CTA – Western-Brown

I hop on the train here a few times a week heading to the Loop. From what I have experienced, the station is decent. The turnstiles and escalators are functioning properly a majority of the time and the stairs and platforms are safe. I do appreciate the female announcer letting everyone know when a train is arriving. The Dunkin Donuts shop is very convenient.
I have seen a few of the Brown Line stops up close and personal. Compared to Damen, Paulina and Armitage, the Western stop could use some sprucing up. A new coat of paint for the interior and exterior for starters. The rust on the exterior is unsightly. Makes the stop look quite drab. New light fixtures and new flooring could class it up as well. I like the station but there is room for improvement.

The CTA Western Brown «L» station is your standard L station. With the exception of the fact that the station is home to a piece of the Berlin Wall. Its a gift from the German citizens to us Chicagoans. It adds a special touch to this station, and I always marvel at the graffiti on the wall when I’m here waiting for the bus to Little India (49b, in case you’re wondering).
There is also a Dunkin’ Donuts location inside the station that makes waiting for the bus all the more warm and filling. Grab a donut and drip coffee to keep you warm and caffeinated while you wait for the bus inside the insulated station. Buses come to the station itself.
This station also hosts an escalator to the train platform, which I appreciate when I’m carrying home bags of sweets and spices. In the winter (Nov 1-​March 31), there is a heated shelter.

***I am a big fan of Chicago’s elevated train system where you can go to destinations fairly far away very quickly for a low price ($ 2.25 for a one-​way trip regardless of the distance; only so many transfers are allowed); it is also very easy to know which train to take (all trains heading to the city are labeled as The Loop; all trains heading outside the city feature a different name – the last destination of the train; it takes a little over 30 minutes to get from this station to The Loop; this station is kind of dumpy, but that is the case with most CTA stations; there is a Dunkin’ Donuts located at the base of this station; this station is near Michelin-​starred restaurant Elizabeth***
I am not sure what the parking situation is here.

An ideal destination for a vacation in your own city. One can come and literally kill a few hours just exploring all the quaint shops, bars, restaurants, Davis Theater, ect. at this stop located in historic Lincoln Square/​Ravenwood.
For instance, in the courtyard space and lot they have a nice Farmers Market. The also have German Fests (this is a very German neighborhood, ja). In fact there’s even a piece of the Berlin Wall in the station.
The station is a bit old looking. There’s a Dunkin Donuts. It’s really goofy the way the entrances and exits are set up. One side of the building for entering. On the other side of the big building and exit. Why?!? It always confuses people. Seldom busy on the platforms no matter what time of day or night; coming or going.

I bet your El stop doesn’t have a slice of the Berlin Wall! Or the adorably cultural German Lincoln Square stretch to fit right in. This is one of the few stations the CTA has invested in to provide the monotone female voice notify you when a train is arriving. Always a plus to keep up with our rushed American culture. There is plenty of bird caca all over. Plus I really wish they would fix all the dripping tin roofing on my sidewalk short-​cut that goes east to Lincoln Avenue underneath the tracks directly to Costello’s and the Davis Theater.
Keep in mind that Western Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at 23.5 miles in length (thanks Wikipedia). With that said, the Western #49 bus has two routes here: #49B just going from the Western station north to Howard and #49 without a letter that goes between Berwyn north and 79^th south (#49A is far south running from 79^th to 135^th). Now that’s how long it is!

Pretty good station as far as CTA stations go. Could be a bit warmer in the winter inside but whatever. The DD is cool, the lady who works there in the morning knows what my girl and I order every day.
About a month or so ago a new CTA employee is there in the mornings too, saying good morning and have a great day to the commuters on their way to work. It’s a good way to start the day and come to think of it I should thank her for setting a good tone to most days.

I love that there is a dunkin doughnuts inside this station. The people are generally pretty cool. I haven’t had any incidents. The people that work there in the morning on week days are really friendly. They say hello, ask me how I’m doing. It’s nice. My one complaint: I wish I could enter from the east side of the station. It’s a little annoying cause you have to go all the way to western to get in.

What can I say about the Western Stop on the Brown line? It’s a clean enough stop. Just watch out for drunk hipsters and puke splatter in the summer time when all the festivals around Lincoln Square are happening. I will admit, it was some sort of German Fest, and it looked like a lot of fun.
Oh, it’s a great stop to get off on if you have a bike, they have an actual door exit in addition to the revolved mouse trap looking gates.