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Old 05-09-2016, 06:37 AM
 
4 posts, read 5,138 times
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My family and I are moving to Chicago, probably the west suburbs. I'll be working in the Loop. I work in Kansas City now, and I have never taken a train to work in my life. But, it seems that's the only way to go if we want to be in Naperville, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, etc. What are people's thoughts about riding the METRA. How busy? Seating? WiFi? Crazy people? Especially from Naperville (my wife fell in love with the Riverwalk) Thanks!
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Old 05-09-2016, 07:16 AM
 
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It's great! (Typing while on a UP-North train now)

If you are unfamiliar with Chicago traffic most mornings,
you will worship having the train as an option.
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Old 05-09-2016, 07:25 AM
 
Location: Sweet Home Chicago!
6,721 posts, read 6,481,316 times
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Best train system I've ever rode! I actually miss riding metra to work.
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Old 05-09-2016, 07:45 AM
 
155 posts, read 213,056 times
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Been in Chicago for 20 years. Just started using Metra 5 months ago. What a life saver, cost-efficient and 100x better than the CTA. I drive 10 min to the train station and 25 min later I'm in Union station. Clean, some trains have wifi (Beta test now), quite trains, no disrpions, very on time.
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Old 05-09-2016, 08:03 AM
 
Location: Chicago. Kind of.
2,894 posts, read 2,452,154 times
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I used to live in various places and took the train daily to my job in the Loop - oh how I miss it! The opportunity to unwind and decompress on the way home at the end of the day, the chance to get my head together at the beginning of the day, time to quietly read if I wanted to, making friends in a few cases (the year of our Super Bowl victory was a memorable one! ), the fixed costs of the commute (no worrying about your car breaking down or gridlock on the expressways), a consistent arrival and departure time - sigh. It was great!!
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Old 05-09-2016, 08:31 AM
 
5,527 posts, read 3,252,102 times
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If you live in Naperville plan on getting on at the Route 59 station, not downtown Naperville. Parking is very limited compared to demand at the latter. Unless you live in walking distance of the downtown Naperville train $tation or get on the train very early.
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Old 05-09-2016, 08:44 AM
 
768 posts, read 1,104,111 times
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There is a reason "walking distance to Metra station" commends Ultra premium price on any nearby home... ITS AWESOME!

Last edited by JJski; 05-09-2016 at 08:59 AM..
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Old 05-09-2016, 08:54 AM
 
Location: Chicagoland
376 posts, read 489,297 times
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As mentioned in other threads, the Naperville 5th Avenue station fills up on the daily parking generally by 6:45 am, so it depends on your schedule. Lisle I have less experience with; the Belmont station in far west Downers Grove always has available parking, and its not too bad of a drive from far eastern Naperville. I will echo several previous posters in that the Metra is a great rail service.
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:05 AM
 
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Metra is very pleasant mostly much better than the CTA. And safer. Not many crazies at all. Sometimes there will be people coming on the train after sports games that are loud and have had too much to drink or bunches of noisy kids going on field trips that can be a pain.
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:32 AM
 
5,527 posts, read 3,252,102 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriaT View Post
Metra is very pleasant mostly much better than the CTA. And safer. Not many crazies at all. Sometimes there will be people coming on the train after sports games that are loud and have had too much to drink or bunches of noisy kids going on field trips that can be a pain.
Lately there's been some gutter punks asking for money saying their "card was denied and they need to get home" at Ogilvie. I've seen the same song and dance twice in the past couple of months.
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