Commute from Des Plaines to Michigan Ave. (Chicago, Itasca: lease, hotel)

[Kato]

Hi,

I just moved to Des Plaines from out of state to start a new position at
676 Michigan Ave. (Michigan Ave./Huron St.).

Since my husband and I have only one car (which he is going to use for his commute to the suburbs),I will have to take public transportation.
I apologize in advance for stupid questions but I never had to use train/bus before.

So, please can anyone help me to figure out the fastest/best way from the
Des Plaines Metra Station to my job location?
I have to be at work at 7:15 am.

Thank you much for helping!

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Metra / Union Pacific Northwest Monday - Friday Inbound

Looks like you can snag the 5:54 or the 6:21 in Des Plaines and that'll get you to Ogilve Station by 6:35 or 7:02. Ogilve is bordered by (I think) Madison, Canal, Clinton, and Randolph. From there, I'd take a cab. That depends on whether or not you'd be willing to spend a couple extra bucks every day. I'd imagine it'd be about a 5 dollar cab ride from Ogilve to your office each way. Otherwise, unless someone else here knows something I don't, you'd either have to walk a pretty long way or take two buses.

[jessiegirl_98]

you can also find train/bus schedules for when you get into chicago at Chicago Transit Authority | 1-888-YOURCTA
You can enter your start and ending adress and they'll tell you how to get there

[Kato]

Thank you very much to both of you.
I like the idea of taking a cab from Ogilve to the office and I will also check out
the Chicago Transit schedule.
You put my mind on ease!

[desibear]

l live right across from where you will be working (assume you will be working for Hotel Omni). I cab almost everyday from there to the loop and it is almost never less than $7. This morning it was $8, for e.g. due to barely rainy weather which somehow slows down all traffic everywhere. Bus 151 also takes you directly from there to Union station but since you will be coming into Ogilve, I don't know if there is a direct bus to that. If you have to be in the office by 7:15, I would plan on being at Ogilve no later than 6:35 am as even a cab ride can be 10-15 minutes and the bus will be even longer. I feel for you because you are looking at a roughly 1.5+ hour commute every day and multiple changes of transportation. Having said all that, welcome to Chicago!

[Kato]

Desibear,

Thank you for your reply, it is highly appreciated.
I will be working for a consulate which is in the Omni Building. I am not happy about that commute. A 20 minute car ride was the longest I ever had to do. I thought about getting a second car and driving into Chicago. Unfortunatly the parking fees are very high ($200-230 per month), plus the expressways are always a mess. Well, I have to see how it goes. Perhaps it would have been smarter to get a place in Chicago than living out in the suburbs.

[aragx6]

Where in the suburbs will your husband be working? Even if you moved closer in towards the city you could cut an enormous amount of time from your commute. Maybe others will disagree, but in my experience it seems that for every 5 miles you get away from the city you're adding probably 15 minutes to your commute in traffic. So if you lived just 10 miles closer.. well you could be at home a lot more.

[Kato]

aragx6, thanks for your reply.
My husband's firm is in Itasca. We already signed a lease and paid the security deposit for Des Plaines. If we were to break the lease, we would lose $1300, not so good!
I just have to deal with it, might not be forever, who knows if I like it there!