It's been almost 10 years since my previous review. In that time the Miller station has…read morecompletely transformed thanks to the South Shore Double Track project that completed in May 2024. There's now a larger inside waiting area that folks can wait at for the upcoming trains which now can pass either through Track 1 or 2 (hence the Double Track). Train arrival times can still be unreliable at times but generally now seating is more available though it gets overcrowded again by the time it rolls into East Chicago and Hammond. Initially there was confusion over whether a train would arrive on Track 1 or 2 and at times you'd have to scramble quickly to the other track. But that's gotten better. Overall trip times to and from Millennium have gotten better even though not at the times promised by the new schedules. But they seem to be working on that as they continue to make modifications to the schedule. Good job South Shore!

If you're unfamiliar with the South Shore, you need to know that the Miller station is cash only on…read morethe train. Unlike other stations, the Miller NICTD station does not have a booth or vending, so you must have cash-money in hand when you board. In my experience, the South Shore is generally on time, but don't be surprised if the train is running three, five, ten, or 15 minutes late. It happens. But what's more frustrating is when the train is early. As inconvenient as it sounds, I suggest arriving a minute or two early and maintaining a patient disposition. Ample parking is available as long as you're willing to walk a little bit. I've left my car overnight on several occasions without incident, but I was more than a little nervous each time. I recommend troubling a friend for a ride if you won't be back the same day. As for the actual structure, the station itself is a Miller landmark. I've given directions or estimated arrival times from the Miller NICTD station a zillion times. And every winter I look forward to the fresh greenery, red bows, and twinkling lights at the Miller station as I approach Lake Street from highway 12. Lots of people can't stop hating on the South Shore, but in my opinion, these are folks who take public transportation for granted. Why not crack open a can of beer and let someone else do the driving?

The station is probably one of the nicest ones on the south side outside Beverly. Generally, the…read moresouth side is neglected by the city, but since the Pullman stop here is across from Pullman National Monument, they'll be sure to keep it up. It's a small Metra station that serves the Metra Electric line, which means it's one of those few that goes to Millennium Station, not Ogilvie or Union. The 111th Street Station is located in Zone C for Metra fare purposes. It's one of the least busy in the entire Metra system--apparently there are fewer than 50 people boarding here on average each day. Given its infrequent use, there aren't any services here; you won't find an agent, but on the other hand that means that if you have to buy your ticket on the train you won't pay a surcharge for buying it from the conductor. Parking isn't available for this station but there are CTA bus connections. Most unfortunately, this station is not at all accessible. There's 30+ steps to the platform, but you won't find an elevator here, I'm afraid, so if you need one you'd be better served by finding another station to use.

CTA has an L station on 69th, with the name being the best thing about it: Six Nine baby. Forget…read moreabout it being in the middle of the busy Dan Ryan Expressway. It's nice feeling a breeze from the whizzing cars sometimes. Also forget about it being between the neighborhoods of Englewood and Grand Crossing. The station actually might be the safest place around here. As far as stations, this is the one with the coolest name so it's great for selfies and funny pics for Instagram. It serves the Red Line. This is the first station north of the 95th Street terminal. It doesn't get too busy at this station at rush hour. Mainly because there's not many people going to work. In all seriousness it's not close to anything. There's a few fast food places and pawn shops. Most people get on at 95th and ride on through here. The station itself is surprisingly clean and there's not a bad smell because it's outside. Be aware of the shady ass characters. It has a few but not as many as expected. This Line is the busiest so there's never a long wait for trains.

CTA has an L station on 35th in Bronzeville. It's on the Green Line. Providing another stop for…read moreWhite Sox games, this also is the stop for Illinois Institute Of Technology. Better known as IIT, this is a busier stop when school there is happening The Bronzeville neighborhood also has lots of black owned businesses and other things going on. Go here to avoid the busier trains a few blocks away. It serves the Green Line. The Red Line gets horribly busy for White Sox games so this is a much better way to get in and out. For IIT students this is the stop closest to it. This gets busy when school is in session. Also close to here is a Metra station so you have another transportation choice. The trains run fairly often so no wait for long. Has an outdoor platform meaning there's fresh air. It's mostly clean compared to around here. The station is mostly safe and there's usually no bad smells.

CTA RAPID TRANSIT JUST ROCKS! The Green Line gets you…read moreDowntown from Sox Park quicker than the Red Line. Worth the two block walk to avoid the Red Line crowd. Bronzeville ROCKS!!

One of my favorite stations in the Cta railway, Because it's very close to a target where if I end…read moreup on the south side and I need to get some stuff I can just go to that target! Very clean station, But Trains take a while to get here.

This 35th St/Archer Orange Line Station, which is the next stop going toward the Loop after the…read moreWestern Ave. station, is also my next favorite Orange Line station. The Western Avenue station is my favorite because it is on a boulevard and that's a pretty tough location to beat! This station seems to get quite a bit of light on sunnier days. I think it has a more comfortable feel to it than the Kedzie and Ashland stations. Those stations feel "tucked away" to me - - and not in a cozy-feel type of way. This station has the usual escalator/stairways along with an elevator. I deducted a star because that elevator was out - of - order for about a month last year. Also, it was out another time and no one bothered to put a sign on the platform elevator door--wasted minutes waiting for an elevator that was not working! I have since found out that you can sign up for alerts regarding the elevators--it's nice to know in advance if they aren't working. The first couple of times that I added money to my CTA card on the Ventra vending machines, I asked the CTA attendants for assistance. Both times they were very kind and did not make me feel like I was bothering them. Sometimes people in this sort of job can do that! Luckily, not the case here. They were pleasant, helpful and willing to assist. There is a Dunkin Donuts in this station, which could be a plus, however, according to the current reviews on this DD Yelp business page, it could also be a disappointment. There are connections to four bus routes at this station : #35 (31st/35th Street), #39 (Pershing Road), #50 (Damen Avenue) and #62 (Archer Avenue). CTA - Review #2 McKinley Park Neighborhood - Review #3

It's a tiny little station, but it's a nice one. They do need to remodel the bathroom though, or…read moreexpand and add another one on, if there were two stalls it would be a little nicer instead of 1. Since they re did the platform it's really nice now, I was super impressed. Def recommend hopping on the train here instead of driving in if you're planning on doing some shopping on Michigan Ave. The conductors are pretty nice and helpful too.

Great visitor center with friendly park rangers available to answer questions. They offer maps,…read morebrochures, and passport stamp stations for National Park Passport holders. The center also has a gift shop, coffee shop, clean public restrooms, and a nice selection of local artwork for sale. A great first stop when visiting the area!

This visitor's center is geared to the National Park. The grounds are beautiful with many native…read moreplants to see. There is a free theater on site that shares dunes history and current facts on a continuous loop. Gift shop is great. You might find National Park logo gear, local distillery non alcoholic merch and a small satellite Fluid Coffee Shop. There are a few park rangers on site to give advice on walking/hiking trails. They are also happy to answer any questions about the Indiana Dunes National Park. The lakeshore has two separate parks - a National Park and a State Park. Each park has a lot of similar attractions and a few different. If you have a yearly National Park Pass, I recommend going to the National Park. If you are an Indiana resident the State Park is a $7 admission per vehicle or $20 for out of state visitors.

took this tour of northside ghosty locations yesterday with family and friends. this was the…read moresecond time we've gone on one of the tours having taken the southside tour last year. our guide, dale kascmarek is extremely knowledgeable and a great driver. he came to pick eleven of us up in a passenger van which is wired with speakers all the way in the back so he can be heard by everyone on his mic as he explained the locations and stories behind them. the tour usually take roughly four hours but last night took a little longer because we got stuck in city traffic a couple of times. he took us to the st valentine's day massacre site, graceland cemetery, rosehill cemetery robinson woods and other locations, each time giving us a full explanation of each place and the stories behind them. there were several spots where we could get out of the van and take pictures which was very cool. dale welcomes all questions and is friendly and accommodating. the only down side is that with the traffic and all, it did get a little long but that wasn't his fault. saturday night in the city is like that. i'd recommend the south side tour over the north side one though only because there are more "get off the bus" locations and just more locations in general. we're going again next year :) .