Commuting from Lincoln Park to Northfield (Chicago, Elgin: living, safe, delivery)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

I read the OP's post as saying that he'd be living WITH his friends, i.e. roommates. If that's the case, then the OP should just do that and invest in a nice collection of audiobooks for the commute. He'll certainly be happier than if he were living further away from his friends and paying higher rent to live alone just to shave 40 minutes off his commute each day.

Bottom Line: The commute can suck... plain and simple, unless you go into work early and come back after 7pm.

[chet everett]

Won't save time to take surface streets as the combination of stoplights and very anti-short cut Northshore towns works agsinst you.

Seriously, Kraft is at Willow and Waukegan Rd., basically only way there is via Kennedy to Edens to Willow, probably like 20 miles. Takes 45 minutes or so to from like Fullerton & Cylbourne . Unfortunately AM/ Outbound the express lanes are against you and that stinks becuase of the effect of Edens junction and then inbound the chokepoints are much worse figure about an hour... Weather or traffic tie-ups due to sports (not just Cubs but also Bulls and Blackhawks fans from north / northwest suburbs) could add signficantly to driving time. Then factor finding place to park car when getting home late. Ugh.

Who said it is better to think of another neighborhood? I second that. Someplace like Lincoln Square shaves off a solid 10 or more in the AM and probably almost double that in the PM, as well as having less crazy parking, easy El ride to pals in LP, lots of nice night spots...

OTOH if the goal is to live with friends in LP on an ongoing basis I would worry if they work in Loop there is gonna such a mismatch in travel / work schedule maybe they won't have much time to hang out...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Won't save time to take surface streets as the combination of stoplights and very anti-short cut Northshore towns works agsinst you.

Seriously, Kraft is at Willow and Waukegan Rd., basically only way there is via Kennedy to Edens to Willow, probably like 20 miles. Takes 45 minutes or so to from like Fullerton & Cylbourne . Unfortunately AM/ Outbound the express lanes are against you and that stinks becuase of the effect of Edens junction and then inbound the chokepoints are much worse figure about an hour... Weather or traffic tie-ups due to sports (not just Cubs but also Bulls and Blackhawks fans from north / northwest suburbs) could end signficantly to driving time. Then factor finding place to park car when getting home late. Ugh.

Who said it is better to think of another neighborhood? I second that. Someplace like Lincoln Square shaves off a solid 10 or more in the AM and probably almost double that in the PM, as well as having less crazy parking, easy El ride to pals in LP, lots of nice night spots...

Yes, I agree with you on all fronts. I was just trying to offer a way of saying "hey if you MUST live in Lincoln Park..." I think it depends on how willing the OP is to either put up with a ****ty commute or live in a nearby neighborhood to his or her friends.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

I read the OP's post as saying that he'd be living WITH his friends, i.e. roommates. If that's the case, then the OP should just do that and invest in a nice collection of audiobooks for the commute. He'll certainly be happier than if he were living further away from his friends and paying higher rent to live alone just to shave 40 minutes off his commute each day.

That's debatable.

The bottom line is there's just no escaping the fact that heading into the city from the north suburbs during afternoon rush hour is a monumental PITA. As bad as the Edens gets, 90% of the time the surface streets are going to be even worse. I've actually found that the fastest way is often to take the residential side streets. You know it's bad when the fastest route involves a couple dozen speed bumps the size of Volkswagens and a stop sign literally every block. And when there's a Cubs night game? for-fking-get it.

[marothisu]

^ LOL very true. When the cubs are playing, everyone is ****ed. The trains, buses, and streets are all much more packed.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by Drover

The bottom line is there's just no escaping the fact that heading into the city from the north suburbs during afternoon rush hour is a monumental PITA.

This statement is 100% true.

But another way to look at it is thousands of people are driving from the north burbs into the city every day, and manage to survive. So if the OP goes into this with his eyes open and with the proper expectations (45 minutes in the morning, an hour or 1:10 in the evening), then it might work for him.

The other options of living in a closer neighborhood means uprooting everything in his life. New neighborhood, new apartment, new roommates, etc.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

This statement is 100% true.

But another way to look at it is thousands of people are driving from the north burbs into the city every day, and manage to survive . . .

But we don't know how far their start and end points are. All we know is that they're stuck in traffic at that point in time; we don't know for how long.

Look, I've done these kinds of commutes before; and if you haven't done it on a consistent basis, you can't really know how absolutely grueling it gets. That's why I suggest alternatives or compromises to people who haven't been through it before.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Drover

But we don't know how far their start and end points are. All we know is that they're stuck in traffic at that point in time; we don't know for how long.

Look, I've done these kinds of commutes before; and if you haven't done it on a consistent basis, you can't really know how absolutely grueling it gets. That's why I suggest alternatives or compromises to people who haven't been through it before.

I have dozens of friends that have been in exactly the same situation as Drover describes -- they accept a position in Elgin or Gurnee while thinking "other people do it, it must not be all that bad, I can still live in XXXX XXX and see how it goes."

Then they keep getting blindsided not just with long day-in-day-out drudge of getting home after 8PM and waking up before 6AM that eats up so much of your day but the occaisional off-the-charts delay that is MUCH worse. Their ability to interact with friends / partners / kids suffers. They hate work, they hate home, they are not even able to really apply for other jobs closer becuase they know they are gonna come off as too desperate. They don't get enough sleep. They have to screw together a "whole new plan" that may include looking at different neighbors / different town / different line of work...

If you can avoid this sort of things all together it really is better all around.

[LScholl]

I appreciate the replies, I get it, expect an hour, sometimes more. I am a 20 something female who is from the east coast, I do not know anyone in Chicago except the friends who I can live with in Lincoln Park. I know it sounds crazy but I would rather not live by myself my first year in Chicago. I think I may have some flexibilty with work schedule. If I worked 10am to 730 or 8pm, would that help?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by LScholl

I appreciate the replies, I get it, expect an hour, sometimes more. I am a 20 something female who is from the east coast, I do not know anyone in Chicago except the friends who I can live with in Lincoln Park. I know it sounds crazy but I would rather not live by myself my first year in Chicago. I think I may have some flexibilty with work schedule. If I worked 10am to 730 or 8pm, would that help?

It makes sense. if you have that type of flexibility, you'd be fine IMO. The freeway going north at 9/915/930am is not that bad. Coming back home at 730 or 8 is the same thing. A few spots of so so traffic but overall nothing amazingly bad.

The only thing is that if you had street parking, when you come back it might be hard to find a spot depending on where you're looking...it can be pretty competitive in a way.