Chicago Traffic help (Schaumburg, Skokie, Des Plaines: home, neighborhood, buy)

[TD MIA]

I currently live in the South Florida suburbs and will be relocating to Chicago with my wife and 14 year old daughter. The decision on high schools with IB Programs will determine where we will live. I am leaning toward living in Lincoln Park, and will work near Mt. Prospect/Elk Grove. What I do not want is to spend my life in a car and I’m really concerned about the commute time. Many people I have spoken with (non locals) say not to worry as I will be going against the traffic. What do the locals say?

[NSH]

You'll spend more time trying to find a parking spot when you get home from work then you will commuting, (and give yourself 35 - 40 min for the commute)

The areas you are looking to work aren't flashy or featured in movies but they are safer and easier to get around in than Lincoln Park, which is mostly college aged kids bar hopping till 3 am every night.

[Drover]

With so many corporations setting up shop out in the suburbs, there really is no such thing as a "reverse commute" any more. Traffic now sucks in all conceivable directions during rush hour. In fact the volume of "reverse" commuters has allegedly increased by over 20% in the last 10 years.

For starters, unless you live on the very western edge of Lincoln Park, you're going to have to battle street-level city traffic just to get to the Kennedy Expressway (the highway you'd take to get to Elk Grove) in the first place. And I hate to tell you, there is virtually no place in the city where traffic is more gridlocked than Lincoln Park. If you insist on Lincoln Park, make it the western edge, near the expressway.

Even then....

I live one block from the Kennedy Expressway in a neighborhood that is about 4 miles Northwest of Lincoln Park; that is to say, I live closer to Elk Grove than you would in Lincoln Park. My wife works in Schaumburg, which borders Elk Grove. On the days my wife goes in during off-hours, it takes her 25 minutes to get to work. On days when she has to go in during rush hour, i takes her, on average, an hour and 10 minutes. Return commute times are the same. Inbound rush hour on Friday afternoon ALWAYS sucks because of airport traffic; on Friday afternoons it takes her a minimum of 90 minutes to get home. And that's with us being closer than you would be. That extra 4 miles during rush hour could add an extra 20 minutes to half an hour to your commute.

If you want to stay in the city and don't want an insufferable commute, I would suggest looking in a neighborhood further Northwest, such as the Jefferson Park, Edison Park, Oriole Park, or Norwood Park.

[karabiner]

Buy a comfortable seat for your car. 1 hour drive minimum in good weather.

[reppin_the_847]

Yeah I'd either do what he said and stick to the western edge near 90/94, or opt for a different neighborhood like Jefferson Park, Edison Park, etc. if you insist on the city, or move to the near north or near northwest suburbs (ie. Skokie, Lincolnwood, Wilmette, Glenview, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines, Schaumburg, etc.)....OR if you're cool with downtown living, get a place near the West Loop by the Metra stations and ride the Metra train as a reverse commute out to Elk Grove every day. At least being in the West Loop you can probably walk to the trains.

Originally Posted by Drover

With so many corporations setting up shop out in the suburbs, there really is no such thing as a "reverse commute" any more. Traffic now sucks in all conceivable directions during rush hour. In fact the volume of "reverse" commuters has allegedly increased by over 20% in the last 10 years.

For starters, unless you live on the very western edge of Lincoln Park, you're going to have to battle street-level city traffic just to get to the Kennedy Expressway (the highway you'd take to get to Elk Grove) in the first place. And I hate to tell you, there is virtually no place in the city where traffic is more gridlocked than Lincoln Park. If you insist on Lincoln Park, make it the western edge, near the expressway.

Even then....

I live one block from the Kennedy Expressway in a neighborhood that is about 4 miles Northwest of Lincoln Park; that is to say, I live closer to Elk Grove than you would in Lincoln Park. My wife works in Schaumburg, which borders Elk Grove. On the days my wife goes in during off-hours, it takes her 25 minutes to get to work. On days when she has to go in during rush hour, i takes her, on average, an hour and 10 minutes. Return commute times are the same. Inbound rush hour on Friday afternoon ALWAYS sucks because of airport traffic; on Friday afternoons it takes her a minimum of 90 minutes to get home. And that's with us being closer than you would be. That extra 4 miles during rush hour could add an extra 20 minutes to half an hour to your commute.

If you want to stay in the city and don't want an insufferable commute, I would suggest looking in a neighborhood further Northwest, such as the Jefferson Park, Edison Park, Oriole Park, or Norwood Park.