Miller Beach
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Miller Beach or Miller, is a section of the City of Gary, Indiana situated on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. It borders Porter County to the east, and Interstate Highway 65 to the west. Miller also encompasses part of the eastern region of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It can be described as one of Northwest Indiana's Dune Towns and the closest Indiana beach town to Chicago. Settled in the early 1800s, the earlier Town of Miller predates the city of Gary, which was not founded until 1906. Miller is one of several preexisting small towns forcibly annexed into the city limits of Gary during its period of rapid growth in the early 20th century.[citation needed] Over the years Miller Beach has continued to retain a spirit of autonomy and independence from the city of Gary proper. Many citizens and businesses in the area continue to list their mailing addresses as Miller Beach, Indiana. A grassroots effort is currently underway to dis-annex Miller Beach and restore it's political independence in order to provide Miller citizens with better schools, improve municipal services and escape from the stigma of association with the city of Gary. The beaches, wind-swept dunes and abundance of natural land and wildlife makes property in Miller Beach exceedingly valuable. Miller Beach is surrounded on all sides by The Indiana Dunes National Park. This gives the area a sense of relative remoteness and lends to its image as a suburban oasis; however Miller Beach is only a half hour commute from downtown Chicago. Attractions in Miller include: Lake Street shopping corridor, (Historic Downtown Miller) The Historic Marquette Park Pavilion, The Aquatorium and Octave Chanute/Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Marquette Park Lagoon and Japanese Bridges. Thousands of visitors flock to Miller each year to enjoy hiking the dune trails, birdwatching, water sports and fishing on Lake Michigan or to visit the beaches and National Park during the summer. Beach front properties in Miller are also available for rent during the summer, many of which provide breathtaking views of the magnificent Chicago skyline contrasted against the shimmering waters of Lake Michigan. During the winter months, activity in Miller slows considerably; however the hills, dunes and backwoods trails provide for great hiking, sledding and snowshoeing. Miller, known for years as an eclectic artist community and Hippie enclave, has recently become renowned as having some of the best restaurants in Northern Indiana.[citation needed]
