My husband and I took the L train during our weeklong stay in Chicago. Belmont is an above ground…read moretrain station where the Red, Brown, and Purple lines run. It's a nice train station that is situated in an energetic, walkable neighborhood. We had spent the afternoon exploring Lakeview, and were heading back to our hotel near Michigan Ave. We caught the Red line from here and got back to River East. Clean station and well-monitored. Chicago has a great public transportation train system.

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.

I have to take this baby to and from work every day, and it comes very often (at least eastbound)…read more However, it has a knack for showing up about 20 seconds before I get to the stop almost every time. And every time I go home, the damn thing is always waiting around the corner for me to leave so that it can inevitably make me walk. Very often, several will show up at once to add salt to your wound. I like the fact that it's OWL so you can catch it anytime. However, I have hitchhiked to a bar once because this damn thing took over 30 minutes to come. I used to like this bus. I'm not sure if it's traffic or the hordes of ugly commuters on this bus, but it's pretty annoying these days. It's all relative: for CTA buses, this one actually is pretty swift. Using ideal standards, the whole Chicago transit system is pretty bad, so it's hard to say. But to people that give this bus 1 star, try catching a bus in Detroit.

This early morning the #77 saved my chilly bum. Kinda…read more See, I was distracting this boy: luring him in under the pretense of seeing etchings... I mean, devouring a home re-heated meal. Thus distracted, He locked his keys in the car. Locked, outside in the cold! Aaaand it's 8:45, no cabs in sight. Behold the #77! Saving him (Because i paid his fare. I know BIG spending girl- right?). Boy is lucky I think he's cute. I made it to work, though late... the story was so entertaining, I was forgiven. Bonus points for Clarence the driver who lets be bring my "precious" morning latte on board provided I bring him a hot cocoa. Done. #77, you are faster than the Diversey and Sheffield bus lines, you seem to bypass Cubs season traffic, you take me to Kuma's, Target, Chief O'Neils, the Red Line, DSW... all the necessities. You are stalking me. And I like it.

What a "TRANSIT" station. Spend hours at Wrigleyville North…read moreand hop on the ROCKING Red Line.

This station is decrepit. The whole platform form feels all jacked up like you're gonna fall off…read more This is the station where you're most likely to fall down the stairs and break your leg. It has a nice view of the cemetery. It gets two stars for the nice mural but it's behind a chain link fence so yeah.. something wrong with everything.

Nevermind, now we're back to square one…read more I've ventured out to some other bus routes (like the #36 Broadway & X9 Ashland Express). Although the 36 takes a while as well, you still take the cake 72! So much that I've found it easier to just drive (& pay for gas) the 20-ish minutes to Truman instead of dealing with the 45 minutes I'll spend with you (for free, thanks to my UPass). Become more consistent, my friend! You could be a great thing.

This gets a 3. The east-bound bus is great. It's generally there when I need it, there are frequent…read moreappearances, and it's a smooth enough ride through trafficky areas. The west-bound bus...that's a disaster. I have yet to use the west-bound bus when going from Elston and farther east back to where I live near Damen. It's not far, but I *ALWAYS* get 75% of the way home walking, slowly, in the ice, and the cold, before I see the 72 west-bound bus. This is frustrating. And cold!

If this were any other station, it would be getting much higher marks. Unfortunately, given its…read morelocation, it has a fatal flaw. More on that later. Addison is accessible, has ample digital signage, and is easy to navigate. It is also wider than average for an 'L' station and is relatively clean, especially given how many people pass through. This amount of foot traffic is, however, its undoing. When there's a Cubs game or another event at Wrigley, Addison proves to be ill-equipped for the sheer volume of people. Yes, there is staff present to help manage crowds, but a packed platform is suboptimal for multiple reasons, especially safety. I appreciate that due to the CTA's setup, one cannot simply wish a wider station into existence. It may be possible, but it would be extraordinarily capital-intensive. That said, CTA-Addison gets the job done very well outside of Wrigley events, and passably during them.

I boarded the redline at Addison for year and years to get downtown for my previous job, so this…read morereview is long overdue. This train stop is very well kept, and I'm sure it's location to Wrigley Field has a lot to do with that. There are two escalators (granted -- one is usually down), an elevator, and a HUGE platform so there is plenty of space to spread out. There is a woman who works here every morning who is as sweet as can be and always greets us regulars with a smile. The redline is not always the safest of trains, but it sure can get you downtown faster than the brown! If you're in town exploring the city or going to a Cubs game, nothing is more convenient than hopping off at Addison as the stop just steps from the field. If you live in the neighborhood, this can definitely be a downside. On game nights, the streets are flooded with fans and vendors. The trains from downtown back up to Wrigley are packed with fans going to the games in addition to the regulars heading home from work. It can definitely add some extra time getting home, which is something to keep in mind during the summer months. Overall, I always feel safe at this stop, the employees are friendly, it's well maintained, and the trains are *usually* on time!

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.

Reasons why I love the #9: -2 stops very close to my place…read more-It runs 24 hours -It takes me to the Blue Line from Lakeview, very convenient -Cobra Lounge, Liars Club, bars on Division & Milwaukee, and The Ashland are all along the route -It's helped to get me to McCormick Place, Navy Pier, Wrigley Field -I never wait more than 15 minutes for a bus The Ashland #9 is my favorite bus route on the CTA.

Hey, CTA, did you charge full fare for the family of cockroaches that were running around on the…read morebus today? Truly disgusting, thanks, but I'll get off and wait for the next one. I use this bus every day for my work commute. I have a love-hate relationship with this route. Do you really need five express buses within four minutes of each other? But on the positive, it is a 24hour route, which helps out when I'm trying to get around at 4am after work.

Well, there is some good, but all of this good comes with one minor flaw and one major one…read more I like that the Diversey station is easy to navigate and clean (other than some fresh half-eaten takeout--people, there are garbage bins, can we please act like adults?!). Both inbound and outbound sides are also accessible. There's also some of that "old charm" found with some stations. The minor flaw is there's only one screen per side with departure times. It's towards the middle of the platform, but more would be nice. The major flaw is that most of the station has no protection from the elements. Further still, if you want to hide under the overhead "rotisserie chicken" heater, you must walk across that uncovered area. Thus, while Diversey does some things well, the lack of protection from sun, snow, and rain really puts a damper on an otherwise good station.

The attendant was incredibly patient and helpful. It was my first time in the city and while a lot…read moreof people treated me like I was dumb for getting confused about the bus system and the L at first too she just calmly explained it to me and helped me get where I need to go :)

The #73 Bus is, apparently, where the CTA assigns its worst or newbie drivers. The turn from…read moreArmitage, onto Hermitage, (by the Riptide bar) is way too tight for anyone except a pro. Many of the drivers can't make the turn, and they get all stressed and abusive to the cars, who are in their own damn lawful lane, but are deemed to be "in the way" by the incompetent bus driver. As a rider, you care about this because it slows down the bus and puts the driver in a foul mood as they try to mask their own embarrassment with attitude.

The Phantom Bus! This bus never comes! I feel like I'm in Ghost World with the old guy who's…read moreeternally waiting for the bus. I've been left high-and-dry many a time by this damn route and I've (unfortunately) lived off of it for more than a year. Plus it stops at like 7:30pm. If you have to be somewhere for an important appointment and you intend to use this bus, make sure you go online and double-check the schedule. Not like the schedule really matters to this bus, but you're better off. Otherwise it seems like they come once every 30 minutes. What is this, Michigan? You're better off taking the far-more reliable Fullerton or North Avenue buses if at all possible. This bus is definitely a one-star rating for crap-tastic service.

I been parking here for over a hand full of time now and love it. It's secure, well lit, and the…read morestaff is great and very accommodating. Yes it $60 but you should be drinking more than 2... car pool and split the charge. Love the after game restaurant/bar row, where you can sneak in a burger before you hit the road. thanks again can't wait for the next game.

3 short blocks from the Wrigley Field. Walk takes you by many restaurants and bars. Easy in, easy…read moreout. Staff were super helpful and on duty for the duration.