Worst stations

Over in the NY subway forum, they have a thread about the most dangerous stations. Let's open that up here, but a little broader - any station you don't like, for reasons such as danger, filth, crowding, sanitary issues, poor service...


I'll start off with Kostner on the pink line - I've never got on a train there, but I've done work in North Lawndale and it's not pretty. Wikipedia says it's the worst Chicago neighborhood.

Tadman wrote:I'll start off with Kostner on the pink line - I've never got on a train there, but I've done work in North Lawndale and it's not pretty. Wikipedia says it's the worst Chicago neighborhood.

Hey now, watch it buddy! You're talking about my old neighborhood

Pulaski, on the same route in the years before the rehab was pretty bad, especially in the winter. Heat lamps barely worked half the time, and the shelters weren't very good at keeping the wind off of you. It's been over 20 years now, but I still have not-so-fond memories of waiting for the 'L' at that station on cold winter mornings as a kid on my way to school, the station was in an advanced state of decay even then...

Tadman wrote:Over in the NY subway forum, they have a thread about the most dangerous stations. Let's open that up here, but a little broader - any station you don't like, for reasons such as danger, filth, crowding, sanitary issues, poor service...


I'll start off with Kostner on the pink line - I've never got on a train there, but I've done work in North Lawndale and it's not pretty. Wikipedia says it's the worst Chicago neighborhood.

That's the problem with Wikipedia, theres more opinion on there than fact.

Everyone: What about Bad line portions as opposed to certain stations? I recall the Englewood/Jackson Park line S of Roosevelt Road and the Lake line between W of Clinton thru the W side to the Austin area in particular went thru arguably Chicago's toughest neighborhoods directly served by the CTA. Are there still unsafe stations as mentioned previously to avoid? MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone: What about Bad line portions as opposed to certain stations? I recall the Englewood/Jackson Park line S of Roosevelt Road and the Lake line between W of Clinton thru the W side to the Austin area in particular went thru arguably Chicago's toughest neighborhoods directly served by the CTA. Are there still unsafe stations as mentioned previously to avoid? MACTRAXX

Some of the neighborhoods on Chicago's south and west sides served by the Green line are undergoing gentrification, and as such, are slowly becoming safer neighborhoods to live in. Although much of the segment between Clinton and Ashland along Lake St. is still fairly industrial, the new development has yet to reach past Kedzie, and is basically starting from the inside out. Oak Park, on the Green line's west end is still thriving, but unfortunately, much of the area immediately to the east (i.e., Austin), plus practically all of Englewood on the south side, are sections that have not experienced real gentrification yet, and that may not change for quite sometime...

The thing I find most interesting about Chicago is the way neighborhoods regenerate themselves so quickly, much quicker than in other big cities. The West and South Loops used to be pretty rough, but I have no problem walking around on or south of Roosevelt, and I also have no problem walking west of Clinton. This is within reason, of course - I wouldn't walk too far west or south, as there is still plenty of questionable areas out there - but the redevelopment is beginning nearest to downtown and spreading outward, to both west and south directions.