Junk Car Removal in Ambridge-Horace Mann

Where the neighborhood sits

The neighborhood runs from the Grand Calumet River south to the Norfolk Southern tracks, between Chase Street on the west and Grant Street on the east. It was historically two neighborhoods split by 5th Avenue: Ambridge to the north and Horace Mann to the south, around the former Horace Mann school.

Ambridge was built for steel-plant workers in the 1910s and 1920s and takes its name from the American Bridge Works, a U.S. Steel subsidiary. The Horace Mann Historic District, roughly around West 5th, 7th and 8th Avenues and Cleveland and Roosevelt Streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. Most of its 130 contributing buildings went up between 1919 and 1961.

Roads and landmarks

• 5th Avenue, the main street and the line between the two halves, with apartment buildings along it
• Bridge Street, which carries truck traffic to the industry north of the river
• The Gary Masonic Temple and the Ambassador apartment building, both easy references
• Ambridge Park, about seven acres, in the middle of the neighborhood

Pickup notes for these streets

• Detached garages. Many homes here are Prairie-style or art deco with detached garages on the alley. Older garage doors can be narrow, so measure the opening if the car is inside.
• Alleys. Say whether the alley is paved, clear, and wide enough for a truck, or whether the car would need to come out to the street side.
• Side streets over Bridge Street. Bridge Street carries industrial truck traffic, so a residential side street is the better place to load when there’s a choice.

Our field guide on getting a dead car out of a garage or backyard has a checklist for cars stuck in a detached garage. East along 5th Avenue, Downtown West has its own notes.