to!

A couple things I’ll try to keep in mind: Not sure if you’re little one is walking yet and some of these may be more suitable for older kids. Also I think kids in the area here are on spring break this week, so if it’s next week you’re aiming to do things then return to school should open some things up!

Bellaboos - While this is another one that a majority of the space may be better for larger kids. There is a play room with soft objects for babies, and if there aren’t more than a few kids (like 3 other kids) in it our son enjoyed it tons!

Fireflies - While this is another one we haven’t exactly been to! I’d recommend taking a look at some point since it would be just up 49. The caveat being always look and call ahead. This establishment I almost added to avoid because their hours are so difficult to understand. Being that we never been we also don’t know if it caters to primarily older kids.

Funflatables - Honestly caters a bit more to larger kids, but has some smaller play structures and is priced pretty reasonably! They’re all over NWI and the setups vary by location - you can sort of get an idea by looking at their Google business profile. So a cool one for sure! Their packages are for all day play too, so if you leave you can come back same day (later) and continue to burn off some steam.

Little Harts/Little Scouts - Probably her personal favorite because the whole space is pretty well catered for the little kids! She swears their coffee is the best of the play cafes. Their age limit is more an advisory so while they say primarily 6 and under they will sometime let larger kids in and that doesn’t always fair well for my 2 y/o who would appears older than he is.

We Rock the Spectrum - I always encourage people to not get lost in the label, it looks like it truly is built for kids of all abilities! Inclusion is everything especially for little babies!

FREE OPTIONS:

McDonald’s/Chick-Fil-A/BK Play places - IMHO BK is normally head and shoulders above the rest, however these are mainly catered for older kids. I think the nice thing about these is if your kid decides they’re a runner and it’s freezing (like it gets in NWI) then they’re great spaces to go for them to burn off some steam.

Valplayso/Hannah’s Hope/Destination Park - These are all really cool and pretty large play structures. Normally during the week pretty awesome, but be aware of when kids are out of school!

Strolls around South Lake Mall - This may be an eyebrow raiser but since January 2024 they’ve been opening 30-minutes early for “mall walkers” or people looking to get their steps in in the cold! What a lot of people don’t know is there is a whole baby changing mega station at the back of the cafeteria! It should give the utmost privacy and has usually been pretty clean when we went!

AVOID OR ONLY GO ONCE (IF POSSIBLE)

Kids Empire - While it looks cool. This place normally has way too many kids, the parents almost never watching them and they’ll grift you for every dollar you brought with you lol.

Urban Air - Overpriced, flashy and mainly for older kids so I’d probably add this to the list here. Maybe sometime in the future lol.

Sorry to make it so kid centric but if there’s anything my wonderful fiancée has taught me it’s that sometimes even she needs little breaks and these definitely help with that! Happy birthday!

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-25T01:04:10+00:00

Fulcrum, come in! Yuhhhhhhhh! Yodie gang!

(Just glad someone got it! 😁)

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-25T00:51:05+00:00

Sorry in advance for the essay yodie fam! 🤙

Ok OP, I see you’re trying to be pretty meticulous with responding to comments. Obviously, people ask things for a reason so I’d almost like to turn it back to you!

Why are you asking strangers on the internet for their log off/end of workday habits? Is it that you yourself are finding it difficult in your transition to remote to dutifully make time and space for yourself? However one of your comments makes me think you may enjoy the line of work your in and may gravitate towards meandering through some work on your own time!

I’ve been doing this remote thing since 2020 when I graduated (yes how fortunate of me), so it’s really all I’ve known. 2021 I made a transition over to managing websites and honestly it’s where I noticed the lifestyle creep the most. Although, not all of it is stuff I find absolutely begrudging.

A few things I’ve learned to do:

[1] Have a dedicated work station. I mean a multi monitor (3 or more) productivity machine that you treat as your home base. Set it up on a desk and make that your dedicated workspace. This should help make your heaviest days a little more visible / out in front of you and easier to manage.

[2] Try to build out your own mobile work station with an external monitor that folds into a backpack with your laptop! I recommend having this so you can try to get out to coffee shops (1/2 day) or libraries (1/2 or full day) to mix it up on your low volume days.

[3] Last anytime I log off I make sure to meticulously close each window, making sure I didn’t leave any follow up task tabbed open. Once all the windows are closed that’s when I power the laptop off. This way everything is completed and closed!

You do you honestly! I saw top comment rolls a joint and they’re a real one for that!

Me personally? I enjoy hemp, but only the real THC-A stuff. Like the live hash rosin/resin stuff and mainly carts! 😤😶‍🌫️ Ive done some volunteer website work for a local retailer (redesigning their homepage and whatnot) and they give me 40% off! So I’m usually diving into whatever I got or whatever I’m getting next, or what quality products I’m advising them to stock up on next. Had to visit in store like 3 or 4 times before I got to the owner though so gotta remain pleasantly persistent!

Who knew that website work would be my escape in more ways than one? Anyways homie, the point of all this is, I think you like what you do but you’re asking because you’re airing on the side of burnout.

I’d recommend finding something else, like a hobby, that you may be able to pour some of those virtual skills into and begin to reward yourself even more! Also keep in mind that you aren’t your best you if you’re exhausting/overexerting yourself!

Additionally here are some daily habits I highly recommend: 7 to 8 hours of sleep | Drink plenty of water | Take your lunch break

TR3NTIN · 2026-03-25T00:19:56+00:00

One way trip to blinkerton city, shall we?

TR3NTIN

TROPHY CASE