There is so little we know about space-time itself and gravity, that I don't think it's a stretch to say that an advanced civilisation would regard those distances like you driving interstate. Already NASA are working on warping space-time in very small scales, I'd recommend watching Harold White's lectures on what they're doing with an interferometer. The idea is to warp space so that it moves, rather than the ship. Space can move however fast it wants.While I agree there are life forms out there, the sheer size of the universe means they will have to be within 500 light years of us - to be able to reproduce on the journey and train up new travellers - to even have a decent crack at getting here. This is assuming they have the ability to travel at the speed of light: equal to approx 11ty billion kms an...it's bloody fast.
Can you imagine the conversation:
Alien 1: we have found life on a planet in sector 7. Let us board the craft and attack.
Alien 2. That is 500 light years away mate. Ship needs a re-tune and more boost
Alien 3: Why don't we just put an LS engine in it.
Having said all that I just googled, and there may be earth like planets as close as 13 light years away. Think about that for a minute. 13 light years. To put that in perspective, it took the voyager space probe 27 years to cover 13 light hours.