[TweetyBirdyBird]

Hello -
There is a good chance that I will get my "dream job" in Chicago.

I was told that up to South Haven? and down the coast is a less than two hour commute to Chicago?

I'm being told this by realtors.

I have yet visited South Haven or the other towns mentioned.

Any input on these towns, the commute, which towns to avoid, which to look at?

Thanks in advance!

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by TweetyBirdyBird

Hello -
There is a good chance that I will get my "dream job" in Chicago.

I was told that up to South Haven? and down the coast is a less than two hour commute to Chicago?

I'm being told this by realtors.

I have yet visited South Haven or the other towns mentioned.

Any input on these towns, the commute, which towns to avoid, which to look at?

Thanks in advance!

Two hours from South Haven sounds about right, at full speed! If you're heading into Chicago during the morning rush, I imagine it would take a LOT longer. I've been stuck in Chicago rush before, but it's not something I was normally a part of, so I can't say for sure how rough this would be on a regular basis.

I used to live in Niles, down in the SW corner of the state just north of the Indiana line, and it would take us about 80 minutes by car to get to downtown Chicago on the weekends.

Niles is farther inland, so if you want to stay along the Lake Michigan coast, you might want to check out the New Buffalo area. That's in the extreme SW corner of the state, and it would be about 30-45 minutes closer than South Haven. But again, that's not accounting for rush traffic.

There's also a commuter train, the South Shore, that runs through northern Indiana, between South Bend and Chicago. If you lived in the Niles area, you could drive to South Bend's airport and pick it up there at the beginning of the line. It's about a 90-minute ride from one end to the other. Or from the New Buffalo area, you could pick it up in Michigan City. That's a great option, and pretty economical.

Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District

I can't think of any areas to avoid in SW Michigan, except maybe Benton Harbor. I loved Niles when I lived there. New Buffalo is a little touristy, but it has its charm, too.

Good luck! Chicago is a fantastic city!

[swimpolo06]

I go to school in chicago, so I mean I make the trip a few times a year, expect to add time to however long you think it will take, traffic is always backed up going into chicago

[scottmi]

Dude, you CAN'T live in Michigan and commute to Chicago on a daily basis...unless you don't mind a 3 hour trip each way, every day.

I lived in Chicago for a year and a half and I lived very close to downtown - only 4 miles away from work. It took me AN HOUR to get to work and an HOUR (if not longer) to get home because unless you can afford $35/day parking downtown, you'll be using public transportation - which is SLOW as MOLASSES.

Even if your job is in the southern most tip of Chicago, your commute will be super long.

You best bet is to suck it up, move to Chicago, bend over, and take it from the rental/condo/housing market there.

4+ hours of commuting to/from work five days a week is gonna wreck your perception of this "dream job" real fast.

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by scottmi

Dude, you CAN'T live in Michigan and commute to Chicago on a daily basis...unless you don't mind a 3 hour trip each way, every day.

Considering the OP is under the impression that the SW coast is around a 2-hr commute one way, I'm guessing he/she doesn't mind. It doesn't have to be three hours one way. I'm telling ya, I know people who rode the South Shore every day from South Bend to Chicago. That's about 90 minutes each way, and for a dream job, I'd do it. Hell, I was thinking about doing it when I got downsized out of my job in South Bend. Figured I could commute from Niles to Chicago via the South Shore. As it turned out, I got a job in metro D.C. ... but it's not an impossible commute. And sitting on a train has to beat sitting in interstate traffic through northwest Indiana.

[scottmi]

Originally Posted by YoAdrian

Considering the OP is under the impression that the SW coast is around a 2-hr commute one way, I'm guessing he/she doesn't mind. It doesn't have to be three hours one way. I'm telling ya, I know people who rode the South Shore every day from South Bend to Chicago. That's about 90 minutes each way, and for a dream job, I'd do it. Hell, I was thinking about doing it when I got downsized out of my job in South Bend. Figured I could commute from Niles to Chicago via the South Shore. As it turned out, I got a job in metro D.C. ... but it's not an impossible commute. And sitting on a train has to beat sitting in interstate traffic through northwest Indiana.

If you do a Google Map, Mapquest "route" to/from work, it might say 2 HOURS but I can't believe it's gonna be that little. And if the OP has no concept of how bad traffic can be on the expressways going into and in Chicago, that 2-3+ hours EACH WAY is gonna get real old, real fast and be REAL expensive as well.

Just move there. Geez.

[TweetyBirdyBird]

Okay... wow... don't know what to think now

[sherri rc]

Originally Posted by TweetyBirdyBird

Okay... wow... don't know what to think now

I was just wondering why you would considering staying in Michigan if your job is in Chicago? Downtown chicago is a wonderful area. I almost moved there a year ago, the only reason I did'nt was because of my 9 yr old daughter. If you have kids then I would understand. Also it is not as expensive living downtown as one might think. There are also nice suburbs of downtown for instance Tinley Park etc.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by sherri rc

I was just wondering why you would considering staying in Michigan if your job is in Chicago? Downtown chicago is a wonderful area. I almost moved there a year ago, the only reason I did'nt was because of my 9 yr old daughter. If you have kids then I would understand. Also it is not as expensive living downtown as one might think. There are also nice suburbs of downtown for instance Tinley Park etc.

I'm a little confused. "Suburbs of downtown?" Do you mean suburbs of Chicago? Chicago proper extends all the way to the Indiana border. I think people confuse Chicago and downtown Chicago. Outside the Loop and the near north side, Chicago is mostly low rise buildings. The "suburbs" are basically small towns whose borders rub up right next to adjacent town borders.

This seems to go back to this imaginary line somewhere where "Chicago" begins and ends. The Michigan border is about 60-70 miles, twice and far as what most people still be call suburbs.

While, the Michigan border would still be kind of rediculously far to commute to. If you had a job that worked longer hours, three or four days a week, and/or you had off hours, it would still be needlessly long, but possibly doable.

[sherri rc]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I'm a little confused. "Suburbs of downtown?" Do you mean suburbs of Chicago? Chicago proper extends all the way to the Indiana border. I think people confuse Chicago and downtown Chicago. Outside the Loop and the near north side, Chicago is mostly low rise buildings. The "suburbs" are basically small towns whose borders rub up right next to adjacent town borders.

This seems to go back to this imaginary line somewhere where "Chicago" begins and ends. The Michigan border is about 60-70 miles, twice and far as what most people still be call suburbs.

While, the Michigan border would still be kind of rediculously far to commute to. If you had a job that worked longer hours, three or four days a week, and/or you had off hours, it would still be needlessly long, but possibly doable.

I go there one weekend out of every month in good weather just for vacation, I love the areas downtown. I know my husband used to drive from michigan to Janesville wisconson once a week. I would talk to him on the phone when he's just getting into chicago call back in an hour and he's still in chicago. It would depend on where your job is in chicago to decide where you should live. Your right chicago is a huge area when you consider all of it's neighborhoods that are still considered chicago not just the downtown area. By the way I don't drive there I take amtrak, much easier and you don't have to pay for parking and prices are good considering what gas cost now days.