Reverse Commute Help (Chicago, Oak Park, Elmwood Park: home, neighborhoods, salary)

[Jeane16]

Hello,

After reading similar threads it sounds like I'm crazy to think I could feasibly commute from the city to Elmwood Park in under an hour. True? I will need my car on the job so mass trans is not an option. How about commuting from areas around Oak Park? I'm moving to take a teaching job in Elmwood Park in a few weeks and would rather live in or near the city.

[mdz]

Getting to work, I bet you could make it in an hour, coming home may or may not be feasible. Really depends where you live--if you're set on the city consider living near the fullerton/clybourn/ashland area--then you could just shoot down fullerton every day to work. oak Park/river forest/forest park would be a much shorter commute.

[Jeane16]

Thanks so much. That helps a bunch.

[Drover]

Well, commuting from where? Oak Park and Elmwood Park and Chicago all border each other. There isn't any reason why you couldn't have a quick 15-minute commute from Oak Park to Elmwood Park for work, and then have access to the city from Oak Park via the Green Line, Blue Line or Metra.

BTW, you're not exactly going to "shoot down" Fullerton during normal commute times. There's a good bit of stop-and-go just like any other surface street during rush hour. It may not take you an hour, but don't get any ideas that it'll be smooth sailing either.

[Jeane16]

I was considering the various closer neighborhoods, of course, but have pretty much concluded as you said that OPRF area probably is the best solution. Now to find a place in that area that I can afford on a teachers' salary....

[Drover]

You might also consider the suburb of Norridge and the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago. They border each other to the north of Elmwood Park. You'll probably be able to find something closer to your price range there. The downside is that your public transportation options to the city are pretty limited.

[katmoney]

Fullerton going out of the city in the morning is much better than taking it back in at night.

[CUBS07]

Ok I lived in LP and commuted to Wood Dale/Bensenville area for a year. Going in takes longer than coming home. I use to leave my apt at 7 and get to work at 8:10-8:20. It's jammed from Diversey all the way to Harlem. Sometimes if the radio says it's really bad i take Irving Park all the way to work...takes about an hour out but lots of lights.

on the way home if l leave at 4:30 it only takes 30-45 min to get home on the Kenn. if someone calls BS listen to 780am around 4:30 O'Hare to Downtown will be 30-50 min but it's always shorter. Irving in is about 50 min.

Now i live in West Bucktown and take the Metra to work. My train picks me up at the Western Stop and 8:20 and I get to work at 7:55am. My line does stop at Elm Wood park. So UK village might be a good place. You are mins from the Metra and can shoot down Western to Armitage or Fullertton to get onto the HW.

[Jeane16]

What kind of a neighborhood is Ukranian Village?

[CUBS07]

Clean and European. it borders Wicker and Humbolt park.