Sunday, January 29, 2012

Living in Indiana and commuting and working in Chicago... what is it like?

I have my second round of interviews coming up with a company in Chicago. I live in Merrillville, IN which is considered part of the greater Chicagoland region. If I get the job, I plan to probably take the South Shore to Millenium Station, and then the #20 (Madison, I think) bus over to where I work. I was looking into the CTA trains, but there aren't any stops close to where I would be (near corner of W. Washinton Blvd. and N. Sangamon St.). Is this area considered the Loop? Or the west loop? I'm still learning more about the regions. What is crime like? Cost? What is it like commuting daily to Chicago? I've ridden the South Shore before, but only in the afternoon and evening. I've heard it can be very busy during rush hours. How is the bus system? Tips, suggestions, encouragements? I'm pretty excited. I find Chicago a bit intimidating but I really like the city and the few times I've been there over the past few years have been good. Plus, you can't beat Gino's East or Giordano's!Living in Indiana and commuting and working in Chicago... what is it like?
The corner of Washington and Sangamon streets is the West Loop, and is a fast-developing area. Lots of people moving in, and the surrounding area is generally safe. Actually, there are some CTA trains relatively nearby, including the Green Line's Clinton Station and the Brown Line's Quincy Station. Also, Union Station (where several of the Metra trains end up, though not the South Shore Line) is nearby.



The South Shore line is indeed busy during rush hour, but not terrible. And, once you get to Millenium Station, getting anywhere from there, including the west loop, is easy, and the surrounding area is both busy and safe.



The bus system is pretty reliable. There's a problem with "bus bunching" - several buses come at once, and then there's none for ten minutes - but in the Loop it's pretty frequent. If all else a cab ride from Millenium Park to the West Loop is less than $5.



Don't be intimidated by Chicago. Everyone thinks of it as this big, confusing, unsafe city, but it's surprisingly easy to get around, it's a gigantic grid, and is increasingly safe. You'll love it.
Thanks. I'm glad to hear that it's developing and most likely safer than I thought.

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Living in Indiana and commuting and working in Chicago... what is it like?
In response to manofthestreet1: Merrillville and other cities in Indiana are technically defined as being part of the region. Not only is the NW section of Indiana on a different time zone than the rest of the state to be in sync with Chicago, 15% of Indiana workers commute to and work in Chicago.

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just go with the flow i work for a delivery comp. in wv and i go to east chicago alot and it does get busy around rush hour but just stay with the flow and you will be alright after you do it a couple of timesLiving in Indiana and commuting and working in Chicago... what is it like?
So what time would you have to be at the office? I'm assuming 9 a.m. So figure out how soon you would have to get up to drive to the train station, figure out how long the train takes to get to Chicago, then figure out how long it will take to ride the bus from the train station to work. Sounds like a big pain in the azz to me. You'd probably have to leave home at 6 a.m. every day just to get here by 9 a.m. And then there's the long trip home (bus, train, car again). I'd be wore out after a week. And Merrillville is NOT part of the "greater Chicagoland region" whatever that is. It's in INDIANA, so it's part of INDIANA. That's like saying that Milwaukee is part of the "greater Chicagoland region". In fact, it sounds like it's easier to get to Chicago from Milwaukee (one 40 minute) train than it is to get to Chicago from Merillville. Wow, this must be one kick azz job...good luck with that. I'd just move here if I were you. A lot easier and less time consuming.



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Oh, and a cab ride from Millenium Park to the West Loop is NOT less than $5. I WISH!!! It's about $8 (without tip) and since you'd be riding a cab during rush hour both in the morning to get to work and after work to get to the train station, tack another $5 or so onto that amount just for the time you'll be sitting in traffic while trying to get through the Loop
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