Few things can get me to write about a transit system - but this is the third transit review I've…read morewritten regarding the CTA! I've only taken the 146 out and back to the museum campus once, while visiting your fair city. Clean, quick, efficient... those terms all come to mind regarding the 146. The only shot of local color came in the afternoon, after a LONG day at the museum. Having been in the queue for two full double-buses, we finally got on the next one. The driver noticed a young man in a motorized wheelchair, and politely commanded everyone else to get out of the way while he deployed the ramp and allowed the young man and his family to get on - and then allowed the throng of humanity to continue boarding. I was lucky enough to snag a seat near the front, because it allowed me to witness what happened 10 or so blocks later... At a regular stop, there were a number of riders waiting to board the bus - including a woman that was also on a motorized wheelchair. The driver repeated his instructions to the others waiting to board, and allowed her to get on first. ...but that's when things started to unravel. She claimed she couldn't get past the young man in his wheelchair, although he was apparently scooted over as far as he could go, and was secured properly. Instead of waiting for assistance or reasoning things out, she decided to 'floor it' and ram on past him - and she did - taking a piece that attached a wire harness to his chair in the process, and interlocking her wheels with his. To this, she spouted venom... ...and along came the driver, who helped to extricate her (as she continued to rant) and then he retrieved the pieces of the young man's chair, and handed them to his father. Grace under fire. The driver kept good humor and a positive attitude throughout the ordeal. Kudos to the 146 driver!

HAHAHAHAHAHA Anybody complaining about how slow a bus is... seriously... Ummmm how many times in a…read morecar have you cut one off? Or has the driver seeing you running for it and been cool and waited? Or maybe crazy enough it stops to let people on and off. Yes - once you get on the bus, it is going the route slow. & at busy times when it is crazy full of tourists from the museum campus... yes it acts in tandem. Welcome to Chicago... we have lot's of people who live here & visit here if you haven't noticed. So often busy times on a route the CTA is cognizant and adds more bus's to the route to carry the route demand. That explains why a packed bus will pass you, because one right behind it won't treat you like a sardine. You are Welcome. So I organized a field trip to the Shedd for the ladies in our River North building today & we had a nice trip there with a Yellow taxi large enough to accommodate our group of 5. I recommend visitors calling if they need group transportation. Not a bad trip back on the bus. Slow as it is going down State st. & then Michigan of which neither are renowned for not being bogged down with traffic. If you are in a hurry hoof it or hop off at the Roosevelt stop for Red, Orange or Green lines. Go a few more blocks for Brown or Red. Our group hopped off to see the Macy window's and then a short walk home with a stop at the always awesome Nonina for dinner.

This is the Blue Line to take from the Chicago airport to the Sheraton. It is but a 15 walk to the…read morehotel, or $15 Uber ride. We did the Uber due to shady people at the CRA stop. Nevertheless, the ride was pleasant and the trains leave the airport every 5 min. The cost is SO reasonable, only $5.00

Nothing terribly special about this station... except for me it's a great way to get to the…read moreairport. There's a kiosk for your tickets; it works pretty smoothly. But be prepared to carry your bags up a couple of flights of stairs. There might be an elevator somewhere but I did not look that closely.

Hopping on a CTA #81 (Lawrence) bus used to be my daily commute to/from work when I lived in Albany…read morePark. This particular route runs 24/7, and many TSAs and ORD workers catch this one. Yes, together in the same bus we were like a large, happy family. At around 10pm, working professionals coming from ORD and Rosemont would get on the blue line train. As many of us were getting discharged at the Jefferson Park stop, we had the last exercise of the day: running all the way to #81 and hoping everyone of us had a seat (unlikely...because this one is always crowed during that time). Eastbound #81 begins at Jefferson Park Transportation Center. Immediately there's the first point of interest: - Copernicus Center: the annual north side Polish Fest on Labor Day weekend is hosted here. They have different activities going on throughout the year. Let's get back on the bus and continue our journey, or you may remain in the neighborhood and get a new tattoo at Chitown Tattoo, off Leclaire and I-90. I've heard many good reviews on their work. As we are heading east, we will be passing Mayfair and Albany Park. Albany Park is known to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. There are a few hole-in-the-wall places that actually were gems in my opinion: - Fish N' Go (cash-only): ask Nick, the owner, if there are oysters available. My parents used to surprise me with their delicious fried oysters after a long day of work. - Lawrence Fish Market (cash-only): affordable prices on quality sashimi, sushi, and maki rolls. Put their number on your speed dial and call ahead. - Markellos (cash-only): lights are on 24/7. I guarantee that you will never go hungry cruising through Albany Park. Ladies and gentlemen, now you've arrived at the CTA Kimball Brown Line station. That's probably what I'm missing the most living in Albany Park. The brown line provides an easy access to the Chicago Loop. From there it connects to other transportation options to the south/ southwest side of neighborhoods. By the way, "Hot Dog Station" on Kimball by Kimball Brown Line station is a good place to grab a quick bite. I don't know or can't recall the owner's name, but he resembles "Aiden" from Sex and the City. Wow, this review is becoming very long, and I should wrap it up ASAP. "Ravenswood" is the next neighborhood. It overlaps with Lincoln Square, near CTA Western Brown Line station. Many people love to hang out here during summer for the farmer's market on select Thursday evenings, trendy bars, and cool small businesses. Metra Union Pacific/North Line has a stop at Ravenswood. This particular Metra routine starts at Chicago-Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) and goes to all the way up north in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Attention passengers...we are approaching to Uptown. "Little Vietnam" is within the Uptown neighborhood. Many Vietnamese or other Asian-themed restaurants, bakeries, and businesses are nearby. If you ever wanna see some skimpily-dressed young men and women, come to "Aragon Ballroom" across from CTA Lawrence Red Line station. I almost got hurt by random glass bottles flying over my head while I was waiting for the bus on a late Saturday night. The CTA #81 (Lawrence) bus tour is officially coming to the end. Now it's time to take a quality break at the beautiful, magnificent Lakeshore Path.

The magic #81 Lawrence bus is open 24/7/365, is as clutch and critical as it gets. It starts by…read moreLake Shore Drive and flows through Uptown to pick you up from The Green Mill, Uptown Lounge, Kinetic Playground, The Aragon, The Riv, WIld Pug, or Crew. It goes on west in quick fashion, passing by El Quijote for late night eats, passes by Crafty Beaver and also Golden Nugget. If you need to hop on the Metra, the #81 Lawrence can drop you off at Lawrence and Ravenswood to hop on over. A giant Chase branch exists there that used to be BankOne that used to be First Chicago. Keep going west and you'll find Wendy's, CVS on Damen and Lawrence, El Taco Loco for late night snackery and Walgreen's open until Midnight. Not going to Lincoln Square? That's all right, the #81 will take you on over past Harvest Time for groceries, past by Restaurant Sarajevo, Greek bakeries and a world of small businesses. If it's late and you still haven't stopped try some George's Kebob by Kedzie and the new Mediterranean joint on the corner. Want something less ethic? How bout some Huddle House diner food that's open 24/7? The Filipino grocery is nearby, Popeye's Chicken, Subway, Donut Doctor and a world of $5 hair salons. Want some late night high carb fare? How bout some 24/7 Markello's Bakery? You can take the bus all the way to Jefferson Park, but I am getting off here, see you.

Armitage is not bad as far as El stations go…read more What I like: + Armitage is among the cleanest I'd been to on the CTA + The station is easy to navigate + There are elevators for both the inbound and outbound platforms + The platforms have more than ample width + I can't fully write off that but if old school charm + While I've not used this station late at night, it feels safe What I don't like: - Coverage from the elements is limited - There is no countdown signage at platform level. The signs up there are old, red/green/orange LED ones. All they do is give you the time and remind you to step away from the edge. Thus, while there are some negatives, with help from the Transit app, this station is one of the better ones in the CTA.

I love taking public transportation everywhere because you don't have to deal with traffic. You can…read morebuy an all day pasta 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.

I had to write a paper and didn't have a lot of time. Rockwell Coffee was recommended because it…read morewas very likely to be quiet. Although I was initially disappointed that they don't have an espresso machine and only offer drip coffee or cold brew, I got over it when I realized that my drip coffee (which was delicious) and tip were only $4. It was also a super quiet, comfortable spot to write my paper, which was the most important thing. Although that was my main focus, I noticed that they sold carry out wines and beer and they had jars of amazing looking small batch pickles for sale.

CTA has a station on Rockwell. It was renovated more than a decade ago as a part of the Brown Line…read moreimprovement project. Surely it needs to be said this is an unique looking station. For one, it's neither underground or elevated. Two, this goes through a very nice looking neighborhood and it's not insanely busy like most stations can get. As with many of the stations, the location is the best thing about it of course. It serves the Brown Line. This is one of the best ways to get to Ravenswood. It's different from many other stations because the tracks go along the ground. Yes, the ones between the expressways also go along the ground, but those trains don't cross streets. It's more like how Metra goes. The trains come and the gates block traffic. A few bars and restaurants are located close to here. There's not a ton as this is more of a residential area, but there's a few coffee shops and cafes outside. Getting in and out is the worst thing about it. It seems many others have problems with the doors, which suck. The good thing is with this near the end of the Line, there's usually not a long wait for trains.

Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today 2 get through…read morethis thing called life Electric word life... It means forever and that's a mighty long time Especially, on public transit. I guess you can say I'm a Darling Yelpie. Well, it's superior to the Redline Corvette, when you take it, and it rivals bus156 as far as eye candy or comfort (156 stops more often, baby it's much too fast, and is much more crowded, but good for some- def when one goes to Oldtown or Lincoln Park or Lincoln Park Zoo-loveeee them). I've met/struck up connections/been hit on with people on the 135 route. And at least the last few were normal/hawt. I take it weekdays, since it is faster and less stinky than the Red Line. Anyhow. . . try it; at least you have friends. No more Prince references, unless you have a Charlie Murphy story for me. Then you pwn me even more than my dumdum public trans review.

Sometimes I take this bus to and from work, and I have never had a problem with this bus. The…read moreriders are always courteous and so are the drivers. This is a quick and easy way to get to and from the loop if you are on the North Side. That being said, I really wish that there were more express buses offered to other geographic locations in the city. Northsiders aren't the only ones who need to get to places on time!

Nice, well maintained. I love that it is open air and there's no squatters around and pretty quite…read moreand low key on a late Sunday afternoon.

CTA has an L station on Western Avenue. It actually has a few, but this one is on the Blue Line…read moregoing to O'Hare. Lots of things going on around here, some of which involve illegal activities it seems. As for the actual station, it's not bad. There's a few cool bars and restaurants to go to around here. A lot of passing trains are busy. It's because they're coming from or going to O'Hare so it's always crowded with people and their belongings, making it a tight fit. This is even worse on weekends. As for the actual station, it's nothing special at all. Gross stuff going on in here. Avoid elevators. The bums use these: as bathrooms, so unfortunately you have to use the long stairs. Both the location and the actual station have issues. It needs to clean up the elevators, but that's a Herculean task for sure. There's also delays from O'Hare so there's often long waits for trains.

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.