Worth getting rid of my car? Too risky? (Chicago, Wheeling: job market, to buy)

[NorCal Dude]

True and a very good point. I've read a good deal of your posts in detail on the issue

[Attrill]

Move close to a Metra stop that takes you to Wheeling and join a car sharing service like Zip Car or I-Go. Try commuting without a car for at least a month before you commit to selling your car.

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

A car-less life style is not a life stlye I recomend to any one any where, save college kids and bohemians

There are places where it makes NO sense to own a car - NYC, Parts of Boston, SF, and DC. I'd definitely put parts Lakeview on that list as well.

[NorCal Dude]

lol uh i lived near sf. and it makes alot of sense to own a car. the vast super majority of california was settled post ww2. Its moronic not own a car there. especially with the level of decaying/defunct infastructure and public transit
there are places where certian car-less life styles are certianly easier..

[hxcobd]

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend living anywhere in Cali without a car either, personally.

I've just been informed that the last Metra train out of Wheeling daily leaves at 5:45 PM, rendering it completely useless to me, as I don't get off work til 6 or often much later. Dammit...

I'll look into the CTA bus option; thanks for mentioning that.

So frustrating. If that bus option isn't a possibility, I guess it's back to looking for a logical place to live and maybe looking into a more fuel-efficient car.

Once again, thanks for all the tips, everyone.

[hxcobd]

Originally Posted by 78chicago

I'm not terribly familiar with suburbs north of Glenview, but it's possible that Pace's 272 route will get you fairly close to your job (big "maybe" on that). Some of the 270 routes from Jefferson Park change over to 272 when they hit Golf Mill, so getting to work with just a monthly CTA pass may be possible.

You, my friend, are brilliant.

The CTA busses drop me off exactly the same distance as the Metra station, and run much later.

Ditching my car is still an option!

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

lol uh i lived near sf. and it makes alot of sense to own a car. the vast super majority of california was settled post ww2. Its moronic not own a car there. especially with the level of decaying/defunct infastructure and public transit
there are places where certian car-less life styles are certianly easier..

Near and IN are two very different things. I lived in the Mission District without a car for over a year with no problems at all. I had a roommate with a car who would refuse to drive because he didn't want to look for a parking space when he got back. Dealing with problems like that every single day gets old very fast.

It varies widely from neighborhood to neighborhood, but in much of SF parking is a nightmare and a car is a massive PITA. Last fall I drove into SF and just left my rental car parked for the week. The nearest parking I could find was a 15-20 minute walk to my friend's house where I was staying.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by hxcobd

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend living anywhere in Cali without a car either, personally.

I've just been informed that the last Metra train out of Wheeling daily leaves at 5:45 PM, rendering it completely useless to me, as I don't get off work til 6 or often much later. Dammit...

I'll look into the CTA bus option; thanks for mentioning that.

So frustrating. If that bus option isn't a possibility, I guess it's back to looking for a logical place to live and maybe looking into a more fuel-efficient car.

Once again, thanks for all the tips, everyone.

If you try to get from Lakeview to Wheeling by bus, you'll grow a beard before you get there.

Sorry to say this, but keep the car. If moving to Wheeling or the general area is out of the question, consider moving to a less dense area in the city where parking isn't such a pain, preferably somewhere near the Kennedy/Edens split. You may not have all of the "cool" amenities at your fingertips like in Lakeview, but it'll still be better than living in suburbia, parking will be a lot more manageable, and so will your commute. And you can still get to the nightlife areas by public transportation in relatively short order.

[hxcobd]

Originally Posted by Drover

If you try to get from Lakeview to Wheeling by bus, you'll grow a beard before you get there.

Sorry to say this, but keep the car. If moving to Wheeling or the general area is out of the question, consider moving to a less dense area in the city where parking isn't such a pain, preferably somewhere near the Kennedy/Edens split. You may not have all of the "cool" amenities at your fingertips like in Lakeview, but it'll still be better than living in suburbia, parking will be a lot more manageable, and so will your commute. And you can still get to the nightlife areas by public transportation in relatively short order.

I've been browsing route options on Goroo, and though it does seem a pretty lengthy commute, it's honestly virtually identical to what I'm already doing...

I could keep the monthly Metra pass and take the Metra in the morning to get there in about 45 minutes. The commute home would likely consist of 1-2 busses and an L ride, and take about 2 hours.

Via driving, my average commute is about 1:15; generally worse on the way home after work. Largely traffic issues.

Really, REALLY annoyed about the Metra schedule. What on earth is with the NCS line ceasing service INTO Chicago at 5:45?! Every other Metra line has times well past 7 PM... Ugh...

[chirack]

Originally Posted by hxcobd

Really, REALLY annoyed about the Metra schedule. What on earth is with the NCS line ceasing service INTO Chicago at 5:45?! Every other Metra line has times well past 7 PM... Ugh...

Yeap, because metra is more for suburanites who work in the city than the other way around. It can be helpful sometimes but not always.

Tip don't sell your car for something more fuel effcient. You will not make up on the difference in gas price unless you have a very old and ineffcient car/truck. It is one thing to replace an old car with something bettter in the fuel efficnecy department. Quite another to replace something less than ten years old.

Also if it takes you 1:15 to get here in summer weather it is going to take you atleast double that in the snow. It just might be smarter to rent in wheeling and spend your weekends in the city.

[Swandaddy]

You also want to think big picture in terms of not just the commute, but also the career, and the compensation package. Short term yeah, obviously you gotta do what you gotta do to ride out the recession, but the question you need to ask yourself long term is "what's so special about this job that's all the way out in Wheeling that makes the commute worth it?"

My commute is just a quick jaunt up and down the red line and I'm happy w/the current stage of my career, so my situation is a little bit different from yours. Which means currently I'm in a position to essentially bill a theoretical suburban employer a $15,000 premium to buy a car/drive/etc.

You could reverse that concept and ask--what sort of discount, if any, would you take, from work in order to have your workplace in the loop or somewhere else easily accessible by transit?