Job in N. Chicago, Evanston commute? (Waukegan, North Chicago: neighborhood, living, safe)

[laycswms]

I recently accepted a position in North Chicago and will be moving up north from St. Louis at the end of May. Would a commute from Evanston to the N. Chicago/Waukegan area be a bad idea? I'm 23 and really don't want to be isolated from the social life of the city. I also have a dog, and feel like Evanston would be a good choice for safe walking and going to the lake.

Any other suggestions would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[reppin_the_847]

There are a lot of people that make this commute. You might even be able to utilize the Metra commuter train depending on where the job is. Otherwise, the drive itself isn't the worst (it's only about 25 miles after all). It clears up a bit in the morning once you get past Lake-Cook Road. Also, the toughest part of going north from Evanston is getting to the expressway (94) since the highway is so far inland. During rush hour, sometimes it's easier just to take Sheridan Road northbound through the scenic North Shore suburbs until you hit Tower Road or Lake-Cook Road and then jump on 94 / 41 from there.

Originally Posted by laycswms

I recently accepted a position in North Chicago and will be moving up north from St. Louis at the end of May. Would a commute from Evanston to the N. Chicago/Waukegan area be a bad idea? I'm 23 and really don't want to be isolated from the social life of the city. I also have a dog, and feel like Evanston would be a good choice for safe walking and going to the lake.

Any other suggestions would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

There are a lot of people that make this commute. You might even be able to utilize the Metra commuter train depending on where the job is. Otherwise, the drive itself isn't the worst (it's only about 25 miles after all). It clears up a bit in the morning once you get past Lake-Cook Road. Also, the toughest part of going north from Evanston is getting to the expressway (94) since the highway is so far inland. During rush hour, sometimes it's easier just to take Sheridan Road northbound through the scenic North Shore suburbs until you hit Tower Road or Lake-Cook Road and then jump on 94 / 41 from there.

This is all good advice.

I have a friend who made the commute to North Chicago from the Bucktown neighborhood in Chicago, so it definitely can be done. If you have flexible hours the commute can be better and if you can take the train that is definitely worth doing if a snow storm is predicted.

I moved to Evanston from a western suburb when I was 24. I liked living there a lot, even though a lot of my friends wanted to live in the city. Getting downtown was easy from Evanston and I always felt safe in the downtown area of Evanston itself.