Hello,

I'm posting this to get some info, advice, insights, etc. from anyone willing to chime in about Northwestern Indiana.  I'm not looking for the type of stuff I can get from google or home sites, I'm looking for more personal observations, information, and advice.

I'm sure all of you guys are familiar with the issues we're facing in Illinois.  Like the rest of us here, I've been dealing with this sort of crap for a long time.  The good guys have held the line for a long time but I fear that Illinois is heading down the same road as California.  If we end up with a democrat governor after the election, we're going to be in real trouble.  Aside from all the gun stuff, the property taxes are just over the top here.  My wife and I don't have any children and so its particularly painful to have to foot such huge bills for government we'll never even use.

So, I'm at the early stages of researching a possible move.

We would have moved a long time ago but its never that easy.  My mother & father are still here and my job.  My wife is a 100% remote employee for Oracle so as long as we're somewhere that can get highspeed comcast broadband then she's set.  I'm a software engineer.  My own Job though is in Naperville, Illinois and I can't go 100% remote.  I still need to commute.  However, I'm working on discussing with my boss being able to be work remote 2 or 3 days a week.  That would allow me to move to Indiana as long as I was within a commute I could do two or three times a week.

I'm not very familiar with Indiana, what the different areas are like, where the jobs are, what the gun laws are like in different areas, etc.  I went to Lowell, Indiana a few times once upon a time when I was a WW2 reenactor.  Thats about my extent of knowledge on Indiana.

So here is our situation:

My wife & I are investigating a possible move to Indiana to a location that would be within reasonable range of Naperville, Illinois for 2 or 3 commutes per week.  That would also put us within reasonable range of my parents in the same area (Naperville).  Just looking at the map, looks like places like Lowell, Cedar Lake, Crown Pointe would be roughly 59-66ish miles one-way commute.

We're looking to get a home with some property, 10 acres give or take.  I'd like to live in an area where I could build a little personal range for myself and shoot rifle out to 100 or 200 yards, or at least handguns.  When it comes to "urban" versus "rural".  We're looking to be rural enough that we could find that property that would allow the above and such, privacy, but still within easy range of things like Walmart, etc. etc.

We'd need to have comcast highspeed internet.  It often seems like a rural property often doesn't have comcast available but I've been surprised so far in the amount of those types of properties in NW Indiana I've found that have comcast.

We'd need to be within reasonable commute of a more urban area (perhaps indianapolis) that might have a job for an aging software engineer.  I'm not planning on quitting my current job in Naperville, as that opens up a whole can of worms.  Its not impossible, but its often difficult for me to find a job due to my skillset, work experience, age, etc.  However, I need to plan ahead in case I get laid off or something from my current job that I'm within range of other jobs that might be similar.

I enjoy occassional fishing but don't hunt.  I'm more of a AR/AK guy who likes target shooting, classes, IDPA/acdtion shooting, and practical rifle type stuff.  My wife shoots as well, and shoots handguns far better than me.

Even though I HOPE to be able to find property that I can shoot on, I'd also really like to be within at least an hour commute of a good, outdoor range simply because it would be nice to meet other shooters, talk to other people, share the hobby, take classes, etc.

We're hoping to find a wooded property instead of a flat "yard" like property with a ton of grass to mow.

There are people that move all the time, but its very difficult for me.  I've grown up and been in Illinois all my life and hardly been out of the state save for the occassional vacation.  I haven't hinted or brought this up to my boss yet, and have to admit that I'm more than a bit nervous about it.  I certainly don't want to bring it up until I know more about whether this move to Indiana could work for us or not.

Any information, advice, tips, suggestions of an area to look in or research, insights...anything would be appreciated.  Did you ever know anyone who lived in Indiana and had to commute to the Naperville, IL area?  How bad was the commute?  How did it work out for them?

Thanks again folks for the help!

I can't argue with Cedar Lake or Lowell. Crown Point is a bit on the more expensive side and shot full of expensive subdivisions.

Lots of rural property south of Saint John. You will find many former illinois folks in the area. Good luck.

Thanks for the info.  Every little bit helps :)  I also wanted to ask about the general views of Indiana towards firearms, assault weapons, CCW, etc...but I think I'll put that in a separate thread.

To start off, your looking at 90 min minimum from the Crown Point area.  You will be driving I65 to 80/94, then to 294 and so on.  Travel times can vary greatly, just last week we had ice and the travel time from US 30 to 80/94 was 90 min, about 6 miles.  Traffic can be horrible.

That's the bad part.  For what you want ground wise, you will need to be south of Crown Point, north of there is urban.  There are very few gun laws here, pretty much if you can afford it, you can have it.  Fishing in the area is ok, we do have lake access.

Jason, Valpo area

Been in Cedar Lake since 2016(escaped from IL). Seems to be an ok little town. Taxes are way lower than where I was, like more than half. Utilities cheaper too with the exception of water which runs me about 50 more a month.

I’m right on the furthest most point of the town proper (in subdivision) and have rural / unincorporated around me. Nice to sit out on the deck and listen to the farmer blast away on his property (gonna have to make friends with him)

CCW process way easier than IL and it’s Lifetime. Process done online with exception of getting printed and have the local LEO sign off. Wife and I applied the Friday after Thanksgiving and had our licenses Christmas Eve

Open carry is permitted with a LTCH but I’ve only seen one person at Cabelas doing so.

Most everyone seems to be open to guns and I’ve even got a couple of my neighbors who I’ve taken to the range and are now applying for their LTCH.

Just like anywhere there are a few that disagree with guns and post their views on the local Facebook page. They seem to be transplants from IL as well but believe all the local MSM and political rhetoric.

As far as commuting, my wife still works in the Southern Suburbs and I know a couple firefighters who live further south and east than me and drive as far as Rolling Meadows.

Good luck and send me an email if any other questions and if you need a realtor I’ve got a good one.

I think you will find the gun laws and furthermore attitudes towards firearms much more favorable than Illinois with lifetime LTCH, open carry and such. It was such a joy to see a handgun in a store, purchase it, fill out the federal form, get approved and walk out with your shiny new firearm. No crazy 72 hour wait, no FOID.

Thanks everyone.  That helps immensely and was exactly the type of info I was hoping someone would chime in with.  The idea of LTCH, Open Carry, maybe Suppressors, no FOID, and just the overall view of firearms is way more freedom than I've been used to lately.  Its the people and general attitude as well I look forward to.  These days, I actually worry about putting a lifetime NRA member sticker on my truck for fear of someone vandalizing it, or wearing a firearms related T-Shirt to the wrong place.  Its funny though because of that, the times that I do, I inevitably get one of the "good guys" who will notice a T-Shirt I'm wearing and walk up and say hello.  I swear its become like a secret society in some respects.  The only good thing is that I'm a member of the Aurora Sportsmen Club there which is a very nice outdoor range.  Expensive.  But worth it.  I'll miss going there regularly.  Then, of course, is the lower taxes.  My wife and I don't have any children so you can imagine how painful it is to pay between 8K & 14K per year in property taxes when the lion's share of that goes to school systems we'll never use.

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in.  The more info and opinions I can get, the more comfortable I can get with making this move from a place I've lived all my life.  If my boss will allow me to work remote two or three days a week and thus I only have to make that 90 minute commute 2 or 3 days per week....this becomes a real possibility.  Also, as I've been continuing to research, the Cedar Lake area seems like a really nice area.

That's all extremely encouraging.  Thanks for that.

I'd like to take you up on that e-mail and that good realtor you know.  Once I get a "yay" or "nay" from my boss and find out if this is a real possibility, I'll shoot you a PM.  Thank you kindly :)

Anytime, just let me know. Good luck.

For what my 2 pennies are worth, I just moved here; however, I have lived right across the line my whole life. Lots more freedom, all the way around; just be selective and take your time, since you're looking to shoot on your land. Even the people are nicer, even though it's 10 miles from where I grew up; must be somethin in the water, eh boys?

Good luck!!

You're reenactments took place 1 minute from my house!

Overall, Im a fan of the state, but Im not a fan of the property taxes in Lake county. We get dicked, just not as bad as IL. It's also frustrating at times living in one of the few blue counties in the state.

As far as the job market here the biggest money makers are the mills, oil refinery and NIPSCO power plants. Depending on what line of work you are in there is usually hiring opportunities for what I just mentioned. I work in one of those fields and I can be at work within 40 minutes on a good traffic day. The roads around here suck and some stretch of road is always lined with construction barrels.

ETA: I've lived in the "Region" all my life. Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions and I'll help where I can. I also know a very good realtor I could get you the info for when you start shopping around.