Evanston to the loop commute?

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Take the Metra. You'll arrive at Ogilvie Station downtown. From there to the area by the Thompson Center (where the Clark stop is) is around a ten minute walk, tops. I do some regular consulting work WAY east of there (at Wacker and Michigan) and take the Metra anyway because it's faster, cleaner, more comfortable, and I enjoy the long walk.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

Take the Metra. You'll arrive at Ogilvie Station downtown. From there to the area by the Thompson Center (where the Clark stop is) is around a ten minute walk, tops. I do some regular consulting work WAY east of there (at Wacker and Michigan) and take the Metra anyway because it's faster, cleaner, more comfortable, and I enjoy the long walk.

Do the underground walkways connect over there for really crappy weather days? I never rode METRA myself.

[reppin_the_847]

Consider Ogilvie Transportation Center (and nearby Union Station) to be our equivalents to Grand Central Terminal or Penn Station in New York. Although Ogilvie is WAYYY less busy than Grand Central, Penn Station, and even Chicago's own Union Station, it is well connected to the Loop via buses & to a certain extent by el train too. Depending where along Clark you'll be working, you can either take an eastbound bus (from Washington St.) into the Loop, or you can walk two blocks north, and catch a Loop-bound Green or Pink Line CTA train to the Clark / Lake station. If you're in a huge hurry, you can cab it as well (it's easy to find cabs there, almost like NYC lol). Huge tip here.....if you want to avoid some of the crowds, hustle & bustle & rush, you can utilize the northern exit / entrance at Ogilvie Transportation Center. The staircases leading downstairs bring you to this somewhat more low-key area. It's SOOOOOOOOO much better than the insane super long staircase uphill climb to the Madison Street exit from Union Station, that I can tell you for sure. Other than the historic architectural design at Union Station, I hate commuting through it. Ogilvie is much easier to commute in and out of.

Originally Posted by zachb7

I saw the metra wasn't that long a ride into the city.. but I'll be working right next to the Clark stop in the loop, and there doesn't seem to be an easy way to get from the last stop on the Metra to the loop.