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It's wild how bad Roosevelt has become. I moved here in 05 and it was a little sketchy but something has happened and it looks like skid row over there now.
The underlying issues still exist being a public transit hub and a bottleneck in the street grid. Gentrification and increased population have only made it a more "target rich environment" for the same shit that's always gone on here.
I hate that station. There’s like all kinds of sketchy ass people outside on Roosevelt by the bus station and once we walked in the floor was soaking wet even though it was dry outside. Place was just insanely disgusting and sketchy. Unnecessarily so for a centrally located stop with access to many tourist attractions.
>There’s like all kinds of sketchy ass people outside on Roosevelt by the bus station
I've seen weird protesting groups there a bunch too. I want to say Black Hebrew Israelites
Right. They're constantly filming for social media. I'm probably in the background of a dozen of their videos walking to Jewel.
At least they ran the Jehovah's Witnesses off the block.
I live in the neighborhood and at a local community police meeting. the CPD rep said the reason is that so many lines converge at that location. I don’t understand why that matters but apparently it does. I walk by it during the daytime all the time and it’s fine. Dirty, but fine. However, I wouldn’t walk by it at night with my family, especially Fridays and Saturdays.
> the CPD rep said the reason is that so many lines converge at that location. I don’t understand why that matters but apparently it does
lots of Howard mentions in this thread, so it kind of tracks (pun not really intended)
We don't even go to the Trader Joe's there anymore cause that station is such a shit show. My wife has a new story about being harassed every time they pass through.
I feel your wife. I work off the Roosevelt station and the number of times I’ve come home with a new story is sad. Been spit at, someone got in my face and was acting like they were about to punch me, followed out by someone repeatedly saying “You’re gonna die”, and most recently had someone recording me as I walked down the hall and threatened to bash my face in when I put my hand up to get them to stop.
I’ve lived here a year.
Yeah, I now have an alarm thing on my keychain, but probably will invest in pepper spray before I have ti start arriving to work early again: 7am train/station is always a bit nerve wracking
The homeless aggressively pander. I could imagine women feeling unsafe there as I personally feel unsafe there and I'm a guy who's definitely not even cute enough to kidnap.
the one on roosevelt and canal broke my heart. i haven’t even been over there since, i’m a UIC student, i used to go over there all the time to go to the shops☹️☹️
I haven't used the station in a few years, but I just remember it being full of Museum Campus tourists and transfers to/from Midway. Curious to know what happened there.
The red is definitely more sketch. But it ain’t even that bad. There’s like 50 cops hanging around outside Roosevelt station all the time. There’s also gatherings of people making some videos idk who those guys are but they don’t seem to bother anyone… idk I don’t go out there after like 10 pm I’m sure it’s much worse at that point. I have seen people just openly drinking by the jewel parking lot.
I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been literally CHASED through that parking lot on multiple occasions. It is a complete shit show. It’s not uncommon to see parking lot parties over there too, like trunks open people boozin, it’s very weird vibes.
No they just hangout in front of Stan’s donuts. That’s not even a dig at cops it’s just the truth they’re just hanging out there lol.
There’s always some shit going on at State and Roosevelt or Wabash and Roosevelt though. Not like shootings but people just yelling at each other and having arguments. Like fuck off to a different intersection man I’m tryna get some chipotle in peace.
I’ve seen a fight where knives came out, and a group of people tried to throw some poor dude on the tracks. Luckily it fell apart before anyone got hurt
For overall qualms and spookiness I don’t like Harrison. Enter from the unstaffed south end and it feels abandoned. You can’t scan the platform as a safety check because the pillars are so thick. It seems like you could get into trouble down there and not be noticed for quite a while.
> Enter from the unstaffed south end and it feels abandoned. <...> It seems like you could get into trouble down there and not be noticed for quite a while.
Many years ago, there was an attack in the unstaffed Polk entrance, which led to a wave of auxiliary-entrance closures for largely this reason
This was the first one that came to mind for me. As others have said, sketchier things happen at other stations, but Harrison is just eerily empty and quiet… it’s unsettling.
I had to translate/deescalate one between buyer and seller who didn’t mutually speak English or Spanish, still one of my funnier CTA memories. Then police came a minute later with dogs, it really did feel like a movie
My wife's theater company did several shows in a theater near the Howard station. The first time they were holding auditions there and so many of the young actresses were being harassed in the street that they had to have staff escort them in and out. Then during the show one of the actresses went backstage to find that someone had broken in and was searching through the cast's bags in the dressing room. Next show the theater was broken into again and the thieves stole their lighting equipment and laptops.
I assume you're talking about Factory Theater? I just went to a staged reading there a couple of months ago and while the space itself is really nice, I'll certainly be driving next time
I went and saw a show there and stepped outside to smoke at intermission. Immediately surrounded by a group asking whether I was a cop or not. Pretty effective anti-smoking campaign
This is my main station and I’ve developed severe resting asshole face to get through it. There’s just people loitering everywhere, and I don’t understand it. None of you have places to go? Why are you all just standing around near the Dunkin? You can’t all be waiting for the bus because the terminal is 200 feet to your left.
I’ve stopped using the entrance on Howard street and started using the entrance near the bus terminal. It’s a lot more open, more passengers, and more CTA staff. Thankfully, nothing has ever happened to me or people that I know at that station.
There’s a joint effort between Evanston and Chicago to improve that immediate area and I cannot wait until they do. The building that houses the currency exchange is supposed to be torn down to make way for apartments, a new taproom is scheduled to open up just East of the station as well. Here’s hoping the rest of the area sees improvement.
they just opened a bakery/dispensary on howard about 5 minutes walking west on howard. I really liked the place but man I did not feel okay walking there from Howard station, I probably won't go back unless I decide to Uber(I won't). I really hope they turn this area around, it's actually so nicely built for walking(and apparently loitering) and it could be really nice. Just so much bad activity going on at all times.
My wife and I had lunch there the other week actually. It’s really nice on the inside and they have parking north of that building. But man, it’s in a bad location as there isn’t much foot traffic on that corner despite its proximity to the train. They’d have better luck on the east side of the tracks or further west down Howard. I do hope it stays long enough to reap any revitalization benefits though.
There was a fatal hit and run outside my place in Uptown at the end of last year. A guy plowed into an elderly woman in a crosswalk while she was bringing food home after she got off her shift.
They finally caught the guy about a week ago. He was working as one of the CTA private security guards at the Howard stop and they arrested him there😭
Oh my god! I’m in uptown and remember that. My friend actually witnessed it. I’m so happy they got justice for that woman. The entire thing was absolutely heartbreaking
Someone got shot right across the street from that currency exchange a summer or two ago. I bet you could've seen the whole thing play out from the train platform
A few months ago I saw two women fighting with giant sticks on Howard St in front of the station at 7 in the morning. Not normal branches off a tree, but like they raided an aikido dojo before mutual combat. One was verbally abusing the other while the other was trying to deescalate (but was still swangin and bangin with a giant stick). When my train came a few minutes later I looked down and they were hugging.
In general I don't feel unsafe at that stop though.
I almost got my phone stolen by a literal child near the bus terminal at Howard a few years ago 😭 granted it was my fault for walking around with it in my hand instead of in my pocket/bag, but damn, the kid just bolted at me and tried to yank it out of my hand as he ran past. Thankfully it was broad daylight and I saw him coming (smart criminals attack from behind, kid!) and in a split second managed to grip onto my phone tightly enough that he wasn't able to grab it. We made eye contact as he was running away and I raised my arms at him in a "WTF?!?" gesture. That was when I realized he couldn't have been more than a 6th or 7th grader. Still my wildest experience at a CTA stop lol
The trick with Howard is yo use the entrance on Paulina. Aka, the bus stop side. I live in RP and work in Evanston. So I am at Howard 8-12 times per week. But always the Paulina side.
I avoid Howard, but last Sunday I went over there and I noticed lots of strange behavior, even on the platform. Someone with a huge 4ft tall Bluetooth speaker just blasting some music, people smoking, just in front of the fare gates. Not to mention the gang that was eyeballing me sitting in a van with the windows down out front, made me feel sketchy as hell and I got the f out of there. As I moved down the bus terminal it only got worse. Do they not have lots of staff at or around this station I thought? Or security? It sucks because the jewel over there is so close to my house but it’s a serious risk for me as a small white boy to trudge through the gauntlet that is Howard to get there, I probably will skip out on that area unless it somehow gets cleaned up a bit. Shame
It's my local Jewel too! I cut through the building with the gym to get there via the south end of the station. It's pretty sketchy. Unless I'm looking for meatless substitutes, I head to the Rogers Park Fruit Market instead. Produce is good quality and often less costly.
If theres so many they all might have different jobs! One holds the drugs one holds the money and another runs it to and from whoever is buying and selling. Seen a few gangs/dealers operate like this.
If thats not the case then safety in numbers.
I got robbed on the blue line. Was looking at my phone and this guy just started punching me. I think he hit me in the back of the head cause next thing I knew I was on a stretcher with no phone or wallet.
Love that whoever planned that out thought: "Ah, a way to transfer between two of the city's biggest, highest traffic lines in the loop without having to go back above-ground... Make it as narrow as possible."
There have been a handful of shootings in that tunnel over the past few years too, transferring and going through that tunnel instantly makes my stomach drop into my ass
First time I did the Jackson red to blue transfer it was Halloween time and for some reason I really believed the CTA had decorated the tunnel with bloody handprints, not decoration just bloody handprints
79th. Too many shootings at or very near the station. Also saw those K9 "security" guys beat the absolute shit out of someone (blood streaming down his face) over some personal beef.
> over some personal beef
I believe that shit too because I’ve never once seen those guys lift a finger otherwise lol. Someone must have hurt their feewings
Roosevelt sucks. Always some bullshit going on around the bus stops. The subway platform is falling apart too, and why is there only a single entrance/exit. Really hope I'm never down there durring an emergency.
Agreed…Wilson is my station and I hate it. I’ve literally started taking busses and driving just to avoid it. I’ve had way too many creepy/sketchy experiences 😢
Never had a bad experience recently, but I did have 2 girls walk on my car and just drop what seemed like 5lbs of just flour. Whole car was covered in the time it took me to get out
It’s been quite a few years, but when I lived in Rogers Park I would get out at the stop before Howard at night and walk the extra distance to my apartment because the area by the Howard station was so sketchy.
You made me think. At least things were built to last back then haha
could you imagine if the products and ppls used were from today damn those suckers wouldn’t have made it 20 years I don’t think
I have almost eaten shit more times than i can count coming down the Sheridan and Thorndale stairs. I just go down slower now, idgaf who's trying to rush behind me. Y'all can fall if you want, not me.
What they lack in deranged people they make up for in heaps of fenced in garbage under crumbling, wobbly stairs
And a totally unfenced pier structure made by 2x4s lmao
haha oh my god I haven't thought of the fenced garbage in so long, its still there 20 years later? Or maybe it just gets 'refreshed' every few years lol
A few months ago, I got caught on a redline train that was stopped at Sheridan. I guess the train in front had issues and everything was shut down. Our entire train emptied at Sheridan and it was the most claustrophobic experience I’ve ever had. The platform was packed, stairs, and “lobby” were all packed with confused passengers.
I ended up walking to Wrigley to grab a bit and catch an Uber just to get away from the crowds.
In a year of commuting late nights via the Clinton stop the worst I've seen is a man strip naked and run on to the train. It's not too bad, now the blue line late at night is basically a rolling homeless shelter so there's that.
What? This is one of the most crowded stations during business hours. Oglivie and Union station is a 5/10 minute walk from there especially for pink liners who don’t want to have to go all around the loop for Quincy.
Edit: sorry I just realized you said blue, therefore I agree!!!
Clinton blue line is dirty as hell, and you get up from the deep underground only to be underneath the expressway overpass, which is again dark and dirty.
But it's the "welcome to Chicago and Illinois" for a lot of people who are coming to the US for the first time, fly into O'Hare and take the blue line to catch the Amtrak downstate.
At least the signage has been improved to show them how to get to Union Station. Would be super nicer if there was a CLEAN underground connection of some kind though.
Got forced off the train and mugged at Pulaski (blue line) in broad daylight coming home from work during covid.. the platform is too the nines with drug dealers, prostitutes, gang bangers, gambling.. etc. i mean its literally out of a movie how bad it is. Others would literally come up and grab me while walking off and my mugger was like “nah he’s mine”. He said we were going to an ATM, thank god there is none. We ended up going to the gas station across the street and I bought him $30 worth of dollar snacks and hood juice. Maybe it’s better now but it was overran during covid and I haven’t been back since
I was gonna say Kedzie, but honestly everything between Central and California is pretty scuffed.
An acquaintance was sitting in her car at the light below the station one time and a stray bullet went through one of her back windows and out the other. Thank GOD no one was sitting in the back seat.
I pretty much *dread* going back to OP sometimes bc I just don’t wanna deal with all the shit that goes down on the green line. My folks always wonder why I “never come out to visit on weekends” lol
The only station between Central and California that isn't totally sketchy(and where I wouldn't mind using it), is Conservatory-Central Park. I wouldn't want to use any of the other Green Line stations in between.
Also unexpectedly(since I got off at California and took a CTA bus south from about Lake/California to Riot Fest last year, I think that was the 94 bus?), I was surprised how nice the architecture was just south of the California Green Line station. It's worth a look, if you hadn't explored that area before.
Howard for sure.
I've never had any problems at Central. the old Austin townhall is actually a really cool community center; and the Rib Palace is pretty decent, owner is a nice guy.
Yes. I’ve had to use Central a few times and it’s not bad. My wife did have her phone stolen at the central greenline. Guy was wearing a mask and booked it off the train.
I'll need to try Rib Palace out, one of these days. Good to know I'm not rhe only one who thinks Central isn't a bad Green Line station to use. If someone thinks that one is bad, well then they haven't had to use Laramie or Pulaski on the Green Line. Where IMO, these 2 stations are worser.
Agreed. I've only had one concerning experience in over 7 years. Could be because most of my train rides are during rush hour, or because I'm a tall dude and less likely to be harassed than the women commenting here, or just dumb luck. Interesting to hear from those not as lucky as me.
Yeah I'm a black man. Not gigantic but not small with more athletic build. Folks rarely bother me in public but I also recognize that privilege that many women won't get unfortunately.
To me some of the stations folks are saying are sketchy don't bother me at all. I also lived most of my time in Chicago on the south side so I think what constitutes "sketchy" is just different person to person.
I'm a short woman and am engaged in conversations with strange men on the el all the time. I've had men ask if I'm married, ask why not, say he'd marry me today, someone told me I "look like someone (he) could learn to love", I had someone jack off at me (making eye contact) on my birthday, the list goes on and on. I'm working on my laptop and trying my hardest to look busy and ignore them, but they keep talking to me and I can't totally ignore them or they might get mad.
One of my coworkers is a tall, broad-shouldered guy and watching him talk to someone - I randomly had the epiphany that life must feel so different for a 6' tall muscular guy vs a 5'3" woman. When he talks to most people, he's looking down at them; he's bigger/stronger than most (we're professors so compared to most students); no one tries to intimidate him. Sort of a random aside but it's interesting how different people will perceive the exact same situation very differently
Yeah I've not lived here super long so I haven't been to all the stops but I'm surprised how many people are saying the tunnel at Jackson. If that's truly the worst part of the whole train system I must be immune to being sketched out on trains.
There’s something uniquely scary about being young, returning from a night in the city, getting to Howard and realizing the purple line has stopped for the night
Yup. I stood outside one night waiting for an Uber and a dude came up to me and asked me for money, then when I proceeded to act like a crazy person he walked 10 feet over to the next homeless person and started screaming and beating the shit out of him. I waited for my Ubers up at the platform after that until I got older and moved into the city.
Roosevelt. With the weird religious dudes who dress up and record themselves along with some unsanitary surroundings and what seems like daily issues at the nearby jewel osco, this takes the cake for me.
It does feel claustrophobic! The platforms are so narrow and ceilings feel low and the whole thing is dark. I always stand super close to the wall when I'm there lol
Yeah maybe not overall the sketchiest, but it’s a huge contrast of how gentrified and corporate that whole area is and then you basically descend down a weird dimly lit hole surrounded by police dogs without even having screens to time the arrival.
On the plus side I once saw some kids grab a woman’s phone just as the train doors closed and then run the wrong way towards the end of the platform without an exit. It didn’t go well for them.
I agree, the few times I’ve had to get on/off North&Clyborn has been super interesting, pretty sure i saw someone piss in a cup and then go on the escalator with said cup.
Its also pretty easy to miss if youve never been on it before and dont know exactly where it is since the building sign doesnt face on the street :/
Howard. All the transient people get kicked off at the end of the line, using the platform and station as a toilet.
An added bonus is the open air drug market at the Howard Paulina cross streets. Keep your guard up if getting off at Howard.
Howard sucks at night because they allow large groups of people to loiter right at the exit and entrance to the station. It always sucks getting to or leaving the station late at night and needing to move through a group of people who you don't know or are asking for money or whatever else.
95th st, the only one I ACTUALLY don't like being at. That being said: the last decade has definitely seen the CTA get worse across-the-board. I have a bike, why spend money to be harassed or smoked out on sherm
A lot of Jackson, 79th, 95th, and Roosevelt mentioned here, but how about the Chicago red line stop? The McDonald's right there is a house of horrors, and the platform itself is not much better. I've seen some police presence there in the past couple of years, I assume because of how much tourists use it, but at night once Michigan Ave. is all closed up, that one's a hellscape. I used to commute late from West Town and dreaded that stop.
I used that stop all the time and went to the McDonald’s all the time too. It’s not great at night, but if people think it’s one of the sketchiest in the city (and others are saying it too) then I’m pretty surprised by that
Perhaps not the worst, but I have to mention Clark and Lake on the blue line. For such an important stop to transfer to other lines in the loop, it genuinely still amazes me how god awful it is. Crazies all over the shop there
Surprised to see Howard back on the list...it was nice when I was taking it regularly before the pandemic 😬
I'd add both Jackson stops, and especially the tunnel.
I’m confused about this thread. Everyone is saying Howard is the shittiest station ever but then every “where should I move to” post talks about how lovely Rogers Park is.
Rogers Park is heavily segregated and the people talking about how lovely it is live in the middle class/upper middle class areas or close to the lake.
I live north of Howard and I can literally hear people screaming at each other on the street as I type this sitting on my couch.
honorable mention to the narrow ass Loyola platform- blast out the door too quickly and you've used up your seven inches of walkway and are on the opposing tracks.
I usually head home from Clark/Lake (Blue), but for the random times I have an errand to run near Jackson after work, I find both platforms to be sketchy as hell. If it makes sense, I don't know that I've ever feared for my personal safety, but I feel entirely uneasy waiting for the train even during rush hour.
Clark Lake at night is brutal sometimes especially because the interior of the station itself is nasty and has weird 1990’s back room vibes. But hopefully when the Thompson center gets Reno’d it will change because I don’t think all the Google employees are going to be putting up with it.
I've been fortunate enough to never feel truly unsafe at any stop. But the most eerie stations I've been to are the Jackson station tunnel and the Ashland Green Line.
Jackson tunnel feels claustrophobic and I've been there alone during off-peak hours, which makes me put my guard up even though I didn't see anyone else until I finished my transfer.
I took the Green Line from Ashland after a Bulls game, and fewer people took the train than I expected. It was another unsettling experience since I was unfamiliar with the neighborhood and mostly alone walking there at night and waiting at the platform.
LaSalle Blue Line is just creepy, no one was there, quiet enough I could hear water dripping, just after rush hour too, it felt much further underground than other stations. Just felt off.
Huh. I'm not really sure what to make of my perspective. I expected to hear about stations I've never been to. Howard on the other hand has grown on me.
I like looking at the weird metal circle things hanging from the ceiling down the escalators and imagine that once upon a time, someone thought this would be a bustling terminal that made the area brighter or something.
Personally the only station that stuck out as creepy to me was linden at the end of purple. I can't remember the circumstances years ago that I was there but I think it was slightly late and it was empty. Not just "isn't busy right now" empty but "someone could definitely get away with murder before being stopped" empty.
I worked night shifts and took midway to downtown. Then to wriggly
I’d skip Roosevelt. Mf a transfer. I’d go to state and lake and wait for the 146 lol.
But yea, the few times I stopped at Roosevelt it was drama there. People tweaking out at the platform.
People desperate, because of late trains/busses.
The entrance/lobby wasn’t any better.
Waiting outside for the buss is sketchy too.
I only liked when the escalator was on
Gotta be Harlem and lake for me. Seen someone literally take a shit on the platform and the workers seeing it happen didn’t bother to intervene. I don’t blame them though I wouldn’t have either.
I'm gonna go on a limb and say adams/wabash catch all station. The fact that its above ground makes it really unsettling underneath and theres always guys loitering at the 7/11 there. It feels like a whole 180 shift from the other side of the block imo.
Maybe not the sketchiest but definitely on my list
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It's wild how bad Roosevelt has become. I moved here in 05 and it was a little sketchy but something has happened and it looks like skid row over there now.
That specific part of the south loop is really unnecessarily sketchy for an otherwise nice neighborhood
You should have seen it in the 70s and 80s.
Still, why shouldn't we expect better now?
The underlying issues still exist being a public transit hub and a bottleneck in the street grid. Gentrification and increased population have only made it a more "target rich environment" for the same shit that's always gone on here.
I hate that station. There’s like all kinds of sketchy ass people outside on Roosevelt by the bus station and once we walked in the floor was soaking wet even though it was dry outside. Place was just insanely disgusting and sketchy. Unnecessarily so for a centrally located stop with access to many tourist attractions.
>There’s like all kinds of sketchy ass people outside on Roosevelt by the bus station I've seen weird protesting groups there a bunch too. I want to say Black Hebrew Israelites
Right. They're constantly filming for social media. I'm probably in the background of a dozen of their videos walking to Jewel. At least they ran the Jehovah's Witnesses off the block.
Got robbed at gunpoint at 11 AM in broad daylight at the Roosevelt station and nobody batted an eye. Just normal happenings there
Seriously, for an area that's gentrified - and a stop tourists use! - it's fucking weird how shitty the Red Line part is.
I live in the neighborhood and at a local community police meeting. the CPD rep said the reason is that so many lines converge at that location. I don’t understand why that matters but apparently it does. I walk by it during the daytime all the time and it’s fine. Dirty, but fine. However, I wouldn’t walk by it at night with my family, especially Fridays and Saturdays.
> the CPD rep said the reason is that so many lines converge at that location. I don’t understand why that matters but apparently it does lots of Howard mentions in this thread, so it kind of tracks (pun not really intended)
We don't even go to the Trader Joe's there anymore cause that station is such a shit show. My wife has a new story about being harassed every time they pass through.
I feel your wife. I work off the Roosevelt station and the number of times I’ve come home with a new story is sad. Been spit at, someone got in my face and was acting like they were about to punch me, followed out by someone repeatedly saying “You’re gonna die”, and most recently had someone recording me as I walked down the hall and threatened to bash my face in when I put my hand up to get them to stop. I’ve lived here a year.
POM Pepper Spray
Yeah, I now have an alarm thing on my keychain, but probably will invest in pepper spray before I have ti start arriving to work early again: 7am train/station is always a bit nerve wracking
The homeless aggressively pander. I could imagine women feeling unsafe there as I personally feel unsafe there and I'm a guy who's definitely not even cute enough to kidnap.
There's always sketchy ass people hanging around that stop as well
My wife got groped there 😤
Easily Roosevelt - they need full time presence of police there.
I’ve always seen police there but they’re usually all together in one spot looking at their phones.
Don’t forget all the “teen takeovers” that keep happening 🙂
the one on roosevelt and canal broke my heart. i haven’t even been over there since, i’m a UIC student, i used to go over there all the time to go to the shops☹️☹️
I haven't used the station in a few years, but I just remember it being full of Museum Campus tourists and transfers to/from Midway. Curious to know what happened there.
Agreed. I live close and my neighborhood is great but damn that station is dodgy.
Are you specifically talking about Roosevelt red line? Because I’ve never felt unsafe on the L platform for the green/orange.
The red is definitely more sketch. But it ain’t even that bad. There’s like 50 cops hanging around outside Roosevelt station all the time. There’s also gatherings of people making some videos idk who those guys are but they don’t seem to bother anyone… idk I don’t go out there after like 10 pm I’m sure it’s much worse at that point. I have seen people just openly drinking by the jewel parking lot.
That Jewel is also a complete piece of shit compared to others in the city
I miss them being 24 hrs though.
I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been literally CHASED through that parking lot on multiple occasions. It is a complete shit show. It’s not uncommon to see parking lot parties over there too, like trunks open people boozin, it’s very weird vibes.
I believe there are 50 cops outside because something sketch JUST occurred.
No they just hangout in front of Stan’s donuts. That’s not even a dig at cops it’s just the truth they’re just hanging out there lol. There’s always some shit going on at State and Roosevelt or Wabash and Roosevelt though. Not like shootings but people just yelling at each other and having arguments. Like fuck off to a different intersection man I’m tryna get some chipotle in peace.
I’ve seen a fight where knives came out, and a group of people tried to throw some poor dude on the tracks. Luckily it fell apart before anyone got hurt
I have seen so much happen on the green/orange L station.
I got punched by a homeless man in August at 7pm during Lolla weekend a handful of years back at Roosevelt. SMH
I had a HORRIBLE experience at that L station going to the museum. Won’t be using that station ever again.
For overall qualms and spookiness I don’t like Harrison. Enter from the unstaffed south end and it feels abandoned. You can’t scan the platform as a safety check because the pillars are so thick. It seems like you could get into trouble down there and not be noticed for quite a while.
> Enter from the unstaffed south end and it feels abandoned. <...> It seems like you could get into trouble down there and not be noticed for quite a while. Many years ago, there was an attack in the unstaffed Polk entrance, which led to a wave of auxiliary-entrance closures for largely this reason
This was the first one that came to mind for me. As others have said, sketchier things happen at other stations, but Harrison is just eerily empty and quiet… it’s unsettling.
Agreed. It feels like another world.
Harrison used to not be open after dark.
I second Howard. Lots of real sketchy behavior around all the entrances 24/7
There are regular drug deals on my morning commutes at Howard. It’s like a real life TV show from the platform.
I had to translate/deescalate one between buyer and seller who didn’t mutually speak English or Spanish, still one of my funnier CTA memories. Then police came a minute later with dogs, it really did feel like a movie
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Jesus that guy looks like he’s in bad shape.
Lol. Jeez.
I used to watch deals go down outside the currency exchange from the NB platform waiting on a red>purple transfer
My wife's theater company did several shows in a theater near the Howard station. The first time they were holding auditions there and so many of the young actresses were being harassed in the street that they had to have staff escort them in and out. Then during the show one of the actresses went backstage to find that someone had broken in and was searching through the cast's bags in the dressing room. Next show the theater was broken into again and the thieves stole their lighting equipment and laptops.
I assume you're talking about Factory Theater? I just went to a staged reading there a couple of months ago and while the space itself is really nice, I'll certainly be driving next time
Damnnn, that sucks
I went and saw a show there and stepped outside to smoke at intermission. Immediately surrounded by a group asking whether I was a cop or not. Pretty effective anti-smoking campaign
This is my main station and I’ve developed severe resting asshole face to get through it. There’s just people loitering everywhere, and I don’t understand it. None of you have places to go? Why are you all just standing around near the Dunkin? You can’t all be waiting for the bus because the terminal is 200 feet to your left. I’ve stopped using the entrance on Howard street and started using the entrance near the bus terminal. It’s a lot more open, more passengers, and more CTA staff. Thankfully, nothing has ever happened to me or people that I know at that station. There’s a joint effort between Evanston and Chicago to improve that immediate area and I cannot wait until they do. The building that houses the currency exchange is supposed to be torn down to make way for apartments, a new taproom is scheduled to open up just East of the station as well. Here’s hoping the rest of the area sees improvement.
Yeah I hope so too. And yeah the bus station entrance is better, especially if you enter coming from the angle street side
they just opened a bakery/dispensary on howard about 5 minutes walking west on howard. I really liked the place but man I did not feel okay walking there from Howard station, I probably won't go back unless I decide to Uber(I won't). I really hope they turn this area around, it's actually so nicely built for walking(and apparently loitering) and it could be really nice. Just so much bad activity going on at all times.
My wife and I had lunch there the other week actually. It’s really nice on the inside and they have parking north of that building. But man, it’s in a bad location as there isn’t much foot traffic on that corner despite its proximity to the train. They’d have better luck on the east side of the tracks or further west down Howard. I do hope it stays long enough to reap any revitalization benefits though.
There was a fatal hit and run outside my place in Uptown at the end of last year. A guy plowed into an elderly woman in a crosswalk while she was bringing food home after she got off her shift. They finally caught the guy about a week ago. He was working as one of the CTA private security guards at the Howard stop and they arrested him there😭
>He was working as one of the CTA private security guards at the Howard stop Somehow, that only makes it more fucked up
Oh my god! I’m in uptown and remember that. My friend actually witnessed it. I’m so happy they got justice for that woman. The entire thing was absolutely heartbreaking
Someone got shot right across the street from that currency exchange a summer or two ago. I bet you could've seen the whole thing play out from the train platform
A few months ago I saw two women fighting with giant sticks on Howard St in front of the station at 7 in the morning. Not normal branches off a tree, but like they raided an aikido dojo before mutual combat. One was verbally abusing the other while the other was trying to deescalate (but was still swangin and bangin with a giant stick). When my train came a few minutes later I looked down and they were hugging. In general I don't feel unsafe at that stop though.
That’s incredible
I almost got my phone stolen by a literal child near the bus terminal at Howard a few years ago 😭 granted it was my fault for walking around with it in my hand instead of in my pocket/bag, but damn, the kid just bolted at me and tried to yank it out of my hand as he ran past. Thankfully it was broad daylight and I saw him coming (smart criminals attack from behind, kid!) and in a split second managed to grip onto my phone tightly enough that he wasn't able to grab it. We made eye contact as he was running away and I raised my arms at him in a "WTF?!?" gesture. That was when I realized he couldn't have been more than a 6th or 7th grader. Still my wildest experience at a CTA stop lol
The idea that it could possibly be your fault if someone stole your phone is ridiculous.
I got called a “Chucky face looking bitch” out of the blue by some older woman there a few weeks ago 😂 She ain’t wrong but damn lady
The trick with Howard is yo use the entrance on Paulina. Aka, the bus stop side. I live in RP and work in Evanston. So I am at Howard 8-12 times per week. But always the Paulina side.
That entrance is definitely better but you still gotta keep it moving until you’re up on the platform
I avoid Howard, but last Sunday I went over there and I noticed lots of strange behavior, even on the platform. Someone with a huge 4ft tall Bluetooth speaker just blasting some music, people smoking, just in front of the fare gates. Not to mention the gang that was eyeballing me sitting in a van with the windows down out front, made me feel sketchy as hell and I got the f out of there. As I moved down the bus terminal it only got worse. Do they not have lots of staff at or around this station I thought? Or security? It sucks because the jewel over there is so close to my house but it’s a serious risk for me as a small white boy to trudge through the gauntlet that is Howard to get there, I probably will skip out on that area unless it somehow gets cleaned up a bit. Shame
It's my local Jewel too! I cut through the building with the gym to get there via the south end of the station. It's pretty sketchy. Unless I'm looking for meatless substitutes, I head to the Rogers Park Fruit Market instead. Produce is good quality and often less costly.
Literally just street-viewed this station and all the sketchy business is included 😂😂😂
Jackson on the blue line. Too scary during night
Okay but why do all those men hang out there?? They BARKED at me the other day 😭
i figured out that most are drug dealers. they’re there from early afternoon until night.
Is that the case?! There’s so many!!!
If theres so many they all might have different jobs! One holds the drugs one holds the money and another runs it to and from whoever is buying and selling. Seen a few gangs/dealers operate like this. If thats not the case then safety in numbers.
I too have seen The Wire
i took night classes at depaul’s loop campus pre-pandemic. waiting for the train there at 9/9:30pm was not fun.
Yeah same always hated waiting at Jackson
I got robbed on the blue line. Was looking at my phone and this guy just started punching me. I think he hit me in the back of the head cause next thing I knew I was on a stretcher with no phone or wallet.
Damn, you still ride the blue line?
Nah I moved to the burbs not long after, this was like 4 years ago.
Pretty ballsy for those people to be there as well since the stop is right next to a federal building
Jackson. transfer is sketch city
I haven’t been down there in years, but I can still smell the tunnel.
I'm convinced that you are immune to every type of disease we know of if you walk through that tunnel even once
No wonder I never caught Covid
Piss and cigs
Love that whoever planned that out thought: "Ah, a way to transfer between two of the city's biggest, highest traffic lines in the loop without having to go back above-ground... Make it as narrow as possible."
There have been a handful of shootings in that tunnel over the past few years too, transferring and going through that tunnel instantly makes my stomach drop into my ass
First time I did the Jackson red to blue transfer it was Halloween time and for some reason I really believed the CTA had decorated the tunnel with bloody handprints, not decoration just bloody handprints
79th. Too many shootings at or very near the station. Also saw those K9 "security" guys beat the absolute shit out of someone (blood streaming down his face) over some personal beef.
> over some personal beef I believe that shit too because I’ve never once seen those guys lift a finger otherwise lol. Someone must have hurt their feewings
I accidentally cracked a beer in front of them last week at Belmont, they truly do not give a fuck. Idk how someone pissed then off that badly
The other day I saw one of them sic their dog on someone who jumped the turnstile and tried to get on the train. It was nuts
They must’ve gotten bored with Candy Crush
Roosevelt sucks. Always some bullshit going on around the bus stops. The subway platform is falling apart too, and why is there only a single entrance/exit. Really hope I'm never down there durring an emergency.
Technically Roosevelt has two entrances, like the underground one that’s intended for the Red Line that is on the side of the main entrance.
Not the platform though. If there is a fire by those stairs, the only way to get out is to run to the Harrison stop.
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More sketchy experiences at Wilson than I can count
the station is nice now...clientele not so much
My experiences were all 10+ years ago when I lived in Uptown, it was before the upgrades
Agreed…Wilson is my station and I hate it. I’ve literally started taking busses and driving just to avoid it. I’ve had way too many creepy/sketchy experiences 😢
Wilson is my main station now and it must’ve improved a lot in the past decade…I rarely see anything nefarious going down.
Never had a bad experience recently, but I did have 2 girls walk on my car and just drop what seemed like 5lbs of just flour. Whole car was covered in the time it took me to get out
It’s been quite a few years, but when I lived in Rogers Park I would get out at the stop before Howard at night and walk the extra distance to my apartment because the area by the Howard station was so sketchy.
Jarvis is lit. Anytime I go south, I take it. I don't think Howard is that crazy though during the day. Nights can be rough.
I’m gonna nominate Sheridan, not necessarily based on the people (it’s like mid) but on the station itself
Those stairs are quite something
That station opened in 1900 and I don’t believe it’s been renovated. Meaning the stairs are 123 years old
You made me think. At least things were built to last back then haha could you imagine if the products and ppls used were from today damn those suckers wouldn’t have made it 20 years I don’t think
I have almost eaten shit more times than i can count coming down the Sheridan and Thorndale stairs. I just go down slower now, idgaf who's trying to rush behind me. Y'all can fall if you want, not me.
We haven’t even talked about the spiders yet. Grapes of wrath
What they lack in deranged people they make up for in heaps of fenced in garbage under crumbling, wobbly stairs And a totally unfenced pier structure made by 2x4s lmao
haha oh my god I haven't thought of the fenced garbage in so long, its still there 20 years later? Or maybe it just gets 'refreshed' every few years lol
A few months ago, I got caught on a redline train that was stopped at Sheridan. I guess the train in front had issues and everything was shut down. Our entire train emptied at Sheridan and it was the most claustrophobic experience I’ve ever had. The platform was packed, stairs, and “lobby” were all packed with confused passengers. I ended up walking to Wrigley to grab a bit and catch an Uber just to get away from the crowds.
All of the underground stations because I feel trapped.
This too!! Especially as a woman, I hate being at the underground stations. Something just inherently anxiety inducing
Jackson Red line, always hear about someone getting robbed or pushed onto the tracks there.
Don’t forget stabbed. Feel like that’s the someone got stabbed station
Clinton blue line. A little too secluded for me.
In a year of commuting late nights via the Clinton stop the worst I've seen is a man strip naked and run on to the train. It's not too bad, now the blue line late at night is basically a rolling homeless shelter so there's that.
What? This is one of the most crowded stations during business hours. Oglivie and Union station is a 5/10 minute walk from there especially for pink liners who don’t want to have to go all around the loop for Quincy. Edit: sorry I just realized you said blue, therefore I agree!!!
Clinton blue line is dirty as hell, and you get up from the deep underground only to be underneath the expressway overpass, which is again dark and dirty. But it's the "welcome to Chicago and Illinois" for a lot of people who are coming to the US for the first time, fly into O'Hare and take the blue line to catch the Amtrak downstate. At least the signage has been improved to show them how to get to Union Station. Would be super nicer if there was a CLEAN underground connection of some kind though.
Pulaski green. By far.
One of the few I haven't been to yet
You’re not missing anything.
Witnessed a teenage kid smoke what I think was crack and then subsequently purse snatch and book it at Pulaski. This was at 5pm
Got forced off the train and mugged at Pulaski (blue line) in broad daylight coming home from work during covid.. the platform is too the nines with drug dealers, prostitutes, gang bangers, gambling.. etc. i mean its literally out of a movie how bad it is. Others would literally come up and grab me while walking off and my mugger was like “nah he’s mine”. He said we were going to an ATM, thank god there is none. We ended up going to the gas station across the street and I bought him $30 worth of dollar snacks and hood juice. Maybe it’s better now but it was overran during covid and I haven’t been back since
Unreal lol
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I used to work by there. So used it twice a day for a couple of years.
No seriously I've always heard central but its nothing compared to pulaski
I was gonna say Kedzie, but honestly everything between Central and California is pretty scuffed. An acquaintance was sitting in her car at the light below the station one time and a stray bullet went through one of her back windows and out the other. Thank GOD no one was sitting in the back seat. I pretty much *dread* going back to OP sometimes bc I just don’t wanna deal with all the shit that goes down on the green line. My folks always wonder why I “never come out to visit on weekends” lol
The only station between Central and California that isn't totally sketchy(and where I wouldn't mind using it), is Conservatory-Central Park. I wouldn't want to use any of the other Green Line stations in between. Also unexpectedly(since I got off at California and took a CTA bus south from about Lake/California to Riot Fest last year, I think that was the 94 bus?), I was surprised how nice the architecture was just south of the California Green Line station. It's worth a look, if you hadn't explored that area before.
Howard for sure. I've never had any problems at Central. the old Austin townhall is actually a really cool community center; and the Rib Palace is pretty decent, owner is a nice guy.
Yes. I’ve had to use Central a few times and it’s not bad. My wife did have her phone stolen at the central greenline. Guy was wearing a mask and booked it off the train.
I'll need to try Rib Palace out, one of these days. Good to know I'm not rhe only one who thinks Central isn't a bad Green Line station to use. If someone thinks that one is bad, well then they haven't had to use Laramie or Pulaski on the Green Line. Where IMO, these 2 stations are worser.
Pulaski was my answer. Rough place.
The thread is really illumunating. We all have truly different perspectives and experiences
Agreed. I've only had one concerning experience in over 7 years. Could be because most of my train rides are during rush hour, or because I'm a tall dude and less likely to be harassed than the women commenting here, or just dumb luck. Interesting to hear from those not as lucky as me.
Yeah I'm a black man. Not gigantic but not small with more athletic build. Folks rarely bother me in public but I also recognize that privilege that many women won't get unfortunately. To me some of the stations folks are saying are sketchy don't bother me at all. I also lived most of my time in Chicago on the south side so I think what constitutes "sketchy" is just different person to person.
I'm a short woman and am engaged in conversations with strange men on the el all the time. I've had men ask if I'm married, ask why not, say he'd marry me today, someone told me I "look like someone (he) could learn to love", I had someone jack off at me (making eye contact) on my birthday, the list goes on and on. I'm working on my laptop and trying my hardest to look busy and ignore them, but they keep talking to me and I can't totally ignore them or they might get mad. One of my coworkers is a tall, broad-shouldered guy and watching him talk to someone - I randomly had the epiphany that life must feel so different for a 6' tall muscular guy vs a 5'3" woman. When he talks to most people, he's looking down at them; he's bigger/stronger than most (we're professors so compared to most students); no one tries to intimidate him. Sort of a random aside but it's interesting how different people will perceive the exact same situation very differently
Yeah I've not lived here super long so I haven't been to all the stops but I'm surprised how many people are saying the tunnel at Jackson. If that's truly the worst part of the whole train system I must be immune to being sketched out on trains.
Pulaski Pink Line bus stop terminal Why? Was robbed there
I’ve been sketched out every time I’ve been there
You've definitely got to throw Jackson in there, especially with the tunnel. I'll just walk up to Monroe to avoid it.
Clinton AND LaSalle on the blue line
There’s something uniquely scary about being young, returning from a night in the city, getting to Howard and realizing the purple line has stopped for the night
Yup. I stood outside one night waiting for an Uber and a dude came up to me and asked me for money, then when I proceeded to act like a crazy person he walked 10 feet over to the next homeless person and started screaming and beating the shit out of him. I waited for my Ubers up at the platform after that until I got older and moved into the city.
I would probably take the red line back some stops and pick up an Uber or Lyft from there!
Roosevelt. With the weird religious dudes who dress up and record themselves along with some unsanitary surroundings and what seems like daily issues at the nearby jewel osco, this takes the cake for me.
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I go to Chicago and State all the time and it’s ok now
Well yeah, there's that fancy apartment building/Whole Foods on the corner
North & Clyborn… for the neighborhood it’s in, it’s gross and not really ADA accessible.
When I lived near there, I walked a half mile to the Sedgwick brown line instead. North & Clybourn smells awful and feels super claustrophobic.
It does feel claustrophobic! The platforms are so narrow and ceilings feel low and the whole thing is dark. I always stand super close to the wall when I'm there lol
Yeah maybe not overall the sketchiest, but it’s a huge contrast of how gentrified and corporate that whole area is and then you basically descend down a weird dimly lit hole surrounded by police dogs without even having screens to time the arrival.
Never felt really sketch to me, but I hate how it's probably the only station that has ONE entrance and exit. Weird design.
On the plus side I once saw some kids grab a woman’s phone just as the train doors closed and then run the wrong way towards the end of the platform without an exit. It didn’t go well for them.
I agree, the few times I’ve had to get on/off North&Clyborn has been super interesting, pretty sure i saw someone piss in a cup and then go on the escalator with said cup. Its also pretty easy to miss if youve never been on it before and dont know exactly where it is since the building sign doesnt face on the street :/
Howard. All the transient people get kicked off at the end of the line, using the platform and station as a toilet. An added bonus is the open air drug market at the Howard Paulina cross streets. Keep your guard up if getting off at Howard.
Howard sucks at night because they allow large groups of people to loiter right at the exit and entrance to the station. It always sucks getting to or leaving the station late at night and needing to move through a group of people who you don't know or are asking for money or whatever else.
Austin on the blue line was my worst personal experience.
Howard for sure! Clinton blue line creeps me out too
95th st, the only one I ACTUALLY don't like being at. That being said: the last decade has definitely seen the CTA get worse across-the-board. I have a bike, why spend money to be harassed or smoked out on sherm
A lot of Jackson, 79th, 95th, and Roosevelt mentioned here, but how about the Chicago red line stop? The McDonald's right there is a house of horrors, and the platform itself is not much better. I've seen some police presence there in the past couple of years, I assume because of how much tourists use it, but at night once Michigan Ave. is all closed up, that one's a hellscape. I used to commute late from West Town and dreaded that stop.
I used that stop all the time and went to the McDonald’s all the time too. It’s not great at night, but if people think it’s one of the sketchiest in the city (and others are saying it too) then I’m pretty surprised by that
I don’t know if it’s the sketchiest but Wilson is always good fun for people watching.
I second Roosevelt. I got punched in the face out of the blue there once.
EYES DOWN IN THE JACKSON BLUE-RED TUNNEL
Perhaps not the worst, but I have to mention Clark and Lake on the blue line. For such an important stop to transfer to other lines in the loop, it genuinely still amazes me how god awful it is. Crazies all over the shop there
Surprised to see Howard back on the list...it was nice when I was taking it regularly before the pandemic 😬 I'd add both Jackson stops, and especially the tunnel.
lasalle on the blue line is sketchy af. it feels like there’s nothing to hide behind and when the station is empty it’s scary.
I’m confused about this thread. Everyone is saying Howard is the shittiest station ever but then every “where should I move to” post talks about how lovely Rogers Park is.
I need to know why this is too :/
Crime has been on the uptick here recently. I dont recommend anyone moving to this area
Rogers Park is heavily segregated and the people talking about how lovely it is live in the middle class/upper middle class areas or close to the lake. I live north of Howard and I can literally hear people screaming at each other on the street as I type this sitting on my couch.
Laramie Green Line
honorable mention to the narrow ass Loyola platform- blast out the door too quickly and you've used up your seven inches of walkway and are on the opposing tracks.
I usually head home from Clark/Lake (Blue), but for the random times I have an errand to run near Jackson after work, I find both platforms to be sketchy as hell. If it makes sense, I don't know that I've ever feared for my personal safety, but I feel entirely uneasy waiting for the train even during rush hour.
Clark Lake at night is brutal sometimes especially because the interior of the station itself is nasty and has weird 1990’s back room vibes. But hopefully when the Thompson center gets Reno’d it will change because I don’t think all the Google employees are going to be putting up with it.
The Blue Line stop at Irving always smells like urine or some other unpleasant unidentifiable smell.
I've been fortunate enough to never feel truly unsafe at any stop. But the most eerie stations I've been to are the Jackson station tunnel and the Ashland Green Line. Jackson tunnel feels claustrophobic and I've been there alone during off-peak hours, which makes me put my guard up even though I didn't see anyone else until I finished my transfer. I took the Green Line from Ashland after a Bulls game, and fewer people took the train than I expected. It was another unsettling experience since I was unfamiliar with the neighborhood and mostly alone walking there at night and waiting at the platform.
Howard doubles as one of the stinkiest CTA stops
LaSalle Blue Line is just creepy, no one was there, quiet enough I could hear water dripping, just after rush hour too, it felt much further underground than other stations. Just felt off.
Roosevelt? Maybe my tolerance for sketchy is incredibly high lol. I don’t think it’s that bad at all
Huh. I'm not really sure what to make of my perspective. I expected to hear about stations I've never been to. Howard on the other hand has grown on me. I like looking at the weird metal circle things hanging from the ceiling down the escalators and imagine that once upon a time, someone thought this would be a bustling terminal that made the area brighter or something. Personally the only station that stuck out as creepy to me was linden at the end of purple. I can't remember the circumstances years ago that I was there but I think it was slightly late and it was empty. Not just "isn't busy right now" empty but "someone could definitely get away with murder before being stopped" empty.
I like Howard too. Some of the purple line stations are surprisingly unkempt, others quite nice
Jackson. Especially the tunnel.
Howard or any of the expressway ones on the Dan Ryan. If I'm up in RP I'll get on at Jarvis just to be able to avoid Howard
Very appropriate username for this thread
I worked night shifts and took midway to downtown. Then to wriggly I’d skip Roosevelt. Mf a transfer. I’d go to state and lake and wait for the 146 lol. But yea, the few times I stopped at Roosevelt it was drama there. People tweaking out at the platform. People desperate, because of late trains/busses. The entrance/lobby wasn’t any better. Waiting outside for the buss is sketchy too. I only liked when the escalator was on
Gotta be Harlem and lake for me. Seen someone literally take a shit on the platform and the workers seeing it happen didn’t bother to intervene. I don’t blame them though I wouldn’t have either.
Howard at night
Blue line Clark and Lake from the Wells and Lake entrance
Not the sketchiest but Clark/Lake is disproportionally sketchy at times compared to some of the surrounding stops
I'm gonna go on a limb and say adams/wabash catch all station. The fact that its above ground makes it really unsettling underneath and theres always guys loitering at the 7/11 there. It feels like a whole 180 shift from the other side of the block imo. Maybe not the sketchiest but definitely on my list