It really depends where you're commuting to. If you work downtown, neighborhoods off of the Red, Brown or Blue lines are best. Family-friendly areas are Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Ravenswood and Lincoln Square. All are off of either the Red or Brown lines. For commuting purposes it's always better to be by a train - buses are subject to just as much traffic as driving. If you've gotta take the bus, it would be better to be able to only take one instead of transferring at all. Driving-wise, you are doomed no matter where you live or work, although if you live near the Kennedy or Dan Ryan at least you won't have to sit through street traffic before sitting through highway traffic.
