Hyde Park and the CTA (Chicago, Lincoln: transfer, neighborhoods, university)

[amanda8404]

Hi, My partner is going to go to the University of Chicago and we are looking for good neighborhoods. When we visited the campus, a lot of the students made it seem like it would be hard to live in Hyde Park and get to the rest of the city without a car. That's fine for my partner because he's going to be stuck on campus most of the time anyway, but I don't really want to be marooned. I might have a job anywhere at this point. Can someone please explain the Metra and the regular trains, and why it seemed like Hyde Park is a little disconnected? We've really been looking forward to retiring our wretched, broken ugly vehicle when we moved... Secondly, is there a better connected place that might be good to live in?

[ajolotl]

The problem with Hyde Park traditionally is that it isn't well connected to the north side neighborhoods via public transit. Downtown is fine -- metra is quite good and safe, and Jackson Park Express is very popular also, if a bit more jostling. Since Hyde Park is very walkable, basically anywhere you live is accessible to these routes, but further east is more convenient.

However, getting beyond loop is annoying. A lot of people take the 55 bus about two miles west to the Red Line; others don't feel comfortable (Washington Park is pretty blighted). Either way, it takes too long, and when returning from the city in the winter you'll notice that the bridge over the Dan Ryan on Garfield is the coldest and loneliest place on the planet. It's a problem.

This has been recognized for some time and recently a bus route was added that goes from the University to Lakeview with just a couple of stops along the way. At first it was too infrequent to be helpful except as a novelty (though it does come back very late on weekends); I believe they have extended the hours, though. You should check.

Hyde Park is an interesting neighborhood with a lot going for it, but ultimately it does not have enough commercially to sustain my interest more than three or four days a week. Getting out quickly is essential. I recommend a car.

When your stuck I recommend the new Istria cafe on 51st and Cornell (great gelato, open until ten); the origianal one on 57th and Harper, and Third World Cafe on 53rd and Kimbark. Things are getting better, but slowly.

[ajolotl]

About alternatives, a good compromise is South Loop. You can take metra from Roosevelt and be in HP in 12 minutes. Anything else is a level more difficult without a car.

[Manigault]

Most Hyde Parkers who go downtown use the express bus for its speed and its schedule. The #6 seems to run past midnight and always has a variety of folks on it. The last scheduled bus on the weekends leaves downtown at 1 am! That buse serves most of Hyde Park. But if you use public trans from Hyde Park, you will probably have to transfer in the loop. That's not really a problem for most folks.

Check out the rapid trans site:
Chicago Transit Authority | 1-888-YOURCTA

[amanda8404]

But if you can get downtown from Hyde Park, can't you just switch and head North from downtown?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by amanda8404

But if you can get downtown from Hyde Park, can't you just switch and head North from downtown?

Yes to the Red Line,Brown Line, Blue Line,Clark,Broadway and a few other buses. In some cases you have to walk a little bit after getting off of the #6 though but not a horrible distance.

[chet everett]

If you've been to Chicago you probably know that vast stretches of the Loop and near southside become almost a "dead zone" especially in comparison to the greater north side. While most of the time this is not too big a deal, it can be nerve wracking / envy producing/ frustrating and potentially unsafe. Pretty basic rule of urban safety is "more people around, less chance something bad will happen to ME"...

It is not that you can't head north from downtown, it if that you PRETTY MUCH have to. This adds time to what COULD be a simple trip, and something about being stuck in the greater downtown area when you know a direct Lincoln Park / Hyde Park route might HALF travel times really can grate away at you.

ajolotl's assessment is very accurate -- red line puts you in a very scary / vulnerable place (and I suspect that basically anyone of any race or gender would agree with that even if they routinely wear a flak jacket, sidearm, star and checkered hat band to work everyday -- even cops know " a single stray bullet travels faster than any radio waves") not to mention that when it is cold, physical pain is involved. Having access to a car of any kind makes "escape from Hyde Park" a lot more pleasant proposal. There are lots of Hyde Parkers without cars, but honestly their lives outside HP are pretty constrained.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by chet everett

ajolotl's assessment is very accurate -- red line puts you in a very scary / vulnerable place (and I suspect that basically anyone of any race or gender would agree with that even if they routinely wear a flak jacket, sidearm, star and checkered hat band to work everyday -- even cops know " a single stray bullet travels faster than any radio waves") not to mention that when it is cold, physical pain is involved. Having access to a car of any kind makes "escape from Hyde Park" a lot more pleasant proposal. There are lots of Hyde Parkers without cars, but honestly their lives outside HP are pretty constrained.

Well, that there is one opinion. As a Hyde Park resident I can tell you that there is not all that much which requires you to leavie its environs if you choose not to. It happens that many folks use the transportation options in the eastern area of the neighborhood, near the lake, namely the Metra and the express buses.

Others, such as myself, often use the Red line between downtown and the area (the Green line is closer but much slower). I don't understand just what scare folks about standing at a bus stop in a lower-income area, particularly when a policeman is at the red line Garfield stop most of the time. There's not much shooting around there and there usually are folks waiting for the bus or the train.

Getting around the city without a car is no different for me on the south side than it is for me on the north side. And, I've experienced both.

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by Manigault

Others, such as myself, often use the Red line between downtown and the area (the Green line is closer but much slower). I don't understand just what scare folks about standing at a bus stop in a lower-income area, particularly when a policeman is at the red line Garfield stop most of the time. There's not much shooting around there and there usually are folks waiting for the bus or the train.

I think you answered your own question. "There's not much shooting around there" doesn't do it for everyone. I take the Red Line also, and sometimes even walk back to Hyde Park, and haven't had any really issues since 1985, but I'm not going to pretend like it is impossible to understand why someone else might not feel comfortable with this. When was the last time you were there after midnight? I've never seen a police officer except during White Sox games and rush hour. At midnight the 55 takes forever to come, it's extremely windy in the winter on the overpass bridge, and I rarely go totally unnoticed. Washington Park is also just an incredibly ugly neighborhood. It is a pretty crappy transportation option, but I've learned to live with it.

[Manigault]

After midnite take the #6 express bus to Hyde Park. Or take a cab. This is the big city, y'all.