Belmont By Barry in Lakeview (Chicago, Cicero: 2013, apartment complex, living in)

[Lookout Kid]

Moral of the story: Don't take a job in Northfield if you want to live in the city. I know people who have done similar things, and they kept moving north year after year until they ended up in the suburbs close to their jobs.

But as others have said, that's a really nice area of the city to live in.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Moral of the story: Don't take a job in Northfield if you want to live in the city. I know people who have done similar things, and they kept moving north year after year until they ended up in the suburbs close to their jobs.

That's really a bummer, considering how close Northfield is to the North Side of the city. It's only about 15 miles from these apartments, and the metro area goes a good 3 times further north than that. How long of a commute are we talking, here? Over an hour? I guess that really speaks to how horrible the Edens is. Somebody's going to have to eventually figure out some better public transportation options for reverse commuters.

[Lookout Kid]

I think the solution is more centralized employment in the Loop.

The Edens isn't the biggest part of the problem... It's fighting west through city traffic to the Kennedy and getting through that damn junction. In my experience on the expressways (which I'll admit is limited), the Edens seems to be the best one.

My friends who had a similar commute from Lake View greatly improved their commute by living in West Ridge, where they had an easier fight to the Edens, avoiding the junction. But their social life and enjoyment of the city greatly decreased living in West Ridge.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

That's really a bummer, considering how close Northfield is to the North Side of the city. It's only about 15 miles from these apartments, and the metro area goes a good 3 times further north than that. How long of a commute are we talking, here? Over an hour? I guess that really speaks to how horrible the Edens is. Somebody's going to have to eventually figure out some better public transportation options for reverse commuters.

Who is "somebody," and why do they "have to" figure out anything?

None of us has a "right" to demand an easy commute, regardless of where we live. Taking a job in Northfield when you live in Lakeview is as silly as taking a job at Abbott when you live in Flossmoor. As already stated in previous posts, you can live in the city for a job in Northfield, but not Lakeview - you need something farther towards the NW.

Another point of view of this situation would be that the company chose to locate in Northfield as a statement that they don't want people from Chicago working for them. Companies locate where they think they can attract talent (and close to wherever the CEO lives).

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I think the solution is more centralized employment in the Loop.

The Edens isn't the biggest part of the problem... It's fighting west through city traffic to the Kennedy and getting through that damn junction.

Ah, yeah, I didn't realize until looking just now that the place he's referencing is clear over by LSD. Not good for commuting on the expressway.

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

In my experience on the expressways (which I'll admit is limited), the Edens seems to be the best one.

My Edens-during-rush-hour experience is limited, too, but in my experience it's absolutely god-awful. It's far worse than the Dan Ryan, which is the only one I drive regularly and which is probably the best one based on the traffic report travel times I hear on the radio.

I'd probably want to live in Bucktown, Logan Square, or Irving park if I had that commute.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by rca215

Perfectly nice area. Perfectly horrendous commute to Northfield.

This.

It's a great area, and would be perfect if your job was in the North Michigan Avenue area, and even not bad if you were working in the Loop.

But a commute to Northfield from there is not going to be great. it will probably be no less than about 45 minutes each way, which isn't the worst commute ever, and maybe it's even comparable to whatever you have now. But it would also be highly variable and I wouldn't want to be in a car for a minimum of 90 minutes every day.

EDIT: If you lived in Andersonville (near Clark/Foster) you'd be north of the Kennedy/Edens junction and could take Peterson over to the Edens, which would make your commute a bit shorter and less variable. Andersonvile is also a very nice neighborhood. For that matter, taking LSD north to the end and then Peterson over to the Edens is probably better than taking Belmont over to the Kennedy.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I'd probably want to live in Bucktown, Logan Square, or Irving park if I had that commute.

More fun that West Ridge for sure (which is quite dull once you get sick of Indian food), but you still have the junction to worry about. That section of the Kennedy is murder. I guess from Irving Park you could just bypass the junction by getting on further north at Wilson or Lawrence, but entire corridor really jams up at rush periods. Until very recently, Irving Park Road was my main highway access, and there's really no good way to get to the Edens from there without major congestion.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Who is "somebody,"

People who have an interest in making it feasible to reverse commute. Residential building owners in the city, employers in the suburbs, and the entities who wish to receive tax dollars from both of these (and their residents/employees) come to mind.

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

and why do they "have to" figure out anything?

Okay, they don't "have to," but it's in their best interest to do so when growing numbers of people wish to live in the city, just as it was in their best interest to set up the currently existing system back when most middle class people wanted to live in the suburbs.

They'll figure it out, or more employers will move into the city, or people who want to live in a city will move to other cities that figure it out if Chicago doesn't. That's all I meant. I'm not demanding anything for anyone, just talking basic economics and realities of urban planning.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by emathias

it will probably be no less than about 45 minutes each way, which isn't the worst commute ever

Is that all we're talking? The way people were reacting I assumed we were talking well over an hour. 45 minutes isn't much of anything for a Chicagoland commute, particularly if it allows someone to live where they really want to live. The constant stop-and-go of taking that long to go only 17 miles or so would get frustrating, though, compared to that amount of time on a train or on the open highway.

[chet everett]

The OP could certainly find other parts of Chicago that are more suited for this sort of commute.

There is no need to bemoan the lack of "reverse commute options" when there are LOTS of other ways to get from youth-oriented parts of Chicago to good jobs in the suburbs. Some employers already have shuttles that are tied to the schedule of Metra, if one desires to rely on the option the lack of flexibility is largely due to the poor demand -- if Metra was turning people away from crowded trains they would certainly add more service but that is not the case.

People without knowlesge of the housing options in the region or those lacking insight into the commuting patterns do not add to the discussion.

There have been many suggestions that there are better options for someone working in Northfield and wishing to live in a youth oriented part Chicago. If the OP was unaware of those options perhaps now they know the rest of the story. It will take a little more effort to find an apartment that is not as widely advertised but the pay off will be a shorter commute and likely a better value.