I took the 8am train and always had a spot,albeit in the back of the lot, but a spot nonetheless. Then I tried out the Fox River Grove station and found that it was about the same distance for me, plus more convenient as I didn't have to cross the tracks to park (getting caught at Rt 14/Main Street light sometimes meant a 5-10minute swing if I didn't beat the trains coming through). The FRG station is a smaller lot, always 1/2 empty for the 8:11 train and has the bonus of the depot on the inbound side of the tracks (dry and warm place to wait, plus a coffee vendor on premise!). The cary station has the depot on the outbound side which means you have to stand out in the cold to wait for your train into the city. Hope this helps!

I usually catch the 6:58 or 7:12 train, and there is plenty of parking available. I also sometimes take the 7:42 train, and while you might have to walk a little further, there is still parking available. Parking is $1.25 per day as of 7/1/08. Metra is currently updating the lot and platform, so some of the parking spots are taken up by construction vehicles. The parking congestion should be better once the upgrades are done.

Depending on where in Cary you live, I've heard that some people use either the Fox River Grove or Pingree Station lots due to the parking issue, but I've never had an issue with finding a parking space.

The train ride from Cary to Ogilvie (downtown Chicago) is a little over an hour if you catch one of the express trains, but can be as long as 1:20 if you catch one of the local trains (stops at all stations). Check the schedules at http://www.metrarail.com. The beauty of living so far out is that since it is one of the first stops, you always get a good seat. When I was riding the train from Palatine or Arlington Heights, there were often times when it was standing room only. One hour on the train sitting down and reading a book is better than 30 minutes standing crammed in the vestibule with a half-dozen other people, in my opinion.

We relocated to Cary in July, and so far we love it here. It is a quaint, quiet community. We liked the fact that it had more of a small-town feel than some of the other suburbs that seem like endless strip malls, big-box stores, condos and apartment buildings.

It's absolutely doable. I did it for 5 years before we recently relocated out of Illinois. I actually enjoyed my train time as it was the only 'alone' time I would get in a day. You will want to get there fairly early (before the 7:42 train for sure) as it fills up pretty quickly. There is an overflow lot, but it's a hike. Good luck!

Hi Hulietaa,

There is a parking contact for the Cary Metra station. You can call them directly to assess the situation:

http://www.metrarail.com/Sched/cnw_nw/cary.shtml

The commute is one hour to the Loop (the Ogilvie Transportation Center).

I have dealt with other Buyers that would commute to Chicago and they thought Cary would be doable themselves. I can further look into the parking if you are still interested in the area.

Let me know,

Melissa Leetzow, Realtor
Coldwell Banker Primus