The Long and Grinding Road (the exurban commuter nightmare)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12438812/site/newsweek/ ^

[lauriehelds]

The rat race is turning into a marathon. Inside the lives of 'extreme commuters.'

May 1, 2006 issue - At 5:40 a.m., the alarm blares news-talk radio and Bill Small rolls out of bed. With a two-hour commute ahead of him, the Chicago doctor wastes little time. He showers, dresses and is out the door by 6. At this hour, his car is the only one navigating the winding streets of his upscale neighborhood in St. Charles, Ill., a quaint community nearly 50 miles west of the Chicago hospital where he works. Small's routine is so finely tuned that he won't stop for coffee if there are more than three cars in the drive-thru. Today there are just two, and he picks up an extra-large. But there's no time for a bathroom break, so Small, 41, won't allow himself a single sip for nearly an hour. At the halfway mark, he takes his first swig as he hits gridlock on the Eisenhower Expressway. With the sun rising over the Chicago skyline, he crawls along, placidly listening to sports radio. Finally, he arrives at exactly 8 a.m. Though he won't return home for 12 and a half hours, Small still says the killer commute to and from exurbia is worth it. "It's a nice place to raise kids," he says. "And it does feel like you're away."

[CzarNicky]

no thanks my commute is 1.7 miles and I can make it in 5 minutes. I could make it in 20-25 minutes walking if I wanted to.

[68skylark]

This seems like very strange behavior to me. But I guess it works for some people.

[Ditter]

No thanks, a 2 hour drive to a house in the country is what weekends are made for.

[Hilltop]

Oh how the doctor suffers, I'm going to wretch.

[Liberty1970]

I'm glad I live in the country and work in a small town nearby. Compared to growing up and working in suburban Detroit it's wonderful. When I look at the things I spent a major chunk of my life doing, driving from point A to point B is not one of them.

[Steve0113]

This seems like very strange behavior to me. But I guess it works for some people.

It has to. Where I work is no place to live, and where I live has no jobs paying a fraction of what I earn. So I put up with the long commute. It won't be forever, and meanwhile I have a great job and a nice place to live.

[Paleo Conservative]

Houston is starting to reverse this trend. There are lots of high end condominiums that have been built in recent years or are being built in or near downtown Houston.

[Salgak]

I've been there myself: when I lived in Northern Virginia, I typically had 90-120 minute commutes each way, on the GOOD days: on bad days, it could be as long as 3 hours, one horrible day it was 5 hours. . .for 37 miles.

NOW, I live ~25 miles from work, and it takes, typically, 30 minutes. And THAT includes a stop at the Golden Arches for a coffee and danish. . .

. . .of course, I also live in West Virginia now.

But what made me have to put up with that hellish drive ? Housing prices and work locations: the good jobs were close in, but housing in DC Metro is such that you have to live far out to survive on the average wage. . .

[68skylark]

It won't be forever, and meanwhile I have a great job and a nice place to live.

That makes a lot of sense. I hope I didn't sound critical about the choices people make in their job and places to live -- I didn't mean to. The beauty of America is that we're allowed to make the decisions that are best for us as individuals -- and that's what is most important.

[rbg81]

Of course, opening the immigration floodgates will only help this trend [sarcasm].

[JustOneMom]

Sometimes, it is necessary. I can drive two hours to work in a metropolitan area or I get a job in our rural farming community and make less than 1/3 what I can earn in the city. No, I couldn't do it year-round because I'd miss the t-ball and soccer games. But I get short term consulting gigs (2 weeks to 2 months long) and will do the drive for that period, then I'll take off for at least as many weeks as I worked.

It allows us to make ends meet but still keeps me at home more than a regular local job.

[Steve0113]

I've been there myself: when I lived in Northern Virginia, I typically had 90-120 minute commutes each way, on the GOOD days: on bad days, it could be as long as 3 hours, one horrible day it was 5 hours. . .for 37 miles.

That's where I am and what I do, except that it's more like 60 miles.

. . .of course, I also live in West Virginia now.

That would be a huge improvement from my commute.

But what made me have to put up with that hellish drive ? Housing prices and work locations: the good jobs were close in, but housing in DC Metro is such that you have to live far out to survive on the average wage. . .

Exactly. Anywhere near DC the houses are ridiculously overpriced and the local traffic is unbearable. $400,000 for two bedrooms? Nope.

[Steve0113]

I hope I didn't sound critical about the choices people make in their job and places to live -- I didn't mean to.

You didn't, but I wouldn't blame you if you had. Ten years ago I swore I would never spend my commute crawling on I-95 -- only idiots do that. I still see it that way, but now I'm one of them. I don't expect anyone to think it's an ideal way to live. :)

[68skylark]

That makes a lot of sense. I'm sorry my comment might have sounded critical when I didn't mean it to -- individuals know how to make the choices that make sense for them.

[conservative cat]

At this hour, his car is the only one navigating the winding streets of his upscale neighborhood in St. Charles, Ill., a quaint community nearly 50 miles west of the Chicago hospital where he works.

At 6 am? We (carpool) leave the house at 4:30 am and head in to work. There are already plenty of cars on the road by then. If I'd leave at 6, I'd be in for gridlock. Rush hour starts early in Seattle!

[Paleo Conservative]

Pardon me (work/moving research):

whaat is approx/guestimate how many = "lots", and what's "high-end" for that market?

TIA - Y

I think this will do for an example. It is on Buffalo Bayou just west of downtown and in the River Oaks Country Club area. There are some mansions close by that range up to $50million+. There is a bike/jogging path around Buffalo Bayou that is excellent. Memorial Park is less than two miles away from this location, and it has a 5km jogging path through 100ft+ high pine forrest.

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