CTA has an L station at Paulina in Lakeview. It provides access to a happening area with lots of…read morecool restaurants and other locally owned businesses in a hip charming neighborhood. Pretty safe for the most part. Has a classic feel but it's modern and clean. There's also an area under the tracks to hang out. As far as stations, this is one of the best. It serves the Brown Line. This is overall a pretty interesting station. Be sure to pronounce it correctly. It's actually said like "Pah-LY-nuh." This is one of the coolest visually. In the station it has an old style of charm. There's the classic mosaic tiles. Outside the station is even more to enjoy. The main entrance is bigger, but across the street there's another entrance plus a cool little area to sit and relax. Has a ton of cool restaurants around here such as MK Noodle, and too many to name all. It's overall clean and safe. The bad thing is there's usually kind of a wait for a train.

I liked this station as well as the area around it. Great place to start walking south and to…read moreexplore neighborhoods Lakeview & Lincoln Park. I recommend a walk from here south on Lincoln, then jog over to see Halsted and/or DePaul University, and then to go get a deep dish pizza by at Pequod's, having burned off some calories in advance lol. There is also a Lou Malnati's in that stretch of Lincoln, which is not a bad choice for a deep dish pizza either (LM's have a few locations throughout Chicago, while Pequod's has only the one, so I tend to go there when in this area.)

I mean... seating is limited at virtually all El stations. However, for one that has the space, and…read morethree lines running through it, seating for more than four persons per direction would be welcome. Also, overhead heating is opposite the benches, and thus also very limited. Otherwise, Belmont is great! It is extremely well lit, easy to navigate, wider than the average El station, and fully accessible. There is sufficient cover from rain, and ample signage on upcoming departures/wait times. Now, while as many of its colleagues, it too could benefit from an extremely thorough pressure washing, the station is generally clean and void of debris. Finally, while I don't frequent Belmont after midnight, the times I've been here during the day or late evening, I've not encountered any unsavory characters. Thus, while not immune from some problems and quirks, Belmont is one of the better stations on the El.

CTA has an L station on Belmont. It provides fast access to Lincoln Park. Such a big ass station in…read morea happening area, and there's lots of bars and restaurants. Good as far as things like being safe and clean. There's also lots of opportunities to transfer between a few Lines. Big station with a lot going on in and around here. It serves the Brown, Purple, and Red Lines. There's usually a train coming within a few minutes. Around here are a ton of bars and restaurants just outside of it. There's a location of Devil Dawgs, and some great ethnic places like 11 Degrees North. Easy to find something for everyone. It's at the intersection of Belmont and Sheffield. Get off here to avoid the Wrigley chaos. The one thing unavoidable is the piss smell. Even though it's outside, the air doesn't help. There's a few areas around the benches and stairs that always look wet, so avoid sitting or even touching anything if you can help it. Good as far as getting around at stations go. It's busy so it's mostly safe and there's lots of places to eat around it. There's never a really long wait for trains.

As with most 'L' Stations, there's some good and some bad…read more The good parts are that the Southport station is easy to navigate, fully accessible, clean, adequately wide, and has above-average seating. There is also a large lobby. Weak points are a lack of any digital signage at platform level, and the fact that unless you take the elevator up, you will be under the elements. With all of this, Southport is fine, with added points for width and cleanliness, and negative points for lack of signage and cover.

Got there at 0131. There were still strains come I g through. They had LOCKED THE DOORS. FU! Had…read moreto pay for a ring uber. NOT OK. NOT RIGHT.

If you enter from the Milwaukee street side and walk down the platform, going to the loop on on the…read moreright-hand side and you have to walk away from the escalator where you went down from because the train stops on the other end, for the line that goes downtown.

CTA has a station at Logan Square that is actually pretty clean mostly. It doesn't look like much…read more Maybe the best thing is that it has multiple entrances and you can get in here all these different ways. Always has trains coming just minutes apart. This is a quick ride either to the Loop or O'Hare so a pretty good location. It gets so many riders at this station because it's a popular area. It serves the Blue Line. This is a major commuter route. A ton of people get off here. There's a need for all these entrances and they all lead to one platform. It somehow isn't all that crowded. This is one of the first stops coming from O'Hare. It's probably the first of these worth getting off if you don't live around any. There's lots of trendy coffee shops and restaurants. Fun place to get out and hang. The station itself also has some cool artwork to check out. An important area. It has lots to do around here. There's also access to busses outside the main station.

Nothing fancy here....yet. I've lived in the neighborhood for over 25 years and didn't know this…read moreplace was an active Metra spot until 5 years ago when Google showed me the fastest way to get to work lol. It looks pretty run down from the street so I thought it was always one of those abandoned Chicago train stops. I guess I was wrong. I mean it gets you to where u need to go, there are benches to sit on with the occasional homeless person taking shelter there. (If I was homeless I'd be doing the same thing?). No heating lamps available during the winter but there is a shelter where the benches are available. But guess what? They just started doing construction on this stop as of June 2017 and hopefully it gets remodeled? Keeping my fingers crossed!

As Metra stations go, this is bare-bones. It's 2 platforms with an un-gated crossing and no…read moreservices. There's a sheltered bench on each side, and the shelters are fairly deep--way better than a bus shelter. The station is reached by a standard urine-soaked stairway or ramp. The locale seems a bit sketchy to me, although fine during the day. W did see Metra Police on the platform and boarding the train on one visit, which makes me feel safer. There are tacos available within blocks of the station, as is Studio 41, a home renovation showroom (my reason for using the station). What's cool about this station (if you're traveling with a 5 year old who's utterly obsessed with rail travel) is the spur that splits off from the main line, just past the platform. Both times we visited, a CSX freight engine was delivering railcars to a factory, so we got to watch workers manually operate the switch, decouple cars, return the switch to it's original setting and head back to the depot. Big doings. We also saw long freight trains, coming past between Metra trains. So, it's great if you're into trains, and also if you're trying to hit the west edge of Logan Square and you don't want to walk from the El.

The Ravenswood Metra station is finally, at long last, complete. I won't say it was worth waiting…read morefor, because I am impatient and a little pissy on my best days, but boy oh boy, it is a massive improvement. It's big, it's organized, it's got ramps that make it easy for anyone to get to the platform, and there is a lot more roofing over the platforms for protection from the weather. I'm almost sad I don't work downtown anymore, because I'm only using the Metra to make personal trips north. I can't comment on washroom facilities because I didn't need to use them, so I didn't look. Maybe next time, if the train is delayed. . . It's been a years-long effort to rebuild bridges and embankments, lay new track, and build a completely new and modern station for this busy stop, but now it's all done, and it's terrific.

So I don't really know how to feel about this Metra stop. All I know is that everytime I catch the…read moretrain here, the train is ALWAYS late. I do like how there is a Mariano's located right across the street, but as far as the platform itself....meh. There is no shelter whatsoever from what Mother Nature can spurn on you. Also, the platform is not that wide so every time a fast train comes blasting by, you can feel the wind trying to push you along, so make sure you are on solid ground! Also, it seems like this stop is always crowded, and the platform is not big enough to hold everyone without feeling like you're a sardine stuck in a can. If there is ever a Metra stop in need of revamping, I vote for the Ravenswood stop.

Another lame station and pretty nasty place to be. Irving Park has a station on the Blue Line. Of…read moreimportance is that it's one of the last stops before O'Hare. Metra also has a station you can get to from here. This has a reputation for being windy. Busy station compared to any. It serves the Blue Line. This is one of the final stops before the L gets to O'Hare, and so it's busy most of the time. It has numerous transportation options surrounding it. There's a Metra station, the UP Northwest Line, that's here so you can easily transfer between these. Also there's a parking lot for those in cars. The Kennedy goes along this station and it's fucking loud. Pulaski is another major street close by. There's no need to say a lot of people pass through here daily, so it's not good for those with social anxiety, or those who don't like smelling body odor. Good transportation options make this as good as it is. It also is close to many restaurants and shopping, so it gets points for location. This gets even better if you're able to hold your breath, and avoid the rancid stench.

It's the blue line. Hard to rate very high. This location can be a little confusing in where you…read morewant to exit and it can make a huge difference to be wrong. Outdoors so can be cold and long walk to trains. Nicely located in area though and accessible.

CTA has an L station on Damen. It's not the one you're thinking of, but the one on the Brown Line…read more Of course, this one is a lot quieter. Even though there's not as much going on, there's some things worth checking out if you're around here. There's some nice bars and restaurants. About the best thing to say about it is that it's a classic. It serves the Brown Line. The station has a hell ton of stairs. It's a bitch to climb. Of course at the top of it you have some good views. It's one of the best ways to get to Ravenswood. There's a few bars and restaurants close to it that don't have the crowds like the Blue Line station. Also check out the suitcase furniture. There's nothing like sitting on a wooden suitcase, that's for sure. Besides the nearly endless stairs, this station is a favorite. It maintains history while slightly modernizing. The only thing is there's often some kind of track issue so it can take awhile waiting for trains.

A nice historic L stop that is wonderful when it's not rush hour and the weather is pleasant. The…read moreneighborhood around here has changed so much over my lifetime but the station is a constant. Much safer now than decades ago. The climb seems steeper than before but of course it's me that's changed. As with elsewhere, CTA employees are unfriendly and disinterested at best, hostile and loathing more typically.

Nice stop for Wicker Park shops. There's a diagonal street, Milwaukee, so you get 6 corners, 3…read morestreets converging and going on opposite directions. This place can be crowded. So be forewarned.

CTA at Damen is known as the hipster station around here. It gets the yuppies along the Blue Line…read morethrough Wicker Park. One of the oldest stations still in operation, with the station made mostly of wood. Good views of the neighborhood from up here and it doesn't smell bad with the fresh air. There's often delays, which is the only bad thing. Hipsters catch the train here. It serves the Blue Line. There's a shitload of bars and restaurants. Always busy. Lots of Instagramming motherfuckers. As for the station, it's a classic. This is my most favorite other than the Quincy station. Both have old wood paneling. There's actually a charm about it, which you can't say about most stations. Lots of places around here to drink and eat. There's a Stan's Donuts right next to here. Busy intersection. There's lots of buses to hop on. Because trains are coming here from O'Hare, there's often delays. It's the biggest complaint about it. There's lots to check out in and around this if waiting.