Yesterday's news about the demolition of Dixie Square Mall certainly didn't come as a surprise. The long abandoned shopping center has been slowly torn down for years. The town of Harvey's promises to turn the site into new shopping or economic development have been touted almost as long as the mall has been abandoned. more ›

We've showed you photographs of City Methodist Church in Gary, IN before, but in a more palatable climate. Photographer David Tribby, whose photographs were the basis for the earlier look into Gary's urban flight and decay, shared two photos of City Methodist Church with us after last week's blizzard. more ›

Paul Mason, economics editor for BBC's "Newsnight," takes a well-researched, thought-provoking look at the urban decay of Gary, Indiana (hint: it isn't the same town Ron Howard sang about in "The Music Man"); how Federal stimulus money was spent and if that money was worth it; how politicians are deflecting blame for Gary's current condition; and the undying hope of some of Gary's residents that one day they can change the town's fortunes. more ›

Last Fall, we took a look at some of the communities and abandonments on the far South side and in Northwest Indiana. While the weather hasn't been amenable to walking the City of the Century, David Tribby has shared some of his photography of Gary with us. This week, we'll be looking at some of the notable abandoned buildings there. For a more in depth look at the architecture of the once-great city, check out his book, Gary Indiana, a City's Ruins. more ›

Last Fall, we took a look at some of the communities and abandonments on the far South side and in Northwest Indiana. While the weather hasn't been amenable to walking the City of the Century, David Tribby has shared some of his photography of Gary with us. This week, we'll be looking at some of the notable abandoned buildings there. For a more in depth look at the architecture of the once-great city, check out his book, Gary Indiana, a City's Ruins. more ›

Last Fall, we took a look at some of the communities and abandonments on the far South side and in Northwest Indiana. While the weather hasn't been amenable to walking the City of the Century, David Tribby has shared some of his photography of Gary with us. This week, we'll be looking at some of the notable abandoned buildings there. For a more in depth look at the architecture of the once-great city, check out his book, Gary Indiana, a City's Ruins. more ›

Last Fall, we took a look at some of the communities and abandonments on the far South side and in Northwest Indiana. While the weather hasn't been amenable to walking the City of the Century, David Tribby has shared some of his photography of Gary with us. This week, we'll be looking at some of the notable abandoned buildings there. For a more in depth look at the architecture of the once-great city, check out his book, Gary Indiana, a City's Ruins. more ›

If the congregation of a church is the heartbeat of a city, City Methodist is Gary's broken heart. Located at 577 Washington St in downtown Gary, Indiana, City Methodist was built in the 1920's to hold a congregation that had grown alongside the newly built City of the Century, with U.S. Steel covering $385,000 of the construction costs. The sanctuary could hold 950 including a choir, although the plot of land it was set on turned out to be smaller than originally thought. As a result, the columns inside the sanctuary are set in close along the pew lines. The building also held a church school, a gymnasium and an auditorium - Seaman Hall - named for the pastor who helped raise the $1 million to pay for the construction. The auditorium was used for musical and dramatic presentations, community meetings, and various social and educational events. more ›

We took a short tour through the Southeast side of Chicago and Northwest, Indiana on a recent weekend, a not-often seen look at a part of the city that is as much the essence of modern Chicago as it is isolated from it. more ›