David Michael Burrow
Scooping the Loop in Chicago (Part 2)
Park & Rides: If you're trying to completely avoid city driving, go to Joliet or Aurora and take the hour and a half ride into Chicago on Metra (...and you'll find that the traffic in those satellite cities is often worse than it is on the expressways in Chicago proper and the parking lots are full by 7am). All the CTA park & rides are fairly close in.
From the west (I-88 from DeKalb and the Quad Cities) the easiest choice is Forest Park station, at the end of the blue line's Congress branch. This is just off I-290 at Desplaines Avenue (Exit 21-B). If the main lot at Forest Park is full (which is unlikely), there are auxiliary lots to the north and just across the interstate to the south. Most of the Forest Park lots now use a central pay system. Pay the machine, and display the receipt in your car window.
From the northwest (I-90 from Rockford and Madison), the Cumberland station is along I-90, about a mile east of the final tollgate at Exit 79-B. (Note this is the SECOND Cumberland Avenue exit--you want the NORTHBOUND exit, even though the station is actually south of the interstate. Also note that you enter from the left-hand side after the tollgate, but you must exit to the right, so you'll need to get over FAST.) There is a huge parking ramp with a covered connection to the Cumberland station. The first twelve hours of parking at Cumberland costs $1.75, but rates rise steeply after that, to discourage long-term parking from O'Hare patrons. On weekends locals often park for free in the lots of the nearby office parks. Also useful is the Rosemont station, which is on the O'Hare access road (I-190) at River Road. Both Cumberland and Rosemont are on the blue line. Rosemont has a more complicated payment system for its lot. The Rosemont lot is huge, but it does fill up--especially for special events such as weekend Cubs games or the 4th of July fireworks. Even if Rosemont is full, though, the hulking ramp at Cumberland is sure to have space.
From the north (I-94 from Milwaukee) there is a huge park-and-ride at Skokie (at Dempster and Skokie) on the yellow line; which is east of I-94 at Exit 37-B. Unfortunately, the train here only runs on business days. There are also smaller park-and-rides at Howard on the red line and at Linden on the purple line, but neither is very convenient to the interstate.
From the southwest (I-55 from Springfield and St. Louis) the Midway and Pulaski stations on the orange line are the most convenient. Both are accessed from I-55. Midway is about 2.5 miles south on Cicero Avenue, while Pulaski is about 1.5 miles south on Pulaski Avenue. While I've never used it, I understand that the Midway lot is almost always filled to capacity--particularly on business days. There are other lots in the Midway area (designed to cater to the park-and-fly business), but they tend to be quite expensive.
Stupidly, there is no convenient park & ride from the east (I-80/I-90/I-94 from South Bend, Detroit, and Cleveland). Logic would say that the enormous station at 95th Street and the Dan Ryan Expressway should have a park-and-ride, but it doesn't. If you come in from Indiana or beyond and want to park in a CTA lot, you'll have to muddle through the clogged traffic on I-80 until you get to the west side of the city, where you can shoot up to Forest Park or Rosemont.
Visitors from the east who want to avoid Chicago traffic might want to choose to take a NICTD South Shore train into the city. NICTD has a large (and free) park-and-ride at their Dune Park station. The station is at the intersection of U.S. 12 and Indiana highway 49, just north of Chesterton, Indiana. It is easily accessible from Exit 39 on the Indiana Tollroad (I-80/90) or from Exit 25 on Interstate 94. South Shore trains run every hour or two. The rather dull trip takes an hour and 15 minutes, and alternates between forest and hideously ugly industy.
There is also no CTA park-and-ride for visitors arriving from the South (I-57 from Kankakee and Memphis). For those who do not wish to go all the way into Midway or Forest Park, the best choice is probably the Hickory Creek station on Metra's Rock Island commuter line. The station just southeast of Exit 145 (U.S. 45) on Interstate 80 in Mokena. This is two exits west of the intersection of I-80 and I-57. Trains run frequently on weekdays, and about every two hours on weekends. The ride is just over an hour. There are also a number of small Metra park-and-rides in Blue Island and Calumet Park, just off I-57 and Burr Oak Avenue. While these areas are not really unsafe, they will look run-down at best to visitors.
Airport Stations: Chicago is the only city in the world with rail transit access to two major airports. O'Hare station (blue line) is under the main parking ramp, about equidistant from all terminals. Pedestrian tunnels lead from the terminals to the station, as well as to the O'Hare Hilton. It's a fair hike from any of the gates, but not impossibly far. It's also possible, though somewhat awkward, to connect to the airport's automated rail system, which serves all terminals and parking areas. The Midway station is an open-cut stop at the end of the orange line across the street from the airport. A rather lengthy elevated walkway with moving sidewalks provides access to the terminal. At either airport, signs to the 'L' say "trains to city".
In the unlikely event that someone was stupid enough to want to connect between the two airports, the route is fairly straight-forward. Take the blue line from O'Hare to the Clark/Lake subway station downtown. Walk or take the elevator upstairs to the el platforms, and take the orange line out to Midway. The entire ride (including connection) takes about an hour and fifteen minutes--though you'd be wise to budget a minimum of two hours between flights (three to four with current security restrictions) to be safe.
The O'Hare connection, especially, is well used. Twenty-four hours a day you'll see people with luggage riding the blue line. It seems that almost every United pilot and flight attendant rides the el to get to work, and the crew for every other airline rides into the city when they have a lay-over. People who live in the city take the el to O'Hare when they need to leave town, and a surprising number of tourists have found that the $2 train fare is much more inviting than paying $40 plus tip for a cab. (The time between the airport and downtown is roughly the same either way, and the train is quicker at rush hour.)
There are no specific restrictions as to what luggage is allowed on CTA trains, but visitors should know that most cars don't have luggage racks. Most people have the standard "stewardess bag" and a carry-on, which can be easily managed on the train. I've seen people who seemed to have their entire life's possessions with them, though. If you leave the airport with a lot of luggage, consider riding in the front car, so the driver will know to take extra time when you get off.
For the record, Amtrak's Union Station and the main Greyhound bus terminal are also convenient to the blue line. Both are very near the Clinton subway station just west of downtown. The blue line station is directly under the Eisenhower Expressway, near the "spaghetti bowl" interchange with the Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressways. The Amtrak station is also a short walk from the green line's Clinton station and from Quincy station (brown/orange/pink/purple) in the Loop.
Mixmasters: One problem with the 'L' is that you have to go downtown to change trains. They badly need a "beltway" line (which has been in the proposal stage for decades). By far the biggest interchange is at Clark & Lake, where the loop lines connect with the blue line subway. The exchange uses escalators and elevators in the neighboring buildings.
Another useful interchange is at the State & Lake station on the loop and the Lake station (which is really at Randolph) on the red line subway. These are separate stations, and you have to leave one and re-enter at the other (about half a block away). If you used a pass or transit card, no additional fare will be deducted when you between subway and el at this station. There is a similar transfer between Library--State & VanBuren on the Loop and the Jackson subway stations on the blue and red lines at the south end of downtown.
The most recently completed transfer is an artistic tunnel at Roosevelt Road, south of the loop. Opened in late 2002, the tunnel traces the history of the universe in a half-block walk between the red line subway and the orange and green line elevated stations.
You can transfer to other lines running the same direction at all loop stations, but you can't normally cross over to the platforms on the other side. For that, ride to Clark & Lake, Adams & Wabash, Washington & Wells, Library--State & VanBuren, or Merchandise Mart.
You can also transfer between the two subways (red and blue lines) at the Washington and Jackson stations. (Note, though, that the Washington red line station is currently closed for construction.) This transfer has improved dramatically in recent years. The pedestrian tunnels used to be dark, narrow, smelly, and downright scary. They're still not luxurious, but at least they now come across as safe.
Another minor interchange is at UIC/Halstead, where the Forest Park and 54/Cermak branches of the blue line separate. (Technically the split is at Racine, but UIC/Halstead is a more important and more pleasant station.) Especially at rush hours, trains are timed so it is easy to transfer at this simple median station from an inbound train on one branch to an outbound train on the other. Note that you can only transfer between the blue line branches (and only at rush hour), not to the pink line that also serves the Cermak area.
The other major transfers are at Fullerton and Belmont on the north side, where the brown and red lines interchange. These are really more important for local people who are making a "V"-shaped trip. The red and brown lines go virtually the same places downtown, but brown is elevated and red is subway. (Travel time is not enough different to matter.) Same-direction transfers at Fullerton and Belmont are made by just walking across the platform (like the express/local transfers in the New York subway); to switch directions, walk downstairs and then up to the opposite platform.
The Washington and Jackson stations on the CTA's red and blue lines connect directly to the city's downtown "pedway", a pedestrian subway that in turn connects directly to many businesses and to the Randolph Street Metra/NICTD commuter train station. West of downtown, the CTA's Harlem/Lake green line terminal connects directly with Metra's Oak Park station. The Jefferson Park blue line station also offers a direct Metra connection. None of the other Metra stations connect directly to CTA. However Union Station is about two blocks north of the blue line Clinton Station, LaSalle Street Station is between the blue line LaSalle station (closed weekends) and the loop's LaSalle station (closed Sundays) and within walking distance of the blue and red Jackson stations, and the Ogilvie Transportation Center (formerly Northwestern Station) is about two blocks south of the green line's Clinton station. A couple of smaller Metra stations are also near CTA el stops.
City Tour: Chicago is the perfect place to take a city tour by train. Not everything will be beautiful, but most of it will be interesting. Every line except the subways has something to see, but the historic els and the inbound ride from Midway are the nicest trips.
Start your tour at Clark & Lake (where you probably arrived from a blue line park & ride). Take the purple line all the way around the loop. You MUST circle the complete loop at least once during your visit; the Loop IS Chicago. You'll have a close-up view of the architectural details on the second and third floors; at times you're just inches from the buildings. Among the more interesting sights are the federal prison near LaSalle station that looks like a computer punch card and the gorgeous river crossing right before the Merchandise Mart stop.
At Merchandise Mart, transfer to the brown line, and follow it north until you get bored. (Belmont is a good turn-around point, or you can go all the way to Kimball). You'll mostly see the backsides of apartment buildings, as the el runs through alleys behind the homes. At street crossings, though, look out the window and see what the north side looks like.
Take the brown line back to the loop and transfer (probably at Washington station) to the orange line. Again ride until you get bored. Go at least as far as Ashland (where you'll mostly see industrial areas), and if you want to see a pretty suburban neighborhood, go all the way to Midway. Turn around, and head back to the loop. On the way back downtown you'll have a spectacular view of the skyline.
Return to Clark & Lake (you've done the complete loop twice now), and if you didn't already come in from O'Hare, take the blue line out towards the airport. Go as far as Logan Square. When the train surfaces from the subway you'll be on one of the highest elevated tracks anywhere, with a spectacular view of the west side neighborhoods. The Wicker Park area near Damen and Western is especially scenic.
If you want to say you've seen every part of the city, take the red line subway to the 35/Sox station on the south side. You'll be right in the middle of the enormous Dan Ryan Expressway next to U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park). The red line's Dan Ryan corridor used to be surrounded by the towers of the infamous Chicago housing projects. Most of "the projects" have been destroyed, but replacement housing is slow in coming. The neighborhood continues to be one of the poorest in the city, and much of the south side looks essentially abandoned. Just west of the ballpark is the leafy Bridgeport neighborhood, home of the first Mayor Daley (the city boss in the '60s) and of some infamous white-on-black racial assaults. By day this area (which now has more Hispanics than any other race) makes for a pleasant walk. Catch a northbound train at Sox-35th. You'll have another skyline view around the Cermak-Chinatown stop.
Another pretty trip is the pink line (or at rush hour the 54/Cermak branch of the blue line). It runs through some poor, but well-kept residential areas, with mostly Hispanic inhabitants. A short walk south from almost any of the stops will take you to the handicraft shops and restaurants of Chicago's own Little Mexico. My favorite Mexican restaurant in the world is "Mi Tierra", about five blocks south of Kedzie station on the pink line. Even without even leaving the stations, you can enjoy lovely murals designed by area youth. A good place to turn around is the Hispanic suburb of Cicero, one stop from the end of the line. On the way back, be sure to catch a view of the United Center arena and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios. Both are near the Paullina Connector, though there is not a stop near either place. The so-called "Douglas line" was recently renovated, and it went from one of the slowest trips in the system to the very fastest.
By transferring again and again downtown you can ride for hours and see whole city--all for just one $2 fare. You might challenge yourself to see EVERY line; if so, just go up to Howard (red or purple lines) and catch the Skokie Swift (yellow). You can say you've been on the green line by riding its arc of the loop; if you want to see where it goes, go south past acres of abandoned lots to East 63rd/Cottage Grove, which is a short walk (safe by day, but not advisable at night) from the University of Chicago, Washington Park, and the DuSable Museum of African American History. Westbound the green line heads past factories and housing projects to the spectacular Garfield Park Conservatory (an enormous and beautiful indoor botanic garden) or on to the stately suburb of Oak Park (Austin, Ridgeland, Oak Park, and Harlem stops)--the hometown of Frank Lloyd Wright, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Bob Newhart, among others.
Stations Near Tourist Attractions: The CTA transit map, which is available at almost all stations, online, and by mail, is your best guide for sightseeing. Because it is designed mainly to show bus routes, it shows the rail lines in the context of surface streets (a major advantage over most transit maps), and it shows you how to get almost anywhere you could possibly want to go. The Virtual El also tells what attractions are near many popular stations.
Among Chicago's most popular attractions are the Sears Tower (one block west of historic Quincy station on the loop), the Art Institute (one block east of Adams station in the loop), Wrigley Field (immediately west of the red line Addison stop), Comiskey Park (officially now called "U.S. Cellular Field", across the overpass to the west of the 35/Sox on the red line), the Old Town theatre district (east of Sedgwick on the brown and purple lines), the Loop theatre district (near State/Lake and Randolph on the loop lines or Washington on the red or blue lines), the Bahai Temple (four blocks east of Linden on the purple line), the Frank Lloyd Wright home and architectural district (near Oak Park station on the green line), and the Grant Park museums (about half a mile east of Roosevelt Road station on the green or orange lines, across an overpass over the God-forsaken Metra right-of-way. (NOTE: Stay on the NORTH side of Roosevelt Road--the side nearest the 'L' station entrance--as you walk, even though the museums are on the south side; the sidewalk on the south side ends short of the museums.)
The poshest shopping district is the Magnificent Mile along North Michigan Avenue, about three blocks east of the red line's Grand and Chicago stops. The crown jewel is the former Marshall Field's flagship (now Macy's), which has a direct entrance to the Washington red line subway and is steps from the Randolph station on the loop. There are also major malls at Merchandise Mart (brown/purple), at the Harlem/Lake stop in Oak Park (green line), near the North/Clybourn stop (red line), and near the Cicero stop on the 54/Cermak branch (blue line). There is also a big shopping center just west of the red line near 87th Street. Eventual plans (for the DISTANT future) call for extending the orange, blue, and yellow lines to major suburban malls.
The United Center is not located in a very good neighborhood. However, during daytime or early evening events, it is practical to take the blue line to the Medical Center stop. While the CTA website advises exiting west to Damen, I'd exit the station to the east (Paulina)--thus avoiding the housing projects to the west. Then walk north past the parking lots of Malcolm X University and United Center itself. While I wouldn't walk this after a late-night game, it would be uneventful on a Sunday afternoon. The arena is also close to the Ashland stop on the green line. Until quite recently only the most streetwise (or foolhardy) would have braved the mostly abandoned public housing that separated the station from United Center. The area is gentrifying, though, and before long it may be a pleasant walk. CTA offers express buses from downtown (along Madison Street) to United Center before all Bulls and Blackhawks games.
Three big attractions--Soldier Field, the McCormick Place Convention Complex, and the world-famous Museum of Science and Industry--can not be practically accessed from CTA trains. However, all of these are convenient to the Metra Electric line, which runs along the lakefront from the Loop to the south suburbs. Soldier Field is near the 18th Street stop, McCormick Place has its own stop near 23rd Street, and Science & Industry is a short walk east of the 55-56-57 stop. Metra Electric runs frequently at rush hour, and roughly hourly at off-peak times, seven days a week. The easiest place to board is at the Randolph Street Terminal downtown. This is an underground complex about a block east of the big Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) store. You can access it from the underground pedway directly from the Washington red or blue line stations, or you can walk east about a block from the elevated Randolph station in the northeast corner of the loop.
Bad Neighborhoods: Much of Chicago is made up of what rural Midwesterners would consider bad neighborhoods. Some el stops are in places that are merely seedy, while other stations are in truly dangerous locations. The notorious parts of Chicago are the south side (served by the red Dan Ryan and the green Jackson Park/Englewood lines) and the west side (served by all three branches of the blue line, as well as the Lake portion of the green line). Riding THROUGH these areas is perfectly safe, and standing on the platforms there is no big deal by day. You'll know when you see the areas, though, why you don't want to leave the stations unless you know EXACTLY where you're going.
In general, sensible visitors who don't know the area will not leave the blue line between UIC-Halstead and Pulaski on the Forest Park branch and will use caution in the same general area on the Cermak branch (a.k.a. pink line--though most would agree the Cermak corridor is safer for visitors than the Eisenhower Expressway area). The Logan Square area on the O'Hare segment can also be a bit rough. Avoid getting off the green line between Clinton and Pulaski (Lake section) and south of Roosevelt Road (Jackson Park/Englewood/63rd Street branches)--except when going to the parks and museums described earlier. Avoid the Dan Ryan red line between 35/Sox and 79th Street. Also be advised that even though there are many tourist-oriented hotels (Travelodge, Best Western, etc.) in the area, the vicinity around "Harrison" on the red line is Chicago's Skid Row.
There are also pockets of bad neighborhoods on the north side, many of which have significantly higher crime rates than the "notorious" neighborhoods. You may have heard of projects like Cabrini Green; public housing is scattered throughout the city, as are run-down rowhouse slums. The el stops near many of these. Fortunately, since you're above ground, you can usually use your best judgment about whether it is safe to get off at a station.
One popular attraction, U.S. Cellular Field (Comiskey Park), is in what some consider one of the worst neighborhoods in America. While most of the towering housing projects that used to surround the ballpark have been town down, this is still not really a good neighborhood. Even the so-called "nice" Bridgeport neighborhood to the west (where the Daley mayoral dynasty comes from) was where black children were brutally beaten in a race-related attack. Before and after ballgames, police stand on the platforms at 35th Street and line the overpass leading to the stadium. LOTS of fans take the train to White Sox games, and with the cops there, it may not be the "friendly confines", but it's perfectly safe.
Don't be too scared by the warnings about bad neighborhoods, though. A lot comes down to just using your common sense. I've broken the "don't get off" rules I just mentioned to go to restaurants and businesses on the south and west sides. For instance, while most whites would probably avoid "King Drive" station on the basis of its name alone, I have used that station several times without incident. I have also frequently visited restaurants and shops in the impoverished Hispanic neighborhoods on the blue and pink lines. I've even walked along the sidewalk right in front of housing projects--once as a shortcut between Chinatown and the newly gentrified South Loop area and once near the East 63rd terminal on the green line near the University of Chicago campus. While I felt out of place both times, nothing remotely bad happened. Near Chinatown there was literally no one outside the projects, and near the U of C the boys who were outside just ignored me. Indeed the only times I have really felt my personal safety might be threatened in Chicago were in the exclusive Gold Coast and Lincoln Park neighborhoods on the north side. I don't advise that the casual reader tempt fate, but neither should you be so scared that you avoid seeing residential Chicago. Use your common sense, and realize all neighborhoods are safer by day than they are after dark.
Links to other sites on the Web
RETURN (Rapid Transit Page)
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago-L.org (History of the Chicago 'L')
CTA Guide on nycsubway.org
The Weekly Breakdown (Riders' Comments on CTA and Metra)
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davidmburrow@yahoo.com
The background music on this page is "Illinois," the official anthem of Mr. Burrow's home state and the state where Chicago is located.
David Burrow is, of course, not in any way associated with the Chicago Transit Authority, nor with Metrarail nor the city of Chicago. All opinions are exclusively his.
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