"Reverse Commuter" Parking Options in Deerfield or Lake Forest (Chicago: leasing, luxury)

[millennialmom]

Hi C-D folks. You were very helpful and insightful as I explored housing options for my daughter last summer while she was doing an internship in Buffalo Grove. She lived at AMLI Chevy Chase, which I thought was really a nice setup for her. Well, she has now accepted a full time position with the same company starting in June, after graduation. She will have no part of living in the suburbs and has chosen to live downtown and take a train from Union Station. The plan is to have her car available to drive to her office when she gets off the train. The Milwaukee District North Line (Lake Cook, Deerfield, Lake Forest) would be most convenient given the flexible train schedule. Does Deerfield or Lake Forest offer parking for "reverse commuters"? She would be leaving her car overnight and taking it to work during the day. Or, do any of these stops offer a parking garage nearby to accomodate this arrangement? Is there a waiting list? I looked on Craigslist for parking options and came up empty. Thanks, in advance, for your help.

[chet everett]

Suburbs mostly discourage overnight parking -- this time of year it makes plowing outdoor lots a nightmare.

Some churches, civic groups, and even private businesses (from gas stations to luxury auto dealers...) have considerable amount of space that they might be persuaded into leasing to a serious commuter. I think the only way to do this is with a lot of leg work -- scouting out potential sites and then tracking down some one with authority is going have to done in person.

Good Luck!

[oakparkdude]

Call town hall in the respective suburbs and ask about the parking situation.

[reppin_the_847]

I have to agree with the other posters that this is a tough one, but a very great idea. Especially now with the insane amount of reverse commuters from the city, it would make sense to have more parking options at the suburban Metra stations. I remember seeing a gigantic parking garage connected to an NJ Transit station (Metropark, NJ), when visiting a buddy on the East Coast, and I couldn't help but think how useful it would be to have such options available here in Chicagoland. I'd have to agree with the posters that you'll probably have to do some leg work and scout out a spot nearby, since most of those towns don't allow overnight parking except for pre-arranged circumstances (better for one-time situations than for a regular commuting setup). Usually the local police department and/or village hall should know about the parking rules at their town's Metra station. And as the other posters mentioned, it may be worth looking into asking nearby organizations for parking arrangements. Good luck!

Originally Posted by millennialmom

Hi C-D folks. You were very helpful and insightful as I explored housing options for my daughter last summer while she was doing an internship in Buffalo Grove. She lived at AMLI Chevy Chase, which I thought was really a nice setup for her. Well, she has now accepted a full time position with the same company starting in June, after graduation. She will have no part of living in the suburbs and has chosen to live downtown and take a train from Union Station. The plan is to have her car available to drive to her office when she gets off the train. The Milwaukee District North Line (Lake Cook, Deerfield, Lake Forest) would be most convenient given the flexible train schedule. Does Deerfield or Lake Forest offer parking for "reverse commuters"? She would be leaving her car overnight and taking it to work during the day. Or, do any of these stops offer a parking garage nearby to accomodate this arrangement? Is there a waiting list? I looked on Craigslist for parking options and came up empty. Thanks, in advance, for your help.

[millennialmom]

I appreciate your feedback. From your responses and reading various posts over time I didn't think there would be an easy answer. We'll be in Chicago on an apt hunting trip at the beginning of the year. Sounds like we should carve out a day or so to look for parking arrangements. If anyone reads this and has any suggestions, please pass them along. Thanks !!