CTA Help

[Long Train Runnin']

I have a few questions about CTA. I have a layover in Chicago and I would like to ride "the loop". From the map it looks like the loop is a few blocks away from Union station.

Questions?

Can I buy a Chicago card at any of the stations on the loop? Or is it one of those order beforehand only kind of deal?

Whats the right combination of trains to ride the "Loop"?

How long does it take?

Is it safe, or how does it compare to say the Washington Metro or NYC Subway?

Should I ride more then just the loop is there a route you would recommend?

Is there a good place to tie this trip in with lunch at giordanos?

Thanks

 

[p&sr]

Can I buy a Chicago card at any of the stations on the loop?

Inside Union Station, at the Metra Ticket Counter, there is a machine where you can buy a 24-hour pass for the CTA.

If you are just taking this one ride, you can buy a ticket at Quincy Station.

What's the right combination of trains to ride the "Loop"?

I just got back from Chicago. Between trains, I rode the "Brown" line, which gives a very nice tour. You board at the Quincy Station (Quincy and Wells)... just cross the River from Union Station, walk to the far side of the Sears Tower, then find Quincy mid-block on the far side of the Sears Tower. Another short block is Wells, and the L-Station. The Brown Line goes counter-clockwise around the Loop, and is Southbound at Quincy, so you'll use the platform closest to the Sears Tower. Riding the Train to the end of the line ("Kimball") shows you the Loop, crosses the Chicago River downtown, zig-zags through interesting neighborhoods on the northside (with good views of the Hancock Tower), crosses the Metra line to Kenosha, and crosses the Chicago River again in a residential area with a "pastoral" feel (lots of trees and private boat docks). After some grade-level street crossings, you come to Kimball, where you exit and (no extra fee if you don't leave the Station) board the next inbound train for the Loop. The return train gives the best views I have found of the Chicago skyline, showing the entire built-up area clearly and at close range.

If you exit either at Quincy or at the next stop, you are pretty close to Giordano's. As to safety, the ride should be comfortable and pleasant anytime during daylight hours.

Allow about 2 hours all told for the Brown Line tour. Timing is about 45 minutes each way, plus waiting for trains, plus walking to and from Union Station.

Enjoy!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Can I buy a Chicago card at any of the stations on the loop?

Inside Union Station, at the Metra Ticket Counter, there is a machine where you can buy a 24-hour pass for the CTA.

If you are just taking this one ride, you can buy a ticket at Quincy Station.

What's the right combination of trains to ride the "Loop"?

I just got back from Chicago. Between trains, I rode the "Brown" line, which gives a very nice tour. You board at the Quincy Station (Quincy and Wells)... just cross the River from Union Station, walk to the far side of the Sears Tower, then find Quincy mid-block on the far side of the Sears Tower. Another short block is Wells, and the L-Station. The Brown Line goes counter-clockwise around the Loop, and is Southbound at Quincy, so you'll use the platform closest to the Sears Tower. Riding the Train to the end of the line ("Kimball") shows you the Loop, crosses the Chicago River downtown, zig-zags through interesting neighborhoods on the northside (with good views of the Hancock Tower), crosses the Metra line to Kenosha, and crosses the Chicago River again in a residential area with a "pastoral" feel (lots of trees and private boat docks). After some grade-level street crossings, you come to Kimball, where you exit and (no extra fee if you don't leave the Station) board the next inbound train for the Loop. The return train gives the best views I have found of the Chicago skyline, showing the entire built-up area clearly and at close range.

If you exit either at Quincy or at the next stop, you are pretty close to Giordano's. As to safety, the ride should be comfortable and pleasant anytime during daylight hours.

Allow about 2 hours all told for the Brown Line tour. Timing is about 45 minutes each way, plus waiting for trains, plus walking to and from Union Station.

Enjoy!

Sounds good as it will give me a better tour of the area, and the timing is right. Thanks I found the CTA site to be near worthless seems reasonable though.

 

[AlanB]

This is in fact exactly what those attending the First AU Gathering did, or at least most as we accidentally lost a few members who followed the original plan. We rode around the loop on the Brown line and out to the end. On the return ride on the Brown, we finished the western leg of the Loop and then went to dinner at Giordano's.

 

[Longford]

I live in Chicago, and I like the earlier suggestion about traveling the Brown Line - it's of the more interesting of possibilities.

About where to eat: you seem focused on pizza so I'll suggest Lou Malnati's. Chicago is a city where thin crust pizza reigns supreme, but there is a certain number of people - and many tourists - who like the deep dish or stuffed pizzas some places offer . . . and Lou Malnati's is about as popular as a pizza place gets in Chicago.

The closest Malnati's restaurant to Union Station is adjacent to the Merchandise Mart and you can view it and it's proximity to the station when you visit Lou Malnati's website: http://www.loumalnatis.com/

A short walk from the station is an excellent home-style, Italian restaurant . . . Bombacigno's J & C Restaurant at 558 W. Van Buren St. It's a "hidden gem" that's been there almost 40 years and popular with Chicagoans familiar with the neighborhood. Here's a link to a review of the restaurant: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bombacignos-j-and-c-inn-chicago

Enjoy the layover!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I live in Chicago, and I like the earlier suggestion about traveling the Brown Line - it's of the more interesting of possibilities.
About where to eat: you seem focused on pizza so I'll suggest Lou Malnati's. Chicago is a city where thin crust pizza reigns supreme, but there is a certain number of people - and many tourists - who like the deep dish or stuffed pizzas some places offer . . . and Lou Malnati's is about as popular as a pizza place gets in Chicago.

The closest Malnati's restaurant to Union Station is adjacent to the Merchandise Mart and you can view it and it's proximity to the station when you visit Lou Malnati's website: http://www.loumalnatis.com/

A short walk from the station is an excellent home-style, Italian restaurant . . . Bombacigno's J & C Restaurant at 558 W. Van Buren St. It's a "hidden gem" that's been there almost 40 years and popular with Chicagoans familiar with the neighborhood. Here's a link to a review of the restaurant: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bombacignos-j-and-c-inn-chicago

Enjoy the layover!

Thanks for the other food ideas but I am locked into getting a pizza at giordanos it was really good when I was there last year!

 

[fizzball]

The closest Malnati's restaurant to Union Station is adjacent to the Merchandise Mart and you can view it and it's proximity to the station when you visit Lou Malnati's website: http://www.loumalnatis.com/

Hey Longford, I've tried to preach the virtues of non-Giordano's pizza here before, to no avail. Chicago's fourth-best deepdish reigns supreme amongst the railfans. :lol:

 

[jack615]

Only 4th? Well then I want to go to the best when I am in town for 12 hours between trains myself in July. I am definitely going to check out this Lou's place.

Jack

 

[fizzball]

Only 4th? Well then I want to go to the best when I am in town for 12 hours between trains myself in July. I am definitely going to check out this Lou's place.

IMO I'd rank them:

(tie) Burt's Place and Pequod Pizza. Two tiny, cozy pizza places within blocks of each other in the suburb of Morton Grove. Both are very near the Morton Grove Metra stop on the Milw. District North line (to Fox Lake). This guy Burt started Pequod's in the early 70s, sold it, retired, then unretired to start Burt's Place in '89. Both restaurants have very similar products, and are known for the lacy caramelized cheese along the crust. The thing to do here is to call ahead and tell them when you're rolling in--neither have many tables. (Also, cash only at Burt's).

3. Lou Malnati's. If you don't have time to get out of downtown, this is the better of the big deepdish chains. The notorious item here is the sausage pizza, where the sausage is a slab between the crust and sauce. If you're Atkins-ing, that slab of meat serves as the crust.

4. Giordano's. Too much cheese in proportion to the other toppings. YMMV, of course.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

While I don't wanna jump into the pizza debate I do have a question about CTA. When I get to Qunicy what brown line train do I take? Does it work like uptown downtown. Outbound Inbound?

Thanks.

 

[AlanB]

You don't have a choice, all Brown line trains run on the outer loop. You can't catch a Brown line train on the inner loop, and therefore can't go in the wrong direction.

The Brown line only runs north of Downtown. So all southbound trains headed to the center of the city (aka The Loop), enter the loop by continuing to run south. That puts them on the outer track or outer loop, they run along that making left turns at each corner of the loop, until they reach the northwest corner where they originally entered the loop. At that point the train leaves the loop and heads back north to the other end of the line.

If you take a look at this map and look in the lower left hand corner, after blowing it up, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

You don't have a choice, all Brown line trains run on the outer loop. You can't catch a Brown line train on the inner loop, and therefore can't go in the wrong direction.
The Brown line only runs north of Downtown. So all southbound trains headed to the center of the city (aka The Loop), enter the loop by continuing to run south. That puts them on the outer track or outer loop, they run along that making left turns at each corner of the loop, until they reach the northwest corner where they originally entered the loop. At that point the train leaves the loop and heads back north to the other end of the line.

If you take a look at this map and look in the lower left hand corner, after blowing it up, you'll see what I mean.

Phew, thanks. This is simple lol just get on any brown line train and its the right one. Thanks that makes it really simple. Even I couldn't mess that up.

 

[TVRM610]

You don't have a choice, all Brown line trains run on the outer loop. You can't catch a Brown line train on the inner loop, and therefore can't go in the wrong direction.
The Brown line only runs north of Downtown. So all southbound trains headed to the center of the city (aka The Loop), enter the loop by continuing to run south. That puts them on the outer track or outer loop, they run along that making left turns at each corner of the loop, until they reach the northwest corner where they originally entered the loop. At that point the train leaves the loop and heads back north to the other end of the line.

If you take a look at this map and look in the lower left hand corner, after blowing it up, you'll see what I mean.

Phew, thanks. This is simple lol just get on any brown line train and its the right one. Thanks that makes it really simple. Even I couldn't mess that up.

That is exactly why I love CTA sooo much! I can not tell you how many times I have gotten on the subway in NYC only to realize Times Square is UPTOWN from NY Penn (hey I'm a tourist!). Fortunately... I've gotten much better. But yes.. I do love the simplicity of trains being INBOUND (towards the loop) or OUTBOUND. Another reason why Chicago is my favorite city is the rail transportation provides a wonderful tour of the area... since it is elevated (most of it). Some may think the "El" is ugly... I think its beautiful... too each there own.

Final comment... Personally I have ridden subway systems in Philly, NYC, Washington DC, Boston and LA and I have always felt the safest about riding the CTA. There stations are kept so clean, (as is the whole city of Chicago), plus the whole being outside in the open thing probably has alot to do with it. Just my feelings on that.

 

[Amtrak901]

2 blocks or so from Chicago Union Station is walk down Clinton to the Blue line, switch to the Red Like at Jackson, if your a sports fan, you can fallow the Red Line each way to both of Chicago's ballparks. Wrigley Field in the north and U.S. Cellular Field/New Comiskey to the south

 

[chertling]

Inside Union Station, at the Metra Ticket Counter, there is a machine where you can buy a 24-hour pass for the CTA.

I know the OP was quite a while ago, but I have to put my two cents in. When I visited Chicago in April, the 24 hour passes were NOT available at machines near the Metra ticket counter. Multiday passes were available, but single day ones were not. After asking around, I discovered you could buy a single day pass at the CVS immediately North of the station (130 S. Canal)