Miller Beach

Miller Beach
Neighborhood
A man and woman talking on a beach under a blue sky with white clouds, with crowds of beach-goers in the background.
The Lake Street Beach in Northwestern Miller Beach
Location within the city of Gary
Location within the city of Gary
Coordinates (Miller Town Hall): 41°36′04″N 87°15′40″W / 41.601°N 87.261°W / 41.601; -87.261
Country United States
State Indiana
CountyLake County
CityGary
First settled1851
Incorporated1907
Annexed by Gary1918
Area
[1]
 • Land15.17 km2 (5.86 sq mi)
 • Water4.45 km2 (1.72 sq mi)
Population
 (2000)[2][3]
 • Total9,900
DemonymMillerite[4][5]
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
46403
Area code219

Miller Beach (also commonly known as Miller) is a neighborhood of Gary, Indiana on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. First settled in 1851, Miller Beach was originally an independent town. However, the "Town of Miller" was eventually annexed by the then flourishing city of Gary in 1918. Located in the northeastern corner of Lake County, Indiana, the former town is now known as "The Miller Beach Community." Miller Beach borders Lake Michigan to the north, Porter County to the east, and is largely surrounded by protected lands, including Indiana Dunes National Park. Miller Beach is also the closest beach/resort community to Chicago,[6] and has been a popular vacation spot since the early 20th century. As of the 2000 US census, it had a population of 9,900.[2][3]

Home to some of the world's most threatened ecosystems, Miller Beach contains a high proportion of legally protected land. Miller encompasses the westernmost part of Indiana Dunes National Park, which is part of the United States National Park system,[7] and includes both the Miller Woods and Long Lake areas. Indiana Dunes' West Beach area lies immediately to the east of Miller Beach. The entire shoreline of Miller is public beachfront.[8][9] Miller's large lakefront park, Marquette Park, is a national landmark containing architecturally significant and historic structures, two bronze sculptures and the location of early experiments in aviation which predate the Wright Brothers flights. Less than an hour from downtown Chicago by car, Miller Beach has attracted Chicagoans as tourists and residents for more than a century. The most affluent area within the municipal boundaries of Gary, Miller Beach contains multiple business districts, including the Miller Beach Arts and Creative District,[10] a robust civil society, and numerous public and charter schools. The community is within a mile of exits on four major interstates, and is also served by South Shore Line commuter trains. Having defied regional trends toward racial polarization and environmental degradation, Miller Beach exhibits extraordinary socioeconomic, racial and bio diversity. The community has been described as "an island of integration and natural beauty".[11]

  1. ^ US Census Bureau (2000). "G001. GEOGRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  2. ^ a b City of Gary 2008, p. 150.
  3. ^ a b US Census Bureau. "P1. TOTAL POPULATION". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  4. ^ Cazares, Ricardo (July 20, 2003). "Beauty in Gary". Chicago Tribune. p. 15.
  5. ^ Lane 1979, p. 46.
  6. ^ Erler, Susan (April 16, 2006). "It's Miller's time in Lake County". Times of Northwest Indiana.
  7. ^ Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2009). The Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation. The South Shore Journal, 3. "South Shore Journal - the Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation". Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Lake IN Silverlight GIS website (Map). Lake County Surveyor.
  9. ^ City of Gary. "Visit Gary: Outdoors". Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  10. ^ "Art lovers take evening stroll in Miller - Post-Tribune". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference pick was invoked but never defined (see the help page).