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    CTA - Irving Park Blue Line

    2.3 (15 reviews)
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    Philip V.

    As a California resident, I look at Chicago's public transit system and am filled with envy. The trains aren't the cleanest nor do they smell the best, but no one can argue their affordability, efficiency, and convenience. The Chicago transit system is affectionately coined as the "L", short for elevated. One of the most popular trains in Chicago is known as the Blue Line which is 34 miles long and encompasses 33 stations. The part I love most is that it's connected to the O'Hare Airport and goes directly downtown which is the Clark/Lake station. No need to spend a $50+ taxi/Uber ride to get to your destination! The Blue Line can get you downtown for a flat fee of $5 (with one free transfer). It does take 40 minutes, but with the horrendous traffic in Chicago, a taxi ride can take much longer than that and certainly cost a fortune. If going back to O'Hare, it'll only cost $3. ---- Conclusion: Dear Los Angeles, take note of these systems in Chicago and revolutionize the transport game for SoCal someway, somehow. Thanks! Extra Notes: -Accepts credit card and cash -If using cash, have exact change as the machine doesn't give change back -Blue Line runs 24/7! -An unlimited one day pass costs $10, and a three day, unlimited pass costs $20 -If visiting Chicago for the weekend, I recommend just paying for the ride to and from O'Hare. Most of the popular sights in Chicago are within walking distance or a short Uber away. -Be wary of your bags and wallet as the people on the train station can be suspect. -Restrooms in the train stations are dirty. There aren't any restrooms physically inside the train.

    Skyline in the background.
    Chris P.

    I'll say this in the nicest way possible: The Irving Park Blue Line station is a fucking miserable experience. I grew up in Norwood Park with the Harlem and Jefferson Park stations as my gateway to the rest of the city. Accessing the train from the IP stop is the equivalent of downgrading from a Harley Davidson to a motorized scooter. Let's begin with the entrances. The train pulls into the station so far above the street-level that it's an actual hike to board. Before you call me a lazy son of a bitch, know that you're hindered in your quest for a punctual arrival to wherever you're going by a stairway so narrow that Tracey Gold would have barely been able to squeeze her way through at the height of her battle with anorexia. (If that reference is too dated for you, swap her out for any in the long list of celebrities with eating disorders). A senior or slow-moving sloth on the stairway will completely impede your progress. The narrow stairs give way to a narrow platform. It might not be as bad as the Addison stop, but it's enough to make you feel that the Montrose station sits on a football field. Here you're exposed to the worst of Chicago's wintry elements: freezing winds and snow blowing sideways into your face while you wait for a train that will inevitably arrive with nary an empty seat and the foul smell of the homeless who've turned entire train carts into their bed-and-breakfasts (and toilets). The only way to avoid the harsh weather conditions - considering you're willing to risk missing your train - is to wait at the other end of the aforementioned narrow stairways. Since Irving Park doesn't have any monitors or audio indicators for when the trains are pulling into the station, your only source for their unreliable train tracker is your cell phone. All of the bus stops outside of the station are absolute cesspools. You're stuck waiting underneath the Kennedy while hoping that the pigeons don't splash their diseased shit all over your face like you're an 18-year-old harlot breaking into the industry with her first bukkake scene. Oh, and because the crosswalks are so far removed from the actual bus stops, you'll watch countless buses pull away while you wave your arms up and down in a frantic and desperate attempt to get the bus driver to feel sorry for you while you play a real-life game of Frogger.

    Blue Line Irving Park entrance,with heating vent for the Cold weather. Not sure for who,since this station was updated back  Nov 2016.
    Y C.

    Supposedly 2016, Irving Park was updated. Just arrival times. But Belmont and Jefferson Park Blue Line major updates. Irving Park needs some doors or closed up more, since you can really feel the cold ..cold air behind you and from front. There's no where to really stay warm. Of course downstairs where the scheduled times indicates 2 mins. You start heading up and bamm.mm train actually leaving. Upstairs shows DUE! Heat vents downstairs before you pay and other vents are straight out in the middle of platform. Why?!

    Irving blue line station

    Close to shopping, convenience stores, YMCA, banks, restaurants, gas stations, jewel osco, walgreens and bus stops along on Irving park & Pulaski and the Metra trains! :) The busiest times to travel are 7am-10am & again at 4pm-7pm on weekdays. If you plan on driving then taking this train into work, school, leisure then you'll be able to find street parking allover! Non metered and metered parking on the street. Just be aware of the permit parking signs around residential neighborhoods. Other than that you're golden! Happy and safe travels!:)

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    Irving Park Metra Station - Irving Park

    Irving Park Metra Station

    2.6(8 reviews)
    0.1 miIrving Park

    I'm so impressed with Metra. Almost always on time, and the conductors are so professional and…read morekind. I'm so glad I switched from CTA for my work commute!

    All Metra stations are NOT created equally. The Irving Park Metra Station wasn't created at all,…read morereally. It's more of a Metra stop, not Metra station. I love riding the Metra, I really do, but the Irving Park Metra Station is pretty non-existent save for a platform and three or four "shelters," which are really just roofs on support posts. In the winter, there is no protection from the wind and elements. I suggest hiding out in the stairwells to the platform until the train comes when it's really cold and windy. The address for this Metra stop is kind of deceiving. The address listed above is the official address used on the Metra site, but the location of the inbound platform is really the Irving Park Road entrance to the Kennedy Expressway. The location of the outbound platform is really the intersection of north Avondale and Kedvale avenues. Another note about this Metra stop is that there is no pedestrian bridge extending over the tracks from the inbound and outbound platforms. The only way to get from one platform to the other is to walk all the way around to the traffic bridge at Irving Park Road and Avondale. Also, there is no parking lot for this stop, but there are metered parking spots on Avondale Avenue. There's not much to this Metra station. It gets two stars because of its location, which is right next to the Irving Park Blue Line stop, but that's really its only positive.

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    Irving Park Metra Station
    Irving Park Metra Station - Platform

    Platform

    Irving Park Metra Station - The ramp to the platform for trains heading downtown.

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    The ramp to the platform for trains heading downtown.

    CTA - Montrose - Blue Line - Entrance

    CTA - Montrose - Blue Line

    2.8(8 reviews)
    0.9 miIrving Park

    This is an outdoor, covered, center-island platform station on Chicago's 'L' blue line. The station…read moreis clean and seemingly well lit. The station is staffed, and digital signage is present. There are two entrances upstairs on both sides of Montrose Ave. For amenities, it has a bike rack and a Pepsi machine. A bench or maybe two, and is rather narrow (though I find that often with CTA stations). There are up escalators only, no elevators. There are transfers to busses and Metra nearby. The only real complaint I have is regarding noise. With the highway on both sides, the loudness is unpleasant. With all this, Montrose gets the job done. It's by no means a 'destination' but is easy to navigate and not unpleasant (except for being in the middle of the Kennedy Expressway).

    CTA has a station at Montrose. It provides convenient access to downtown and O'Hare. Lots of…read moreconnections to buses that make stops. Kind of clean compared to others so that's good. There's access close by for Metra. Best thing is the convenience. It serves the Blue Line. The station is pretty clean for the most part, and should be, because it was renovated not very long ago and looks modern. Above ground so it has the cleaner air. This is located in the Kennedy Expressway so it gets noisy with all the traffic. Has good things about it. It's close to the Mayfair Metra station. There's usually trains coming pretty often weekdays and even weekends.

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    CTA - Montrose - Blue Line
    CTA - Montrose - Blue Line - It's pretty freaking loud here!

    It's pretty freaking loud here!

    CTA - Montrose - Blue Line - Station

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    Station

    Healy Metra Station

    Healy Metra Station

    3.0(3 reviews)
    2.0 miLogan Square

    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.

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    Healy Metra Station
    Healy Metra Station
    Healy Metra Station - Construction going on.  If you're coming from Chicago make sure you are in the correct car that opens at this stop.

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    Construction going on. If you're coming from Chicago make sure you are in the correct car that opens at this stop.

    CTA - Irving Park Blue Line - trainstations - Updated June 2026

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