Planning a trip to Gary, IN. Anyone have any advice?

Yes, start here.

I was more thinking safety tips being that Gary is not the best neighborhood.

I've never had any problems there, but my main advice would to be.. Stick to daytime explores, probably avoid houses and explore with other people, if that's an option. If exploring alone, perhaps drive to each location, instead of walking from one to the next (like we usually do.) If you do walk around, hide any expensive-looking gear when out in the open.
It's really not as bad of a city as you'd expect. People are generally nice, if you're not doing anything to piss them off.

Would you suggest going early in the morning?

Posted by kevinhny12 Would you suggest going early in the morning?

That's up to you. I've only ever explored there in the afternoon/evening.

There's actually quite a few gary threads on here if you just look around. Here's two of them, the first of which also addresses safety concerns:

http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=120361

http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=114307

I've been to Gary twice, on my trips over from the UK. On my first trip there last year I spent the whole time walking around with my camera around my neck and didn't get bothered or feel uneasy once. In fact the only place I felt any kind of unsafe was the Ambassador Apartments because if someone so much as breathes on a beam in there it will collapse and may have already been torn down by now. It was a lovely sunny late summer Sunday and kids were out cycling bikes along the streets, there were church parties going on and other stuff and everyone I ran into was lovely but a little taken aback at my accent.

Second time was in September and I went in a much larger group, the group fluctuated between four and ten of us through the day which I usually don't like but it does make you feel a little safer in a place like Gary. Again everyone we saw was lovely even the pastor of the church next to the one we had just come piling out of right in front of, she couldn't have cared less that we were in there taking photos she was just asking us whether all the windows and radiators were still inside as she was worried about people stealing them.

Just stay out of the houses and you'll be alright. There is no getting away from the fact it's a dangerous city but you just have to get on with it. If a middle class white boy from the UK can do it then so can you.

Thanks a lot of the advice you guys! If you had to recommend one place in the entire city to visit which one would it be?

The Gary police are going after explorers big-time. They'll even lecture you if you're walking down a desolate street near an abandoned building. They know what you're up to. They patrol past the big stuff all the time. And if they don't get you, the armed crack heads in the buildings will. Avoid carrying valuables or credit cards, always go in a group, watch your back. I wouldn't advise it until you gain more experience elsewhere.

Posted by kevinhny12 Thanks a lot of the advice you guys! If you had to recommend one place in the entire city to visit which one would it be?

Just park at Gary Methodist and walk around from there.

Or read the volumes of past threads on this subject matter and decide for yourself what seems most interesting/must-see. You need to make your own decisions.

Posted by Slim Jim The Gary police are going after explorers big-time. They'll even lecture you if you're walking down a desolate street near an abandoned building. They know what you're up to. They patrol past the big stuff all the time. And if they don't get you, the armed crack heads in the buildings will. Avoid carrying valuables or credit cards, always go in a group, watch your back. I wouldn't advise it until you gain more experience elsewhere.

The cops go after the idiot tourists and group workshops who run around downtown like it's Six Flags over fucking Gary for their student films and other projects; usually it's because they don't know how to park.

If you go there and act unobtrusive nobody will bother you. On the rare chance someone calls the cops, be cool and they'll probably let you go - they have bigger things to worry about. I've been to Gary over 20 times at this point, more than half of them solo, and have only dealt with police on one of those trips; one cop's wife was a photog, and the other cop gave us a police escort (half the way; he forgot to turn his lights off, so we were tripping the stoplights to turn green for us) to shoot Miller Beach - per his advice.

Armed crackheads? There was a grow-op bust at the hardware factory several years ago, and I've found bums in the lesser-known spots, but never "armed crackheads".

Bring a pack of cigarettes and granola bars with you. It'll defray any run-ins you may have with homeless people.

What police? I've only ever seen one police car during the whole of my two trips wandering around Gary. I'm sure if you spend ages there you'll see them but they seemed pretty nonexistent to me. Besides they have much bigger things to worry about there than a few people running around with cameras. I happened to explore a certain very large high school in the city the same day there was a whole school reunion happening on the playing field behind it which had at least one or two police in attendance, and nothing happened.

English, do you speak it?

Posted by mookster What police? I've only ever seen one police car during the whole of my two trips wandering around Gary. I'm sure if you spend ages there you'll see them but they seemed pretty nonexistent to me. Besides they have much bigger things to worry about there than a few people running around with cameras. I happened to explore a certain very large high school in the city the same day there was a whole school reunion happening on the playing field behind it which had at least one or two police in attendance, and nothing happened.

Where are you from exactly?

Posted by jonrev The cops go after the idiot tourists and group workshops who run around downtown like it's Six Flags over fucking Gary for their student films and other projects; usually it's because they don't know how to park. If you go there and act unobtrusive nobody will bother you. On the rare chance someone calls the cops, be cool and they'll probably let you go - they have bigger things to worry about. I've been to Gary over 20 times at this point, more than half of them solo, and have only dealt with police on one of those trips; one cop's wife was a photog, and the other cop gave us a police escort (half the way; he forgot to turn his lights off, so we were tripping the stoplights to turn green for us) to shoot Miller Beach - per his advice. Armed crackheads? There was a grow-op bust at the hardware factory several years ago, and I've found bums in the lesser-known spots, but never "armed crackheads".

LOL, Geezuz......... LMFAO

Posted by Gunner Trees Where are you from exactly?

... If I had to hazard a guess I'd say Oxford, UK.

Posted by Gunner Trees Where are you from exactly?

As TD says, I'm from Oxford in the UK.

Posted by Gunner Trees LOL, Geezuz......... LMFAO

Did I stutter?