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CTA Brown Line
Rating Details »
Category: Public Transportation [Edit]
Neighborhood: LakeviewDiversey
Chicago, IL 60657
(312) 664-7200
- Nearest Transit:
-
Diversey (Purple Express, Brown)
42 reviews for CTA Brown Line
Its really too bad this thing is so dang slow.
The time it takes to get between stops, especially when you begin to hit Belmont, is ridiculous. Even though there is an interchange there, it seems so archaic. They could really improve that especially with all the money riders spend riding it every day!
The Brown Line is much cleaner than the Red line, which usually stinks most of the time.
But my problem with the CTA in general are the CLOTH SEATS.
Once I was on the bus and it smelled like diarhea. A woman got up and there was shit water running down her pant leg. It wasnt until someone else sat down where she was seated that I realized she was in for a big surprise. You cant see what you are sitting on with cloth seats. Its disgusting. I dont know who thought of that idea, but I usually dont sit when I ride. People piss, homeless people put there nasty butt on there, and vomit too. Eww.
The stations are new and clean, the people watching is great (lots of hotties on here!), and it's not in the subway so my phone works. However, it seems like it takes for freakin' ever to get up north, still! Even after construction! Maybe it's all the stops. The Orange Line doesn't have as many stops so the same distance downtown (35/Archer is probably about the same distance from downtown as southport) takes half the time. Plus I don't understand how I had to wait as long as I did to catch a train at Randolph/Wabash during rush hour, or at Southport on the way back. Don't the trains come like every 4 minutes now?
Oh well, gotta love the CTA
This is by far my favorite CTA line!
1. Always clean. Doesn't smell like someones old laundry (unlike some other lines we know...RED!!!)
2. On time!
3. The stations are well kept/feel safe.
Riding the Brown line is one of my "I'm poor but can't bear to sit in my apartment for one more second" activities. I'll board at Montrose with a book and then just ride it around the loop and northbound. Great views of the city.
(Don't judge me. You know you do it too)
I'll keep it short and sweet.
Brown line kicks major arse becasue it got us super duper close to Mr. Beef.
Therefore, the brown line ROCKS.
I come from the land filled with red and blue lines. Try riding either of those at any given time and you'll be lucky to get a seat. Both lines should consider cleaning every now and then.
However, dear brown line, you have given me hope. Compared to the aforementioned more colorful lines, you are as clean as can be! Possibly because I travel on you around 11AM and everyone is already working at that point, but I never have a problem finding a place to sit. I usually can sprawl out over 2 seats without being an inconvenience.
09/11/08 - I kid you not that the brown line train from Clark & Lake at 5PM was, in fact, empty. Not a person was standing and there were seats open.
I thought that was worth taking note of.
I'm not going to give the CTA a 5 star, but I have to give them some credit for the good websites on routes and rates and the predictable service they provide.
I went from Diversy to the Loop and stayed above ground the whole way. Excellent way to get from point A to point B with the bonus of seeing the city with the extra bonus of experiencing a Chicago landmark!
Any city that offers public transportation to and from an airport (pay attention City of Angels!) deserves praise.
For a mere 5 bones, this visiting Angeleno was transported from O'hare to downtown Chicago.
Oh Blue Line, I'll be riding you often on this trip!
I'm coming from the blue line, so the brown line has been the Holy Grail of the CTA for me.
I never minded the blue line. I just dealt with it because I really didn't have any other options. But holy heck. After my first ride to work from North Center to downtown on the brown line, I couldn't figure out how I didn't shoot myself after a week on the blue line.
People on the brown line are just nicer, cleaner, friendlier and decent. It's never all that crowded, even during rush hour. Sure, sometimes there's standing room only, but nothing compared to the sardine cans that were the south-bound blue line cars during rush hour in the mornings.
Not to mention that the brown line is just such a pretty ride. I love looking out the window every morning while I ride this train.
And, as if that wasn't enough, I've never had to wait more than 3-4 minutes for a train in the morning.
The brown line has restored my faith in the CTA.
Please stop making me late for work. I just got this job, and it's so very convenient for me, so I'd like to keep it.
I used to take you all the time. I always made sure I lived near one of your numerous well-maintained stops. I had to leave you for a few years for that filthy whore Blue Line, and I hated every second of it. I missed your clean, not-too-crowded cars, your generally well-groomed passengers, the convenience of your transfer stops and your efficiency.
Now that I'm back with you, I have to ask, "What happened to your efficiency?" You've really let yourself go, Brown Line. You're sluggish and sometimes you seem to get confused about where to stop.
Come on. You're better than this. I used to call you "Brownie" because you used to be a sweet ride. Nowadays, I'm sorry to say, I've been calling you "The Poop Chute."
Gas for mom's trip to the city: $20
Shopping in Lakeview: $200
Eating lunch downtown: $40
Riding the brown line north at 5:00 pm and both getting seats: Priceless
I like the Brown line, because I don't have to go underground. Really, that makes it for me. Also I can read without getting nauseated, or stare into peoples apartments/office buildings/dentist appointments while touring the Loop. Seriously, today I rode past a window where a guy was having what looked like a less than pleasant (to say the least) dental appointment, with a total of THREE (yikes) people poking and prodding his wide-open mouth. Oh yeah, it's that good.
This morning your intrepid rider (me) was on the Brown Line heading in to work. Picture me surrounded by people, smashed up against a door and not really in the best of moods. Here are a few key observations I made:
1. Every girl on this line was apparently issued a cd entitled "Crap Mix '08" and told to listen to it at loud volumes through earbud headphones so everyone can hear it. This album contains a varied amount of artists including Jack Johnson, KT Tunstall, and Disturbed. The only good part of this cd is that it apparently does not contain any Katy Perry, who, by the way, should be shot in the face.
2. The fat girl to my right felt the need to stare at me the whole ride, probably just desperate to make eye connection with anyone of the opposite sex. This, however, will probably never happen because it smelled like she bathed in her own pee.
3. That bitch was crowded.
4. Girl's love to talk on cell phones and yell because they think Patty can't hear them about the new sale at Macy's.
It got three stars because it gets me where I need to go.
First, we are newbies to Chicago and the el system was admittedly a little foreboding at first. Second, we now LOVE the el! What a great adventure in people-moving!
We usually hop on at Southport (which recently reopened after a nice refurbishment) and, in just a few minutes and for only 2 bucks, we are viewing the tremendous downtown skyline and getting off at, say, Quincy for the short walk to Greektown, or Western for the Lincoln Square vibe, or wherever our hearts desire. When we want to return, it magically appears in a matter of minutes and we're back home again.
In our limited experience, Brownie is better than the Blue or the Red (although the Blue from O'Hare is a great convenience). Brownie does not smell and does not have, ummm..., worrisome... clientele --athough it does have its share of door hoggers and phone yappers.
Coming from a city where most folks live in the burbs and a car is a necessity, we find the Brown Line an engineering and environmental feat - and it sure saves gas and parking $$$!
If I had to rank the CTA lines, Brown Line would be the clear winner. It's always super clean, less crowded, and the station improvements have made it the superstar of the CTA even nicer. I love the Brown Line especially because it takes me to Knit 1, Stubbs Coffee, and Trader Joe's at Addison as well as other places on the line.
The recent station renovations are completely worth the wait and the hassle. Some of the stations that have fallen in disrepair are finally matching the quality of Brown Line with the renovations. Nice stations for a nice CTA line. I'm glad to see that someone finally recognized the growth of the area and matched it with a good line as well as new stations.
I love the Brown Line as much as I can possibly love a public transportation mode. There seems to be better train etiquette on this line. Maybe less tourists? It's definitely less smelly, that is for sure.
I almost always get a seat in the morning, which is great given I'm still half asleep. I'm not sure why it is, but the trains are fairly empty at my usual time of 6:45 a.m. But if I happen to run just a tad late, starting at 7:00 a.m., the trains become packed. Do this many people go to work this early? I guess so. Maybe this will change when the stations are done getting remodeled.
All in all, a fairly good experience though. And in my opinion, the best train line in the city.
Affectionately known as the "poo line" (for it's you-make-me-want-to-eat-poo-rather-than-wait-for-y ou-to-come attributes), the Brown Line and I have a love/hate relationship
I get on at Wellington where there is little to no platform. The mornings are excruciating. Half the time I feel like a tight-rope walker trying to get to an empty spot without falling into the rail pit. I get off at Merchandise Mart. When I leave work to head home, half the time I want to cry when I look into that sea of commuters. I've seen people backed up to the stairs. It's a game, trying to squeeze into a car. I throw elbows. I have no shame.
But when the Brown Line is on (holidays, weekends, extreme early and late hours) - it's on baby! I've gotten to the Loop under 20 minutes! Astounding!
So temperamental, that Brown Line. I have considered moving to Wicker Park just to go Blue.
Oh and one more thing - most everyone who rides this line has a giant stick up his or her ass (me included). It doesn't make the experience any more pleasurable so maybe we can all work on this together.
p.s. There is also a Brown Line conductor who repeats at every stop, without fail, "Move aside and let the passengers out, Brown Line Riders. Move aside and let them out, Brown Line Riders." Hey Lady. GOT IT!
brown line, you are good for two things:
1. providing transport for handsome gents worthy of missed connection musings.
2. getting me to where i need to go. eventually. at your own g-d pace.
I hate the f*cking brown line. It only runs until midnight on weekdays and 3am on the weekends. And just FYI... on holidays, like the upcoming Memorial Day weekend? It'll stop running at midnight on Sunday night even though Monday is a holiday. I was stranded at the Belmont stop last Memorial Day weekend... (apologies to the CTA guy that I screamed "I HATE THE F*CKING BROWN LINE!!!" at... I know it's not your fault...) :-(
I loved my neighborhood, but couldn't wait to move back to my good friend the Red Line. =)
The Brown Line really is my favorite. The trains are cleaner and less crowded than most other CTA trains, they are air-conditioned, and as much as the temporary closures kill me, I know it'll all be worth it when the stations are made prettier. Countdown to a New Brown, indeed!
Also, I secretly have a crush on the CTA voice, and I smile every time he says "This. Is. A. Brown. Line. Train. To. Kimball."
I love you, Brown Line.
Since moving to Chicago, I have only ever lived off the Brown Line. When I lived by the Fullerton stop and had to contend with the Brown/Red conundrum, I often chose to wait a few extra minutes to get a Brown Line. First, the view of the city never ceases to amuse and amaze me, and I would way rather look at the skyline than the inside of a grimy train tunnel. Second, the Brown Line is by far the most safe and clean line on the CTA - at least in opposition to the Red Line, where I've had hobos bargain with me for food, seen homeless guys jacking off, and actually witnessed a guy smoking weed in the middle of a car.
Finally, the Brown Line is the most likely to be on time. When I was working downtown I was pleasantly surprised to find that trains actually arrived every few minutes during rush hour. Yes, I had to let three or four trains pass because they were totally full, but there were always a few behind them. Working at/near Merchandise Mart is an evening rush hour nightmare, but I'd rather wait outside than underground.
Of course, as others have said, most Brown Line riders feel somehow entitled to be asses. This is especially true of the morning rush hour crowd. I'm 5'1", and the number of armpits that my head was stuck in during morning rush hour last summer was revolting. If the train is totally full, you should probably put that Sudoku and coffee elsewhere, and I have some suggestions on a place that might be appropriate.
When I first moved to Chicago, I lived right next to the Brown Line. I took the Southport stop downtown everyday.
I found the cars to be clean, full of good looking people, and overall a much more business atmosphere. The station (which has now been remodeled) was quaint and old and had neat little flowers embossed in the steel railings.
I still take it, I'll walk to Merchandise Mart from work if the weather is good and ride it up to Fullerton, I like sitting in the rear car, doing my crossword. Never had a bad experience on the Brown Line, the CTA should use this as a model for the other lines.
I consider the Brown Line to be the finest line that CTA has to offer. Outside of rush hour, it's clean, fewer homeless people riding and hardly get asked to buy stolen crap from "vendors."
Two complaints:
1.)The freaking morons that cram right next to the door and don't move to the middle. So much wasted space and they don't get it. Stop filling out Sodoku, put your Blackberry down and realize you need to move to the center of the cart to make room for everyone else!
2.) The running hours and the constant stopping for "signal clearance." I sometimes switch to Red Line and the walk home is 3 times further, but still make it home sooner because of how slow it moves.
I'm disappointed in everyone's happy comments. Okay, it's cleaner than other lines, and the people are nice-looking. But how important are people's looks? I hardly ever am on time taking this train. It used to be better, but lately, it moves at walking pace, and stops constantly!!! On the weekends, I'd rather spend money on a cab than 1 hour on this train! I really go crazy sitting on this train that does not move.
Stops running at 2 A.M. on the weekends. Worthless.
I rode the brown line into work for a while. Originally from Montrose (until they tore it down) but more recently from Damen.
Ever since the 3-track "scare" I've been riding the #22 bus more and more often which has worked out fine for me and actually gets me down near the Merchandise Mart quicker.
Four stars for Saturday-morning rides on the Brown Line from Belmont into the Loop, with some of the best views of the skyline. And the Brown Line actually moves fairly smoothly and swiftly compared with the Red Line. Cleaner trains, too. One star deducted for being under major construction.
OK this isnt a taxi cab and at $2 it shouldnt be. maybe you have to wait 15 minutes...not a big deal. Just start riding the red line on a frequent basis and you will throw your body at this train like it was your savior. Its actually clean, safe, and has an amazing view of the city. When i have out-of-town guests i tell them to ride this train as a tourist attraction. The fact i have never seen a pile of puke on this train earns it the 5 stars!
More like CTA Shit Line.
Brown Line is definately up there as one of the nicer lines - completely 'el'evated and goes through the Loop to Kimball. I'd rather be stuck in a train than stuck in traffic.
This ancient CTA line is the slow poke of the system, but if you are not in a hurry the service is actually very consistent. I live not far from the beginning of this line, so I can get any seat I want. The views are cool (if you are not napping during the slow periods of the ride). The CTA is planning on expanding and updating many of the platforms and stations, as they try to ride this gravy train to profitability thanks to its growing number of more affluent riders.
I used to take the Brown Line into the Loop everyday from Wellington and I miss it oh so much. Clean, not overly-crowded (unless it's rush hour of course) and best of all-such a great ride through the city and plenty to look at. Now I have to take the Red Line everyday, and when I get into the Loop I stare up fondly at my former train line and dream of the day I get to ride it again...*sigh*.
I can hardly complain. With all the station closings, it's like every ride is an express ride. It also consistently smells better than the red and blue lines.
Of all of the L train lines, this is most likely the best. Being the best of the lines though is not impressive enough for me. They all suck, royally. They are way up in the air, and you look like you are going to run into the giant buildings as you pass them by. Plus sometimes it rocks and rocking in midair next to giant skyscrapers is not my idea of a picnic in the sun. Trains suck, that's all there is to it, but none suck quite as much as these crazy things do.
The positives of the Brown Line for me are that the trains have newer cars and it stops close to my home. On the negative side, it can be pretty slow-pokey, especially during rush hour as it gets close to/south of Belmont, lots of beep beep beep we are being delayed waiting for signals ahead...
The Brown Line takes you to the city's best neighborhood - Lincoln Park. There's also a lot of, uh, pretty faces on here - as this is pretty much the "rich people's train" through the North Side.
I love the brown line! It is seriously the prettiest ride in Chicago. It's so peaceful sitting on the train and looking at the view from Fullerton into downtown. It runs far more efficiently then the red line(at present time) and has fewer stops.
hm. 2.5
well, i took the brown line yesterday night. i remember why i dislike it. it's SLOW AS ALL GET OUT!! the only good part was when we ZOOMED (seriously, i have never gone that fast on a brown line before) from paulina to irving park bc the addison station is closed.
but it is what it is...
I'm so glad they are cleaning up this line. Looks a bit scary right now, but the increased capacity improvements look good so far. I can't wait to see it finished. I'm so very glad that this line takes me right to work, and it seems to run very often even with the purple express sometimes accompanying it.
I love the entire brown line! It's being re-vamped right now so I haven't really been on it lately, BUT it was my public transportation for the 4 years I was in high school. It's close to my house, I can get down town pretty easily, it stops at Belmont and Fullerton so picking up the red line is easy. I can also use it to pick up the purple line to go to evanston. It works like a charm. It's a lot less crowded than the red line also.
When you're good, you're good. But when you're bad - UGH! It should NOT, under any circumstances, take me an hour to get home from work. First I wait about 15 mins (during rush hour) for a train. Then I get on said train and realize why it's so late - slowest conductor ever. But I did score a seat a couple stops later, so was able to deal with it. However, I had plans and was in a bit of a hurry. When we get to Belmont I'm told I have to get off the train because it's running "express" to Western. Oh, now you want to go fast? Then the next train I get on stops not once, but twice, due to experiencing "equipment problems." Well that's what the machine operated voice told me. So thank you Brown Line for trying to improve your services with your fancy new stations, all the while making me late for my plans. This is why we are shortly parting ways as I move closer to a different, and hopefully faster (it's the CTA so who knows), train line.
