Posted October 14, 200717 yr Chicago - October 2007 - Part II There's a stretch of Devon that's interestingly multi-ethnic. Here, groups that are at each other's throats halfway around the world are coexisting, working and shopping side-by-side. Quite a few of the shops have multi-lingual signage, and some grocers sell items favored by multiple ethnic groups. To get there, transfer to the 155 Devon bus at Morse or Loyola (Red Line). You'll know when you've reached the right area by the colorful signs and spicy, savory food aromas. I think things start to get interesting around the 2000 block. I suppose Ramadan is why things were pretty quiet on Devon and a lot of shops weren't open during the afternoon. Regardless, it's still a colorful place despite the chilly, windy weather that overnight replaced sunny skies and warm weather. No matter what ethnicity or religion, we all need and share infrastructure. Some updating going on here. If I recall correctly, the Russian businesses are sort of clustered around the intersection of Devon with California. I've read that this is the only Georgian bakery in Chicago. Its products are highly regarded. Time for a bus back to Loyola and a transfer to a northbound Red Line train for some more rail touring. I prefer Loyola over Morse for the transfer, because Loyola is a nicer station with shops and restaurants around it. To be blunt, Morse is a smelly, desolate dump. Time out for a rant. I'm accustomed to rail illiteracy in news and entertainment media, where writers with no understanding of or interest in railroad history or technology write senseless stuff and refer to anything on rails, even a rotting wood-decked flatcar at the end of a weed-choked, long-abandoned siding, as a "train" or describe commuter electrics as "chugging," but I'd expect a museum or historical organization to have at least one person on board who knows and loves trains, or at least a friend who could edit stuff for them. It completely baffles me how this transit card/poster could get past anyone with even a superficial knowledge of trains. It's not an obscure or insignificant mistake. While it's true that the Golden State Limited first ran in 1902 - pulled by a steam locomotive and running with heavyweight coaches - it didn't get diesel locomotives and lightweight streamlined cars until 1947 or 1948. The first streamlined EMD diesel-electric locomotives rolled out in the late 1930s, but because of World War II, they didn't become commonplace on most railroads until the Post-WWII era. OK. I'm calm now. I didn't add any photos from my change of trains at Howard, because I already covered Howard Street in Part I. I'm on a Purple Line train headed for to Linden and back. Some of these have some blur, because the train was moving fairly fast and swaying some, and the light was poor. On the return trip to Howard, I think this is Davis. It looks like one of the more impressive CTA station structures. Back at Howard I transferred to a Yellow Line train shown here at Dempster. The Yellow Line runs express (no intermediate stops) to Dempster following the former route of the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, an electric interurban line that operated until the early 1960s with some trains capable of 80 - 90mph speeds. I don't know what the running speed is for the Yellow Line trains, but they move along pretty briskly. On the previous generation of cars, the wind used to whistle around the windows. Indoor bike parking! What will they come up with next? I've been delighted to see transit systems make the transition over the past several years from being outright bike-hostile to bike-embracing. A train lays over behind the fence near the bus transfer area at Dempster. A Venti Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks in the beautiful 1925 North Shore interurban station provided a welcome respite from the cold wind. The North Shore right-of-way is still very visible north of the station. Until the 1990s, I think, the CTA trains still operated under catenary north of Prairie Avenue. They left Howard running on third rail, and made the switch to pantograph at speed. Some years ago CTA fenced the right-of-way and converted the whole line to third rail, but the catenary bridges still stand. Transit ridership is growing on most sytems and people are asking for more and better service, and the elected officials still haven't gotten the message. They hold to their conviction that public transit should make a profit while competing with the streets, roads and expressways that government agencies continue to pour tax dollars into. It's crazy that while gas prices rise dramatically, some big systems are being forced to cut service and some smaller ones are shutting down altogether. I'll stop now, before this turns into another rant. Last day - done with all my stuff, I was waiting for my South Shore train to Indiana at the 57th Street Metra Electric station when a northbound freight rumbled past. One time I saw an outbound Amtrak train pass here, but it all happened too fast for me to get my camera out of my backpack. Thanks for stopping by!
October 14, 200717 yr Awesome! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 14, 200717 yr Nice! Yeah, the raise in fares sucks. It doesn't help that so many of the CTA el lines need refurbishing or replacement. Did you take the purple line express from Howard to downtown at all? That thing can pick up some speed. I always loved the brief moments where the wheels would leave the tracks for a moment on a turn, and come crashing back down sending sparks all over the place.
October 14, 200717 yr Nice! Yeah, the raise in fares sucks. It doesn't help that so many of the CTA el lines need refurbishing or replacement. Did you take the purple line express from Howard to downtown at all? That thing can pick up some speed. I always loved the brief moments where the wheels would leave the tracks for a moment on a turn, and come crashing back down sending sparks all over the place. A couple of times a year I go to the University of Chicago Medical Center for followup exams; ten years ago they saved my life after local doctors told me my cancer was beyond treatment. Usually I stay overnight at LaPorte and take the South Shore train from Michigan City to 57th Street for an early morning appointment. That works well, and doesn't cost a lot. This time I thought I'd try staying in Chicago to maybe reduce the morning commute time. The Super 8 Motel at Sheridan and Chase was a lot less expensive than anything downtown, and in a pleasant neighborhood. Well, the Red Line is down to three tracks in places, and the ride is slow and rough. From the time I got off the South Shore at Randolph until I arrived at Jarvis was almost an hour! Next morning I thought I'd save time by taking the 147 Outer Drive Express bus to the Loop. I saved time and almost lost my breakfast. I've never been car sick in my life, but those articulated buses ride like farm trucks, and when they go fast on rough streets ... Suffice it to say I learned from that experience. For my next trip to the Loop I caught the 147 north to Howard and took the Purple Line Express to the Loop (147 stops right in front of the motel). Much better ride, and fairly fast. They must sort out all the cars with flat spots on the wheels, and put them on the Red Line trains; almost every one I rode was in dire need of a trip to the wheel shop. Overall, I found it just as fast and about half the price if I continue to stay at LaPorte and commute via South Shore for my visits but it was nice being in the city, especially when I didn't have any appointments on Wednesday and could use the day to ride trains, walk around and take photos. I never get enough Chicago!
October 14, 200717 yr I wasn't able to do the Chicago trip at the end of the summer because my best friend's mom passed away a few days before :( I can't wait to go back though. My favorite city though, by far. Your photos illustrate how storefronts and signage contribute life and character to a city.
October 15, 200717 yr Rob, is there anything near the Skokie terminal on the Yellow line, such as an area with shops & restaurants? I've been tempted to hop on the Yellow Line just to see what it's like, but at the same time I'd like for there to be something at the end of the line for me to enjoy (other than the Starbucks in the new Skokie station). I've been on the purple line as far norh as the Central stop, but never to the very end at Linden. I think it just ends in a neighborhood, doesn't? I love the purple line express. It's nice to just sit back & enjoy the ride for once. Usually when I'm using the CTA I end up pissed off with all of the delays I experience (good 'ol brown line reconstruction).
October 15, 200717 yr Rob, is there anything near the Skokie terminal on the Yellow line, such as an area with shops & restaurants? I've been tempted to hop on the Yellow Line just to see what it's like, but at the same time I'd like for there to be something at the end of the line for me to enjoy (other than the Starbucks in the new Skokie station). I've been on the purple line as far norh as the Central stop, but never to the very end at Linden. I think it just ends in a neighborhood, doesn't? I love the purple line express. It's nice to just sit back & enjoy the ride for once. Usually when I'm using the CTA I end up pissed off with all of the delays I experience (good 'ol brown line reconstruction). I'm not really street-level familiar with either of those areas, so I don't know what opportunities for food or shopping might be within walking distance of Dempster, or within a short bus ride. The Yellow Line is a nice experience for an urban-transit geek; it's a long non-stop ride that's fairly smooth and pretty fast. Likewise for Linden. From the station it does seem like bedroom-community stuff. I just reversed direction there (center platform station). I'm not sure what stop would have the most activity nearby. Maybe Davis? It has the most elaborate station, with a trainshed and wide platforms that could accomodate a lot of people. I'd like to know those answers, too, especially for Evanston. I've walked through some of the beautiful residential areas, and I'd like to explore the place more.
October 15, 200717 yr it sure is nice of them to give you all your food in neat little boat shaped dishes so you can float back on down the river.
October 16, 200717 yr Rob, is there anything near the Skokie terminal on the Yellow line Not really, it's more of a park and ride. There has been talk of extending it to Old Orchard Shopping Center....but with the budget crisis I doubt it will ever happen. Likewise for Linden. The only thing to see here, besides some really nice homes is the Bahai Temple right by the lake. As for other stations on the Purple, Davis is the best station to get off for Downtown Evanston. There is a lot of shopping, restaurants and a cool old time Hobby store (Tom Thumb). If you want to ride to the end of a line for another nice Downtown, take the Green Line west to the Harlem stop (Oak Park) where you can walk to and see many of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes including the home and studio and the Unity Temple. Also along the Green line is the beautifully restored Garfield Park Conservatory at the Conservatory/Central Park Drive station. If you are a fan of Modernism, take the Green Line East to IIT to see the Mies designed campus. Rob, If you like the ethnic enclave of Devon, next time try the Argyle Station off the North Red Line....it is the center of Vietnamese culture in Chicago....little Saigon. There is also Cermak/Chinatown on the South Red Line for Chinatown. For a Mexican and Puerto Rican neighborhood, take the Pink Line to 18th street to see Pilsen.
November 11, 200717 yr Great stuff as usual, Rob. I'm finally getting around to scanning UO now that the election is over, as is my coverage of it. Stunning to believe that Illinois is leaving Chicago-area transit hanging -- especially in this day and age of oil supply issues and heightened awareness of problems caused by CO2 emissions. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 12, 200717 yr Stunning to believe that Illinois is leaving Chicago-area transit hanging -- especially in this day and age of oil supply issues and heightened awareness of problems caused by CO2 emissions. Not to mention, the city is trying to prove they can handle the Olympics! The abysmal state of the cta is going to kill that bid.
November 12, 200717 yr ^It's not my opinion, it's a fact stated by experts in the Tribune and the Sun Times. A city/state and it's commitment to improving and expanding existing transit is a big part of an Olympic bid. The state of cta today with it's horribly slow, deferred maintenance train system and break down prone 15 year old buses is leaving day to day operations here a giant mess. It's a daily occurrance for riders to wait as packed trains and buses pass by at capacity. The city simply cannot handle the added traffic and volume of people the Olympics would bring in the current state. All three of the agencies under the rta umbrella...cta, Pace and Metra have already taken money money from thier capital improvement budgets to subsidize day to day operations. The state of Illinois is not commited to providing funding present or future. Atlanta on the other hand has a relatively new, underutilized, reliable train system that I believe was expanded for the Olympics. They must have been able to prove that they would be able to move people around efficiently.
November 13, 200717 yr Yep. CTA has been in a retrenchment mode for years. The first great leap backward was when they did away with the A and B trains on the Red Line and made all the trains all-stops. It slowed down travel on that line significantly. When a transit system is in a funding crunch, service reductions almost always reduce revenues more than they reduce costs. It's the beginning of a death spiral. Ridership declines because of poor service, so management tries to fix the problem my making the service worse.
November 25, 200717 yr This is the Chicago tourists should see--not some giant shiny bean. Every time I go to Millenium Park it's like watching a reinactment of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Remember all the monkeys, they couldn't stop going over and touching the black box.
November 25, 200717 yr This is the Chicago tourists should see--not some giant shiny bean. Every time I go to Millenium Park it's like watching a reinactment of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Remember all the monkeys, they couldn't stop going over and touching the black box. I don't think it's just one area or one attraction that makes Chicago what it is for me; it's the great variety in neighborhoods, and the contrast of the workaday grit and deliberate pace of some of the outlying commercial areas with the gleaming glass and stainless steel and the bustle and density of food traffic of the loop, accentuated by the audio backdrop of rumbling elevated trains. The energy there is infectious. I love it all in fair weather or foul.
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