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    CTA - California

    3.7 (22 reviews)

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    Almost as nice a sky as California.
    Michael G.

    You know what the best thing about this stop is? No gosh darn solicitors! At the Logan Square stop, it's all shove things in your face all the time as all you're trying to do is get down the escalator. Local churches, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, people showing their "awesome" documentary, garage sales, lost dogs, lost cats, lost birds, lost guinea pigs (I swear that one I'm not making up), lost loves, lost hopes, lost minds. I swear people lose a lot of things around the square. And they want to give you a flier about it. This is especially the case during election season. At the California stop (which is closer to my old precinct than the Logan Square stop), not even on election day does anyone push flyers at you. While the cars may be a little more crowded here than at Logan Square, it's worth the lack of aggrevation every morning just trying to get to the train. Using the California stop this summer has been a breath of (above ground) fresh air. I mean there are the typical problems like homeless people waiting by the stop. But it's the same homeless person every day - and he's friendlier than the ones at Logan Square (though he smells a little worse with his dreadlocks). Even that makes the California stop less stressful than Logan Square. I'm lucky enough to have moved between the California and Logan Square stops; so I can take either. I actually feel sorry for people forced to choose the Logan Square stop.

    Dan H.

    My dear, beloved California Green-Line stop has always been there for me. For ages I have landed here and walked the platform planks, down the welded metals steps, and through the scary-creaky turnstile that burps me out onto the hostile corner of California and West Lake. I love my California stop. The platform is rickety, the riders are marginal, nobody looks at each other, but we're all united by our need to get where we need to be on the CTA Green-Line. The most special of us are "Greenlining California-Stoppers (or Starters)". It is what it is.

    Rawlins R.

    The California stop seems to be home to the most commuters. I remember on my drive home this seemed like the only place people would get off and walk into the middle of the street. They later created a crosswalk for all of these people off of California by the police station. This stop puts you pretty close to a lot of restaurants and places you in between Logan Square and Wicker Park. This station has an open top so you can get some nice views of the sunset or the skyline depending on the weather.

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    I had to exit from the train to wait for the next one, as mine was overcrowded. I like this one is not underground.

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    Review Highlights - CTA - California

    Using the California stop this summer has been a breath of (above ground) fresh air.

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    Kedzie - CTA Green Line Station

    Kedzie - CTA Green Line Station

    4.5(2 reviews)
    2.6 miEast Garfield Park

    I walk through CTA Kedzie area often whether it be walking to the fitness center (Breakthrough…read moreFamilyPlex) or catching the CTA train itself. From what I have noticed it is actually safe, but that does not mean that I would not keep alert while in it even as an African American. CTA Kedzie is one of the high traffic areas in East Garfield Park due to everyone coming in-and-out, and also because of the liqa sto (One Eleven Food & Liquors) being posted about 100 meters from the station. I'm crossing my fingers that 'One Eleven Food & Liquors' gets torn down and becomes the parking lot for 'The Hatchery' once 'The Hatchery' has been completed, but that's a whole different topic. However, if you have ever been to this area you will understand what type of traffic it brings. The worst you will encounter in this area are drunks, druggies and drug dealers which stems from the liqa sto being a hit, but other than that it is just people trying to carry out their day whether that be going to school, work, or home via the train or bus. At night the traffic calms down, but that does not mean you stop being alert because it is pretty dark in this area once you get off that train and exit the CTA stop itself. Thomas G

    This stop deserves some credit for being located, through no decision of itself, in one of the most…read moreforlorn, dangerous looking corners of hotspot-city. However, it's not any of these things. It's a great stop in the midst of a neighborhood of people trying to do the best they can with that they were given. It is a crossroads of kids coming from and going to school, with a few restaurants thrown in the mix. It's actually a very safe area and there is a Garfield Outdoor Market on the south-eastern corner of the street on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings that has great produce. It's in the location of the soon-to-be-built "Hatchery", which is a food service small business incubator that has some very substantial community resource behind it.

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    Kedzie - CTA Green Line Station
    Kedzie - CTA Green Line Station
    Kedzie - CTA Green Line Station

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    CTA - Western Orange Line - Station

    CTA - Western Orange Line

    4.3(6 reviews)
    8.1 miGage Park

    CTA has an L station on Western Avenue on the South Side, which is one of those along the Orange…read moreLine. It goes between The Loop and Midway. Of course it's not in a terrific location, but it's mostly clean and safe. Lots of busses to get onto from here. There's a large area for shelter while waiting for one. A better than expected location, and it's usually pretty fast coming or going. It serves the Orange Line. The station is located in Gage Park. Even though it has a bad history, it's still an improving area. This is at 49th and Western. Best about this is how fast it is to get through here. This is the one that goes all the way to Midway, the other Chicago airport that gets unappreciated. Getting there is a lot faster. Stops like this are one of the reasons. It has fewer, meaning the trains come a lot more often. This station is pretty clean for as busy as it gets, and it doesn't have a bad smell. Getting to Midway is convenient from here. It's only a few stops away, and if you're getting off here there's lots of busses to take you places. There's usually not a long wait for trains.

    I used to go to this station alot a few years ago and I gotta say, this station is very impressing…read more Very clean and Fast arriving trains. And when I mean fast, I mean st all times. I rode the orange line around 10:30-11:00pm and boy did it get around fast.

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    CTA - Western Orange Line - Western Orange Line at 4901 S. Western Avenue - connect to #48 (S Damen), #49 (Western) or #94 (California) CTA Buses at this station

    Western Orange Line at 4901 S. Western Avenue - connect to #48 (S Damen), #49 (Western) or #94 (California) CTA Buses at this station

    CTA - Western Orange Line
    CTA - Western Orange Line

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    CTA - Diversey

    CTA - Diversey

    3.7(74 reviews)
    2.4 miDePaul, Lincoln Park

    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.

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    CTA - Diversey
    CTA - Diversey
    CTA - Diversey

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    CTA - Western-Brown - Desc

    CTA - Western-Brown

    3.2(13 reviews)
    3.1 miRavenswood, Lincoln Square

    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.

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    CTA - Western-Brown
    CTA - Western-Brown - Berlin Wall Exhibition West

    Berlin Wall Exhibition West

    CTA - Western-Brown - Desc

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    CTA - California - publictransport - Updated May 2026

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