Grayslake (Chicago, Park Ridge, Geneva: middle-class, apartments, buy)
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Okay, for starters, just so you know, it's not actually the "Sears Tower" any more, and hasn't been in several years. It's now "Willis Tower," although a lot of people do still call it the Sears Tower. But if you go to look for it on a map or a directional sign, it will be called the Willis Tower.
And, so, what are you asking? What's the best way to "reach" downtown and the Sears/Willis Tower? Best how? At some times of day, the fastest way to get from Grayslake to downtown Chicago is in a car, by getting over to I-94, following that all the way south/east into the city, and then trying to figure out a place to park. Many times, though, driving is a colossal hassle because of traffic and/or parking, so taking the Metra commuter rail train may be the "best way to reach down town." There's a Metra stop in Grayslake, and it takes you directly to Union Station, which is right across the river from Sears/Willis Tower. There are other ways of getting from Grayslake to downtown Chicago, but those are the two most popular ways, and the ones that most people would probably consider "best."
And is Grayslake a "nice town."? What do you consider "nice?" It's a fairly sleepy, outer suburban town. Mostly white and middle-class, and a very pleasant place. Is that the kind of niceness you're looking for? What are you trying to find out about Grayslake.
Also, there is a separate forum on city-data for discussing the Chicago suburbs, so you might get more response if you try there also:
If we were to move to Grayslake, what is the best way to reach down town ( Sears tower to be exact )!?
Is Grayslake a nice town?
Metra (the commuter rail system) is definitely the best way to get downtown from Grayslake. It takes a little over an hour to get there on most trains, but considering how expensive parking is in the loop once you add that to the headache of Chicago traffic, the train is far superior to driving. I would never drive that commute. Here's a link to the schedule for that metra line: North Central Service (NCS) Schedule
The Metra line into Grayslake goes into Union Station which is a very short walk from the Sears Tower, so that will be convenient.
As far as the quality of the town of Grayslake, I don't know too much about the area. From what I have heard, the schools are pretty good, and the downtown area is pretty cute, but not huge or extremely lively or anything. If I were moving there and working at the Sears Tower, I would try to live within walking distance of the Metra station, ideally. But, I'm sure there is a parking lot for commuters. What I'm not sure of is how easy/difficult it is to actually park in it. When I used to take Metra from Geneva, parking at the station was rough... I had to be there by 6:00 am to get a space and if I was a few minutes late my options were to either park somewhere knowing I would get a ticket, pay a ton to park downtown (and be late to work) or not go to work. None of those are great options, ya know? So, the parking situation is worth looking into and/or living by the station is very convenient.
You should probably also post this in the Chicago Suburbs forum since most of the posters in this forum live within the city of Chicago and probably don't know as much about Grayslake.
While there is a Grayslake station on the North Central Line, there is also a station on the Milwaukee District North Line which has far more frequent service, operates later at night, and operates some trains on weekends. Milwaukee District / North (MD-N) Schedule
Both lines terminate at Union Station which is within walking distance of the Willis Tower (f.k.a. the Sears Tower).
Does the train not go all night.
My husband, if he gets the job, would be working at the Willis Tower. Grayslake is not our only option but we want to live somewhere nice and family friendly where we can find decent apartments, 2 bedrooms for around 1000 per month. Any Ideas? Also, my husband would likely be the first to move and would be staying in a crash-pad to start with.
And I do not care about a night life or anythiing like that. A quite "country town" would be fine with me. Actually, the quieter the better
The last train from Union Station (where Sears/Willis Tower is) leaves a bit after midnight at 12:25 a.m. on the Milwaukee District North Line (7 days a week) and 8:30 p.m. on the North Central Service Line (weekdays only). If you are going to be traveling at odd hours in the middle of the night or on weekends, study the schedules carefully.
While the two train lines will get you between Grayslake and downtown, don't count on any other kind of public transportation up there.
There are no suburban train services that operate 24 hours. The only trains in the Chicago area that operate 24 hours are the CTA Red and Blue Lines which operate within the city limits (the Blue Line also has stops in Rosemont and Park Ridge). A small number of CTA bus lines operate 24 hours within the city also. There are a couple of oddball suburban Pace bus routes that run in the middle of the night during factory shift changes, but none that will do you any good.
The last train from Union Station (where Sears/Willis Tower is) leaves a bit after midnight at 12:25 a.m. on the Milwaukee District North Line (7 days a week) and 8:30 p.m. on the North Central Service Line (weekdays only). If you are going to be traveling at odd hours in the middle of the night or on weekends, study the schedules carefully.
While the two train lines will get you between Grayslake and downtown, don't count on any other kind of public transportation up there.
There are no suburban train services that operate 24 hours. The only trains in the Chicago area that operate 24 hours are the CTA Red and Blue Lines which operate within the city limits (the Blue Line also has stops in Rosemont and Park Ridge). A small number of CTA bus lines operate 24 hours within the city also. There are a couple of oddball suburban Pace bus routes that run in the middle of the night during factory shift changes, but none that will do you any good.
Ok, I looked into monthly passes and they run at $164.00...We would buy that if gets to work day shifts. If he works nights our plans will have to change a bit. Thanks for your help.
Also, what is the avarage electric bill in a 2 bed room apartment. Right now we are paying $150 in Mississippi/
if i could interject here for just a little bit, take a little while and make sure that's the kind of place you want to live. when coming from a more rural setting, chicago can seen overwhelming and your first instinct is to try to find someplace that replicates what you already have.
you're moving to a world class metro area. assuming that this job, like most, will not last decades, you only have a certain amount of time to explore the city. putting yourself a long way away will deprive you of the chance to explore and enjoy a place that can be truly amazing.
chicago isn't either very crowded and busy or ghetto. there are nice quiet neigborhoods in the city and close burbs that you might find enticing but not nearly as far away as grayslake. you don't have to want to go to the clubs to want to have easy access to the city. there are so many things to do...museums, free concerts, the lake, festivals, farmers' markets, etc. that might not exist in a rural environment.
lastly, think about the amount of your husband's life that will be wasted if he's spending 2.5 hours/day getting to work and back. that's over 3 weeks a year of his life down the drain.
anyhow, i'm not saying it's dumb to want to live in a more rural environment outside chicago. just take a little bit to consider what you're giving up by doing so.
if i could interject here for just a little bit, take a little while and make sure that's the kind of place you want to live. when coming from a more rural setting, chicago can seen overwhelming and your first instinct is to try to find someplace that replicates what you already have.
you're moving to a world class metro area. assuming that this job, like most, will not last decades, you only have a certain amount of time to explore the city. putting yourself a long way away will deprive you of the chance to explore and enjoy a place that can be truly amazing.
chicago isn't either very crowded and busy or ghetto. there are nice quiet neigborhoods in the city and close burbs that you might find enticing but not nearly as far away as grayslake. you don't have to want to go to the clubs to want to have easy access to the city. there are so many things to do...museums, free concerts, the lake, festivals, farmers' markets, etc. that might not exist in a rural environment.
lastly, think about the amount of your husband's life that will be wasted if he's spending 2.5 hours/day getting to work and back. that's over 3 weeks a year of his life down the drain410.
anyhow, i'm not saying it's dumb to want to live in a more rural environment outside chicago. just take a little bit to consider what you're giving up by doing so.
I don't know were I want to settle.Just looking for options. And i have lived in big cities and traveled the world. The big city does not excite me anymore like it does others. But if I can find something nice closer to the city I be happy.
Im looking for something affordable for an income of around $65k.
cool. i just didn't want you to think chicago's a big scary city and seemingly place yourself out of harm's way at the expense of what could otherwise be a great experience.
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