Near north-University of Chicago (Washington, Washington Park: living in, professionals, buses)

[Vagabonda]

Hello!

I recently landed a job at the University of Chicago medical center but won't be moving until January. I've poured over many of the threads about people moving to Chicago but still have some questions for you.

So, I'm pretty set on living in the near north side (River north, Gold Coast, Streeterville. I think that's what it comprises, right?) and plan on using public transportation. I will need to be at work by 6am so I assume traffic would be slow at that time but I'm a little concerned that the wait for the metra in the winter will be horrible. Anyone here doing that commute? Also, someone (my future co-worker) suggested I live in Hyde Park due to the commute because the red line stop for UofC stops in the ghetto and it might not be safe at that hour of the day. I should add that I took the red line to my interview from the Loop to UofC and walked from the stop to the hospital without any problems. Any thoughts?

Finally, if you want to add some tips and pointers for a transplant like myself I'm all ears! Excited for the move!!

Extra info: My schedule will be 7a-5p, and I'm a 28yr old woman.Thanks guys!

[marothisu]

Not sure why the commute for metra in the winter will be horrible. These trains are fairly reliable even in winter months. The times these things have problems are usually if something like a tree falls on the tracks or something. Being there by 6am from the near north side, you'll have to wake up probably at 4:30am or something. It's not a quick ride there because you have to get to the Metra too.

I think a good in between would actually be South Loop closer to the lake. There is a metra stop at Museum Campus, which is near Soldier Field. There is also a red line stop near there, so for your personal life you can use that and red line runs 24 hours/day. Living in Hyde Park would probably be easiest for your job, and Hyde Park is a good area, but if you plan on going to bars/clubs/lounges all the time, then there's better areas to be in strategically. South Loop has some stuff and it's not party central, but it's on the Red Line and you could be in River North from there in like 7 minutes.

[Vagabonda]

Thanks for your quick response Marothisu! I feared it might be horrible because of the walk to the metra and to the hospital.
I personally don't mind waking up that early cause I wake up at 330am now and like being up early, plus I'll only be working 4 days a week. I'll consider looking into the south loop, although that would still bring up the issue of safety between the red line stop and the hospital. Again, I did not have an issue but I thought I'd consider her concerns.

[chet everett]

To use Metra to get to Hyde Park is one thing, to rely on the combination of EL trains, Metra, and CTA buses to get from the Metra stop to UofC hospitals is a whole other level of frustration that one would have to be very hard core lover of multiple modes of public transit... Similarly using CTA exclusively to get to the hospital from the northside is not prefered.

The fact is the Red/Green line stop closest to the UofC hospitals is at Garfield Blvd on the west side of Washington Park. There are buses that go through the park and continue east along 55th St but you'd still have several blocks to walk south past the tennis courts and campus that while generally well policed is not really populated the way things near Northwestern or similar northside hospitals have developed...

Should one prefer to take the Metra the difficulty begins with getting to Randolph St / Millenium Park station from the northside, then taking the train to 55th St, riding the 171 bus along 55th and then down Ellis, a trip even google maps pegs at 16 minutes with walk time all by itself...

Assuming a moderate distance from a River North El stop, necessary walk between station, coordinating schedules and navigating station this is easily over an hour each way via public transit. It would be far more time efficient to drive at off peak hours but during rush hour, if one had to contend with traffic in River North / Gold Coast, the greater Grant Park area, and Hyde Park / Kenwood probably still looking at something around 40 minutes.

Mind you none of these things are impossible barriers but the OP is right to be concerned that this things do lengthen one's day considerably and it makes sense to at least give some thought to living closer to work.

[Vagabonda]

I hear you all, but I'm a little confused. I took the red line from the stop close to the panera bread in the loop, I believe it was Jackson or Adams and it took me to Garfield. From that stop I walked about 10mins to the hospital. So in all I only took one subway.

I did not get a chance to visit Hyde Park, but it seems like I will start considering it too although it seems like it might be a little too quiet/boring for me. Thanks guys! On a side note, I recently got a suggestion to live in Wrigleyville!!! by someone who lived in Chicago. Now that sounded like torture!

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by Vagabonda

Hello!

I recently landed a job at the University of Chicago medical center but won't be moving until January. I've poured over many of the threads about people moving to Chicago but still have some questions for you.

So, I'm pretty set on living in the near north side (River north, Gold Coast, Streeterville. I think that's what it comprises, right?) and plan on using public transportation. I will need to be at work by 6am so I assume traffic would be slow at that time but I'm a little concerned that the wait for the metra in the winter will be horrible. Anyone here doing that commute? Also, someone (my future co-worker) suggested I live in Hyde Park due to the commute because the red line stop for UofC stops in the ghetto and it might not be safe at that hour of the day. I should add that I took the red line to my interview from the Loop to UofC and walked from the stop to the hospital without any problems. Any thoughts?

Finally, if you want to add some tips and pointers for a transplant like myself I'm all ears! Excited for the move!!

Extra info: My schedule will be 7a-5p, and I'm a 28yr old woman.Thanks guys!

I'm not overly familiar with the area or that train stop but since it is a giant medical complex and that seems like the most viable mode of public transportation I would guess odds are you would be coming in and out with throngs of other people, although your work time does sound early.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Vagabonda

Thanks for your quick response Marothisu! I feared it might be horrible because of the walk to the metra and to the hospital.
I personally don't mind waking up that early cause I wake up at 330am now and like being up early, plus I'll only be working 4 days a week. I'll consider looking into the south loop, although that would still bring up the issue of safety between the red line stop and the hospital. Again, I did not have an issue but I thought I'd consider her concerns.

I think you misinterpreted what I said. I didn't mean to take the red line to work. I meant that there is a metra stop in the south loop NEAR the red line. You can take the red line to other areas for personal life stuff. If you want to save money, you can take the red line down to Washington Park and take a bus over to the medical campus so you don't have to manage both CTA and Metra.

I think if you plan on going out all the time, then live in South Loop as it's a good in between. If not, then I think Hyde Park is fine.

[chet everett]

Even other large medical complexes (like Rush / VA / Cook Co on the west side) do not have "throngs" of employees that march onto CTA or public transit in lock step -- many surgeons specifically start their day VERY early so that patients are in recovery close to midday for scheduled procedure. Most of the senior physicians are also involved in research or training of new physicians which complicates their schedule. There are many nurses and paraprofessionals that work 12 hr overnight / daytime shifts alongside a fair number of folks that work one of the 3 rotating 8hr around the clock shifts and a sizeable adminstrative staff that works essentially 9-5 office schedule.

The net result is that there are dribs and drabs of people with a few busier periods that are not conducive to the routine schedule of Metra and leads to lots of partially utilized CTA routes too. Factor in the love affair that many well paid medical professionals have with costly automobiles and it is no surprise that transit options are less than ideal...

I agree with Marothisu that for folks that do not want to drive to Hyde Park and do want to have easy access to public transit to get to the northside hot spots the South Loop is a very smart compromise.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Even other large medical complexes (like Rush / VA / Cook Co on the west side) do not have "throngs" of employees that march onto CTA or public transit in lock step -- many surgeons specifically start their day VERY early so that patients are in recovery close to midday for scheduled procedure. Most of the senior physicians are also involved in research or training of new physicians which complicates their schedule. There are many nurses and paraprofessionals that work 12 hr overnight / daytime shifts alongside a fair number of folks that work one of the 3 rotating 8hr around the clock shifts and a sizeable adminstrative staff that works essentially 9-5 office schedule.

The net result is that there are dribs and drabs of people with a few busier periods that are not conducive to the routine schedule of Metra and leads to lots of partially utilized CTA routes too. Factor in the love affair that many well paid medical professionals have with costly automobiles and it is no surprise that transit options are less than ideal...

I agree with Marothisu that for folks that do not want to drive to Hyde Park and do want to have easy access to public transit to get to the northside hot spots the South Loop is a very smart compromise.

Is there any subject you don't feel qualified to write a dissertation on?

The authority with which you express your opinions on nearly every subject under the sun would lead one to believe that you have lived a 1,000 lives!

About 10,000 people work at the center. It is the biggest employer in Hyde Park. I can't imagine there aren't some people starting their shifts the same time as this woman who take the train in. However, unlike SOME people, I admit that I could be mistaken.

Unless you have experienced it yourself, however, and can conclusively say I'm incorrect, I would not cut it off as an avenue of exploration for her.

[gomexico]

The U of C has busses which take students, and I'm thinking employees as well ... from Gleacher Center (on Michigan Avenue) and the rail stations ... out to Hyde Park, and back ... if I'm recalling correctly. I don't know what the schedule of operation is, however.