Safe/convenient/affordable place to live with a car when working downtown? (Chicago: hardwood floors, apartments)

[muffincake]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

Where are you going to park your car at work? It's likely to be quite costly. I doubt that you'll find a place to live with a parking lot that is a 30 minute commute by car to the Millenium Park area in rush hour traffic.

Oh god, I didn't even consider that. I was very lucky that in Boston, we happen to have a ton of free parking included with our office building. You are right... I guess if I am going to live and work in Chicago, I will need to drop my car off my mom, haha.

edit: And thanks to others who mentioned this. Great point that I totally missed. Definitely something to think about if I want to accept this job.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

You are making a big mistake if you drive downtown instead of using public transit. Parking downtown will cost at least $250/month.

Yeah. Heated garage parking with a dedicated space can be over $350/month.

There are places you could live near downtown with a car less than a 30 minute drive from your office for $1,400/month. But it gets a lot less likely when you also factor in office-side parking.

And, honestly, the parts of Chicago within a 30 minute drive of there, with parking included or cheap enough to keep you under $1,400 that are also reasonably safe are cheap because they're in very boring parts of town.

Your best bet might be some place like Prairie Shores or Lake Meadows, which are older highrise developments a few miles south of downtown, but about a 20 minute drive to your office area. Reasonably safe, parking is (I think) included or inexpensive, but it's not an area where there's much of anything within walking distance, so you'd be living a very surburban lifestyle. I would want to do it, but it might be what you're looking for.

Alternately, you could live in Lincoln Park or the east parts of Lakeview and fight for street parking. Again, it's not something I'd want to do, but thousands of people choose to do that, so it's not like I'd think you're crazy to choose it.

Both of those choices could potentially give you a 30-minute-or-less commute to your office via transit, depending on exactly where your apartment was located.

[jsk1983]

Originally Posted by muffincake

Oh god. Yeah, every state wants me to change my plates within 30 days of moving there. I have never done that and I don't intend to start. But thanks.

There's people living on my street that have had out of state plates for a lot longer than 30 days, some probably over a year.

[jsk1983]

Originally Posted by muffincake

Oh god, I didn't even consider that. I was very lucky that in Boston, we happen to have a ton of free parking included with our office building. You are right... I guess if I am going to live and work in Chicago, I will need to drop my car off my mom, haha.

edit: And thanks to others who mentioned this. Great point that I totally missed. Definitely something to think about if I want to accept this job.

As long as you don't live in one of the dense lakeside neighborhoods street parking isn't that bad. You might not always park in front of your apartment but should be able to find a spot within a few blocks.

[Attrill]

Unlike Boston there are plenty of neighborhoods close to the Loop with manageable street parking. The neighborhoods where street parking can be an issue are primarily along the lake (Lincoln Park, Old Town, parts of Lakeview) and a few other hot spots (Wicker Park). You can always rent parking in these areas, but it will likely run you a few hundred a month. Your best bet is to look in areas like Ukrainian Village/West Town, Bucktown, and Logan Square along the Blue line. You'll have a commute of 30 minutes or less by transit, and street parking varies from manageable to no problem at all.

Driving to work will not only be costly, it will also take longer. My wife has to drive to work every now and then and she gives herself an extra 20 minutes compared to her Blue Line commute. Just getting into the parking garage can add 10 minutes to her commute.

You really should transfer your registration and insurance for your car as well. Insurance is much more expensive in Boston, I'm not sure why you would want to spend hundreds of extra dollars just so you can worry about getting a ticket in Chicago for not transferring your registration. Unless your car is garaged at night you will definitely start to get tickets after one month of street parking.

In general Chicago is a much easier and cheaper city to have a car in than Boston, but commuting to the Loop by car is a really bad idea. Chicago doesn't really "suburbanize" quickly, but the neighborhoods become residential very quickly as you head NW or SW from the Loop, think Somerville or JP type density with much better parking.

[muffincake]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Unlike Boston there are plenty of neighborhoods close to the Loop with manageable street parking. The neighborhoods where street parking can be an issue are primarily along the lake (Lincoln Park, Old Town, parts of Lakeview) and a few other hot spots (Wicker Park). You can always rent parking in these areas, but it will likely run you a few hundred a month. Your best bet is to look in areas like Ukrainian Village/West Town, Bucktown, and Logan Square along the Blue line. You'll have a commute of 30 minutes or less by transit, and street parking varies from manageable to no problem at all.

Driving to work will not only be costly, it will also take longer. My wife has to drive to work every now and then and she gives herself an extra 20 minutes compared to her Blue Line commute. Just getting into the parking garage can add 10 minutes to her commute.

You really should transfer your registration and insurance for your car as well. Insurance is much more expensive in Boston, I'm not sure why you would want to spend hundreds of extra dollars just so you can worry about getting a ticket in Chicago for not transferring your registration. Unless your car is garaged at night you will definitely start to get tickets after one month of street parking.

In general Chicago is a much easier and cheaper city to have a car in than Boston, but commuting to the Loop by car is a really bad idea.

Re: insurance, my plates and insurance are actually from upstate NY. I have kept the same license and insurance with me as I've lived across the country, including when I got speeding tickets and got in a car accident in Kentucky. I just tell the officers I wasn't aware of the rule and they let me off, haha.

I did some research and it does appear Chicago is much more affordable than Boston, especially with regards to cost of living. But I guess I need to factor in stress and quality of life of having the freedom/burden of a car. I looked at the place I'd work on Google maps and it definitely does not look like an area I want to be driving in or trying to park in.

Either I dump my car at my mom's house or or keep it parked at my apartment and commute via transit to work.

(BTW, what do you call the subway system there? D.C. was the metro. Boston is the T.)

[jsk1983]

Originally Posted by muffincake

Re: insurance, my plates and insurance are actually from upstate NY. I have kept the same license and insurance with me as I've lived across the country, including when I got speeding tickets and got in a car accident in Kentucky. I just tell the officers I wasn't aware of the rule and they let me off, haha.

I did some research and it does appear Chicago is much more affordable than Boston, especially with regards to cost of living. But I guess I need to factor in stress and quality of life of having the freedom/burden of a car. I looked at the place I'd work on Google maps and it definitely does not look like an area I want to be driving in or trying to park in.

Either I dump my car at my mom's house or or keep it parked at my apartment and commute via transit to work.

(BTW, what do you call the subway system there? D.C. was the metro. Boston is the T.)

The subway is the L. Its primarily elevated, though parts are underground and at grade.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by muffincake

Either I dump my car at my mom's house or or keep it parked at my apartment and commute via transit to work.

If you love the car, keep it. You will be able to find a nice place in your price range where street parking isn't terrible. Just take CTA to work.

[muffincake]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

If you love the car, keep it. You will be able to find a nice place in your price range where street parking isn't terrible. Just take CTA to work.

I don't love it, but I have a two year lease because I expected to need a car for at least two years. Last year I lived in a very suburban, almost rural area. Then I ended up in Boston and having a car was a nightmare. Thinking if I do head to Chicago, maybe I should reconsider and just let the car with a caretaker. I didn't have a car in D.C. and was just fine. Grocery shopping was kind of a pain when I wanted to buy in bulk, but other than that, didn't really miss having a car. Of course, I lived in the heart of D.C. In Chicago, I suppose I'd want to live in the city near my office by the loop without a car.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by muffincake

edit: And thanks to others who mentioned this. Great point that I totally missed. Definitely something to think about if I want to accept this job.

Taking public transit in Chicago is cheap as hell and more efficient. I don't think it should deter you away from the job offer. It should be the least of your worries. If you live near a train, it should be no big deal. Every train line (except yellow, but almost nobody uses that line) goes into the Loop where Millennium Park is.

You could live near Wrigley field and ride the train to work and it will still be less than 30 minutes each way. Not only that, but now you don't have to pay for insurance, car registration, gas, etc. Frees up $$$$$. The most you'll pay per month in public transit in Chicago is like $80 (it's capped near there if you buy the unlimited pass).


Here's my point though: If you want to keep your car, I wouldn't live downtown (or near it). My residence downtown charges me $200/month for parking. However, if you live north say in Lincoln Park, then it's possible to find street parking which is zone parking and only $25/year. Since your work would be in the Loop, it would be frivolous to drive to work unless your company reimburses you for parking.

The public transit in Chicago is like NYC but not as extensive, but Chicago's public transit is by far the most extensive outside of NYC in the US and quite possibly one of the best in the world (maybe top 15 or 20). You could live in MANY places in the city and never use your car for work, but still get street parking for other uses. Don't use it for work though. The train is easy as all hell, fast, and cheap.