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.

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

Wrigleyville isn't all that powerful a place to stay. For one element, it borders Uptown that's a bad community crammed with crazies and transients in all probability worse than East Chicago. And Chicago's North factor is a lot greater crowded and greater high priced than the South factor, and the South factor isn't all ghetto with the aid of a protracted shot. I used to stay interior the Taylor highway community and Pilsen close to UIC and definitely enjoyed it and made far greater friends than in Logan sq. or Uptown. i might desire to get used to East Chicago, too. I mean, if I worked for US steel, i might stay in East Chicago close to my artwork, lots do, why not? excessive high quality human beings there, too. and that i might fairly be an Indiana Resident than an Illinois one. yet once you will possibly desire to, The Howard El is now linked to the Dan Ryan, so Addison will take you all the way south, the place you will possibly be able to desire to in all probability park a automobile or a scooter to get you to artwork, or maybe a convention from the loop.

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 times