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.

Some of you may think "why did Rosa J. want to review public transportation?" Is she that bored?…read more The answer to these questions above is negative. While I doubt anyone who works for CTA takes this type of Yelp reviews seriously, I simply would like to share my experience and provide useful information for those who take public transportation to/from work and for leisure on a daily basis. If you aren't a frequent passenger or have any concerns regarding the use of CTA trains and buses, I hope I can be as helpful as I can. Chicago Cubs opening day this was on Monday, April 11th. this year. The actual address of Wrigley Field is "1060 W. Addison, Chicago, IL 60613." Oh hey, I see the name of the road "Addison." Doesn't the CTA bus #152 pass through the ballpark? You better believe it. The best stop to get off if you're heading to the field is on the corner of Clark and Addison. Whoever designed the CTA bus system was a genius in my opinion. To know how to ride a bus like a pro., you gotta understand what roads run north/south and what roads run east/west. There are a few roads run diagonally, but there isn't much exception to the rule. #152 Addison bus is a east-west bound one. From the east the bus begins at the breathtaking Lakeshore Drive and ends at the terminal stop near Cumberland in the Dunning/O'Hare neighborhoods. Some bus services will end at Harlem Ave. as the west-side terminal. Download a free CTA app. or follow the instruction on each bus stop because that teaches you how to text and you will find out when the bus arrives. My experience with #152 Addy is fine for the most part. However, it's less reliable in comparison to other routes I normally take to go to work. There are many random constructions going on, especially on the west side after passing Avondale/Irving Park/Portage Park/Dunning neighborhoods. #152 offers more services during AM and PM rush hours, but off-peak times are mostly patronized by our lovely senior citizens who run errands. There are three (3) major El train stops if you get to complete the entire of #152 Awesome Addy bus ride: Addison Red, Brown, and Blue Line stops, which is in the order from east to west. Addison Red Line stop is in a very close proximity to Wrigley Field. Many fans use this to get to the ballpark so that they don't need to struggle with high-cost parking. Currently, as of 04/12/2016, there's Addison Blue Line station renovation project in progress, which results the station closure periodically. The station closure notification is always available for people who love to read. If you don't enjoy reading memos, ask someone who works for CTA. If you can't do either, plan on getting lost and perhaps cry for a little bit! No, I'm just kidding. Furthermore, crying doesn't solve any problem, yet having sufficient knowledge will. To represent my "Foodie on Foot" persona, I will recommend some of the cool places to eat or to shop near Addison. - Cafe Tola on Southport: a block from Addison - Paulina Meat Market on Lincoln: two (2) or three (3) blocks north from Addison. - Sugar Hills Bakery on Elston: three (3) or four (4) blocks east from Addison (in the same plaza with Jewel-Osco and Chase Bank) - Taqueria Feliz on Addison: in Portage Park, one (1) block east before approaching Central Ave. (cash-take out-only) As I've said before, Addy and I get along. However, she's not that punctual so being on-time isn't her best trait.

Someone, anyone please explain why in this modern age of digital access, GPS satellites and…read morebureaucratic budget cuts- Why do the #152 Addison busses run in pairs? Two by two, like they are headed for Noah's Ark. This is especially perplexing when neither of the mostly-vacant pair STOP when you are waiting there 30 minutes, in the cold, wildly waving your $20+ CTA Chicago Card with numbing fingers at the 6:45am approaching bus, so you can maybe, just maybe get to work 3.5 miles away by 8:15am. Hey CTA- if you can watch the bus on a busy weekday at Addison and Kedzie you too can experience this for yourself! After the third or fourth pair of busses pass without stopping you understand why I pay for cabs- because unlike your lazy, broke, indebted, irresponsible @sses I NEED to stay employed. And you know what? I'm not voting for anymore bailouts for you. I'm calling my Senator and My Representative to say "Cut all you want!" At least it will then be merely one singular bus (as opposed to a half-dozen) not stopping, passing me by as I'm hailing Flash Taxi. Yet again.

It's ok as far as CTA stations go. It's one of the major stations in this part of town, and the bus…read morestops here as well. The station has a Dunkin Donuts inside, but what really makes it unique is the memorial in the southwest corner of the station. The Berlin Wall Monument is a large section of the wall which once faced West Germany, and that side is filled with graffiti; the side facing East Berlin is blank. This makes sense when you consider that East Germany was under communist rule, but West Germans were free to express themselves and not face the sort of severe consequences their counterparts across the wall would have. The monument has a plaque expressing its dedication to Chicago and the gratitude of Germany toward the United States for the support of destruction of the wall.

Regardless of my option of this CTA station, I live very close to here and this is the closest and…read morebest station to get downtown and to points South in Chicago. At the time of this review, I have been living in Lincoln Square and using this station almost everyday for about seven months. First, it's dirty. You will often find trash inside the station or on the platform. Also, the platform is often covert in bird poop that is rarely cleaned. Second, it smells. I've smelled worse things on the CTA, but it a constant low level damp bad smell that is omnipresent. Third, the escalator is often broken. Recently, at least, it seems the escalator had been out of order more times that not. It makes the long walk up the stories tiring. There, however, some good points. First, the station has some amenities. There is a piece of the Berlin Wall located on the ground floor. It's worth popping in to view this even if you're not catching a train. There is Dunkin' Donuts on the ground floor. The downside is that it closes early (6:00 pm). Also, you can catch the the 49, 49B X49 and 11 buses here. Third, the platform is wide and accommodates a good number of people. If you live in, or want to visit, either the North Center or Lincoln Square neighborhoods this the best and most convenient L stop to use. I just wish they kept it in better repair and much cleaner.

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.

At Diversey there's a CTA station that's mostly safe and clean. It's a fairly ordinary stop except…read morefor being in a pretty good location. Mostly that's why it's as good as it is, but the station itself is also okay. Lots of stuff in the area. There's also some good views. Clean station, which is more than be said about a few others around here. It serves the Brown and Purple Lines. There's other very close stops where you can make transfers. It seems pretty modern with helpful alerts on when the next trains are coming. The trains come a few times each hour. Clean and there's not too much trouble around. It's also less crowded than the Blue Lines. The trains are much slower but you won't deal with as large of crowds though.

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.

Similar to the Kedzie station, the Francisco brown line stop is right on the street so make sure…read moreyou time your commute well so you don't get stuck behind the crossing rails and miss your train! There sadly are no heaters at this station, and there was a day where 4 trains came for the other direction and ours was nowhere in sight, and I was wearing a skirt, and it was so G D cold that I ended up calling an uber. Ahhh we love the reliable ol' CTA. On bad weather days I notice people congregate in the tiny bit of shelter where you enter on the non-ramp side. Wish this station was just a little more protective from the weather / offered some shelter!

Hands down my favorite El stop in the ENTIRE CTA transit El system. I can't tell you what it was…read morelike prior to the Brown Line Expansion/Renovation but I can speak to it's current condition. Heck, just look at the pictures I've posted of it. -Complete rebuild of the historic station house with new paint and signage. -At ground level (I guess it wouldn't "technically" be considered the El due to the lack of "ELevated tracks" but it continues to be called such) -Has a gorgeous floral pattern mosaic and plants all along the entrance ramp -100% handicap accessible -Brightly lit for night time travel -Necessary windbreaks for that frigid Windy City of ours -Interesting circular, one-person "stepping" benches -Has the marvelous Merle's Coffee Shoppe right next door to play you oldies hits while you await the next train -Only the cutest grand opening to the quaint neighborhood of Ravenswood Manor Damn, I feel like I'm making an old-fashioned Pros & Cons list as my father would always recommend me to create when making a decision. Too bad the Francisco Stop has no Cons and hence leaves no decision on how many *Stars* to receive. My only warning is that if you don't go through the station to pay the turnstile, wait for those who are already passing because there's barely enough room for two.

Not sure how you rate train service.. The trains were on time, and it everything is laid out for…read moreyou. I would like to know if they had an app that would give me the exact details of my trip like Amtrack does. ex: Point A to Point B with times and stops. Since I'm not from the area not knowing all the little towns and everything made it a little difficult swapping between the schedule and google maps. Moose out.

Wow I guess I am spoiled by the Washington dc metro because my Metra experience was the worst. Rude…read morecustomer service at the state street stop (orange line back to airport) my 3 day pass that I only used once would not work in turnstile. I checked it on the machine and it was still valid. So I had to press the customer service e button. The customer service rep could not be more rude, discourteous and barely helpful. It was as if I was a huge imposition on her.

I love taking public transportation everywhere because you don't have to deal with traffic. You can…read morebuy an all day pass for five dollars for 24 hours which I think is a great deal and this station is nice because it's a link to so many food places around here and it's a very safe and fun neighborhood.

CTA has an L station on Fullerton. It provides fast access to DePaul and Lincoln Park. Of course…read moreit's a busy station, and even busier when school is in session. Good as far as things like being safe and clean. There's also lots of opportunities to transfer between a few Lines. Before, this was a pretty old station but there's a newer one on the other side of the street with the modern amenities like arrival screens, and it's cleaner. It serves the Brown, Purple, and Red Lines. There's usually a train coming within a few minutes. Around here are a few interesting attractions. The DePaul Art Museum is next to it and it's always free. Good as far as 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.

I have traveled to different locations via this station. I loved the best buy store that was…read moreacross the street. Very accessible train stop, especially with the Belmont and Kimball busses. Upgraded and clean station, which was needed.

There is no accessible entrance, only stairs and upwards escalators. There is only one exit and…read moreentrance unlike other stations where there are 2 exit points on each end. I like this station it's small and easy to go in and out.