Evanston train station! This is a nice place to catch the…read moretrain- we rode the Union Pacific up to Lake Forest from here. You have to change trains, change lines, change stations here. But this little interchange in Evanston makes it easy. It's all handicapped accessible. It's super fast, there's lovely landscaping along the way between the stations on the ramp, and it's a nice smooth transition. There was lots of shade to hang out under and some seating for tired commuters. The signs were easy to read and everything was understandable. The conductors were super nice and accommodating when we needed a little extra help getting in and off the train. It was a good experience coming through Evanston for this station!

This review is specific to the line I took when I did this check-in, which is the Metra UP-N line…read more The Metra Union Pacific North line is da bomb. I don't take this line at a regular basis, instead take the line going to I live in the NorthWest burbs. This one is the line that goes to Evanston passing hipster neighborhoods like Ravenswood and Rogers Park. It's like the CTA, except 50-times cleaner and less scary. Living in the burbs for the last 6-years, I missed the different crowds when traveling public transportation. So I was refreshed to see a Metra train full of yuppies, suits, and beautiful women. Oh how I miss the city

Used it on a station to station but seems like a okay system. Reminded me of the Metrolink we have…read morein California. No teller machines to buy a ticket so I just hopped on and hopped off, wasn't approuched by anyone, there was a large crowd so not sure if the person at the train door was overwhelmed to collect payment.

Still not a fan of Metra because of their difficult-to-figure-out ticket policies and…read moreoften-intimidating employees. Which means I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that this station doesn't have a ticket window... At least you won't be penalized for not already having a ticket on the train! But you'll be cold in winter. You win some, you lose some.

Not wheelchair accessible! This was a terrible decision to…read morecome to this station. There's no way down for the handicapped. The only way off the platform is down a steep, steep set of stairs. There's no chairs around. The station was empty when I went, except for a lone attendant in the booth. She helped us out of the exit door when we showed up. The station looks old, needs a fresh coat of paint and maybe some public art, and some better lighting. It was not a good experience. Total mistake coming to this station. Even getting out the door was difficult, and there's no ramps leading up to this station. What a pain in the leg.

What brought me to CTA - Main was that its location sat the closest to my job, so it ended up…read morebecoming an option for depart and aboard as my vehicle underwent maintenance. In the past I have driven passed this stop, but never utilized it until this moment. Viewing the station from Chicago Ave, you would think that it was classy considering the buildings exterior and surrounding area that actually appears safe, however, things appear differently once you enter the station itself from Chicago Ave or exit it from the 'L' train, and walk the stairwell. Don't get me wrong, considering that the station has been around since 1908, it is maintained as far as being cleaned and trash taken out, but its interior consists of chipped paint, rust and ever growing plants. It is also one of those stops with a wooden platform. I do imagine that this stop will be renovated in the future. If so, the nearest alternative stops are Dempster and South Blvd. Being that I could possibly visit this stop again, I bookmarked a few businesses within the sector that caught my eye. Some of those businesses are Sher Main Grill, Firehouse Grill, The Lucky Platter, The Brothers K Coffeehouse, and Dollop Coffee & Hoosier Mama Pie Company which most except for Firehouse Grill are 4-star rated. And lastly, other than what I have mentioned, my commute to-and-from this train stop was very pleasant and it appears easily accessible to buses, taxi cabs, uber, lyft and Main Metra Rail Station which actually sits next door. Thomas G

I appreciate that the CTA has a lot to handle at this stop. Red line runs south, yellow line…read morenorthwest, and purple line runs north and south. I've also been using transit enough to know that one half of the station is for northbound, and the other southbound. Plus, there is ample signage telling you which is which. My frustration comes with the lack of clarity with an arriving train, especially when I'm seeking the red line. A train pulls up, and one must wait several minutes to see if it will move along or open its doors (sometimes without setting the signage yet). Sometimes, a train will pass through as "not in service." I also wish the station were cleaner, though this is also true of many other stations. Not the freshest smelling stop, and the floor was sticky in spots. No human waste found on my visits, however. In terms of safety, while there are occasional 'characters' around, I've not felt unsafe, however, I've only used this stop in daytime (not even evening). I would like to call out that the station is accessible, with elevators for both outbound and inbound platforms. There is limited seating, with a couple benches. Finally, there is also an overpass if you ended up on the wrong side. Howard is a stop that gets the job done, but somewhat poorly. The lack of clarity about what train is arriving, and some dirt and grime leave much room for improvement.

How has got to be the coldest platform in the network. I mean there's a huge cemetery and the lake…read moreclose by. No shield from the wind hardly. There always some crazy stuff happening within two blocks of the station street level. People always screaming. Unfortunately yellow and purple line commuters usually have to transfer here. Outside of the two blocks and cool and pretty. I usually opt for Jarvis because it's really not that far and less sketch and quaint.

I've spent a few 15 minute stretches, after narrowly missing a Howard-bound train, hanging out at…read morethis station. At 8pm it's generally deserted and the eerie glow from the yellow lamps at the end of the platform have all the trappings of a slasher flick. I make it home safe every time though...boring movie, decent station.

Love it! Blast from…read morethe Past. Reminds of NYC. Interesting Station -- hospitality suite IN the station where it's right next to a big hospital? There must be a time frame difference. NO ELEVATORS. NO ESCALATORS. NOTE: Bike Exits ONLY from Main Entrance/Station.

Convenient and walkable, which is very key. With American Landmark purchasing the Technology Park…read moreand with all of the new businesses and people moving to this area, the Yellow-line Oakton stop is an essential way of getting to downtown or Evanston. I've taken the Yellowline mainly to get to the loop or Lincolnpark or to see the Cubs and wow, it's sooo easy. The booth always has a CTA employee in it, which adds to the safety. The Yellowline trains are also generally more on the clean side, which is a plus. Oh, there's a bunch of bike stands if you'd like to ride over and lock your bike. Which leads to the one point deduction. For some reason, there are a bunch of plastic and glass bottles that are laying around, beyond the tracks. This isn't Howard station and the CTA has to make a conscious effort to clean up this mess, because the litterbugs won't be going away, unfortunately - even with waste baskets just a few steps away. There isn't any parking here so be careful not to drop off at Crafty Beaver, you may end up getting a ticket like my neighbor. If need to park, you should park at Dempster Yellowline. All in all, consistent, clean, safe and just one stop away from Howard.

I have always passed by Oakton-Skokie, whether it be in my vehicle or enroute to Dempster-Skokie…read morevia Yellow line: Skokie Swift, but never utilized it despite it having access to places I visit in on a weekly basis. Occasionally I work in the area, and in the past I noted Oakton-Skokie as being the closest public transportation access spot to my job which is why I utilized it. I have to say that I love how well-maintained and easily accessible the stops are in Skokie in comparison to Chicago and Evanston. With that being said, some of the pros & cons I noted of Oakton-Skokie are. Pros: -It connects college students to Oakton Community College, which is only half of a mile away. -Easy accessible grocery stores (Market Place on Oakton & ALDI) that are coincidentally next to each other. -Diverse selection of restaurants within Downtown Skokie. Some noted are Libertad, Village Inn Pizzeria Sports Bar and Grill, Sugo Italian Street Food and De-Jred Fine Jamaican Cuisine. -It connects residents and those living outside of Skokie to events, and businesses in downtown Skokie, such as Skokie Theater; The Historical Society/Heritage Museum; the Public Library; St Peter's Catholic Church and Village Hall. -Wheel chair accessible ramp. -The yellow line - Skokie Swift, operates for weekday and weekend Chicago Cubs night games and Wrigley Field concerts going in-bound to until 12:00 AM on game nights. Cons: -The yellow line - Skokie Swift, does not run all night. Other than for Chicago Cubs night games and Wrigley Field concerts, it runs from Dempster to Howard until 11:15 PM, all week. And from Howard to Dempster until 11:00 PM. Thomas G

The cat needs to figure out how an app works. Don't say a train is going to be 3 minutes when it is…read moreactually pulling into the station. And then again say it's going to be 10 when it's actually 20.

The other day I made a rare weekday-morning appearance at this station, and a CTA employee had just…read moremopped the stairs. So the smell of cleaner was a pleasant/unpleasant change from the usual stink. Jarvis is one of the lesser stations; what do you expect? You show up, pay through the turnstile, wait for the train, and board when it arrives. Not much else to it. Howard station is so close that you can see when your train is departing. However, bonus points for the Onion paperbox outside, and the Chase ATM inside. Slight detraction for the ATM working only 60% of the time. Charmers Cafe across the street for your caffeinated beverage of choice in the morning; Poitin Stil next to it for your final drink of a boozy night out. And wherever you're going after leaving the station, it's a much nicer walk from Jarvis than from Howard.