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    CTA - Clark/Lake

    3.1 (60 reviews)
    Open • Open 24 hours

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    Platform
    Tony T.

    Clark and lake is one of the superstations where you can transfer to multiple lines. The station can get pretty crowded on a weekday during rush hour but it looks like they have improved on headway so there are more trains. Looks like they upgraded some of the signage and are currently upgrading one of the entrance under the Thompson center. Curious to see how that ends up though

    Station
    Steve A.

    Clark and Lake is the biggest CTA stop on the Loop and it gets plenty of big crowds. In these crowds are riders and others who aren't, if you know what I mean. Yes this is a popular place for homeless people to hang out. Almost every train comes through here. This is also where to go if you like endless escalators and stairs. It can be found on the north side of the Loop close to some other systems you can conveniently access. It serves the Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. The times each of these operates varies. Blue is the only one of these that is underground, and getting there is a tedious process. Go to the indoor part and take the escalators and stairs all the way to the bottom, which takes a few minutes or so. Basically it's Hell. If the journey hasn't already taken your breath away, the smell will. Seriously it's barf inducing so avoid eating. The fantastic combination of body odor, fumes, garbage, piss, and shit. As for the upper platform, the air is much better. Brown goes counterclockwise. The others go clockwise so you have to be on the correct side of the platform. For the Brown, stand on the north. The others are on the south. Close proximity to City Hall and the Daley Center. To answer you comedians, the smell isn't coming from there. Also there's elevators, if they haven't been used as a bathroom. There's never a long wait for a train with so many coming and going. Also know the Purple is a limited extension. It's only on weekdays at rush hour. The upper platform gives you some good views.

    Tracks... waiting for the EL
    Ken O.

    Very convenient CTA stop with the elevators and escalators, but wow... the urine smell.

    Jeremy S.

    Clark&lake CTA is a busy station but has a wide platform for social distancing, one tip is to stand close to the front of the train and away from the entrance to the platform, it seems everyone tends to gather around that area.

    Orest S.

    This is a nice transit station, so you literally can switch to any line on the Loop to any direction (except for red line). I really like the upper station. However, there's no restrooms there, but should be at least on that one station. Also the exits for an underground Blue line are narrow, but nothing to do with this...

    Smelly elevator.
    Sonia F.

    My mom is disabled and we use the elevators while traveling on The CTA & oh my goodness! These elevators need a daily scrub down. They reek of urine! This is all the time. CTA really needs to handle this. You have disabled people and parents with children in strollers dealing with this filth. So sad.

    Pigeon Jihad
    Joshua M.

    A couple of things are wrong about this station. For one the escalators from the street level to the platform are not wide enough. So when one person decides to not walk and just stand there it slows everyone down. The other thing is there is a pigeon jihad going on here. I know that it's only a matter of time before they all fire their crap upon me like a cluster bomb over the deserts in Baghdad. I'm all for animal rights, but the pigeon problem at this station is out of control. Perhaps there should be some BB guns available for travelers waiting for trains to help deal with the problem. Here the pigeons have absolutely no fear of man. They will walk by you within inches. During the colder months they cluster under the heaters in greater numbers than the humans.

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    5 years ago

    Escalators are not working and notice on the CTA Website!! Holiday weekend and had low ridershipfor the past 18 months, poor timing CTA!!!

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    14 years ago

    It's a subway platform. The trains come and they go. You hope you won't have to wait more than 15 minutes for a train....

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - CTA - Clark/Lake

    Review Highlights - CTA - Clark/Lake

    “I love racing up and down the escalators from the elevated tracks to the Blue Line at anytime of day or night.”

    Mentioned in 23 reviews

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    Ogilvie Transportation Center

    Ogilvie Transportation Center

    3.8(185 reviews)
    0.5 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

    Last week was my first time taking a train into the city while visiting Great Lakes. I was…read moretraveling alone and a little nervous about getting into the city and unsure about the area that the Ogilvie Transportation Center is in. Reviews made it seem like a confusing place to navigate. I boarded the Union Pacific North Train Kine from Great Lakes just outside of the Navy Training Center. I purchased my ticket on the Ventra App and I boarded the train and took a seat. There were several stops along the way and the Ogilvie Transportation Center was the last stop. The Conductor visited the car I was riding in just a couple of stops before ending at Ogilvie to check and/or sell tickets. The Conductor was polite and patient. When I exited the train at Ogilvie, I just followed the crowd to the stairway into the station and then just chose to exit the building at the Canal Street exit whit turned out to be just perfect for starting my journey into Chicago for the day. At the end of the day, when I returned to Ogilvie, it took me a few minutes to figure out the train schedule and locate the right stairways onto the loading platform. They have large screens at each loading platform stairway entrance that shows where each train travels to and what time they leave. There are stairways on each side of the train station to get you to the train. One important thing to note is that for some stops, the first cars of the train, the doors do not open. So it's best to find a seat towards the back cars or make plans to walk through a couple of cars quickly to get to the exit doors that open. The Ogilvie Transportation Center was easier to navigate than I had thought.

    Oh Ogilvie, where do I even start?!…read more I've been using Ogilvie Transportation Center ever since I was in high school. I think I've been to Ogilvie over a few thousand times - I'm not kidding. Literally I've been here so many times the last 10 years it easily has been over a thousand times. Ogilvie is BIG, and there are a lot of entrances, exits, and "secret" places you discover because it's just that big. This transportation center and Union are the two centers that house Metra. Metra is a whole other story, but I won't be reviewing Metra, just the center that houses it. First off, Ogilvie has tons of different types of spaces inside. There's offices, companies, restaurants, shops, bars, etc. There are TONS of food options on the ground level, from options like McDonald's, Popeyes, Sbarro, Mrs. Fields, Deep Purpl, Starbucks, and much more. There are some food restaurants here that I've literally never seen open which sucks because I'd like to try them. There's more upstairs and downstairs on the lower level, as well, but this is their main food court for commuters/riders. Downstairs, you'll find their Chicago French Market which reminds me of Pike's Place Market in Seattle. There's tons of food stations and shops. You can also access the tracks from taking the stairs up down there. There's bars and restaurants all around Ogilvie, too, on the outskirts that people can see from the outside. Ogilvie is kept pretty clean - there's always custodians cleaning the bathrooms and tables. It is pretty common for people to come up to you and ask you for money when you're chilling there. Also sometimes it's hard to find an Uber outside of it. The best part of Ogilvie is that a ton of Metra train tracks arrive and depart basically every hour that bring you all over the Burbs. Some Metra lines will go over to Union, the other transportation center that's super close to Ogilvie, and others will bring you here. This makes getting to and from the city super easy and convenient. Overall, Ogilvie is a great place to get some food, get in and out of the city, and stop for a drink after work!

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    Ogilvie Transportation Center
    Ogilvie Transportation Center
    Ogilvie Transportation Center

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    Chicago Union Station - Union Station

    Chicago Union Station

    3.5(523 reviews)
    0.7 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

    My husband and I recently needed to go downtown from Northbrook. Since the building we were…read morevisiting was right next to Chicago Union Station, taking the train was a no-brainer. I used to take the train very often years ago and was quite familiar with the station back then. This time, however, if I hadn't been with my husband, who acted as my guide, I definitely would have been quite lost! I'll definitely do a little more homework before my next visit. When we passed through the Great Hall, I was still in awe, admiring the intricate details of this iconic Chicago landmark. The Great Hall features a 219-foot-long barrel-vaulted skylight that soars 115 feet above the ground. My advice to out-of-town travelers: allow at least 10 minutes while you're in the station to stop and take in the elaborate details of this historic landmark, built in the Beaux-Arts style. The stunning Great Hall was recently restored to its original 1925 glory and is truly worth a look. I also recommend taking time to admire some of the station's original elements that remain today, including the long oak benches, beautiful light fixtures, and chandeliers. One funny memory from decades ago: I used to sit on those oak benches in the Great Hall waiting for my train, and the announcements were always so muffled that I could never figure out what they were saying! This time around, I could actually hear the announcements quite clearly. Chicago Union Station handles approximately 120,000 passengers daily. This makes it the third busiest rail terminal in the United States, serving both Amtrak and Metra passengers. It's an important part of Chicago's history and a remarkable transportation hub. That's quite impressive!

    If you are traveling Amtrak First Class out of Chicago Union Station, utilizing the Metropolitan…read moreLounge is an absolute game-changer. The station itself is really nice inside, featuring stunning architecture and a grand atmosphere that makes the beginning of a trip feel special. We arrived at the station around 8:15pm for our 9:30pm train to New York, and the entire experience from start to finish was seamless. The staff are super friendly right from the start, and upon entry, they provide you with a bracelet to easily identify lounge guests. The lounge amenities are top-notch. They offered fresh fruit, a variety of individual snacks with helpful gluten-free labeling for dietary restrictions, a full coffee station, and a soda machine. Best of all, instead of having to watch the departure boards anxiously, the staff make an announcement when it's time to board and personally guide and escort you directly to your train. With their expert guidance, boarding was completely stress-free.

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    Chicago Union Station - 待合ホール。

    待合ホール。

    Chicago Union Station - Inside of the station

    Inside of the station

    Chicago Union Station - Metropolitan Lounge

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    Metropolitan Lounge

    CTA - Quincy

    CTA - Quincy

    4.4(17 reviews)
    0.5 mi•The Loop

    Love this station with all its old timey signage and ornaments. It's picturesque with the back drop…read moreof deco buildings and close access to printers row. It's pretty instagrammable and there's a ton of awesome architecture in the area.

    CTA has a classic stop on the Loop at Quincy, in fact as old of a stop there is around here. It has…read morepretty convenient access to other modes of transportation and you can get on many different Lines. Of course because of the location it gets busy especially at rush hour for sure. Located near a few important buildings and attractions. There's Amtrak and Metra where you can make transfers. It can be found on the southwest side of the Loop close to some other systems you can conveniently access. It serves the Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. The times each of these operates varies. Brown goes counterclockwise. The others go clockwise so you have to be on the correct side of the platform. For the Brown, stand on the west, and the others are on the east. Close proximity to Amtrak and Metra is right by here. This is only a few blocks to the LaSalle and Union Station, so if you're getting on these getting off here is a good idea. Also know the Purple is a limited extension. It's only on weekdays at rush hour. This gives you quick access to either the LaSalle station or Union Station if you're transferring between systems.

    Photos
    CTA - Quincy
    CTA - Quincy - An out-of-towner waving to the conductor.

    An out-of-towner waving to the conductor.

    CTA - Quincy

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    Metra

    Metra

    3.2(58 reviews)
    0.3 mi•The Loop

    Like New York City, Chicago has one of the best public transportation systems in the U.S. I've had…read moreseveral meetings in the Loop where my office is located. The trains are clean. The seats are comfortable. The conductors are professional, and most of all, the train is on time most of the time. I don't have to deal with expensive parking, and walk underground to the elevator to my office. Sweet! I go to the office twice a week and enjoy unwinding on the train. I prepare for meetings, too. The train takes you to the museums stop, Hyde Park, the south burbs, and the University of Chicago. It's the cheapest and most convenient way to visit the city.

    I travel on Metra Electric when I use Public Transportation about 90% of the time. Its usually…read moregood. Yesterday there were electrical delays at Millenium Station during Rush Hour. Got on tje train more delays. The conducter was great. He didn't take our tickets. Today as I'm in Hyde Park waiting on the Metra now 8 minutes late, the announcer says it the train conductor doesn't see you, he won't stop. I get on. Riding south they pass my stop without any announcement. The conducter says its the Engineers fault with NO compassion or recourse just Mitchy Attitude. I said bacl the MF up! He said can't do that. I had to ride to tje end of the line wait 10 minutes and get home an hour past the time I should've been. Wouldn't you be pissed at such an easy fix? Mistakes are human but arrogance and incompetence are unacceptable!

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    Metra
    Metra
    Metra

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    CTA - Clark/Lake - trainstations - Updated October 2026

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