Is it helpful to have a car in Chicago, or is it more of a hassle than it's worth (like in NYC)?

Question

Although I'm posting this in the travel section, the question is geared more towards living in Chicago, rather than just visiting it.

What about parking? If I were renting an apartment, how much of a pain is it to find parking, and how expensive is it to feed the meters? (I'm assuming that apartment buildings in Chicago do not usually offer off-street parking) Also, if I were going to live in a suburb, are commute times into the city massive?

Answer 1

It helps to have a car in Chicago. While we have a great public transportation system and lots of cabs, you will occasionally want to get away to a different part of the city and find that driving is easier tha waiting for a bus. And if you ever stood on a Chicago bus stop in January, you will WISH you had a car right about then. You don't have to drive all the time and you can park on the street where you life. Granted some neighborhoods are more crowded than others when it comes to parking. To remedy this, some neighborhoods have instituted residental parking restrictions, meaning that only the people who live on that street can park there at certain times (usually overnight). You'd have to go to your alderman's office to get the permit that you stick in your window, but it comes in handy. Other than that, you can park on any street, but you always have to watch for parking restrictions. If you park near a meter, you don't have to put money in it after 9 p.m., but you have to move your car before 8 a.m. usually. Some streets have regular street cleaning days (like Tuesdays and Thursdays) and you have to move your car from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. So you have to get up in the morning, move your car and park it somewhere else. And then other times there are bi-weekly street cleanings on the side street. They usually post orange signs the day or two before they do the actual street cleaning, so you get fair warning. You have to move your car by 9 a.m. on those occasions. Oh, and if you get three tickets, you become eligible for the boot. If you get booted, you have to pay whatever the total cost of the tickets is plus about $125 to get the boot off. If you don't get to them in one day, they come and tow your car to the pound THEN you have to pay the tickets, the boot fee, AND the towing and storage fee (about $25 a day).

Then there is the state license plate sticker ($78) and the city window sticker (about $70) that you have to buy ever year.

Now, having said all that, I stll have a car in the city and get along great. It's nice to have it available. I don't drive everyday and sometimes I park on the street (I have a friend that lets me use their empty garage space other times). But I get by OK. yeah, I occasionally get a ticket for expired parking meters, but other than that, it's cool. I have a Jeep Wrangler and there's nothing better than dropping that top and cruising around the city. Chicago's a pretty big city and some of my favorite places are not always close together. My favorite vegetable stand is over here, my favorite place to get meat is over here, etc. Try lugging groceries around on the bus or el train and you'll wish you had your car with you.

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The meters range from 25 cents for 15 minutes to 25 cents for an hour, depending on where you park. Shopping districts tend to give you less time for meters, since there are so many people trying to park there. Apartment buildings usually don't offer offstreet parking, since the streets belong to the city, but a lot of them have underground, or indoor parking. The price varies. The building I live in charges an extra $100 a month. Like I said, parking on the street isn't that bad. Just be aware of the parking restrictions and time limits.

Answer 2

I think that having a car for living there would be a really good idea as the city is so sprawling and taxis get quite expensive after a while. HOWEVER, that's only if you are living outside the primary downtown area. In that area, parking ran us $36 a day and the traffic was unreal - it's the most beautiful part of the city and a definite must for sightseers but living down there should be left to Oprah's budget. We couldn't even get a hotel room under $180 a night this summer and even that didn't include parking.

It is however, the cleanest and safest feeling city (downtown) I have ever visited. As a woman alone, I never felt scared or hesitant at all in the last 6 years of spending a week each summer downtown. It's very clean.

Answer 3

I'm from Chicago--lived here all my life (27 years). It's not NYC, where I hear it's better if you don't have one cause it is a pain in the butt. It's a big, metro city so expect traffic at certain times of the day. But overall, it's not a hassle to have a car. you'll see majority of the people here driving.

>>>> it does depend if you are going to be in downtown or other parts of the city (didn't think about that when I gave my previous answer) in downtown??? you're better of cabbing it, walking, riding a bike (if you're not going to far) all the time. Parking and getting around in downtown can be a pain.

If it's outside of downtown, yeah..you're better off with a car, even though public transportation is pretty good in Chicago.

As far as parking if you're renting---it depends where exactly you are going to rent. The Northside of Chicago can have very limited parking. Usually you have assigned parking spots behind the building where you are renting (SOMETIMES)..so it all depends.

Then about the commuting if you live in the burbs. If you have to drive between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.---YES, expect heavy traffic. and between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (maybe 7 p.m.) in the evening. Normally, people take public transportation to avoid the hassle!

That's just how it is (anywhere) when you live far from the city but have to work in it! Can't have it all-- LOL!

Answer 4

I have lived in chicago my whole life and had a car most of it. Having a car in chicago is based mainly where you live. Chicago has one of the best public tras. systems but there are areas of chicago that are not on the grid. Chicago does have the same crazy parking reg. that New York has but most of the areas are permit parking only. The best thing I can tell you if you find a house or apt with parking keep your car because it will come in use when you first move here. Once you learn the area and see how much you really use it. I will let you know that the rental parking prices, tickets and towing are really high that is why it is almost better not to have a car.

Answer 5

If you're living in like downtown Chicago a car might be a big expense by the time you pay for parking and everything. If you're living in Chicago but not downtown, or like any of the suburbs, a car is a definate must. The highways (like any other city) get crowded in rush hour, but theres alternatives to getting downtown besides a car (and most of them are prolly a lot cheaper). So I guess with that being said, it really just depends on what part of Chicago you would plan on living...

Answer 6

I've lived in both places, with a vehicle and without. They're pretty much the same. I guess it depends on where you're working. If you need to travel outside the city on a regular basis at all, then a car is a must, since public transportation is geared pretty much for just the city, not so much the outlying areas. NY was easier to get around with public transportation, in my opinion.

Finding housing and parking together is a bit easier than NY though, so that's a plus. Side street parking is a pain in the rear and they ticket cars heavily.

Answer 7

If you live on the north side you don't have to have a car, the public transportation is very good there.
If you live west or south, having a car is a must.
Near west side is blighted. Far west and burbs are a 30 mile drive.
downtown parking is terrible. The south side is more spread out and roomier. Some trains run and the buses are ok.

Answer 8

If you live and work in the city it is a lot easier to get around by bus or the El. However, you need a car to get into the suburbs and having one around winter is a really good plan. It sucks having to wait for the El while it is snowing, even if they have those heat lamps.

Answer 9

I would say yes. Just look at the Katrina and Rita fiascos where folks got stuck and had to wait it out.

The only city that would not be feasible is London, where they have tons of cameras around just for the traffic!

Answer 10

My friend lives in Chicago and we got on the topic of cars.He made fun of me because where I live you need a car to get around anywhere.I'm like what kind of car you have btw to him and He like I live in Chicago you don't need a car.