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Old 04-14-2010, 02:13 PM
 
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As of last night my normal commute that is from north of Schaumburg to a point south east of there that had been running a pretty consistent 35 minutes for the past two years or so has shot up to about an hour, and as Oak Park is still a solid 25 + minutes further east I can't imagine that what should be about a 40 minute or so commute is not nearly 90 minutes. Not is it not green to sit in that kind of traffic, it'll fry the nerves awfully fast. The average speeds are below 20 mph and the massive "do it all once" nature of things has also created havoc in getting to many alternative surface streets.

This is truly awful traffic that I have not seen since the Dan Ryan was rebuilt...
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:13 PM
 
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I totally forgot to mention that I just moved to Oak Park, and one of the places I work is in the Schaumburg area twice - three times a week (southern Palatine actually)!

The commute is about 45 minutes. Its not as bad as one would think, if you know the best way.

Honestly just head out on Lake St. It goes pretty quickly through Melrose Park since it goes through industrial area. Hop on 290 west around Elmhurst (you are avoiding the worst of 290) and the O'Hare area. You will get to Schaumburg around 45 minutes.

Just get off the Eisenhower before you reach the Hillside strangler and you will be fine. If you study traffic patterns enough, you can minimize your time wasted.

Last edited by Tex?Il?; 04-14-2010 at 02:24 PM..
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:20 PM
 
Location: Oak Park
214 posts, read 543,133 times
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Let me throw Villa Park into the conversation. Kinda urban/funky/inexpensive/close to Schaumburg.
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:32 PM
 
Location: Oak Park, IL
5,523 posts, read 13,888,388 times
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This might be crazy, but the Metra line that goes through Schaumburg (Milwaukee District West) has multiple stops (Montclare, Mars, and Galewood) half a mile north of Oak Park which are accessible via multiple bus lines. Its only 30 minutes by train from Montclare station to Schaumburg. If the job in Schaumburg is reachable via bus/bike/foot from the Schaumburg metra stop, public transit is a viable option.
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:35 PM
 
Location: Oak Park, IL
5,523 posts, read 13,888,388 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BRU67 View Post
This took 6 posts. Inexcusable.
I'm sorry. I usually check this forum every 20 seconds for opportunities to mention Oak Park, but I was away from my desk. Next time I'll use a Foley.
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:37 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slow_nerve_action View Post
Home is where you make it. An area doesn't become hip and liberal until hip and liberal people move there. too many liberal people seek a bubble instead of breaking new soil. Get involved in the community, and you will fine people with like minded processes. We went though a similar "fight" in the suburb we moved into.

That said, with your political leanings, I would stay away from DuPage County.
What you just said is totally contradictory!! How can you say "Home is where you make it get involved and you will find like minded people", but as you say: "I would stay away from DuPage county." ???

I don't know what you are suggesting. You can't be suggesting that NW Cook suburbs like Arlington Heights or Park Ridge are any more "hip and liberal" than say Downers Grove or Elmhurst." Its certainly not the case.

The area around Wheaton College is really the only hard core conservative area in DuPage county.
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:46 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tex?Il? View Post
What you just said is totally contradictory!! How can you say "Home is where you make it get involved and you will find like minded people", but as you say: "I would stay away from DuPage county." ???

I don't know what you are suggesting. You can't be suggesting that NW Cook suburbs like Arlington Heights or Park Ridge are any more "hip and liberal" than say Downers Grove or Elmhurst." Its certainly not the case.

The area around Wheaton College is really the only hard core conservative area in DuPage county.
As I said - when people qualify where they want to live with a political leaning, they will get pretty picky about their environs. They qualified their statement. I responded. Later on, I put down how the area has voted in the past, and how it currently voted. Before that, I put down what my beliefs on the matter are in regards to building communities.

Notice, I did not say anything about Arlington Heights or Park Ridge, or comparing them. I did not say that person would be happier, there, either.
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Old 04-14-2010, 02:50 PM
 
Location: Oak Park
214 posts, read 543,133 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oakparkdude View Post
This might be crazy, but the Metra line that goes through Schaumburg (Milwaukee District West) has multiple stops (Montclare, Mars, and Galewood) half a mile north of Oak Park which are accessible via multiple bus lines. Its only 30 minutes by train from Montclare station to Schaumburg. If the job in Schaumburg is reachable via bus/bike/foot from the Schaumburg metra stop, public transit is a viable option.
Excellent point. Plus there is plenty of parking available at those stops.
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Old 04-14-2010, 03:08 PM
 
5,951 posts, read 13,038,325 times
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Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
I know quite a few limousine / Lexus liberals that live in Park Ridge and I think that can be a nice compromise between access to Chicago and a good quality of life, like anyplace else you will run into some obnoxious types that have an in-your-face political view point, but there is no escaping that...

Palatine is cheaper and closer, but you might be able to afford a more "dog friendly" house as there are some semi-rural areas that adjoin the Forest Preserves, though drive by traffic and air plane noise can be issues...

AH is far more walkable and frankly more "hip" even if we are talking minor differences -- I mean on the Northern California scale even Oak Park and Evanston are mighty darned square.
AH is walkable within a quarter of a mile of the metra station. And I really don't think its that hip at all. There are very few locally owned businesses. The stores down there are mostly chains in buildings that have been built in the downtown redevelopment that took place there 10-15 years ago. Its actually kind of sterile. I don't understand why people think downtown Arlington Hts is so special.

And I haven't really noticed too much Limousine/Lexux liberals in Park Ridge.

Seriously Oak Park and Evanston are truly unique places in Chicagoland. For what they have there. They're almost the closest thing we have in the Chicago suburbs to an almost European feel.

I moved to Oak Park recently and I think its the center of the Chicagoland universe.

I think overal the downtowns of the northwest suburbs aren't really anything to write home about.

Southern DuPage county, all the communities along the BNSF line: La Grange, Downers Grove, Naperville have the best. Even the smaller downtowns of Riverside, Brookfield, Clarendon Hills, and Western Springs and Lisle are realy charming, even if there isn't a whole lot going on.

I'm partial, but seriously BNSF line suburban downtowns have more to offer than any of the UP-NW downtowns. Because in the NW suburbs so much of the excitement is centered around sprawling Schaumburg. There are also now 4-year colleges in the NW suburbs like there are in DuPage county (Elmhurst, Naperville, Wheaton (yeah I know its conservative, but charming). The sprawl of I-88 is largely just a place where people work. The life of the communities are much more centered on the downtowns there than in the NW burbs.

I've known AH residents that live two miles from downtown AH who barely acknowledge its existence.
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Old 04-14-2010, 03:29 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,635,920 times
Reputation: 4641
Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
As of last night my normal commute that is from north of Schaumburg to a point south east of there that had been running a pretty consistent 35 minutes for the past two years or so has shot up to about an hour, and as Oak Park is still a solid 25 + minutes further east I can't imagine that what should be about a 40 minute or so commute is not nearly 90 minutes. Not is it not green to sit in that kind of traffic, it'll fry the nerves awfully fast. The average speeds are below 20 mph and the massive "do it all once" nature of things has also created havoc in getting to many alternative surface streets.

This is truly awful traffic that I have not seen since the Dan Ryan was rebuilt...
Yeah, but the 290 resurfacing project will be over by the fall. I certainly wouldn't let it change my decision about where to live.
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