My husband and I took the L train during our weeklong stay in Chicago. Grand is an underground…read moretrain station run by the CTA. It's on the Red line, which is one of the lines that runs 24/7. Grand station was the closest to the hotel where we stayed, so we often went to this one whenever we traveled to further neighborhoods in the city. It's a busy station and very reminiscent of the NYC subway.

The CTA in Chicago in general is pretty good for getting around, especially to and from the airport…read morein my opinion. I think it's slightly nicer than the NYC subway, but not by much. The platforms really look similar, and are pretty easy to navigate. There is usually a staff member in the help booth and they're pretty nice if you're confused (I had to ask one of them a question the first time I rode the CTA). Overall, I think the number of stops/lines available is pretty good; it's not quite as good as NYC or other countries e.g. Seoul, SK -- but if you're staying downtown for instance, you can get around pretty easily and to/from the airport with minimal walking to get to a nearby station and either connect to or go direct to the airport. I'm very glad the CTA is available as an option for visitors and folks who live here since parking is paid almost everywhere, and definitely limited (especially downtown!).

The Neighborhood- You can see Wrigley Field in the distance!…read more Go Cubs Go! The neighborhood has a suburban feel which is nice-there is a small Japanese-Thai Restaurant to the right after exiting the station. It has outdoor seating-it is called Yindee. I want to go back and try it. https://www.yelp.com/biz/yindee-chicago There is also an animal hospital/clinic to the left after exiting the station which is good to know. The Platform and Trains- The Addison Station is extremely clean-there are even recycling bins on both sides of the platforms. Furthermore the layout of the interior of the Brown Line CTA train cars provide "individuals" with "individual seating" options instead of being squished in-between people on the Red Line.

I have a dorky side, and that dorky side was eagerly looking forward to the grand opening of the…read morenew and improved Addison brown line station. The day after the anticipated opening, I made a special trip here to absorb the wonderful newness and freshness that's so foreign to the CTA. Mind you, the special trip did not qualify as a day's trip, as I live only two blocks away. I'm not that big of a dork to travel any further for this. ;) For the first time in my life, I was not afraid to touch the door handles in order to enter the station, as they were new and shiny as opposed to the familiar rusty ones that are covered in muck and germs. Out of habit, I expected to smell stale piss as I entered the station, but, to my surprise, the station had the "new smell" of concrete and paint. Ah, what grandness! I was loving every minute of it! As soon as I arrived to the platform, the train was just pulling up. On any other day, I would've been thrilled, but on that particular day, I was disappointed as I wanted to explore the platform. Yeaaaaah, you don't need to say it. I'm a dork. On a later date, I was able to look around the platform. It's a lot bigger than it was before, and everything is brand new, except the stairs. That was kind of odd. The trains seem to run faster now, but it's probably because I enjoy being at the station so much that I don't mind waiting for a while as much as I did before when the station was still a disgusting mucky mess. Thanks, CTA!

West loop... Another…read moregreat station in west side loop what's great with this rail system or this particular "loop" ride is that it really reminds me of Japan as they announce the upcoming station along with transfer with digital displays as well of the next stop date and time. Access to the platform is simple stairs or elevator and it's a matter of which direction of your destination and see many bring their e-bikes and scooter making getting around town easy. Thank you!

Yeah... I like. I know I'm speaking of a train station, but that doesn't change that it's always a…read moregood day when I visit CTA - Morgan. I could tell you this is because of the Fulton Market area, but I believe such places ought to be judged by their own merits, rather than the area where they find themselves. Morgan is a modern station. While not a work of art, per se, the tasteful use of stainless steel with some design elements gives it a more pleasant look than the old, worn, vanilla found in other 'L' stations. (Let's put aside for now those with old charm.) Morgan is also clean, well-lit, easy to navigate, fully accessible, and wider than average. These features aren't necessarily rare, but a station is better when they're present. Ample signage, too! Finally, seating here is limited, but this is typical of almost all stations, and while I think I know the reasons, this is not the forum to discuss them. Thus, Morgan earns a spot among the better of CTA stations, with standouts being its modern design, cleanliness, and accessibility.

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.

Post-Renovation Review:…read more Berwyn station was closed when I moved to Chicago. Recently, the renovated station opened, and looking at old photos, the CTA made excellent choices! It seems like the old Berwyn resembled the current Thorndale - too narrow and cramped. The new Berwyn is clean (for now), wide, has more than ample, clear signage, and is fully accessible. While not the work of art some of Sweden's T-Bana are, the lobby has splashes of color, and the platform is sleek, modern, and offers protection from the elements. My biggest criticism is to do with the benches. The angled, metal benches that require sustained effort to not slide off are more discomfort than they're worth. So much so I chose to stand rather than sit for 10-ish minutes. I get it, the CTA wants to discourage loitering, but it seems they've done so almost *too* well.

I get a lot of crap from my girlfriend for reviewing CTA stops, but I still think it is important…read more Truth is, despite the fact that CTA regulates all stops, not all stops are created equal. As a rule, I never give less than three stars to a transit stop simply because they do what I need them to do... get me from somewhere to somewhere else. I really enjoy the Berwyn stop. For a station pretty far out of the loop, it is generally clean and feels safe at all hours of the day. With the recent construction on the Argyle stop, I have had the choice between walking to the Lawrence stop or Berwyn for my Red Line needs... and though Lawrence is a bit closer I go to Berwyn more often than not because it is a more pleasant experience. Now I understand that this stop will be going through some maintenance. Hopefully this will only make one of my favorite stops better.

We were here three times. First time, when we arrived from Portland. We had dinner at the station…read more Then, we went outside to catch our Taxi, to our hotel. There were some restaurants, that were open still, and tables & chairs, like a food court at the mall. We have no problem finding seats/table. It was not hard to find a Taxi, but we didn't follow the sign, so it was our fault! There were helpful assistance, along the way, to direct us where the elevator or where to exit for Taxi. The 2nd time we were there, caught the Hiawatha Train to Milwaukee, with our group. While waiting there, at the Great Hall, the noise from the musician was so loud, it was almost UNBEARABLE! I had ear plugs, most of the time, since I have one good ear, I was sensitive to loud noises. This was worst than going to concerts. The 3rd time we were here, was when we caught the Empire Building back to Portland. We waited in a room for handicapped, families with children, old people like us. It was plenty of seats, it was 100% quieter, compared to the Great Hall, and the restrooms were just around the corner from us. We sat in the corner, where I can also charge my phone, until it's time to leave. It was convenient, since the outside door, are just steps away from the boarding car.

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!

The attendant was incredibly patient and helpful. It was my first time in the city and while a lot…read moreof people treated me like I was dumb for getting confused about the bus system and the L at first too she just calmly explained it to me and helped me get where I need to go :)

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.

This station is brand-spanking new and replaces the old Randolph/Wabash station that was located…read moreone block north of Washington/Wabash. Same elevated platform station, except the platform has these modern coverings made of metal and curving glass that show some sleekness in the station's design. The platforms are made of concrete (not the typical wood as seen in Adams/Wabash a stop over). The entrance points for the station are closer to the northern part of the intersection where there are all the ticketing machines/CTA agents on the intermediate level and then ascend up more stairs to get to the platform.

This was one of the nicer L stations in the Loop. This station serves the brown, green, orange,…read morepink, and purple line trains. It's a very convenient station as it is centrally located in the Loop. I have used it to go over to the Millennium Park or to the Target store on State St. There are also several fast food restaurants nearby if you're looking for something quick to eat.