DANGEROUS, Abandoned, Ugly and Hopeless | Harvey, Illinois

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I lived in Harvey from 1989 until 2005. I grew up there. Playing in the abandoned mall, riding all over the city in my bike with friends, getting chased by crack heads, renting games from blockbuster video, getting shot at, getting my first job at the police station at 13, friends getting murdered over drugs, finding out my grade school girlfriend was having sex with her brother and a bunch of other dude (not me for some bogus reason), my 5th grade gym teacher became the mayor... a lot of memories in that town. Harvey is truly the toilet of the South Suburbs. I salute you Harvey.

Several observations about Harvey. The Mall scene in "Blues Brothers" was filmed at the Dixie Square Mall, as well as scenes at the Harvey Holiday Inn. Here is a little-known fact: According to the Pinkerton Detective Agency which investigated the robbery, around 1926 the last recorded train robbery in the US, took place on an Illinois Central Train in Harvey. Several men boarded the train in Harvey and proceeded to rob the passengers and I believe the mail car. The thieves were tracked to St. Louis where a deadly gun fight broke out, killing both robbers and cops. The Dixie Highway was a heavily travelled route from Chicago to Florida up until the early 1970s when several Interstates were completed down to Florida.

I was born there in 1955 and Harvey was a great place to live and work, with good schools and plenty of good jobs. My dad was the Union Shop Steward and President of the Harvey Improvement Association around 1960. My sister and I went to Washington School, and there was no abandoned mall behind our house--that site was a golf course. There was a real downtown with businesses lining Main St and 154th (I think) and Mom shopped at the Jewel Tea Store. They were still building new residential housing in Harvey and there was some friction between white/non whites at times relating to unofficial segregation. Our folks sold to the first black family on that stretch of Washington and Mom had to walk us to school due to mailed threats. We walked to the Baptist Church and there were some black people who went there. Never thought to count the races. The Pastor was Brother LaSalle.

Your research, reporting, and production are first-rate. Thank you.

The south suburbs were a great place 60 years ago. I lived in Chicago Heights back then. Harvey and Hazel Crest were starting their descent in the 70s.

Downtown Harvey went downhill after River Oaks Mall in Calumet City opened in the 1960s. That mall destroyed retail in Harvey and Hammond Indiana.

I remember when across the street from Best Buy, was a shopping mall called. Washington Square Mall. I watched Boyz n da Hood there

A Major League Baseball record that will NEVER EVER be broken has roots in Harvey, Illinois. Detroit Tigers Pitcher, Denny McClain, who went to Mt. Carmel High school on the South Side of Chicago, won 31 games in 1968. Denny was from Harvey Illinois. Unfortunately, just like Harvey, Denny fell into some rough times of his own

Back in 1989-90 Harvey was a small part of my sales territory. I never went there unless a potential customer called us, per my bosses instructions

As a 1970s Teen I Used to Go to Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL.

WOW Chris !!!! Thank you so much for making this video. I am including a link to it in an important article that I am currently writing and that is how I just found it. I was born in 1959 in Harvey and raised in its at that time all-White Eastern section. Lots more to say ... but just want to thank you here !!!! God bless you !!!! ❤

My former boss' parents used to live in Harvey. They sold their home for 27k in the 1980's. They waited too long to sell and prices continued to slide. They bought a mobile home (even farther south suburbs, can't remember where). Couldn't afford anything else with that kind of equity.

Those Chicago area Walmarts were never profitable to begin with 😂

There’s no mention of healthcare in Harvey. Ingall’s Memorial Hospital was founded in 1923 by a wealthy industrialist named Frederick Ingalls. It is now owned by the University of Chicago Health System.

My grandparents came to America from Germany and built a house in Harvey. It was a nice place in the 40/50’s from what I understand. People tried to convince gma to get out of the neighborhood at one point, but she ignored them. By the time she sold the house in the 80’s she lost money on it.

Always enjoy your content! Especially in my area of Chicago suburbs.

Harvey has some interesting history. I doubt anything productive will happen there in the next 30 years except more people leaving and more blight.

Thank you for doing these well narrated and very informative 👍

I have been waiting for this one! Nice content