Work in Plainfield-Want to live in Chicago (Aurora, Bolingbrook: apartment, for rent)

[jerry200790]

There was a similar thread about this while, except this is the reverse situation. I work in Plainfield and I'd like to live in the city. I know I'd have to live like right around Union Station, and the drive to work from the nearest Metra station is about 25 minutes. I just cannot find the kind of apartment/condo/loft that you can find so easily in the city. I don't have a family of my own, I don't need a house. Just wondering if anyone has any tips or thoughts on this. The only thing comparable I've been able to find out in the suburbs that is anywhere close to where I work is the Lemont Lofts and those aren't for rent. And I don't really like them and prefer city living to begin with. Any advice would be appreciated.

[knitgirl]

Stay in a hotel for a week and try out that commute.

[mattywo85]

I used to live in Bolingbrook and work in Chicago. I didn't mind it at first but then the gas/metra tickets started adding up. Plus you have to budget your time a lot better. The plus of living in the burbs is its cheaper cost of living(most of the time).

[jerry200790]

I should probably add on that the job I have isn't a typical 5 day work week. It's 3 or 4 days a week, 12 hour shifts. So it's not like I'd be doing that commute every day. I guess what I'm kind of in the dark about is Metra and it's reliability and their parking policies. Basically the only time I'd be driving my car would be on my way back and forth to work, which is about 20 minutes, so gas prices aren't really a concern. I'd probably be saving money in that aspect as just about everything in Plainfield, where I live anyway, is like 10-15 minutes away from you. So yeah, a lot of it depends on Metra, and I've had no experience with it.

[tireddad]

Where would you plan on leaving your car overnight? Renting a spot near the station?

Honestly that commute sounds like a nightmare, even if it is only a few times a week. If you want to live in the city go for it... you only live once. But maybe dust off that resumé & consider looking a little bit closer to home for employment.

[JacksonPanther]

If you have a fuel-efficient car, why not drive? If any highway in Chi supports a true "reverse commute," it's I55. And if you're working 10-hour days, maybe you miss the 5pm-6pm crunch on I55 in the evening...

Why drive 20 minutes to Aurora Metra, and also have to take the train? May as well drive the whole way from/to Chicago.

[myrc60]

Metra is reliable but occasionally experiences delays. You can almost set your watch to it. Parking in most cases is administered by the city where the lot is located. So, what are you thinking? Parking in the suburbs and leaving your car there while living in Chicago's Loop? Best check and make sure where you park allows overnight parking as they all have their own set of rules. If you're thinking about parking in the Loop, that's not very wallet friendly. You'd almost be better off renting a spot in Berwyn and taking the train to your car to go anywhere.

[3Series]

With a 12hour shift, Metra will stink because you won't have any express trains and Plainfield is way out there. I had a buddy who lived in the West Loop and reverse commuted to Lake Forest. He parked a car in Lake Forest overnight and was able to walk to Ogilvie. It worked out great, however he worked traditional hours and his commute from the Lake Forest station to the office was 5min or so.

If you want to live in the city, just do it. Rent a place for a year, re-evaluate after a year.