As a California resident, I look at Chicago's public transit system and am filled with envy…read more The trains aren't the cleanest nor do they smell the best, but no one can argue their affordability, efficiency, and convenience. The Chicago transit system is affectionately coined as the "L", short for elevated. One of the most popular trains in Chicago is known as the Blue Line which is 34 miles long and encompasses 33 stations. The part I love most is that it's connected to the O'Hare Airport and goes directly downtown which is the Clark/Lake station. No need to spend a $50+ taxi/Uber ride to get to your destination! The Blue Line can get you downtown for a flat fee of $5 (with one free transfer). It does take 40 minutes, but with the horrendous traffic in Chicago, a taxi ride can take much longer than that and certainly cost a fortune. If going back to O'Hare, it'll only cost $3. ---- Conclusion: Dear Los Angeles, take note of these systems in Chicago and revolutionize the transport game for SoCal someway, somehow. Thanks! Extra Notes: -Accepts credit card and cash -If using cash, have exact change as the machine doesn't give change back -Blue Line runs 24/7! -An unlimited one day pass costs $10, and a three day, unlimited pass costs $20 -If visiting Chicago for the weekend, I recommend just paying for the ride to and from O'Hare. Most of the popular sights in Chicago are within walking distance or a short Uber away. -Be wary of your bags and wallet as the people on the train station can be suspect. -Restrooms in the train stations are dirty. There aren't any restrooms physically inside the train.

Another lame station and pretty nasty place to be. Irving Park has a station on the Blue Line. Of…read moreimportance is that it's one of the last stops before O'Hare. Metra also has a station you can get to from here. This has a reputation for being windy. Busy station compared to any. It serves the Blue Line. This is one of the final stops before the L gets to O'Hare, and so it's busy most of the time. It has numerous transportation options surrounding it. There's a Metra station, the UP Northwest Line, that's here so you can easily transfer between these. Also there's a parking lot for those in cars. The Kennedy goes along this station and it's fucking loud. Pulaski is another major street close by. There's no need to say a lot of people pass through here daily, so it's not good for those with social anxiety, or those who don't like smelling body odor. Good transportation options make this as good as it is. It also is close to many restaurants and shopping, so it gets points for location. This gets even better if you're able to hold your breath, and avoid the rancid stench.

All Metra stations are NOT created equally. The Irving Park Metra Station wasn't created at all,…read morereally. It's more of a Metra stop, not Metra station. I love riding the Metra, I really do, but the Irving Park Metra Station is pretty non-existent save for a platform and three or four "shelters," which are really just roofs on support posts. In the winter, there is no protection from the wind and elements. I suggest hiding out in the stairwells to the platform until the train comes when it's really cold and windy. The address for this Metra stop is kind of deceiving. The address listed above is the official address used on the Metra site, but the location of the inbound platform is really the Irving Park Road entrance to the Kennedy Expressway. The location of the outbound platform is really the intersection of north Avondale and Kedvale avenues. Another note about this Metra stop is that there is no pedestrian bridge extending over the tracks from the inbound and outbound platforms. The only way to get from one platform to the other is to walk all the way around to the traffic bridge at Irving Park Road and Avondale. Also, there is no parking lot for this stop, but there are metered parking spots on Avondale Avenue. There's not much to this Metra station. It gets two stars because of its location, which is right next to the Irving Park Blue Line stop, but that's really its only positive.

Been taking the Metra PNW line for the last 8 yrs. Hopped on and off from Clybourn and Irving Park…read more Metra is weird during bad weather, but I have never experienced train switching sides, knock on wood, and would be impossible to cross to the otherside should that happen. If you must drive, Irving Park is an easier option for free street parking along Avondale east of Kedvale. Outbound train has 2 stairs, 1) by Kedvale and 2) handicap ramp access by Byron along Avondale. To get to the inbound train, there is one main ramp near the 90/94 east entrance. They are not stations, just platforms. Can we get some heaters around here or maybe a wall? even the bus stops have those glass shelters you can hide yourself in from the wind. The speakers for delayed announcements are terrible. I can hear the CTA blue line across the street past the sounds of the highway better than the Metra loudspeaker I'm standing under. The streets on Avondale don't really get shoveled much during the winter and since it tends to be empty of cars overnight, any snow accumulation can become an icy frozen barricade. I've been stuck out there a few times. As much as I like to complain, there is nothing like waiting on the platform seeing the sunrise from downtown, the glorious build up of traffic on the expressway and then hopping on the train perchance to sleep once more before getting to work.

This is definitely the best budget option back-and-forth to Chicago to O'Hare. At rush-hour it's…read morecertainly the best downside is they make at least 2530 stops so it's not quick, but it is clean.

I've been there just once, as had to get to the shuttle bus, because of railway's maintenance…read morebetween Addison and Western. The station is above the ground and ok.

Four stars is a lot to give this station, considering that it looks like a gas station from the…read moreoutside. This stop was built at a time when people turned their back on making interesting looking small scale architecture and instead built Soviet style structures. Of course Moscow has some of the most beautiful subway systems in the world, but I just thought of that and do not have another adjective. Even the surrounding plaza which recently was spruced up with some trees is still bleak and wishing it had a fountain or team of mimes. What the Logan Square station gives up in aesthetics, however, it more than makes up for in charm and a fellowship of good manners from people who have a concept of how to behave in an urban environment. At any time of day there is a mixture of people that cannot be found too many other places. There are hipsters hopping, immigrants migrating, and first time visitors heading across the street to black out at the numerous whiskeymats. And is there a crosswalk on Kedzie for the over two million annual users of the station? No, but I soon as I have enough money in my paint budget, I will be fixing that. Still, this station is to good manners what Clark and Lake is to ignorance to urban mores. People stand to the right and walk to the left on the escalator. At street level there is a two single file lines for the east and west Diversey buses. The line is so strictly adhered to that it sometimes backs up all the way to the up escalator which creates it's own interesting problem. Four stars and three cheers for this CTA station: hip, hip, hipster.

If you enter from the Milwaukee street side and walk down the platform, going to the loop on on the…read moreright-hand side and you have to walk away from the escalator where you went down from because the train stops on the other end, for the line that goes downtown.

I absolutely love this line of the Metra. This stop is a standard city location as it doesn't not…read morehave an actual housing/sheltered facility for waiting unlike its suburb stops on the way (Union Station is the exception to this). With that said, it can be pretty cold in the winter months waiting on the train but if you can live with that, then this is the stop for you. The train is usually on time and I love that I can walk to this stop in under 2 minutes right after I get off the CTA Blue Line Montrose stop

Nothing fancy here....yet. I've lived in the neighborhood for over 25 years and didn't know this…read moreplace was an active Metra spot until 5 years ago when Google showed me the fastest way to get to work lol. It looks pretty run down from the street so I thought it was always one of those abandoned Chicago train stops. I guess I was wrong. I mean it gets you to where u need to go, there are benches to sit on with the occasional homeless person taking shelter there. (If I was homeless I'd be doing the same thing?). No heating lamps available during the winter but there is a shelter where the benches are available. But guess what? They just started doing construction on this stop as of June 2017 and hopefully it gets remodeled? Keeping my fingers crossed!

As Metra stations go, this is bare-bones. It's 2 platforms with an un-gated crossing and no…read moreservices. There's a sheltered bench on each side, and the shelters are fairly deep--way better than a bus shelter. The station is reached by a standard urine-soaked stairway or ramp. The locale seems a bit sketchy to me, although fine during the day. W did see Metra Police on the platform and boarding the train on one visit, which makes me feel safer. There are tacos available within blocks of the station, as is Studio 41, a home renovation showroom (my reason for using the station). What's cool about this station (if you're traveling with a 5 year old who's utterly obsessed with rail travel) is the spur that splits off from the main line, just past the platform. Both times we visited, a CSX freight engine was delivering railcars to a factory, so we got to watch workers manually operate the switch, decouple cars, return the switch to it's original setting and head back to the depot. Big doings. We also saw long freight trains, coming past between Metra trains. So, it's great if you're into trains, and also if you're trying to hit the west edge of Logan Square and you don't want to walk from the El.

Pretty wide area with some seating but not a lot. Only on benches scattered in the area. There is a…read morelarge heating area for when it's cold. Pick-up/drop-off is easy because of the roundabout layout. Not a lot of parking though. Steps away from 7-11.

Awesome place! I travel from here a lot. Buses are nice and the crime here is during the night. The…read moreblue line is pretty safe on the north side so I have no issue. The metra here is awesome too!

It's awesome to see a main station be spacious. What struck me was being told the bus service was…read morecut back... This is way better than the other locations with a small roof and tight platform. If only they can keep this consistency at all other locations!

I always took this train some times they are delayed but this week they are really really late I…read morewas waiting for 40 Minutes to took this train

Its a train station. There is parking but not too much. There isn't a place to buy tickets so you…read moremust buy them on the train.