Commuting between Northwestern and U of C (Chicago, Evanston: apartment, to rent)

[verdandi]

Another relocation question:

My fiance and I are moving to the Chicago area. He's already in Evanston getting a PhD at Northwestern, and I will be going to the University of Chicago for a MA/JD. However, we are fairly unfamiliar with the Chicago suburbs and would love some advice about where to look for an apartment. We would like a quiet, low-crime part of town that has a manageable (20-40 min) commute to both schools. We will likely be bringing a dog so pet-friendly accommodations or houses with yards would be great. We are looking to rent for now and would like to keep the total rent per month under $1600. Is this possible?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Manigault]

I think its possible but you need to provide more information. What are your transportation needs/sensitivities? Are you both gonna drive or take rapid transit? Plus, there are quite a few people who live in Evanston and work in Hyde Park, and vice versa. There are several car pools serving these folks. However, since Evanston and Hyde Park are 1 1/2 hours apart driving during rush hour, the commute can't be 40" for both of you, even if it were equidistant.

Good luck on a joint degree with a JD at the U of C. It is not for the faint-hearted.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Manigault

I think its possible but you need to provide more information. What are your transportation needs/sensitivities? Are you both gonna drive or take rapid transit? Plus, there are quite a few people who live in Evanston and work in Hyde Park, and vice versa. There are several car pools serving these folks. However, since Evanston and Hyde Park are 1 1/2 hours apart driving during rush hour, the commute can't be 40" for both of you, even if it were equidistant.

Good luck on a joint degree with a JD at the U of C. It is not for the faint-hearted.

Oak Park is well known 'home' to a large number of folks who work for/at the various academic institutions in Chicago and surrounding areas. Driving is the most common measn of travel to either campus, as the the combination of geography and economic blight makes public transit less than ideal. The straight-line distance may be a bit close to UofC, though there are less alternatives to the expressways (which are generally under construction whenever the weather is not freezing...) it takes about 45 minute to get down to Hyde Park. The slightly shorter straight line distance to Evanston is off set by the more round about paths to the experessways OR the stoplights and delays caused by surface streets. It too is generally 45+ minutes away.

If you lived very close to either the number of alternatives diminish, as there is really only Lake Shore Dr for the most direct path and that would mean one of you would have a very short commute and one would have 45+ minutes...

from: Lake St & oak Park Ave Oak Park IL to: 620 Lincoln St, Evanston, IL 60208 (Northwestern University: Evanston Campus Scott Hall) - Google Maps
from:N Oak Park Ave & Lake St, Oak Park, Cook, Illinois 60301, United States to:S Oak Park Ave @41.878262, -87.794188 to:S Lake Shore Dr/US-41 S @41.808940, -87.587740 to:41.794608,-87.586441 to:1101 E 58th St # 105, Chicago, IL 60637 (University-Chi
from: 41.791025,-87.587471 to: 620 Lincoln St, Evanston, IL 60208 (Northwestern University: Evanston Campus Scott Hall) - Google Maps

[middle-aged mom]

I am hard pressed to think of an area that will fall into the 20-40 minute commute to both schools.

Your best bet is probably relocating to the city, near north side and even then, you will both spend about an 45-60 mintes commuting door to door.

[verdandi]

Thank you so much for your replies! Both my fiance and I will have access to a car, so that won't be a problem. I was looking at google maps and naively believed that it factored in traffic -- 45 mins is a bit disheartening. However, I really appreciate your advice. I will look into Oak Park. What are your thoughts about Logan Square? I am a bit worried about crime, but I've heard that's a nice area and it seems to be equidistant.

[chet everett]

Logan Square is largely a Hispanic area, with relatively low rents. While the affordability factor may be appealing, you are right to be concerned with crime. There has been some development Balanced Development - Logan Square Neighborhood Association but it is not really an "upscale area". I would assume that you and your husband will want a quiet, safe place to come home to after your exhausting studies in demanding schools.

Further, despite the fact that is may look somewhat equidistant for Evanston & Hyde Park, it is convenient to neither, as you'd be stuck on the combined Kennedy-Dan Ryan double whammy and you husband would be stuck trying to get northeast to Evanston when the predominate road and highway configuration from Logan Square is to the NW or SW... 45 mins for each of you.

If you don't want to live close to Hyde Park or Evanston so that at least one of you has a good commute the best alternatives are Oak Park or something in the central "downtown" areas from Lincoln Park south through Burnham Park/Printers Row -- the rapidly exapnding developments south of downtown are an easy drive of 10-15 minutes to UofC and not much more than 30 minutes to Evanston. from:425 E McFetridge Dr, Chicago, IL 60605 (Burnham Park) to:42.041389,-87.674675 to:633 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208 (Northwestern University: General Information) - Google Maps

[aragx6]

There's a lot of good information about Logan Square on the Chicago city forum, but I believe the PP is right that the commute wouldn't be great for either of you. You might do well to post this question on the city forum anyway, as they are more knowledgeable as to commute times in the city neighborhoods.

[verdandi]

Thank you so much for the advice! I had one other question: would riding the metra help? I know that the L doesn't go to the U of C (this seems like a serious design flaw to me) but that the metra does. Would living along a metra line in some area that would be good for my husband's commute to evanston by car (such as north of the city in rogers park or the like) be a good option? I am not a huge fan of trains, but I would be willing to do it.

[Ophidian14]

If you live downtown, then you can take the UP North line to Evanston (25-30 minutes) and the ME or SS lines to Hyde Park (15-20 minutes).

[oakparkdude]

Northwestern is on a Metra line that runs to Ogilvie station in the loop (Union Pacific North Metra / Union Pacific District North Line). There is a shuttle bus that runs from Ogilvie Station to Hyde Park that caters to commuters (CTA bus 192 http://transitchicago.com/maps/bus/bus/192.pdf).

The easiest commute would be to live within walking distance of a UP-North station then both of you could commute to work/school without driving.

You could take the Metra electric line to Hyde Park, but the ME stations in the Loop are about half a mile from Ogilvie.