Nice and safe and easy parking and station next to many stores so it's a very walkable town. Inside…read morethe train it's two levels and even charge stations

This is a great station to take the train to or from. It has clear signage, lots of parking, and an…read moreindoor waiting area. It gets very busy for the AM and PM commute!

Smaller Metra station compared to others in the area; have never seen the coffee shop working in…read moreyears of coming here and bathrooms are in desperate need of attention. Train schedule is also very limited as there are no trains on weekends or weekdays later at night. However, train is always on time and provides a pleasant experience.

In my opinion, one of the better Metra stations that I have used in the Chicago suburbs. It was…read moreeither built or refurbished recently, everything looked neat and clean to me. I noticed that the waiting area is open 5 AM to 8 PM which is somewhat later than other stations in the NW suburbs. There is a good deal of automobile parking available but it is broken up into smallish lots around the station. The parking payment kiosks are sheltered either in the main station or one of the satellite shelters. I was only able to spot one bicycle parking rack and it probably holds 10-15 bicycles. It is a bring your own lock or security device type of rack; coverings are not available. Unusual for Metra stations in the 'burbs- the BG Station has both a Coffee/Snack shop open mornings and a vending machine with drinks and snacks in the station waiting area that is available for use during station hours. Prices for both the vending machine and snack shop seemed reasonable to me (example being a Hershey's chocolate almond bar in the vending machine for 75 cents which I feel is less than you would pay at a convience store or gas station). There is one fully enclosed and three semi-enclosed satellite shelters that are separate from the main station. Platform 1 is fully handicap accessible, handicap access to platform 2 is possible but may require more time and care. Pace suburban bus service for routes 234, 272, 581, 582 and 626 stop at the nearby bus shelter.

This is a pretty decent Metra station located off Route 45 in Vernon Hills. There are two areas to…read morewait if the weather is not the best. And the location is right by a housing division so it's not creepy at all. However, there is no bathroom so make sure to take care of business beforehand. Also, traffic on Route 45 in the morning can get pretty backed up so be sure to leave with plenty of time to spare. If you're trying to get on the 7:11 morning train and miss it there is a train at 7:19 so you don't need to try to outrun the train. Let's face it. That's not a smart idea at all.

I'm reviewing a Metra station. Here goes. This Metra in Vernon Hills serves the North Central line…read morefrom Antioch to Union Station. The North Central line is great for those working in the city during the week. The rush hour trains are enough and are evenly spaced despite not being an extremely frequent train schedule. I see a lot of riders at the 6:24am and a hearty crowd at the 5:50am for those extreme early birds. I've taken that train a few times and got my morning tea fix soon after arriving. The return schedule is equally spaced with trains running about an half hour or so apart. The 4:24pm train is popular while the 5pm and later tend to be less full. The ride from Vernon Hills to Union Station generally takes an hour. I enjoy my ever growing list of podcasts to listen to on my way home. The podcasts Things Your Mom Never Told You, Reply All, Radiolab, The Longest Shortest Time, Liar City, and David Steinberg entertain me the most during this ride back to the burbs. Though a previous reviewer called this station's location "creepy" with a subdivision nearby, I call it well placed. See, this Metra stop off of US 45 serves the south side of Vernon Hills into Lincolnshire. Near this station, there are at least three subdivisions: Deerpath, Stone Fence, and Centennial Crossing within walking distance or short drive/drop off/pickup. On the other side of Fairway Drive, there's a huge housing development towards Lincolnshire as well as Mundelein in the opposite direction. It's location is perfect for those living on this part of Vernon Hills. When returning home, the parking lot is always full and teaming with cars. So, Metra is doing something right by this location. During the summer, this station is also home to the farmer's market and a festival. So, it's not all that bad as a reviewer described. Now, the amenities of this station are lacking compared to Buffalo Grove and Wheeling's Metra stops. There's no soda machine or cafe for a early morning caffeine fix. Yes, those would be nice. It doesn't seem to be a problem for the passengers arriving with full travel mugs of coffee or a trusty Dunkin Donuts cup in hand. There's no WiFi too. If they installed this, I think it would be the biggest improvement to this station since it sees its fair share of commuters. Like other stations, there's a warming center on each side with a speaker system alerting the next train and pay boxes for the ridiculously cheap parking in the lot. On snowy mornings like today, the sidewalks were being cleared of snow by workers. Generally speaking, it's a sparse Metra train station with not the greatest of schedules. It's a perfect downtown Chicago commuter line and station. It has just enough to get to the city and get you back in comfort.

Here's what you need to know: I love this station. It's charming and is across the street from the…read moreRavinia businesses in Highland Park, which includes a coffee shops, a specialty tea shop, an awesome bakery (Baker Boys), one of the best restaurants in Chicagoland (Abigail's), a Walgreens, a salon, and a half-dozen other restaurants. There is also bike parking at the station. As we know, the Ravinia business district is a charming collection of small family owned businesses in the uber charming Ravinia neighborhood in Highland Park. This station is used by 10s of 1000s of music lovers and concert goers every summer, but also by hundreds of local residents to commute to the city. I'll update my review again upon the completion of the stations renovation in summer 2016.

Is it a lodge? No, but it feels like a cabin inside with all that cool cozy wood paneling. Is it a…read morelibrary? No, but it's kind of like one with all the books nestled along the window sills. Is it a museum? No, but it sure feels like one with the giant fish sculpture hanging from the ceiling. Is it a tattoo parlor waiting area? Well, not exactly, but there is a tattoo parlor on the premises. Is it a train station? Why yes it is, and it's old and nostalgic, and when you arrive you'll feel like you just arrived at camp. It's just a cool place I recently discovered that deserves more than a two-star review. This train depot has some serious character. Travel to Highwood and see for yourself!

The Highwood Metra Station has really changed since the last yelp reviews. There is no ticket…read morewindow, but instead there is a fantastic professional tattoo studio inside there, Hydra Electric Tattoo, run by friendly cool people. There is art on the walls and a surrealist shark sculpture hanging from the ceiling! The city made a deal to bring in artists to help the vibe and it really does. Plus, the window ledges are lined with free books donated to the Highland Park Library. An angel of a librarian picks out great ones in different categories like paperbacks, Art, crafts, literature, cooking and children's books. She comes regularly to replenish them. All this artiness and culture does a lot to chase away any bad actors that tend to hang in stations. Its surprising in a good way.

I thought this station was fantastic! This is an old school train station. When I went on a Sunday,…read morethe place was empty, except for a few lone passengers enjoying the sunshine. This place is all painted brown, and shows of old stained wood and brass everywhere. It just looks cool, like it was built for the ages, not for some quick fix for a train station. It looks like it was built a long time ago, and will be here for a long time to come. Inside, there's plenty of seating for cold weather situations, and even a little book library where you can take or leave books for the commute. When I went, the train was on time, and the conductors and staff were quite nice. The trains were fast, and everyone was helpful. You can use the Ventra app to buy tickets to ride.

Nice, efficient rail. Plenty of parking and travel tends to be a breeze.read more

It was my first time riding this line heading to downtown Chicago. Parking was free since it was…read morethe weekend and it was easy to find a space. While the coffee shop was closed, the inside was open for us to wait for the train to arrive. The waiting area was clean and was ok. The bathroom was clean but no paper towels. The train arrived on time which is great! The inside of the train was clean and we were able to find seating pretty quickly. The train staff member checking tickets was very nice! We arrived at Union Station on safely and on time! Based on traffic on 90/94 and having to find parking, I'd take this line in the future if I am needing to go to Chicago.

Gotta say that this station has gotten worse recently. The smell in here is unpleasant to say the…read moreleast, and on my last stop in here I noticed they covered all the outlets with plates so you can't charge your phone! Unacceptable. Is this a pathetic attempt to save money? Is it an attempt to cut back on vagrants without manning the station? Whatever it is I was pretty angry to see it. This used to be one of the better stations but they seem determined to ruin it.

This is a super clean, super cute rail station on the Union Pacific North Line. It's right in the…read moreheart of downtown Highland Park so if you get off here, you have a ton of food, drink & shop options. It's actually perfect if you're going to Ravinia - just two stops passed it if you're coming from the city. I recommend taking the train out here a couple hours early to grab some food, then head to Ravinia with light drinks & bites to 'round out the evening. This train station could be slightly better labeled though. It wasn't completely clear which side of the tracks you should be on for which direction. I heard many confused people. They do have a building at this station so you can wait inside if you need to. I didn't find it to be that well maintained though, tons of trash everywhere unfortunately. They had some cute artwork and statues around though to class the joint up!

One of the nicer Metra stations along the line, the station has plenty of places to wait to catch a…read moretrain. The platform is lit nicely, well maintained, and feels pretty safe (you see HPPD drive by a lot). The station itself has nice facilities, and is always comfortable - nice heated floors in the winter, and good airflow in the warmer months. The bathrooms are clean, though only one person can use them at a time. Parking is okay, though you sometimes have to park at one of the further lots and hike a few hundred yards to the parking kiosk and station. The vending machines are nicely maintained and seem to be regularly stocked. Weekday mornings, the little cafe has some decent coffee. If you're going north, or waiting for a Pace bus, they have some stalls you can wait in to keep warm (though I wish they were a little more enclosed). Metra is one of the less painful ways to commute to Chicago (which is sort of like saying "there's a really nice scenic route into the bowels of hell"), and the Highland Park station is probably one of the better stations along the Union Pacific North (UP-N) Metra line. Still, if you're in the neighborhood and going into Chicago; I think you're better off catching the Milwaukee District North (MD-N) line at Lake Cook Rd., since the station is nicer, the parking is easier, and departing at Union Station is often more convenient. They have practically the same arrival and departure schedule.

Do I get a free ride ??? Wait til I post a bathroom picture ...awful and the service is worse…read more...What a Joke .....The worst service everyday ....I take this train 4 times a week and rarely if ever is it on time ...The answers they give are either nothing or it's out of our control .. pay my fares every time and get nothing in return ... shitty service dirty trains and never on time ... I can take the cta neverthforthatothat's thatthat

I used to live in the city. I used to stand on crowded train…read moreplatforms in the cold and the extreme heat. I used to stand on crowded and dirty trains... And then there was the rare bus ride. It had been years since taking a form of public transportation aside from the occasional taxi, and when my office opened a Chicago location, I knew I'd need to find an ideal way to travel there since I'm no longer close by. I live pretty far away, and my co-worker insisted I take the Metra. Whaaa? The train? I don't know. Yes, I had only taken the Metra once, and it was a Ravinia party train. I assumed all trains to Chicago would be just as crazy crowded. Nope - not true! The Metra has been an absolutely lovely experience. In fact, when I'm not getting dropped off or picked up, I most enjoy the ability to kick back in a comfy seat to watch the world go by, or I enjoy the opportunity to sit and work without being disturbed. Let me tell you, I make some of my best to-do lists on Wednesdays ;-) Clean (though I hear one should stay away from the train bathrooms), there are no standing passengers on my route, and I've always been warm in the winter and so far cool on warmer days. The Braeside stop has a warming house, a covered area to sit on a bench, a place to park if you're a park and ride person, and the overall commute has been ideal. I always arrive to my destination according to the online schedule. I am a train convert!