Commuting for 2 weeks- suggestions? (Chicago, Harvey: rental car, rentals, university)

[quirkyone]

I have a clinical rotation coming up for 2 weeks in July, and I'll be staying with friends in Uptown near the Wilson stop. I am flying out, so I'll be sans car. The rotation is south of the city in Harvey, which I know has a Metra stop. Would going Metra be the best way to commute (from Millenium station)? I don't know exactly what days of the week I'll be there (it may be 3 12 hour days or 4 8 hour days); if I'm there longer days, would it make more sense to use Zipcar instead?

[chicagobear]

Google maps says it is about a 1.5 to 2 hour commute via el and Metra and then a mile walk to the hospital. I think I'd try to rent or borrow a car.

[myrc60]

That is a heck of a long commute. Assuming parking is available at the site you are going to the only means of transportation I'd consider would be by car. If you have friends that live south of the city it might make it easier if you could stay with them.

[jsk1983]

If you do need a car don't use Zipcar. I had an Igo membership and that ran me $78 per day. I'd assume Zipcar would be about the same. Traditional rental agencies should be far cheaper.

[snoylekim]

Wow .. there really isn't a good commuting option for RP to Harvey .. If you're carless, you can CTA to the loop via Red Line, then catch the Metra Electric line south ( I think 147th Street is the stop for Harvey..but it's been many years) .. and hope the Hospital has shuttle service to the station ... That's workable for two weeks if they have something from the station to the hospital, and your rotation isn't scheduled during swing or graves..
Beg , rent, or borrow a car ..

[chet everett]

I doubt the OP's friends in Uptown have any idea just how far, inconvenient and unpleasant a commute to Harvey could be. If you can't rent a car I would seriously re-think staying with 'em. Even with a decent rental car this is not going to be an easy trip down and back for someone not used to intra-urban driving.

[Golden Camel]

If you are only going to need to do this for two weeks, 3 or 4 days a week, I would be inclined to say just put up with the commute, unpleasant as it may be. But I don't know what kind of hours a clinical rotation requires. The hospital TV shows make it look like you work all sorts of crazy unpredictable hours, in which case you should be aware that Metra does not run 24 hours a day and on Sunday they run 2 hours apart. Be sure to take that into account.

I would agree that Zipcar is really not economical for multi-day rentals.
I would suggest renting from a traditional car rental agency, weekly rates can be quite reasonable. I would also suggest picking your car up at a location in one of the suburbs that borders Chicago to avoid the staggering rental car taxes the city adds. The large companies let you drop off at another location in the same city for no extra charge most of the time (but do check) if you want to return the car at the airport or a place more convenient to where you are staying.

[quirkyone]

I won't be at the hospital. The site is at 31 W 155th Street in Harvey. Also, I used to live in Chicago for 2 years so I'm pretty familiar with the area. Googlemaps has me taking the Metra to University Park and then it is a 0.7m walk to the site. The commute in the morning says it'll be 1.5 hours or so, which is fine by me since I have plenty of studying I'll have to do on the train anyway. Is the walk from that Metra stop to the clinical site dangerous? I'd rather do the Metra route because it will be significantly cheaper than renting a car (I was getting prices of around $600 for those two weeks for a car rental).

[chet everett]

Rent-A-Wreck is always $200/wk or less -- https://www.rentawreck.com/CGI-BIN/L...43504E+RAP+ENG

[Ace Rothstein]

I don't know that specific part of Harvey but overall it isn't a place I'd want to be walking around.