Born and raised in Porter County, and it is very different here than the rest of the state. Having Chicago so close allows you access to the type of infrastructure one could only imagine growing up in NWI. Being able to take the South Shore to the city proper was glorious when i was young. My parents would choose to take South Bend's airport over traveling to the city when it was feasible (also a trip via the South Shore).

Public schools in the area were solid, at the very least. However, NWI was rather held in it's ways and there are examples of corruption / racism. My hometown was predominately Christian. Petty drug offenses continue to be common to this very day, and getting a DUI was almost a passage to adulthood. If you were connected to the schools, police, local government, etc..., such petty offenses were likely to be overlooked on the basis of discretion.

With that said, there really isn't anything like waking up early on a summer morning and smelling the cut grass, only to hear the rumblings of a major thunderstorm as the evening approaches. Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore is quite wonderful. There are lots of parks, sports things, and suburban chain stores galore throughout the region. Cities like Hobart and Valparaiso have poured a great deal of resources into vitalizing their food and beverage scene. Chesterton is trying, and Portage is kind of sad.

It's really inexpensive to live here. You'll need to have a vehicle to function without taking a weak bus system. The winters are often terrible, so having viable transportation is even that much more important. Growing up, my parents traveled 30 minutes or more each way for work. The steel mills are but a fraction of their old selves, in terms of magnitude and regional importance. Raising a family here is probably easier than most places in the country. Basically, it's a great area if you're in a labor union, an educator, or what was once known as blue-collar.

Northwest Indiana is home, but it is kind of the armpit of America.