work in Hammond and live in Valparaiso, should I move closer? (Gary: apartment, rentals)

[Gonzo236]

The drive is about 50 minutes from South Valpo to North Hammond where I work. I have been doing this drive for several years but it is getting kinda old and I am thinking about moving closer.

I've considered Portage and Hobart...which are about 15 minutes and 20 miles closer. Can anyone tell me about these cities and whether they would be worth moving to and what areas are best? Are they good areas for singles? Any other places (besides Gary or Hammond) to consider? I'd prefer to stay away from south Lake Country since that area seems to be pretty congested. Also looking for the new place to be an easier commute into Chicago in case I ever need to work there. Any feedback would be appreciated!

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Gonzo236

The drive is about 50 minutes from South Valpo to North Hammond where I work. I have been doing this drive for several years but it is getting kinda old and I am thinking about moving closer.

I've considered Portage and Hobart...which are about 15 minutes and 20 miles closer. Can anyone tell me about these cities and whether they would be worth moving to and what areas are best? Are they good areas for singles? Any other places (besides Gary or Hammond) to consider? I'd prefer to stay away from south Lake Country since that area seems to be pretty congested. Also looking for the new place to be an easier commute into Chicago in case I ever need to work there. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Since your top priority is a much easier commute as well as good place for singles, I believe (from what I have been told) that your best bet would be Whiting, Indiana. I am not very familiar with Whiting but many of my friends who are a few years older who do not want to live in Chicago but still want to enjoy the same lifestyle (bars, younger crowd, festivals, lake/beach, etc.) choose to live in Whiting. It is affordable and the nightlife is ok (so I have been told). Also, your commute would be extremely easy, perhaps, the best. I suggest you go to the Whiting, Indiana page on city-data or the town website.

Here is the town website: http://www.whitingindiana.com/

[artemis]

Have you considered Highland or Griffith?

Both would be as good as Hobart or Portage, and much closer.

[Mustang219]

I'd second Artemis and add Munster and Dyer to the list as well.

[Gonzo236]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Since your top priority is a much easier commute as well as good place for singles, I believe (from what I have been told) that your best bet would be Whiting, Indiana. I am not very familiar with Whiting but many of my friends who are a few years older who do not want to live in Chicago but still want to enjoy the same lifestyle (bars, younger crowd, festivals, lake/beach, etc.) choose to live in Whiting. It is affordable and the nightlife is ok (so I have been told). Also, your commute would be extremely easy, perhaps, the best. I suggest you go to the Whiting, Indiana page on city-data or the town website.

Here is the town website: The City of Whiting, Indiana

Thanks for the info! I've driven through Whiting once before and it seemed to be very small and run down. That was quite awhile ago so maybe things have changed or my first impression could very well have been wrong. I will definitely check it out again. How long does it take to get downtown from Whiting? Is there a gym in town? How far is the nearest shopping center (Wal-Mart, Target,etc)?

[Gonzo236]

Originally Posted by artemis

Have you considered Highland or Griffith?

Both would be as good as Hobart or Portage, and much closer.

Originally Posted by Mustang219

I'd second Artemis and add Munster and Dyer to the list as well.

Thanks for the suggestions. How reasonable is rent and property taxes in those areas? Not sure if I would be renting or buying.

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Gonzo236

Thanks for the suggestions. How reasonable is rent and property taxes in those areas? Not sure if I would be renting or buying.

You are very welcome! I am glad I can help!

I can tell you first-hand that if you are single, Munster is most likely the last place you want to be. I grew up in Munster and while it is a top-notch town (in my opinion), it is VERY family oriented. Not really a place where I would advise singles to move to if you plan on meeting many other singles too. Also, it is pretty expensive to live here and there are not many places available to rent (unless of course someone is renting a home or condo out)...most people move here for a safe area and great school-system. If you ever plan on having children though, Munster should definitely be on the top of your list then!

I agree that you should also look at Griffith and Highland. Even though these towns are also family oriented, I know that you would probably find more singles there than in Munster (typically due to the lower-cost of housing). I think you would like living in Highland or Griffith much better than Munster.

Dyer is also a great choice. Dyer has a significant amount of newer development in the forms of townhomes/condominiums and many young families and singles are moving there (several of my friends have moved there and LOVE it). The housing costs in Dyer vary widely but on average, I would guess that the price range would probably fall in between the average cost to live in Munster and the average cost to live in Griffith. The only potentially bad thing is that the drive from Dyer to north Hammond may be frustrating due to all of the lights and train tracks on Calumet Avenue. However, this would still be much faster than living in Valpo so you may not have a problem there.

[Gonzo3292]

Thanks for the additional info! I did not realize that Munster is so family-oriented although I did read that the cost of living is higher there. Do you know how much could I expect to pay in rent for a 2 bedroom house or apartment in Griffith or Highland?

Dyer seems a bit far and is not much closer to North Hammond than Portage. I'm sure that Dyer is a nicer town but Portage seems to be the easier drive (mostly freeway vs. mostly stop lights).

I've narrowed it down to Whiting, Highland, Griffith, and Portage. Are there any bike trails in the Highland area? How long would it take to get to downtown Chicago from each of these locations?

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Gonzo3292

Thanks for the additional info! I did not realize that Munster is so family-oriented although I did read that the cost of living is higher there. Do you know how much could I expect to pay in rent for a 2 bedroom house or apartment in Griffith or Highland?

Dyer seems a bit far and is not much closer to North Hammond than Portage. I'm sure that Dyer is a nicer town but Portage seems to be the easier drive (mostly freeway vs. mostly stop lights).

I've narrowed it down to Whiting, Highland, Griffith, and Portage. Are there any bike trails in the Highland area? How long would it take to get to downtown Chicago from each of these locations?

I actually do not know about how much you would pay in Griffith or Highland. However, I know that the quality of rentals vary greatly so there may be a big difference in rent within the same town.

In Highland, I do not know about the situation with Bike trails but I do know that the region is very serious with expanding bike trails. I believe there is some in Griffith though (please correct me if I am wrong).

As for the driving times to downtown Chicago, it depends. From Whiting to downtown, it may take 20 - 30 minutes if you take the skyway, HOWEVER, the toll is high so you may want to take a local route (although maybe not at night). From Highland to downtown, you are looking at roughly 40 minutes and from Griffith, about 45 minutes. Portage is about 50 minutes away. ALL of these times are usually with optimal weather and road conditions. During the winter or anytime with wet roads I would add about another 5 - 10 minutes to each respective travel time. Of course, depending on the time of day you may have to deal with rush hour too. Also, as our region is always having some sort of construction being done on the roads, this could affect travel times as well.

For reference, I live in Munster and it usually takes me (on average) 35 - 40 minutes to get downtown driving at about 70 mph.

Also, if you do not want to drive downtown, the south shore is usually an option. Here is a link to the website and system map.

NORTHERN INDIANA COMMUTER TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT (South Shore Line Passenger Service

The towns you listed as interested in are on the map so you can see the distance to the nearest station. Whiting is not listed but would most likely be linked to the Hammond or East Chicago station.

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by Gonzo3292

Thanks for the additional info! I did not realize that Munster is so family-oriented although I did read that the cost of living is higher there. Do you know how much could I expect to pay in rent for a 2 bedroom house or apartment in Griffith or Highland?

Check craigslist - you'll get a good idea of rental prices in every NWI town.

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

The towns you listed as interested in are on the map so you can see the distance to the nearest station. Whiting is not listed but would most likely be linked to the Hammond or East Chicago station.

Can you explain what you mean by this: "most likely be linked"? There's isn't a SS stop in Whiting nor are there plans for one.

To commute via rail to downtown Chgo from Whiting, it would actually be MUCH easier to take the Metra from the 93rd Street station.