CTA – Clark/Division

I’m at this stop more than any other. Sure there’s construction, but it’s not as bad as other stops. It doesn’t smell bad, and it gets the job done. Plus, I thinks it’s a nice touch to have some red neon above the entrance (I think it’s more aesthetic than utility.) it’s usually clean, and the staff is usually nice.

Welcome to Chicago tourists. If you would like to get an accurate indicator of lowly residents of Chicago are treated by mass transit officials and The Mayor on down take a bus ride. Latest experience: The last cold day of winter 2015, Halsted 8 bus, on my way to work. Female driver, stops bus in Greektown and says nothing. She then takes out a phone and texts. Sits, says nothing to passengers for 1 full minutes.
Then we hear her telling a higher up «This bus is too cold for me to drive. «. She never communicated to passengers, she never turned to face us to explain. She just told everyone to exit the running bus. People hopped off the bus and stood at the stop with no bus in sight. A few like me in danger of clocking in late were frantically trying to find a taxi.
You will never find more surly, ill spoken, angry and PRIVILEGED transit drivers than in Chicago. They are the most ignorant barbaric thugs I have ever. All transit in Chicago is like this. Since UBER and Lyft have been allowed to take over the once fair taxi industry you may pay double triple quadruple and the sudden gouging at any hour for any reason. Arbitrary. Basically Chicago is a violent, filthy dump of a city.

This is the way to go to US Cellular Field. This is the way to go from the train station to Wrigley Field. I have tried to allow my kids to experience the CTA, Metra and many things authentic to the city experience so that they learn this part of life. They have learned to appreciate public transportation and urban life. They know how to navigate good versus bad neighborhoods and I am grateful that they have embraced our excursions to the beautiful city of Chicago.

Ooo red line… where do I begin? Riding in the red line is more of a necessary evil then an enjoyable experience. Today I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they had redone the cars. Whether or not this has anything to do with the recent bed bug outbreak I can’t say. Anyways, it was nice that it was redone but still contained some of the resident weirdos.

I have lived in Chicago most of my life, but like Danny said in his review you have to really be alert because of the crazy stuff that happens on the train. One of the more entertaining things is the mentally ill who spend all day long riding the trains and talking major **** and acting a fool which gives people the opportunity to film some of this to upload to YouTube. What I have a problem with is the constant presence of solicitors selling everything from wash cloths to candy. You can say that the local corner store has now taken up residence on the train offering you everything you need for low discount prices. Do watch out during high traffic periods where it gets really crowded on the train because that’s an opportunity for pick pockets and criminal activity to happen. Whatever you do don’t fall asleep and don’t do it holding your phone or IPod either. Tourists who are not familiar with Chicago culture do need to really be mindful of the elements and plan trips accordingly. CTA however is a rescue from the high gas prices many Chicagoans are tired of paying and want to get around without paying too much money. They do however need to lower the damn fare and put it back to what used to be which was $ 1.50 and also consider lowering the fares for the VENTRA (which still needs some work to getting it to work right) card so you can ride the train. How about cheaper monthly and weekly passes since a lot of us are not making a lot of money to afford the ridiculous prices. It also makes NO sense to see the homeless using the CTA as their personal vehicle to transport their junk all over the place.

There are a lot of terrible things about the Red Line but the worst part is it runs right through our tourist area and it kills me to think people get an inaccurate representation of our city.
If you’re a tourist and considering riding the Red Line, know these facts:
1) For Cubs and Sox games it’s safe … because there are so many people. You literally can’t move to commit a crime. This brings me to point two …
2) If you are indeed riding it to a game know that some full trains may go sailing by since everyone takes it to the game. Leave early.
3) If you’re riding it on a non-​game day, know that you MUST keep an eye on your valuables at all times. It is not a safe train. In all honesty I advise my friends coming in from out of town to just cab or take a bus.
¹⁴⁵⁄₃₆₅

The Red Line is why Keanu Reeves is sad. True, by riding the Red Line you’ll shrink your carbon footprint by not driving. The reason, however, is after getting assaulted at the Wilson station, you’ll be left unable to operate a car. And although the Red Line is open 24/​7, like the free market or sleeping with your ex, this is only a good idea in theory. The swath of prostitutes and drug dealers who emerge in the wee hours make you consider how much you really want a 3 AM burrito from 7 – 11 if it goes through the Red Line.
The riders are equal train wrecks. There are many homeless, whose stench («smellnado» as I call it) could set off a car alarm. Lice use special shampoo to avoid getting them. Then there are those riders whose cabooses spill over into a second seat — putting the «mass» in «mass transit» if you will (They’re not called heavy sleepers because they snore). I see these marshmallowy monstrosities lumbering down the aisle and I ask myself, who chose the form of the destructor when commanded by Gozar, and where are Winston, Ray, Egon, and Venkman when you need them? It’s the true CTA-​holes who bother me the worst, like those who insist on putting their beat-​up, reusable grocery bag on the seat next to them. Careful when telling them to «get that old bag out of the seat» that there are no people over 65 in the vicinity.
For security, the CTA installed cameras on all Red Line trains and stations. Don’t you feel safe? We’ve already seen how well the CTA maintains turn-​styles, tracks, and escalators. Has the escalator at the Chicago Ave. station EVER worked? I’ve been moved more by Weekend at Bernie’s movies. And God help you if you ever have to use a CTA station bathroom, I mean elevator. In the wild, animals mark territory with their spray, so in those terms, hundreds lay daily claim to the elevator floor, several to the floor «1» and «2» buttons, and one limber bastard even claimed part of the ceiling. Lastly, can we invest some of the fare hikes in upgrading the dilapidated Sheridan station? Granted, it has held up amazingly well considering it was built from the timbers of Noah’s Arc by indentured labor. Too bad Moses had to free his people before they could finish the job.
Forest Claypool, the head of the CTA, only used public transport 6 times last year. How much faith can we invest in a system that the boss doesn’t even use? Would you go to a tanning salon owned by an albino? Would you visit an abortion doctor if he had 12 kids? Thus, for this and many other reasons, CTA, I give you a CTF.

Disgusting filthy train with a lot of shady people lurking. I unfortunately had a bad experience on this train and will not ride it again. If you want to get a glimpse of what this city is comprised of take a fun ride on the L. It’s quite the education. For tourists and transplants alike, if you decide to take this line be aware of your surroundings. These people can pick you out in a heartbeat. Watch your valuables especially your smartphone, iPhone in particular, as it’s like a kid seeing candy for certain people. Tragically, people have been badly injured and/​or lost their lives over phone robberies.
CTA in general can be a dangerous mode of travel.
As the saying goes, «we’re not in Kansas anymore.»

This train is efficient in getting from the north (and south) to downtown. However, it’s often times the most disgusting and unkempt train, as are it’s passengers. Vagrants/​crazy/​drunk people yelling at passengers, odors of urine and worse are abundant, the seats are often dirty and full of leftover food or garbage. The redline Chicago stop seems to have gotten better, however it’s winter so we’ll see what summer holds. In the summer, the CPD do a great job of patrolling this area and making sure it’s safe for all of the students and tourists. Make sure you use your electronics discretely on any CTA vessel, especially the redline, and if it’s past 10PM, just take a cab to your destination.

I have a love/​hate relationship with the Red Line, as some of its lesser qualities include antagonistic bums with a penchant for smoking/​peeing on the train, throngs of drunks boarding the Northbound after a Cubs game, the sardine-​like experience of boarding at Grand and State during weekday rush hour, or stepping on to a car to find twenty crumpled up copies of the Red Eye that were used as a bed, alongside a ravaged McDonalds bag, the contents of which were drunkenly devoured and promptly thrown up into the adjoining aisle. However, regardless of these less attractive traits, here are some of the pleasures and sights one experiences while riding the Red Line, which will ensure it (the North half, anyway) always holds a special place in my heart:
1. Wrigley Field: Being a new transplant to the city, nothing made me feel more like I had ‘arrived’ than seeing the stadium and the giant ‘Chicago Cubs’ sign twice a day on my commute. Not to mention when going to see a game, what a unique experience it is to have, basically, curbside service to a major league sports venue.
2. Proximity to the lake shore: Pratt Beach, the Lakefront Trail, North Avenue Beach. Plenty of access to the lake, and the many park areas/​beaches along the shore.
3. The simple beauty of the brick buildings and tree-​lined streets of the city, from the vantage point of the elevated track. Simple sights like the open and vast Graceland Cemetary, or the gentle S-​curve of the Sheridan station make for such unique and gratifying details on one’s commute, especially when compared to the monotony of traffic jams on the soulless expressway.
4. The warm-​hearted conductor (maybe there is more than one?), if you’re lucky enough to get on his train, who speaks kind words and life affirmations to the passengers every few stops. He says things like: «Thank you for riding the Red Line CTA Traiiiin. Please watch your step coming on and off. It’s been a long day, but you’re on your way home now, and we’re almost there. I hope the best for you all, physically, mentally and spiritually.» Seriously, this guy is like a soothing life coach, and it really does bring a smile to the passenger’s faces.
5. Living anywhere along the Red Line means access to infinite food/​drink/​entertainment options. Almost every stop has a generous offering.
(From North to South):
— Morse: The door to Rogers Park, and some great neighborhood bars, like Sidecar and Red Line Tap. A few blocks away, on Clark, are some of the best taquerias in the city, particularly La Cazuela.
— Loyola: The site of the beautiful city campus, as well as some newer restaurants, including the BopNGrill, which was featured on the Food Network.
— Berwyn/​Bryn Mawr: Your stops for Andersonville’s varied and excellent restaurant/​bar offerings to include Hopleaf, Ora Sushi, Acre, Lady Gregory’s, and many more.
— Argyle: A destination for world-​class Thai/​Vietnamese cuisine. Tank Noodle was lauded by Anthony Bourdain on his Chicago episode of ‘The Layover’ as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the city.
— Lawrence: The Green Mill is here, though if you read my review on that place, you will find out why I don’t suggest it for everybody.
— Wilson: Er…
— Addison: Headed West from the train, is the guarantee of cheap scalped tickets to a Cubs game and enough bars up and down Clark to intimidate the most ambitious pub crawl. Heading East, you’ll hit Halstead, which contains the city’s largest concentration of LGBT friendly restaurants/​clubs/​bars. Also, practically right underneath the station is a great pizza joint called Bacci’s.
— Belmont: Around the corner is The Vic, a great historic venue for a ton of music/​comedy acts. Not to mention, there are some great places to get drinks and dance like Berlin & Spin. Soak up all the booze with an amazing grilled cheese from Cheesie’s.
— Fullerton: Tons of restaurants and bars on Lincoln & Fullerton. Head east, and you’ll find yourself in Lincoln Park, right near the Zoo.
— North & Clyborne: From here South, the possibilities become endless as the Red Line takes you through River North, near Mag Mile, down through the Loop, stopping at the Chicago Theatre and countless other amazing destinations like the Museum Campus and Chinatown at the Cermak station.
Truthfully, I don’t like venturing further South than Cermak, but if you care to, the Red Line will take you to the White Sox stadium and all the way down to the heart of the South Side. Along the aforementioned North half of the track, however, there is more to do and see than can be done in one lifetime.
I love exploring other parts of the city, especially those accessible only by the Blue and Brown lines, but the Red Line feels like home, and I think no matter where I live in the City, I will always feel a little nostalgic for those days heading North from Downtown on the train after a long day, hitting the stops and being grateful for the unique things each one has to offer.

Since Holiday Season is now upon us I felt the need to write this
review regarding the CTA Redline.
Let me start off by saying this train route is always packed with people,
and you really have to be aware of all things around you.
My personal experience a couple of days ago was this guy gambling in
some sort of a shell type game with a few other passengers, and this guy was
scamming big time, pulling $ 50.00 bills out, like guess which shell the ball
is under, you show me your $ 50.00, if you guess right you win $ 100.00.
Now, what amazed me is that there were like 5 people who fell for this scam,
And yes, of course there were signs all over that darn train saying no
gambling/​loitering, the problem with that is there never seems to be anyone
around to enforce it.
Okay, but what really made me angry and sad at the same time is that my
33 year old son Brian who has worked at the Standard Club on Plymouth
Court for the last 16 years was pickpocketed on the Red Line Train 2 nights
ago.
He was on his way home from work and had just been given tip/​holiday
money from members at the Club, about $ 300.00 worth.
He checked and had his wallet upon boarding the train.
He had his wallet in his pocket and the train was packed and he didn’t even
know until he got home to Rogers Park that his wallet was gone.
His I.D., and other things in his wallet, and his $ 300.00!
There may be some good things about this route, such as it connects one
from point A to point B but, it is a dangerous, scary line especially if you
are traveling late at night as my son had to do.
And, these trains are packed, even late into the night, and if you are
stuck standing it could be very easy for someone to brush up
against you and take what’s yours.
These people are fricken professionals it seems.
The Red Line is truly one of the most unsafe lines in our city,
And.for me it’s totally unacceptable.
Words of Caution.
If you must ride, do so at your own risk.
So not right…

I’m writing a review of the Red Line mostly for the train operator I occasionally get on my ride downtown in the morning. At the stops, he makes announcements that contain positive advice for living in the world– today he announced «Make the world a better place, love one another.» as riders exited at the Monroe station.
More like him, please.

When I decided to write a review of this line I was thinking I’d rate it 2 stars based on the facts that everybody likes to complain about in relation to it. However, after reading a few of the reviews here my disgust has mellowed somewhat and overall I think it deserves higher since the upside of it for me is much greater than the downside.
Yes, there are times when the sanitary conditions on the line are deplorable, but for those of us that either choose not to drive or can’t it does serve a useful and effective way to get from one end of town to the other. Yeah, the vomit on the floor yesterday literally turned my stomach, but thankfully that’s not the norm.
My wish list for this line are 2 things that would really make my riding experience better. First I’d like there to be increased police riding the line (actually I don’t think it would be an increase since I don’t think there are any riding it now). Using undercover police is the strategy that airlines use to keep us safe while flying and it should be implemented on our public transportation too. The second thing that’s really needed in the L system is that the trains need to be cleaned at the end of the line before they are sent back out so they won’t stink of urine and will have the trash removed.

I have been riding the red line for a long time.
It is an effective way of going from the north side to downtown.
But I moved from the Evanston area to the Mag Mile area a few years ago and so I used the service less and less.
The amount of people riding at night after 7PM who are yelling, are vagrants, are completely drunk, disorderly, are looking at you so they can liberate your elecetronic device (IPAD, IPHONE etc) who are looking to hit on women, who follow cta customers for change makes the service among the people who are clear rational thinking people unrideable between 7pm and 6AM.
To get downtown during the hours of 7−10pm just in case when I am visiting friends or family I will end up taking the 147 bus from the Howard L.
Although the police sometimes patrol the Howard L after dark I make sure not to be there for 10 minutes at a time. Not sure if this is patrolled both by the Chicago and evanston police department.
The gang members in evanston kind of make the Howard L their go to get together place during the day. At least this has been my observation.
I could devote 5 paragraphs about the Howard L alone :)
The Wilson L stop is getting better that does not mean I will open up a hot dog stand there in the near future :) My ex roomate was liberated of his wallet there while waiting for the train a few years ago and no one helped him. I am sure it did not help that the guy was probably messed up after drinking 20 PBR’s or so.
Oh yea another tip. If you are getting shit faced in a pub somewhere and hope to make it home after 10PM dont take the train. Take a cab.
the 147 gets 5 stars if that was available

Great, inexpensive way to get around Chicago. There is no point in trying to negotiate traffic and then find and pay for parking when you can ride the «L».
Buying a ticket is simple and you can re-​use the card that is issued to you and re-​load it with more money if you are planning to ride again soon. They have automated machines to purchase the cards and one-​way rides are $ 2.25 regardless of the distance traveled.
I got on/​off at the Grand Street (near Rush Street) station to go to/​from the 35^th Street station (US Cellular Field). No problems at all, everything was clean and the other people on the train kept to themselves and were polite when entering/​exiting the car.
We did have a slight delay (2 minutes?) before we pulled into the 35^th Street station, but no big deal.

Sometimes I want to give the CTA, in general, 1 star and sometimes I want to give them no stars. =/​Today, i will give them one because I just had a chocolate chip cookie and eating those always puts me in a better mood.
Anyways, here we go…
I take public transportation on my way to work every weekday and majority of the time you have to see it for what it is. The Red Line is just plain ol’ «DUUUURRRTY.»
If i had a nickel for every time I’ve seen a half-​eaten chicken wing laying on a seat, I’d probably have $ 0.35 cents. Straight-​up disgusting.
That’s my two cents, maybe I should add that to my $ 0.35 and I can get some hand cleanser or something so that I can rid the bacteria from my hands after touching the hand rails in the passenger cars. No?
(Yeup, that’s me in a «better» mood.)

Things I have witnessed at this stop.
1) Mugging on the train
2) Violence
3) Bums hassling for money or attempting to steal from you
4) Public urination or the #2 in a corner (gross)
5) Gang violence
Mmmm Where is the CTA on cleaning this stop up or the Chicago police when they are suppose to serve and protect. No where.
Definitely, avoid this line after dark.

The Clark/​Division station is the shame of the State Street Subway. Today, charming original details such as the tile work and modern but austere illuminated signs that read simply «Clark» are masked by persistant putrid urine smells and puddles of unidentifiable liquid that drips from the creepy stalactites above, pooling on the platform and tracks. By all accounts, the station should be a success; the center island platform is totally cool and when two trains arrive at the same time, it feels very frenetic and exciting. But with dim lighting, drainage problems, a shuttered retail operation, and the escalator that is broken more often than it is functioning, the station is even more miserable than it might be.
Clark/​Division, along with its Red Line brethren Wilson and Jarvis must vie for the title of most putrid public transportation facility in North America. Luckily, Rahm and Forrest Claypool have announced a long overdue renovation of the station, adding elevator access as well as a western mezzanine and entrance at LaSalle/​Division. The Gold Coast deserves a better station, for sure, but I’m slightly fearful that we’re going to get something that looks like one of those visually overwhelming, touristy, Daley-​era PoMo monstrosities downtown, but this is a most welcome development. The project isn’t scheduled to be completed until 2017, though, so none of us will probably be around to enjoy the renovations.
In the meantime, maybe the Popeye’s upstairs at the corner will sponsor a thorough facelift à la the Apple Store at North/​Clybourn to tide us over, but somehow I doubt it!

***Chicago’s subway/​train system is an inexpensive and simple way to travel to key Chicago destinations like Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field; unfortunately, since trains do not come that frequently, they can get incredibly packed during peak times***
Chicago’s subway/​train system was the first one I had ever ridden in the U.S. (I have traveled on the trains in Japan many times). Chicago subway system (trains alternate from below ground to above ground) was pretty good. I liked the exit points, which put you in key Chicago areas (right at The Magnificent Mile, Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field, etc.). Knowing where to go was pretty easy as well.
Buying tickets was simple too (loadable fare cards are used). They have automated machines and one-​way rides are the same ($ 2.25) regardless of distance traveled, which is different from Japan where your fare depends on how far you are going.
The CTA makes getting on and off trains easier too. In Japan, you have to use your ticket to both board the train and exit the station. In Chicago, once you board the train you are good to go.
There were a few things about Chicago’s train system that could have been better though. The trains did not run that often. In Japan, they are usually every 2 to 5 minutes (during peak travel periods). There can be some significant gaps between trains in Chicago. This can lead to incredibly packed trains (it was not too humid when I was in Chicago, but I imagine that if it was humid, these trains would be quite uncomfortable).
The subway stations were merely just functional, which was good because it was easy to get in and get out of. The one nice (or fun) thing about Japan is that many of their stations are like little cities onto themselves. They feature great little markets and gift shops as well as some good restaurants. It provides great opportunities to discover new things.
Overall, I enjoyed the simplicity of Chicago’s train system and the way that it makes getting to Wrigley Field or US Cellular Field so easy and cheap. I wish the trains came more frequently though (I also wish that they were not as packed). Still, the trains are significantly less cheaper than cabs here and they can get you to many places that you probably want to go.

Unlike other elevated sections of the ‘El’ popularised in films set in films such as ER, the Red line runs underground like the London Underground.
Taking mainly a north-​south course, it has delivered me to happy destinations such as Alinea and the Magnificent Mile.
I’ve found the trains not too overcrowded, even during rush hour and I like the clear announcements about upcoming stations, which removes one possible stress from my journey as someone who isn’t a local.
However, in common with the rest of the El, I have to say that the stations involve a lot of stairs and trying to get suitcases through the ticket barriers can be very trying.
To compound it, the staff just sit in their booths and watch you struggle. I’m not sure what they’re paid for but customer service doesn’t seem to rank highly on their list of priorities.
I’m grateful for a public transport system in Chicago but there are possible improvements to be made