Reverse Commute to Homewood (Chicago, Markham: neighborhoods, schools, university)

[ndovo]

Hi,
I've heard a lot of mixed reviews regarding how bad the commute would be from Chicago to Homewood, IL.
I am moving to the area in a couple of months for a job in Homewood and wanted to live in the city. Looking at google maps (and their traffic estimation feature) it seemed that the commute (driving) from areas such as the south loop or university city would range from 35-45 minutes in the morning. However, I have also heard that the commute leaving Chicago during rush hour would be over an hour...

Does anyone know how bad the commute would be going south leaving the city and then north entering the city during normal rush hour times?

Thanks!

[chet everett]

Although this is not going to be a breeze, the relative destruction of jobs on the south side means that there is lighter traffic for the commute you'd be doing than heading out to north or west suburbs. You could probably even find some surface streets that might be decent options for avoiding the worst traffic tie-up on the Dan Ryan. I would strongly encourage you to consider spots like Pilsen or Bridgeport (maybe even Hyde Park) to avoid having to go through the heaviest traffic on the northside of Chicago. That would shave off a solid 10 minutes or more even compared to South Loop that still has bottlenecks near the limited access from the expressways. If you want a real old school Chicago experience you could live in Beverly and have a breeze of a commute...

[ndovo]

Thanks for the advice! I'll look into those areas!

[MillennialUrbanist]

The South Side and Homewood are tied together by the Metra Electric line, which runs very frequently during rush hours. Most neighborhoods along it aren't that great, but Hyde Park (55th St. station) is good and Bronzeville (35th St. station) is getting there. Homewood has a station too. So if you job is anywhere near it or it has shuttle service, you're golden.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

The South Side and Homewood are tied together by the Metra Electric line, which runs very frequently during rush hours. Most neighborhoods along it aren't that great, but Hyde Park (55th St. station) is good and Bronzeville (35th St. station) is getting there. Homewood has a station too. So if you job is anywhere near it or it has shuttle service, you're golden.

WHile the user name of "urbanist" was likely chosen because of some affection from things like transit and dense neighborhoods, I suspect that anyone actually familiar with Homewood would understand that it is very unlikely that any of the handful of the employers in the town would be accessible by transit -- it is not at all a 'transit oriented" town and even folks that work in the Loop have far better towns to choose over Homewood...

Not "golden" for reverse commuters at all.

[marothisu]

Well, this all depends on what your budget is to start. Chet's recommendations are good, though I think you'd run into some traffic living in Pilsen sometimes like you would in South Loop. Regardless, the interstate like I-90/I-94 is pretty free once you get past 35th street. If you had a job in the north suburbs of Chicago then it could be a lot worse with traffic.

I'd go with his recommendations, though I think if you consider Pilsen there's no reason you shouldn't consider somewhere like South Loop if you can afford it.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by ndovo

Hi,
I've heard a lot of mixed reviews regarding how bad the commute would be from Chicago to Homewood, IL.
I am moving to the area in a couple of months for a job in Homewood and wanted to live in the city. Looking at google maps (and their traffic estimation feature) it seemed that the commute (driving) from areas such as the south loop or university city would range from 35-45 minutes in the morning. However, I have also heard that the commute leaving Chicago during rush hour would be over an hour...

Does anyone know how bad the commute would be going south leaving the city and then north entering the city during normal rush hour times?

Thanks!

I make it from Hyde Park to the Markham courthouse in thirty minutes during the morning rush hour and this is quite near Homewood. However, I tend to drive very quickly.

You could estimate 45" from the south loop to Homewood during rush hour. Don't live in Homewood-Flossmoor unless you have a child in that school system because the tax level is high to maintain the schools.

[PrairieGirl]

If the job is at CN, it's a bit of a hike from the Metra, do-able but no sidewalk on one side street. If I could afford to live downtown and work in Homewood (which I know like the back of my hand, so ask away) I would choose Hyde Park, Dearborn Park, Printer's Row or the South Loop neighborhoods. If you have kids, Beverly is more sububan, the south side Irish enclave. Homewood itself is a pretty nice town, very affordable and convenient to the city, but also suburban. Congratulations on the job and welcome to Chi-town!

[PrairieGirl]

My apologies for double-posting, I never answered your question. It will typically take 45 minutes more or less to drive in or out, it depends on the weather, traffic, and if there are any traffic accidents impeding the flow. People drive VERY fast in Chicag, that takes getting used to.But the roads are very well maintained, we have excellent snow removal services during storms (salt), and roads are well-lit with great signage. It is expensive to own a car in the city, and city parking isn't guaranteed. If you consider Metra, commute time might be comparable, including the extra 10 minute walk from the train, but the trains are mostly brand-new, and offer a very comfortable, reliable 25-30 minute ride from the south side.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by PrairieGirl

My apologies for double-posting, I never answered your question. It will typically take 45 minutes more or less to drive in or out, it depends on the weather, traffic, and if there are any traffic accidents impeding the flow. People drive VERY fast in Chicag, that takes getting used to.But the roads are very well maintained, we have excellent snow removal services during storms (salt), and roads are well-lit with great signage. It is expensive to own a car in the city, and city parking isn't guaranteed. If you consider Metra, commute time might be comparable, including the extra 10 minute walk from the train, but the trains are mostly brand-new, and offer a very comfortable, reliable 25-30 minute ride from the south side.

If one were get on the Metra Electric line at the Museum Campus / 11th St station (that is literally half a mile from ANY sort of residential complex) there are FOURTEEN STOPS to Homewood, that ride as printed in the schedule is FORTY minutes and experience has shown that reverse commute trains often run behind schedule. EVEN if the OP's workplace was accessible via a bus route that connects to Metra (which is rather unlikely) it is all but certain that DRIVING will make much more sense...

Wire problems halt Metra Electric District trains for 4 hours | Chicago Sun-Times

Metra Electric (ME) Schedule