Why I Love ‘City in the Spotlight’

hammond-graphicFor the last seven years, I have made it a mission of mine to discover the United states as much as I can.

And while it is always exciting to visit an urban metropolis, famous landmark or beautiful American landscape, there is something special and unique about every small or mid-size town I visit. When embarking on a road trip, the best part is always the journey - a journey that, for me at least, always includes smaller towns that provide an education in diversity in America.

It was that notion that gave me the idea to begin a “City in the Spotlight” series for NWIndianaLife.com. With so many great communities tucked into Lake County, why would it not be wise to visit all of them, one by one, and feature all the positive aspects and find out what makes them unique.

While I am only four towns in to my Northwest Indiana adventure, the monthly feature is my favorite part of my job at Ideas in Motion Media.

So far, I have profiled two larger cities (Hammond, Crown Point) and two smaller towns (St. John, Dyer). And even though they are all under the same County, the differences are so numerous that the city life of Hammond could very well be nations away from the rural pride of St. John.

In just one day, it's possible to experience so much a city has to offer. When I was in Crown Point last month, I was able to see the famous Courthouse, walk by the site where John Dillinger escaped from prison in 1934, meet a number of friendly business owners and city employees while introducing myself to people who work at City Hall and the Crown Point Fire Department. There is so much good that can come from a days visit, and if you have a week, you can meet even more people to help make the town run.

I’m looking forward to highlighting all the other towns in Lake, Porter and La Porte counties over the next few years because knowledge is power. The more you know about a place, the more you know about life. It’s these great communities that make Northwest Indiana a unique region in itself and the perfect place for LIFE to be highlighted.