Public Transit Commute from West/South Loop to Hyde Park?

Anyone with experience or advice for living around the loop to Hyde Park? I'd prefer to live east and take the Metra ME line down to Hyde Park but housing there is tight and pricey. Any thoughts on living west and trying to commute near the U Chicago campus? I've looked at Google Maps to get an idea of a route and if I live west, most routes say to take a bus AND a train. Is that standard around here?