Commuting from Chicago to Rosemont? (Evanston: home, college, taxi)

[Drackoe]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Although Rosemont is not yet awash in as much excess office space as some towns, the strong desires of "the young & the hip" to be able to take an El directly from their well paying, non-demanding "job" to some dive bar where they can suck down PBRs gives a huge advantage to the office tower landlords of the Loop...

So... no overnight parking at cta stations then?

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by Drackoe

So I was just offered a position at large corporation with HQ in Rosemont. Pay is low 6 figures, and it looks like a great gig. The hours don't seem ridiculously onerous (8-6) and the general counsel seems to really like me, to the tune of hinting an immediate management role was in my future should I accept. Everything is greenlight except...

I'm worried about the commute. I'm not from Chicago, and not particularly familiar. However, I feel like if I'm going to move to a big metro, I want to live in the city. Is that feasible if I have to work in Rosemont? Can I live a cool neighborhood, say... Wicker Park, Logan Square or Wrigleyville and commute in under 30-40 minutes?

I'm skeptical, but thoughts?

OK, cut to the chase. Where do you work and live right now? Do you like it? How much more $ does this opportunity provide and how much better future potential & job happiness?
For low 6 figures, I can be inconvenienced by living in a nearby suburb or a commute from the city to Rosemont. If that is your main problem in life (an extra 20 minutes commute each way) than life is VERY good.

[chet everett]

The majority of CTA stations have no parking. The Cumberland stop is an exception, with an large parking lot. The lot charges $12 for "each additional 24 hours or fraction thereof"... Deprecated Browser Error

[Golden Camel]

Originally Posted by Drackoe

My office is about a mile from the rosemont station. Is leaving a car at one of the stations and driving that last mile an option?

Before you go to that extreme, there are a number of suburban bus routes that serve the Rosemont station. Large hoards of people transfer to/from the buses there every morning and afternoon. The suburban bus system, Pace, accepts CTA transfers, monthly passes, and premium-priced weekly passes, so it won't cost you much more than just taking the train.

Since you won't say where your work is located, I can't tell you if there is a specific bus that works for you, but you can consult this map to see for yourself:
CTA Online System Map - Northwest

If a bus goes by where you are working, I think that would be more sensible than buying a car and paying to park it. Buses routes numbered 208 and up are operated by the suburban bus agency Pace and you can find schedules and more details here:
Pace Bus - Bus Schedules and Maps

[Drackoe]

Originally Posted by Golden Camel

Before you go to that extreme, there are a number of suburban bus routes that serve the Rosemont station. Large hoards of people transfer to/from the buses there every morning and afternoon. The suburban bus system, Pace, accepts CTA transfers, monthly passes, and premium-priced weekly passes, so it won't cost you much more than just taking the train.

Since you won't say where your work is located, I can't tell you if there is a specific bus that works for you, but you can consult this map to see for yourself:
CTA Online System Map - Northwest

If a bus goes by where you are working, I think that would be more sensible than buying a car and paying to park it. Buses routes numbered 208 and up are operated by the suburban bus agency Pace and you can find schedules and more details here:
Pace Bus - Bus Schedules and Maps

By more sensible, do you mean cheaper? Generally speaking, money would not be a concern for me. My biggest concern is avoiding a mind numbing commute.

I've looked at the Pace before, and the first stop off the 230 would put me about a quarter mile from the office. But I feel like it would take appreciably longer than just driving considering the wait may be variable.

[Golden Camel]

Originally Posted by Drackoe

By more sensible, do you mean cheaper? Generally speaking, money would not be a concern for me. My biggest concern is avoiding a mind numbing commute.

I've looked at the Pace before, and the first stop off the 230 would put me about a quarter mile from the office. But I feel like it would take appreciably longer than just driving considering the wait may be variable.

Yes, I was thinking of the costs.

If money is not a major concern, as Chet pointed out, overnight parking is allowed at the Cumberland 'L' station. There is a $129 monthly parking pass. I don't know if there is a limit on the availability of passes -- the web site indicates that there are a limited number of reserved spaces for monthly pass holders but that doesn't mean there is a limited number of passes for people willing to use unreserved spaces. In any case, since you will be reverse-commuting, finding a space will not be a problem. Plus you have to add in the cost of buying a car, licensing, insurance, gas, maintenance. On the other hand, having a car available means you can go out for lunch, run errands during the day, do work-related things (go to Kinko's, visit clients, pick up mail), and so on. Call (888) 578-PARK for parking information.

Cumberland is the Blue Line stop before Rosemont. There is a three-story parking garage there.

One other option: there is always a line of taxis waiting at the Rosemont station. For the return trip, however, you'd have to call and wait for a cab to pick you up.

[chet everett]

If you are like the 99.44% of commuters that are less "politically correct" than the crowd that some online fora attract (cough, cough) you would be wise to plan on using your nice salary to make for a comfortably short drive to work / home and PERHAPS plan on living in some part of Chicago or a close-in suburb that is close enough to public transit so that you can "hang one on" without fear of having a DUI on your record.

With that kind of a "hybrid" lifestyle you could easily drive in from someplace like Edison Park, park your car at a safe spot at home, hop on the CTA to your favorite hipster rave, ride the CTA back home in some vampire like state, catch a few winks, motor into the office and repeat indefinately.

I know this is not the "ideal" of having a tiny carbon footprint and living right over some PBR serving bar with a 4AM license, but somehow if I was your age and had a six figure income hanging out with art students in skinny jeans would not beat out having heated leather seats / steering wheel for my drive in...

Originally Posted by Drackoe

... money would not be a concern for me. My biggest concern is avoiding a mind numbing commute.
...
But I feel like it would take appreciably longer than just driving considering the wait may be variable.

[tomcho]

So the moral of the story is this...If you want to be close to nightlife and many entertainment options you are a young hipster who demands PBR at 4am bars all while not holding a real job.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If you are like the 99.44% of commuters that are less "politically correct" than the crowd that some online fora attract (cough, cough) you would be wise to plan on using your nice salary to make for a comfortably short drive to work / home and PERHAPS plan on living in some part of Chicago or a close-in suburb that is close enough to public transit so that you can "hang one on" without fear of having a DUI on your record.

With that kind of a "hybrid" lifestyle you could easily drive in from someplace like Edison Park, park your car at a safe spot at home, hop on the CTA to your favorite hipster rave, ride the CTA back home in some vampire like state, catch a few winks, motor into the office and repeat indefinately.

I know this is not the "ideal" of having a tiny carbon footprint and living right over some PBR serving bar with a 4AM license, but somehow if I was your age and had a six figure income hanging out with art students in skinny jeans would not beat out having heated leather seats / steering wheel for my drive in...

Gee Chet, way to give a fair and balanced view of city living. I'm sure everyone appreciates your moral disapproval of the young urban lifestyle.

FWIW, there are a lot of high-income non-hipsters who live in Wicker Park. Who do you think buys all the million dollar+ houses in the neighborhood?

[Drackoe]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If you are like the 99.44% of commuters that are less "politically correct" than the crowd that some online fora attract (cough, cough) you would be wise to plan on using your nice salary to make for a comfortably short drive to work / home and PERHAPS plan on living in some part of Chicago or a close-in suburb that is close enough to public transit so that you can "hang one on" without fear of having a DUI on your record.

With that kind of a "hybrid" lifestyle you could easily drive in from someplace like Edison Park, park your car at a safe spot at home, hop on the CTA to your favorite hipster rave, ride the CTA back home in some vampire like state, catch a few winks, motor into the office and repeat indefinately.

I know this is not the "ideal" of having a tiny carbon footprint and living right over some PBR serving bar with a 4AM license, but somehow if I was your age and had a six figure income hanging out with art students in skinny jeans would not beat out having heated leather seats / steering wheel for my drive in...

Chet, maybe you don't understand this, but leather seats just don't feel comfortable when you're in skinny jeans and/or corduroy. Otherwise, yeah, but I prefer Duvel over PBR.

Look, if I were like 40 and ready to "give up" I'd be more than happy to settle in Des Plains or Edison Park and call it a day, but I'm not and hipster chicks are hot.