What is best way to Commute to Chicago from LaGrange Park? (apartment, neighborhoods)

[Robert9]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

If you're coming from the southern section of La Grange Park (south of Monroe) it's a nice walk to the LG or Stone Ave Metra stations, and vice versa. North of Monroe, I'd recommend driving to the station if you can.

If you're driving all the way there (possible option if you're north of Monroe), 290, 294, and 55 are all relatively nearby. LGP has a very good, central location to not just the city, but the metro area in general.

yeah we are on the northern section of LP. I did call about parking and it would be 32 dollars a month for the one spot available near Ogden and lagrange road plus the 160 a month for Metra. And I looked up travel times during rush hour and it was any where from and hour to 90 minutes!

[CCrest182]

Originally Posted by Robert9

yeah we are on the northern section of LP. I did call about parking and it would be 32 dollars a month for the one spot available near Ogden and lagrange road plus the 160 a month for Metra. And I looked up travel times during rush hour and it was any where from and hour to 90 minutes!

Yeah it's a rough drive into the city but it's a lot better coming from LGP than suburbs further out. Keep in mind you can commute to not just La Grange Rd Metra station, but Stone Ave, Congress Park, Brookfield, Hollywood, Western Springs or even (for extreme circumstance) the UP-W Metra line in Bellwood or Melrose Park.

I think someone else mentioned it, but commuting to the city from Ogden Ave is also an option if the freeways are bad enough.

If none of those Metra stops are an option, then your only option will be driving into the city

[Robert9]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

Yeah it's a rough drive into the city but it's a lot better coming from LGP than suburbs further out. Keep in mind you can commute to not just La Grange Rd Metra station, but Stone Ave, Congress Park, Brookfield, Hollywood, Western Springs or even (for extreme circumstance) the UP-W Metra line in Bellwood or Melrose Park.

I think someone else mentioned it, but commuting to the city from Ogden Ave is also an option if the freeways are bad enough.

If none of those Metra stops are an option, then your only option will be driving into the city

Another option might be to move to one of the apartments near a metra stop like in LaGrange or Brookfield or even closer to the city like Riverside or the Harlem stop as the fares might be cheaper. Only problem is so far the rents in those places are much higher than what we pay now. But it would be convenient that way and save on the parking expense at metra as I could just walk there a block or two.

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

Originally Posted by Robert9

Another option might be to move to one of the apartments near a metra stop like in LaGrange or Brookfield or even closer to the city like Riverside or the Harlem stop as the fares might be cheaper. Only problem is so far the rents in those places are much higher than what we pay now. But it would be convenient that way and save on the parking expense at metra as I could just walk there a block or two.

Probably a question you've already asked yourself, but does your current job downtown pay enough of a premium that it is worth paying for the commute? Could you find a comparable position in a nearby suburb for a few thousand less a year, and break even? As I state earlier, I always figured I would have to make at least ten grand a year more in a comparable job to make it worth the hassle of commuting. I only had a ten mile one-way trip to my job in a nearby suburb, and believe me, there were a lot of days I wanted to move closer to work, inclement weather or an accident could make it miserable, especially due to the heavy truck traffic nearby. A buddy was a custodian in a local school district (never more than a mile or so from work, he could bicycle if he wanted), and over our careers, I spent a LOT of money and time on commuting, that he did not. Living near work would be a "luxury" in my mind.

[Robert9]

Originally Posted by Curly Q. Bobalink

Probably a question you've already asked yourself, but does your current job downtown pay enough of a premium that it is worth paying for the commute? Could you find a comparable position in a nearby suburb for a few thousand less a year, and break even? As I state earlier, I always figured I would have to make at least ten grand a year more in a comparable job to make it worth the hassle of commuting. I only had a ten mile one-way trip to my job in a nearby suburb, and believe me, there were a lot of days I wanted to move closer to work, inclement weather or an accident could make it miserable, especially due to the heavy truck traffic nearby. A buddy was a custodian in a local school district (never more than a mile or so from work, he could bicycle if he wanted), and over our careers, I spent a LOT of money and time on commuting, that he did not. Living near work would be a "luxury" in my mind.

I know it really is not worth it commuting downtown. but then sometimes I have had to take jobs far away in the burbs and drive and yes that too is a nightmare! Just have to get lucky and find something close by

[deeman7]

Originally Posted by Curly Q. Bobalink

Probably a question you've already asked yourself, but does your current job downtown pay enough of a premium that it is worth paying for the commute? Could you find a comparable position in a nearby suburb for a few thousand less a year, and break even? As I state earlier, I always figured I would have to make at least ten grand a year more in a comparable job to make it worth the hassle of commuting. I only had a ten mile one-way trip to my job in a nearby suburb, and believe me, there were a lot of days I wanted to move closer to work, inclement weather or an accident could make it miserable, especially due to the heavy truck traffic nearby. A buddy was a custodian in a local school district (never more than a mile or so from work, he could bicycle if he wanted), and over our careers, I spent a LOT of money and time on commuting, that he did not. Living near work would be a "luxury" in my mind.

I don't see $10k thousand dollars hassle with commuting downtown. I walk to a station, a train comes by and picks me up, expresses downtown and I'm a short way away from my office. The cost of my commute is under 6 bucks a day using a monthly pass paid for before tax money is stolen from me.


Plus I can catch up on emails or listen to my favorite podcast or music and not have to worry about driving or depreciating the value of an automobile in stop-and-go rush hour traffic.

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

Originally Posted by deeman7

I don't see $10k thousand dollars hassle with commuting downtown. I walk to a station, a train comes by and picks me up, expresses downtown and I'm a short way away from my office. The cost of my commute is under 6 bucks a day using a monthly pass paid for before tax money is stolen from me.
Plus I can catch up on emails or listen to my favorite podcast or music and not have to worry about driving or depreciating the value of an automobile in stop-and-go rush hour traffic.

I based my own estimate at the time on driving. Parking alone, if really only $20 per day and not the $30 Google claims would be what, maybe five thousand? Then you have the extra miles, gas, etc., let alone the time fighting that traffic every day, depending on where you are downtown.

My buddy's wife takes the train in every day from Bensenville, and her opinion is the same as yours. Personally, if I have to drive to a train station and pay to park (and I would), I may as well just drive a few more miles to work (in a nearby suburb). The few times I've had to go downtown for jury duty, etc., I've taken the Orange Line from Midway, and it's a fairly lengthy process, I can read in the comfort of my own home, and don't have to deal with crowds (especially relevant today), predators, bums, etc.. It does beat driving and parking, though.

My point to the OP was why work as a Barista downtown if he could find the same gig within five miles from his home. If he's making big bucks, then yeah, he's stuck with the commute.

The "best" solution, at least in my mind, is to live in a smaller metro where commuting is much easier, and avoid the whole thing altogether. But people tend to stick to where they have roots and what they know, at least I did when younger. Now that I'm no longer tied to a career, it's "Sayanora, Baby" to Chicago for me, hopefully this summer.

[RamenAddict]

Originally Posted by Curly Q. Bobalink

I based my own estimate at the time on driving. Parking alone, if really only $20 per day and not the $30 Google claims would be what, maybe five thousand? Then you have the extra miles, gas, etc., let alone the time fighting that traffic every day, depending on where you are downtown.

My buddy's wife takes the train in every day from Bensenville, and her opinion is the same as yours. Personally, if I have to drive to a train station and pay to park (and I would), I may as well just drive a few more miles to work (in a nearby suburb). The few times I've had to go downtown for jury duty, etc., I've taken the Orange Line from Midway, and it's a fairly lengthy process, I can read in the comfort of my own home, and don't have to deal with crowds (especially relevant today), predators, bums, etc.. It does beat driving and parking, though.

My point to the OP was why work as a Barista downtown if he could find the same gig within five miles from his home. If he's making big bucks, then yeah, he's stuck with the commute.

The "best" solution, at least in my mind, is to live in a smaller metro where commuting is much easier, and avoid the whole thing altogether. But people tend to stick to where they have roots and what they know, at least I did when younger. Now that I'm no longer tied to a career, it's "Sayanora, Baby" to Chicago for me, hopefully this summer.

We don’t know what type of career the OP has. Many people who work downtown have professional careers that aren’t available in the suburbs. Or if they are, they are in relatively few locations in the suburbs. I work in a suburban location, but a lot of people who commute to my office have a worse commute than they would if they were downtown. I am from a different metro where the pay is much much lower and housing costs are now comparable. Commuting is also awful with absolutely no public transport, so there is no upside to moving back there.

[Robert9]

Originally Posted by RamenAddict

We don’t know what type of career the OP has. Many people who work downtown have professional careers that aren’t available in the suburbs. Or if they are, they are in relatively few locations in the suburbs. I work in a suburban location, but a lot of people who commute to my office have a worse commute than they would if they were downtown. I am from a different metro where the pay is much much lower and housing costs are now comparable. Commuting is also awful with absolutely no public transport, so there is no upside to moving back there.

I used to live in the city and commuted downtown which was not bad. Then I couldn't afford the city anymore and was forced to the burbs and commuting to jobs in the burbs in traffic is a nightmare! But it sounds like going downtown for a job is just as bad

[Robert9]

And the other reason I was asking is because there does seem to be less and less jobs in the burbs these days or they are very far away. And I get many calls for ones in the Loop and always said no due to the long and expensive commute. But with how things are I thought I should look into it some more and see if I should try it. So I appreciate all of the help everyone has been giving.