About the area:
This region neighbors Lake Michigan, and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Not only does Northwest Indiana include a large group of Chicago suburbs, such as Crown Point, Merrillville, Highland, Munster, Griffith, Schererville, Dyer, and St. John but also a number of cities whose economies are only loosely linked to Chicago's. The largest city in Northwest Indiana is Gary; other notable cities in Northwest Indiana include Hobart, Portage, East Chicago, Valparaiso, and Michigan City.
The Lake Michigan shore is a major attraction. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which stretches from Gary to Michigan City, is a well-preserved stretch of sand dunes, beaches, grasslands, and forests, as well as several historical homes and buildings.