Would you consider NW Indiana if transit to Chicago improved? (Naperville: homes, neighborhood)

[Avengerfire]

"Would you consider NW Indiana if transit to Chicago improved?"

Maybe.

I do think however this plan is a ploy to get thousands of new residents for Indiana and may result in unnecessary sprwal.

[pvande55]

The possibility of layoff and relocation of your job to the NW suburbs is reflected in the lower housing costs. Incidentally, in the 80's collapsing employment opportunities in NW IN led to increased commuting to downtown Chicago. Combined with the replacement of dilapidated equipment on that line, that led to high ridership gains on the NICTD South Shore, the lone commuter rail in the region.

[svillechris]

Sure, the chance of your job moving from the loop to the west suburbs is a possibility. But I'm not in complete agreement as to that being the reason NW Indiana housing costs are lower. If you live in NW Indiana and your job moves from the loop to the suburbs, you'd probably just drive and not have to pay for parking. Depending on where it's at, it'll be a little over an hour. I have plenty of friends who make that commute that is, while not enjoyable, very do-able.

Also, if your claim is that if a job moves from the loop to the west burbs, that it'll be too far of a commute for residents of NWI, then wouldn't the same apply to residents living in the north suburbs? Getting to the west suburbs of Downers Grove, Naperville, Aurora, etc takes about an hour or so depending on where in NWI you're start point is. It takes just as long to get to these locations from north suburbs such as Highland Park, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Waukegan, etc.

[chet everett]

If I live in Highland Park and the firm I work for in the Loop decides to close there offices or just lay me off odds are I an going to look first to other Loop opportunities. Then I would stuff close to Highland Park, and there is LOTS and lots of that in Lake Co and northern Cook. If I am at all a networking kind of guy I might have some nieghbors that can give a lead. If I am forced to take a job way out west I would still be inside a region where the mindset is mostly driven by the commuter train type schedule ...

If I live in NWI there is almost no chance that I would have employment similar to that in the Loop in a nearby NWI town. Odds are not good that a neighbor would have any leads to stuff that could help me. If I have to look at jobs in farther out suburban area I am stuck in a "really long drive" situation. I am going to be facing tie-ups from the solid wall of 18 wheelers that clog 80. If I live in a part of NWI that even further out along 65 I am now at the mercy of four or five different road authorities -- doubtful that they are going to make decisions about serving the long haul commuting office worker... Off peak travel times, with no construction, it is not too bad to get to NWI from pretty far into the Illinos 'burbs, but when the trucks all have cargo and the roads ar e being repaved it is just nuts to make one's commute that long...

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If I live in Highland Park and the firm I work for in the Loop decides to close there offices or just lay me off odds are I an going to look first to other Loop opportunities. Then I would stuff close to Highland Park, and there is LOTS and lots of that in Lake Co and northern Cook. If I am at all a networking kind of guy I might have some nieghbors that can give a lead. If I am forced to take a job way out west I would still be inside a region where the mindset is mostly driven by the commuter train type schedule ...

If I live in NWI there is almost no chance that I would have employment similar to that in the Loop in a nearby NWI town. Odds are not good that a neighbor would have any leads to stuff that could help me. If I have to look at jobs in farther out suburban area I am stuck in a "really long drive" situation. I am going to be facing tie-ups from the solid wall of 18 wheelers that clog 80. If I live in a part of NWI that even further out along 65 I am now at the mercy of four or five different road authorities -- doubtful that they are going to make decisions about serving the long haul commuting office worker... Off peak travel times, with no construction, it is not too bad to get to NWI from pretty far into the Illinos 'burbs, but when the trucks all have cargo and the roads ar e being repaved it is just nuts to make one's commute that long...

I agree with this. I had co-workers who lived in Gary, Merrillville and Schererville and commuted to Downers Grove every day for work. It's true; they could make it in about an hour and fifteen on a good day, but it was almost 2 hours or even more on a bad day.

At least if I lived in a neutral equidistant Chicago suburb, I'd be closer to other places of employment.

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If I live in Highland Park and the firm I work for in the Loop decides to close there offices or just lay me off odds are I an going to look first to other Loop opportunities. Then I would stuff close to Highland Park, and there is LOTS and lots of that in Lake Co and northern Cook. If I am at all a networking kind of guy I might have some nieghbors that can give a lead. If I am forced to take a job way out west I would still be inside a region where the mindset is mostly driven by the commuter train type schedule ...

If I live in NWI there is almost no chance that I would have employment similar to that in the Loop in a nearby NWI town. Odds are not good that a neighbor would have any leads to stuff that could help me. If I have to look at jobs in farther out suburban area I am stuck in a "really long drive" situation. I am going to be facing tie-ups from the solid wall of 18 wheelers that clog 80. If I live in a part of NWI that even further out along 65 I am now at the mercy of four or five different road authorities -- doubtful that they are going to make decisions about serving the long haul commuting office worker... Off peak travel times, with no construction, it is not too bad to get to NWI from pretty far into the Illinos 'burbs, but when the trucks all have cargo and the roads ar e being repaved it is just nuts to make one's commute that long...

So now the argument you're making is that you'd base where you live on potential networking possibilities IF you were to get laid off? Sorry, but I think that's taking it a little bit too far and is missing the point of the post. And to say "Odds are not good that a neighbor would have any leads to stuff that could help me" is a gross generalization of the area without any support for the claim. In my subdivision alone in Schererville, I know of two other guys who work in the same industry as I do in the loop, and know several others that work in other types of jobs downtown.

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by svillechris

So now the argument you're making is that you'd base where you live on potential networking possibilities IF you were to get laid off? Sorry, but I think that's taking it a little bit too far and is missing the point of the post. And to say "Odds are not good that a neighbor would have any leads to stuff that could help me" is a gross generalization of the area without any support for the claim. In my subdivision alone in Schererville, I know of two other guys who work in the same industry as I do in the loop, and know several others that work in other types of jobs downtown.

Actually, I get what chet's saying, chris.

Years ago, the bulk of all white collar employment that paid well was downtown - so odds are, if you changed jobs for whatever reason the location of your job wouldn't change too much. You'd still be able to take the train or public transportation.

Now, so many of those employers have relocated to the suburbs - the bulk of which are north-west and west. So in today's climate, depending on your industry perhaps, your next job could be suburb bound. And that puts you with a horrific commute if you've re-located to NWI - but not so bad if you're in any other suburban location.

In the early 90s, I was fed up with working downtown and wanted a drivable job. The ONLY thing I could find that didn't involve saying "do you want fries with that?" was in Burr Ridge and paid $12,000/year. I took a $8K paycut so I could drive. I was a moron.

It's not like that anymore ... which puts NWI at a distinct disadvantage commute-wise. The white collar executives in the steel mills who've lost their jobs in the last few years are a great example. Quite a few people have relocated out of the area and into closer Chgo suburbs for work OR have moved out of the area altogether because of the lack of higher paying jobs in the area. (One to China ... how's that for a big transfer?) There are definitely high income careers available here in NWI - but not nearly as many as are in Illinois.

[chet everett]

I too know a handful of folks that live in NWI and work in the Loop. For the most part these folks have choose to live near where they grew up and still have extended family.

The bulk of folks that live in Illinois suburbs will not choose to live in NWI just because of better transit.

The cost structure of towns would probably be initially favorable, but if the rail lines are paid for though user fees or any kind of taxes that stater to diminish the cost advantage of NWI housing than at goes out the window...

Are they going to bring with then the other things too? Restaurants, shops, nightlife, extended family, all move slowly.

I just don't see much to make the whole effort make sense...

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I too know a handful of folks that live in NWI and work in the Loop. For the most part these folks have choose to live near where they grew up and still have extended family.

The bulk of folks that live in Illinois suburbs will not choose to live in NWI just because of better transit.

The cost structure of towns would probably be initially favorable, but if the rail lines are paid for though user fees or any kind of taxes that stater to diminish the cost advantage of NWI housing than at goes out the window...

Are they going to bring with then the other things too? Restaurants, shops, nightlife, extended family, all move slowly.

I just don't see much to make the whole effort make sense...

With all do respect, to say that the lower housing costs in NWI will be offset by increased taxes is absurd. For a home in IL suburbs, one will likely pay double, if not more, than that they would for a comparable (I use this term loosely to prove this point, in an effort to not start another leg of this debate) home in NWI. That math doesn't add up at all to support your claim.

Also, the "other things" you refer to have already been addressed by me in a previous post. The towns I'm referring to are already established towns with restaurants, shops, etc all within them or close by.

[chet everett]

I've been to towns like St. John and others you mention. Admittedly, not in a while, but this is your chance.

Use a link to google or whatever and let's see the area that is like Naperville or Park Ridge or Elmhurst or Glen Ellyn or Wheaton or Deerfield or whatever.

Breakfast places with work-out mom friendly egg white and herb omelets, dress boutiques and hair saloons to stop in at on the walk back from the train.

A place that serves wine by the glass in five or more varieties and if they have music it is more likely smooth jazz than something from a juke box.


That is what sells folks that lived in Lakeview or Lincoln Park on the desirable suburbs as much if not more than Metra...

I know I can buy groceries, get my car fixed, pick up a tube of Crest. But I can also do that in Schiller Park, Alsip or Hodgkins. That is not the competion that makes sense to have massive outlays for infrastructure improvements to capture...