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.

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!

I always took this train some times they are delayed but this week they are really really late I…read morewas waiting for 40 Minutes to took this train

CTA has a station at Kimball. It's also the terminal for the Brown Line. Okay, that's all that can…read morebe said about it without going on a rage. Besides being a train station, this also doubles as a homeless shelter apparently. The actual station bites but there's some fun bars and restaurants around it. Bad place to go to, and a good place to get away from. It serves the Brown Line. The station is in Albany Park. For as bad as it used to be, the neighborhood has improved a lot but could still use some improvement. There's a few cool places like Hot Dog Station and Nighthawk across Kimball. Homeless people seem to like it around here. There's always some hanging out. Convenient getting on a train because there's always some waiting to go. It unfortunately happens to stink figuratively and literally. There may be one to get on, but the Brown Line is slow for trains.

I absolutely love this line of the Metra. This stop is a standard city location as it doesn't not…read morehave an actual housing/sheltered facility for waiting unlike its suburb stops on the way (Union Station is the exception to this). With that said, it can be pretty cold in the winter months waiting on the train but if you can live with that, then this is the stop for you. The train is usually on time and I love that I can walk to this stop in under 2 minutes right after I get off the CTA Blue Line Montrose 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.

Still a great station after a few years away, due to the pandemic. Now they have more signage,…read moreshowing you where platform1, 2, and 3 are, for the uninitiated who don't know where to stand. Audible announcements tell you where the outbound and inbound trains are, and which platform to stand on to board.

Station is safe, reasonably clean and pretty well lit. No ticket station but that's okay. There are…read morebenches on the outside and seating space inside the station.

Convenient and walkable, which is very key. With American Landmark purchasing the Technology Park…read moreand with all of the new businesses and people moving to this area, the Yellow-line Oakton stop is an essential way of getting to downtown or Evanston. I've taken the Yellowline mainly to get to the loop or Lincolnpark or to see the Cubs and wow, it's sooo easy. The booth always has a CTA employee in it, which adds to the safety. The Yellowline trains are also generally more on the clean side, which is a plus. Oh, there's a bunch of bike stands if you'd like to ride over and lock your bike. Which leads to the one point deduction. For some reason, there are a bunch of plastic and glass bottles that are laying around, beyond the tracks. This isn't Howard station and the CTA has to make a conscious effort to clean up this mess, because the litterbugs won't be going away, unfortunately - even with waste baskets just a few steps away. There isn't any parking here so be careful not to drop off at Crafty Beaver, you may end up getting a ticket like my neighbor. If need to park, you should park at Dempster Yellowline. All in all, consistent, clean, safe and just one stop away from Howard.

I have always passed by Oakton-Skokie, whether it be in my vehicle or enroute to Dempster-Skokie…read morevia Yellow line: Skokie Swift, but never utilized it despite it having access to places I visit in on a weekly basis. Occasionally I work in the area, and in the past I noted Oakton-Skokie as being the closest public transportation access spot to my job which is why I utilized it. I have to say that I love how well-maintained and easily accessible the stops are in Skokie in comparison to Chicago and Evanston. With that being said, some of the pros & cons I noted of Oakton-Skokie are. Pros: -It connects college students to Oakton Community College, which is only half of a mile away. -Easy accessible grocery stores (Market Place on Oakton & ALDI) that are coincidentally next to each other. -Diverse selection of restaurants within Downtown Skokie. Some noted are Libertad, Village Inn Pizzeria Sports Bar and Grill, Sugo Italian Street Food and De-Jred Fine Jamaican Cuisine. -It connects residents and those living outside of Skokie to events, and businesses in downtown Skokie, such as Skokie Theater; The Historical Society/Heritage Museum; the Public Library; St Peter's Catholic Church and Village Hall. -Wheel chair accessible ramp. -The yellow line - Skokie Swift, operates for weekday and weekend Chicago Cubs night games and Wrigley Field concerts going in-bound to until 12:00 AM on game nights. Cons: -The yellow line - Skokie Swift, does not run all night. Other than for Chicago Cubs night games and Wrigley Field concerts, it runs from Dempster to Howard until 11:15 PM, all week. And from Howard to Dempster until 11:00 PM. Thomas G

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.

All aboard the Skokie Swift!…read more This two-car train serves the Yellow Line, and makes 2 service stops: from Dempster-Skokie to Oakton-Skokie to Howard and vice versa, with a connecting service to the Purple or the Red Line at Howard. Note the weekday and the weekend schedules for times and any service alerts. Right off of Dempster, there are parking lots and indoor bike parking available, with also connections to the CTA and the Pace buses. Super convenient for those who are commuting from the North Shore 'hood. +vehicle and bike parking available

Nothing glamorous ... have been using this location on and off for many years. It is probably the…read moreeasiest way to get into the city from North Suburbs. Parking is generally available and reasonably priced. Skokie is also quite a diverse area, so a lot of restaurants and such nearby as well.

Pretty wide area with some seating but not a lot. Only on benches scattered in the area. There is a…read morelarge heating area for when it's cold. Pick-up/drop-off is easy because of the roundabout layout. Not a lot of parking though. Steps away from 7-11.

Awesome place! I travel from here a lot. Buses are nice and the crime here is during the night. The…read moreblue line is pretty safe on the north side so I have no issue. The metra here is awesome too!