Comparing commutes: Central Naperville or Geneva (Chicago, Evanston: real estate, house, neighborhoods)

[chicagoRE]

Thoughts on comparing the commutes from central Naperville versus Geneva? Respectively, it is about 37 miles from Naperville to Chicago and about 50 miles from Geneva to downtown. However, it seems like it is slightly easier to get in and out of Geneva and that even though it is further in mileage than Naperville it takes about the same time to get to both places. Am I crazy??

My husband and I both work from home but need to come into the city a couple of times a week on off times, not during the typical rush hours. We don't mnd the drive so much as traffic. Metra is not really an option because we need our cars if coming into the city.

Looking for the same thing that everyone is, schools, an interesting area and a little space.

Many thanks.

[TempesT68]

Geneva will be much longer to get into chicago than naperville. One of the main problems is there is no highway nearby and 38 going out is often slammed unless you are going at odd hours of the day.

[knitgirl]

The OP SAID they'd be going at off hours! I personally prefer Geneva, but that is far if you're going in a couple of days a week, especially if you will not be using Metra. What about Wheaton or Glen Ellyn? I think they have a lot of the charm that Geneva does.

[chet everett]

I think the OP is probably allowing their own preference for Geneva to cloud their ability to try and rationalize a way to make a greater distance, further from direct expressway access bend the rules of time...

Not that I blame them, heck sometimes I do it myself. If I am driving from say New Buffalo to South Bend and I choose to take county roads and it takes more clock time BUT I don't have to deal with semi-s, lunatics going double the speed limit right along aside lunatics trying to do 51 MPH in the left lane and the whole mess SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES when rolling past a State Trooper with a pair of those ridiculous Mars lights the size of a beach balls sticking two and half feet off their roof then I don't feel quite so stressed.

Unfortunately those trips happen pretty much only on weekends or other times when clock time is less important than a little break.

Even if the trips into Chicago (I am guessing the drive aspects means a part of Chicago not well served by transit and/or a job that requires carrying around lots of stuff...) happen "off peak" they still are for WORK related purposes and EVERY business venture I have ever been involved has a very high of TIME == MONEY built-in.

I agree with others that suggest looking considerably farther EAST than either Geneva or Naperville. I KNOW there is NO WAY that I can be in DOWNTOWN GENEVA (or even the eastern fringe) faster than I can be in DOWNTOWN Naperville. There is NO MAGIC to avoid either the tollway and then the north-south surface streets OR take an east-west arterial like Roosevelt that does not move quickly -- the train crossing near Fermi seems to ALWAYS get me and then the various bridges in Geneva all seem to get very bottlenecked ...
On the other hand I KNOW FOR AN ABSOLUTE FACT I can be in DOWNTOWN LaGrange, Western Springs, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Elmhurst or Downers Grove in FAR LESS TIME than even the eastern fringe of Naperville.

If you want to shop all those areas I would include Wheaton and Glen Ellyn. Frankly if I HAD TO DRIVE TO CHICAGO SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK I would also include towns like Park Ridge, Evanston and Oak Park, Brookfield and Riverside. If I was willing to take some chances on long term situation with the high school I would probably include Berwynn. If I was OK with even more urban areas I would put Oak Lawn on the list. If I was compelled to drive ONLY to Chicago I might even put some Chicago neighborhoods on the list...

[chicagoRE]

Actually I prefer Naperville but would consider Geneva. My brother in law just bought a house there and we exit off Orchard and it literally takes less than 10 mins to get to his house in Mill Creek.

I have looked in Downers, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and honestly did not like the feel of those. Anything closer and the housing does not appeal to me.

I am ok with urban areas, like in Lakeview now, but want a change, more space and of course decent schools. I feel if I am moving then might as well go all out. Naperville appeals to us the most because it seems there is lots to do with the bike paths, riverwalk and downtown area.....

[chet everett]

...on WEEKENDS? Since there is a whole lot less traffic on 88 on weekends I can imagine that it is possible to zip out to Orchard Rd in what seems like no time at all VS having to slog through the routine but signficantly more crowded surface streets of Naperville.

I do agree that there is a lot things to like about Naperville, and I think you would be missing most of them living on the WEST SIDE of Geneva.

If you have not checked out downtown Elmhurst and the Praire Path that would be worth doing so, though you won't be able to duplicate the Riverwalk anywhere else in the region...

You will get more "space" out in Mill Creek than "central Naperville", but honestly I don't see how you really would make the trip INTO and then OUT OF Chicago and manage to keep both in "non peak" hours and get anything done in Chicago -- suppose you leave Geneva at 10AM, get into Chicago about 11:30 or so, unless the reason for trip takes less than about three hours you would be awfully close to smacking into rush hour back home...

I can completely understand preferring Naperville, honestly even if you project some completely unrealistic speeds on 88 far above the speed limit, the additional 13 miles HAS to make the trip to Geneva longer, not to mention the fact that with gas over $4/gal 100 miles round trip is going to such worse than 74, so that might help tip things too.


I know it is no fun to contemplate spending a whole lot of money, uprooting your life AND making an enormous number of compromises, but that IS the nature of any real estate purchase.

Originally Posted by chicagoRE

Actually I prefer Naperville but would consider Geneva. My brother in law just bought a house there and we exit off Orchard and it literally takes less than 10 mins to get to his house in Mill Creek.

I have looked in Downers, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and honestly did not like the feel of those. Anything closer and the housing does not appeal to me.

I am ok with urban areas, like in Lakeview now, but want a change, more space and of course decent schools. I feel if I am moving then might as well go all out. Naperville appeals to us the most because it seems there is lots to do with the bike paths, riverwalk and downtown area.....

[pvande55]

Judging by some threads, the leading issue in Naperville is no parking at their train stations. If you do frequently ride Metra downtown on weekdays, that is a consideration.