Commute from Oak Park to UIC? Safety of Oak Park? (Chicago: appointed, rent)

[Lookout Kid]

I know a lot of people who ride the Blue or Green Lines in from Oak Park. It's generally just fine during rush periods. And even if you don't want to ride it every day, it's always nice to have options.

BUT, I would also want to own a car if I lived in Oak Park. Could you do without one? It is possible. But I personally would want one.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by BigLake

BTW-- Madison and Cuyler is not the best neighborhood in OP, but it's not like it's a crime-infested area.

I'm not a person who worries much about the safety of Oak Park. But Madison and Austin does seem to be a "port of entry" for trouble makers coming in from Chicago, and it's very noisy. I realize Cuyler is a few blocks west of there, but being a few buildings in from Madison Street itself would be beneficial.

[BigLake]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Although some folks tout the good access that Oak Park has to CTA transit lines (which is undeniable) my experience is that most folks that utilize CTA from Oak Park for work still have personal vehicles to get shopping / errands done. If you do have a nice Prius or similar eco-minded car you still need to park it somewhere and without designated parking that is where things get tricky.

The other factor is that even if the area around UIC itself is well policed (which is also generally true) the relative presence of unsavory folks on the Blue Line from rather unpleasant area on the west side is a factor that many folks just don't want to deal after the work day. A half an hour or so of noise / rudeness / intimidation is not fun after slaving away at work. The fact is that the "mix" of folks one the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line is not really similar to folks on the O'Hare branch. There are office workers and travelers heading out to/from jobs and flights at the west end of the O'Hare branch while the Forest Park branch really goes not have that "draw"...

Yea, and as you notice, I did not suggest she ditch the car. I'm saying if she takes the el, it opens up any area around the Blue Line as a potential place to look for an apartment, since she would now have access to the Blue Line (and a direct shot to Illinois Medical Center and UIC). I agree that one would still, for all prectical purposes, need a car in OP.

To your second point, I take the Blue Line every day. It's not something I would do for sport, but you are over-dramaticizing the inconveniences and issues. The Blue Line is a good, cheap public transport option. Other than it being a bit loud, I've never had any issues riding the Blue Line. Don't make it out to be something it is not.

[chet everett]

I am confused. I didn't say the Blue Line is unsafe, just that the Forest Park branch is something that is completely understandable that many folks would not want to deal with as it does travel through a lot less attractive set of neighborhoods / have a have less affluent set of riders than the O'Hare branch. Further if you are saying that for all practical purposes the OP still would very much do better with a car in Oak Park how could riding the El open more potential apartments?

The issues that I see for the OP are less about the El than about having the car; we agree that few spots in Oak Park are easy to be "car free" and that the Blue line is not "something you'd do for sport" which I agree with...

[BigLake]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I am confused. I didn't say the Blue Line is unsafe, just that the Forest Park branch is something that is completely understandable that many folks would not want to deal with as it does travel through a lot less attractive set of neighborhoods / have a have less affluent set of riders than the O'Hare branch. Further if you are saying that for all practical purposes the OP still would very much do better with a car in Oak Park how could riding the El open more potential apartments?

The issues that I see for the OP are less about the El than about having the car; we agree that few spots in Oak Park are easy to be "car free" and that the Blue line is not "something you'd do for sport" which I agree with...

??? I mentioned nothing about you saying it was unsafe, I just responded to your comments about it noise / rudeness / intimidation.

[ckings86]

It's been a year now since my original post so, I thought I would give an update! I did take the apartment on Madison and Cuyler Ave. I haven't had any major issues and am quite happy with the apartment. There is a fair amount of noise from Madison Ave but it is not terribly loud or annoying. One of my biggest concerns was parking in Oak Park but, I was able to get a permit for my car in one of the lots without too much trouble. I did, however, quit driving to UIC after about a week of driving -- not because traffic was awful but, because parking on campus is horrendously expensive.

In any case, I've been taking the "L" to campus. Quite honestly, I prefer the green line and transferring to the pink line since the Polk station is practically next to the building where I work. During normal commuting hours, the green line is full of other commuters so, I feel as safe as one could taking public transit through some of the more unsavory neighborhoods of a big city. Just have to keep to yourself and be aware of your belongings.

Living in Oak Park without a car would definitely be doable -- I thought I'd mention this since it became a major talking point above for some reason. As it is, I do very little driving. About the only time I take my car out is if I decide to do grocery shopping in Downtown Oak Park or visit my uncle who lives in the northern suburbs. I've actually come to HATE the drivers in Oak Park and surrounding areas. I seriously have never seen so many bad drivers in my life and that's saying something since I learned to drive in Los Angeles!

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by ckings86

It's been a year now since my original post so, I thought I would give an update! I did take the apartment on Madison and Cuyler Ave. I haven't had any major issues and am quite happy with the apartment. There is a fair amount of noise from Madison Ave but it is not terribly loud or annoying. One of my biggest concerns was parking in Oak Park but, I was able to get a permit for my car in one of the lots without too much trouble. I did, however, quit driving to UIC after about a week of driving -- not because traffic was awful but, because parking on campus is horrendously expensive.

In any case, I've been taking the "L" to campus. Quite honestly, I prefer the green line and transferring to the pink line since the Polk station is practically next to the building where I work. During normal commuting hours, the green line is full of other commuters so, I feel as safe as one could taking public transit through some of the more unsavory neighborhoods of a big city. Just have to keep to yourself and be aware of your belongings.

Living in Oak Park without a car would definitely be doable -- I thought I'd mention this since it became a major talking point above for some reason. As it is, I do very little driving. About the only time I take my car out is if I decide to do grocery shopping in Downtown Oak Park or visit my uncle who lives in the northern suburbs. I've actually come to HATE the drivers in Oak Park and surrounding areas. I seriously have never seen so many bad drivers in my life and that's saying something since I learned to drive in Los Angeles!

Its pretty rare to hear feedback, so thanks for your update. Out of curiosity, aside from your apartment and the commute, how have you found Oak Park in terms of amenities/quality of life/social life?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by ckings86

It's been a year now since my original post so, I thought I would give an update! I did take the apartment on Madison and Cuyler Ave. I haven't had any major issues and am quite happy with the apartment. There is a fair amount of noise from Madison Ave but it is not terribly loud or annoying. One of my biggest concerns was parking in Oak Park but, I was able to get a permit for my car in one of the lots without too much trouble. I did, however, quit driving to UIC after about a week of driving -- not because traffic was awful but, because parking on campus is horrendously expensive.

In any case, I've been taking the "L" to campus. Quite honestly, I prefer the green line and transferring to the pink line since the Polk station is practically next to the building where I work. During normal commuting hours, the green line is full of other commuters so, I feel as safe as one could taking public transit through some of the more unsavory neighborhoods of a big city. Just have to keep to yourself and be aware of your belongings.

Living in Oak Park without a car would definitely be doable -- I thought I'd mention this since it became a major talking point above for some reason. As it is, I do very little driving. About the only time I take my car out is if I decide to do grocery shopping in Downtown Oak Park or visit my uncle who lives in the northern suburbs. I've actually come to HATE the drivers in Oak Park and surrounding areas. I seriously have never seen so many bad drivers in my life and that's saying something since I learned to drive in Los Angeles!

The total combined trip, accounting for walking to / from station and work is often a deciding factor in how tolerable / unpleasant the commute will be.

Similarly, given the relative congestion / kinds of signals on some surface streets it can take a frustratingly long time to traverse a modest distance in some areas.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The total combined trip, accounting for walking to / from station and work is often a deciding factor in how tolerable / unpleasant the commute will be.

Similarly, given the relative congestion / kinds of signals on some surface streets it can take a frustratingly long time to traverse a modest distance in some areas.

The quality of the walk to/from station plays a big role as well as the total time. Walking up Ridgeland or Cuyler from Madison to the el is much more pleasant than a similar walk up Harlem (or Cicero for that matter).

[ToriaT]

I am so glad the original poster came back to post info. So many people get helped here by people spending their time and they suck us dry for information. Its nice to see people come back and actually provide feedback and useful information.