Ambridge Mann
Encyclopedia
Ambridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge, is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana
. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south. Adjacent areas include an industrial district to the north, Downtown Gary to the east, Tolleston
to the south, and Brunswick
to the west. As of 2000, Ambridge Mann had a population of 6,236, which was 96.3% African-American. Located just south of Interstate 90
, the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street.
The neighborhood is home to Gary's only hospital, Methodist Northlake. Schools in Ambridge Mann include Vohr Elementary and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy
, an alternative high school. A 7-acre city park, Ambridge Park, provides public access to the Grand Calumet waterfront. In May 2011, the Gary Board of Public Works and Safety announced it was moving forward with plans to construct a bicycle trail that would run along the Grand Calumet from Gary's western border to Ambridge Park. This is part of a larger Gary Green Link project, which will develop bicycle trails throughout the city.
Ambridge Mann was formerly considered to comprise two distinct neighborhoods, Ambridge and Horace Mann, lying north and south of 5th Avenue respectively. Ambridge took its name from the American Bridge Works, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel located on the north bank of the Grand Calumet River; Horace Mann was named after a school in the neighborhood. The area was whites-only until the early 1970s, when the heavily Jewish community was replaced by middle-class African-Americans. Many former inhabitants of Ambridge Mann migrated to Miller Beach
during this period. The neighborhood had a population of 8,920 in 1970.
Ambridge Mann is traversed by the South Shore Line, which does not stop in the neighborhood, and bisected by U.S. highways 12 and 20, which run along 4th and 5th Avenues. The Indiana Toll Road
runs just north of the neighborhood, on the north bank of the Grand Calumet River, with an interchange at Grant Street in the neighborhood's northeastern corner. Buses of the Gary Public Transportation Corporation
serve the neighborhood.
The housing stock is dominated by single-family homes, with a cluster of historic apartments along 5th Avenue; as of 2000, it had a 92% occupancy rate and 49% owner-occupancy rate. The neighborhood is chiefly residential, with a small pocket of commercial activity at the intersection of 5th and Bridge. The housing in Ambridge Mann was chiefly built in the first half of the twentieth century to house managers at the Gary Works
. The neighborhood is home to a great number of prairie style and art deco homes. The Gary Masonic Temple is located in the neighborhood along with the Ambassador Apartment building. As of 2007, the neighborhood's home values were among Gary's highest, with a median of $70,145, second only to the lakefront neighborhood of Miller Beach
.
Famous people from Ambridge Mann include Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who grew up in a brick bungalow near the river on Arthur Street.
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south. Adjacent areas include an industrial district to the north, Downtown Gary to the east, Tolleston
Tolleston
Tolleston is a neighborhood and former town in west-central Gary, Indiana. It is situated south of Ambridge, west of Midtown, east of Westside and north of Glen Park. Tolleston is the site of two large city parks , a historic cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River...
to the south, and Brunswick
Brunswick (Gary)
Brunswick is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana, just south of Gary Chicago Airport. It borders Hammond and East Chicago to the west, and the Gary neighborhoods of Ambridge Mann to the east and Westside to the south. The borders are defined by the Indiana Toll Road on the north, Chase...
to the west. As of 2000, Ambridge Mann had a population of 6,236, which was 96.3% African-American. Located just south of Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
, the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street.
The neighborhood is home to Gary's only hospital, Methodist Northlake. Schools in Ambridge Mann include Vohr Elementary and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy
Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy
Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy is a four year alternative high school of the Gary Community School Corporation in Gary, Indiana, United States.- History :Martin Luther King, Jr...
, an alternative high school. A 7-acre city park, Ambridge Park, provides public access to the Grand Calumet waterfront. In May 2011, the Gary Board of Public Works and Safety announced it was moving forward with plans to construct a bicycle trail that would run along the Grand Calumet from Gary's western border to Ambridge Park. This is part of a larger Gary Green Link project, which will develop bicycle trails throughout the city.
Ambridge Mann was formerly considered to comprise two distinct neighborhoods, Ambridge and Horace Mann, lying north and south of 5th Avenue respectively. Ambridge took its name from the American Bridge Works, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel located on the north bank of the Grand Calumet River; Horace Mann was named after a school in the neighborhood. The area was whites-only until the early 1970s, when the heavily Jewish community was replaced by middle-class African-Americans. Many former inhabitants of Ambridge Mann migrated to Miller Beach
Miller Beach
Miller Beach is a community on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. Originally an independent town first settled in 1851, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary, Indiana in 1918...
during this period. The neighborhood had a population of 8,920 in 1970.
Ambridge Mann is traversed by the South Shore Line, which does not stop in the neighborhood, and bisected by U.S. highways 12 and 20, which run along 4th and 5th Avenues. The Indiana Toll Road
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
runs just north of the neighborhood, on the north bank of the Grand Calumet River, with an interchange at Grant Street in the neighborhood's northeastern corner. Buses of the Gary Public Transportation Corporation
Gary Public Transportation Corporation
The Gary Public Transportation Corporation is a commuter bus system in Gary, Indiana that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs...
serve the neighborhood.
The housing stock is dominated by single-family homes, with a cluster of historic apartments along 5th Avenue; as of 2000, it had a 92% occupancy rate and 49% owner-occupancy rate. The neighborhood is chiefly residential, with a small pocket of commercial activity at the intersection of 5th and Bridge. The housing in Ambridge Mann was chiefly built in the first half of the twentieth century to house managers at the Gary Works
Gary Works
The Gary Works is a very large steel mill in Gary, Indiana, on the shore of Lake Michigan. For many years, the Gary Works was the world's largest steel mill, and it remains the largest integrated mill in North America....
. The neighborhood is home to a great number of prairie style and art deco homes. The Gary Masonic Temple is located in the neighborhood along with the Ambassador Apartment building. As of 2007, the neighborhood's home values were among Gary's highest, with a median of $70,145, second only to the lakefront neighborhood of Miller Beach
Miller Beach
Miller Beach is a community on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. Originally an independent town first settled in 1851, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary, Indiana in 1918...
.
Famous people from Ambridge Mann include Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who grew up in a brick bungalow near the river on Arthur Street.