CTA – Cumberland

This station seems to be dirtier than some of the other ones. I know the CTA doesn’t exactly have high standards but some things should be addressed regardless. There is no corporate pride present. Other than that I’ve always liked the experience of the El.

Cumberland is an ideal hop-​on point for suburban folks heading into the city. There is a ton of parking, the whole shebang is pretty clearly marked and, while the track is outdoors, there are some heat lamps. It would be ideal if those turn into fans and/​or ice buckets in the summer, but right now the people of Chiberia thank you.

I love taking the blue line! Its 15 minutes from my home (on a good day) and its an easy way to get to the city! Parking is $ 5 a day and if you stay overnight its about $ 12ish! Not too shabby!
For your ticket, you have to put increments of $ 5, but the fair is $ 2.25 per way… and I believe transfers are free.
It is a very busy line, so I suggest walking down as far as you can to get to one of the front cars which are usually emptier.

i’m not much of a train person, but i looove this one!

Bums sleeping on the train. The smell is unbelievable. And evety car has them to and from O’Hare. WHY IS THIS ALLOWED?

My old neighborhood «L» stop. Clean with a chance of homeless sightings. All the people are nice. It took me a while to understand what it meant as a child but there is a good «kiss and ride» available for pick-​ups and drop-​offs. I always feel safe. Outdoors so there is good cell reception but it can be cold.

Pros:
— Runs ²⁴⁄₇
— ~32 Minutes to the Loop
— They added another heater couple months ago for the winter.
— Lots of Parking ($ 5 for first 12 hours, $ 6 for 12 – 14, so on… then $ 12 for every 24 hours)
— One of the cleanest stops I’ve been to
— No Bums
Cons:
— Platform is outside
— Nice parking spots are taken during business days
— $ 36 if you lose your parking ticket
— Lots of cracks and potholes leading into the parking garage

Easily one of my favorite CTA stops because of its location and practicality. I pretty much use this station anytime I need to go into the heart of the city but don’t want to mess around with parking (in Chicago or the Burbs). It’s my go-​to for races around Grant Park, Lollapalooza or any shows in The Loop.
I believe there is a pay-​for-​parking lot across the street with a walkway to the Cumberland stop, but I typically park a few blocks away in Park Ridge and walk there. I really don’t see a reason to pay for something that I don’t have to and the area is quite safe. I’ve returned from Lollapalooza weekend and walked by myself late at night. I try to be aware of my surroundings, but nothing has ever put me on edge while doing this.
Another nice thing is that if I am short on time then I can grab a bite to eat at any of the restaurants nearby or pop into the Dominick’s quickly. There are plenty of open benches at Cumberland, so I take a seat, eat and wait for my ride. It doesn’t take too long, either. Trains tend to run every 10 – 15 minutes, so it’s very convenient, especially in colder weather.

This is the best CTA stop of them all. It has parking, bus transfers, up and down escalators, security, elevators, connections across both sides of the highway, and a convenience store.
Riders here are classier than many other stops and it you don’t have the perpetual fear of being the victim of a felony at all times like most red, orange, green, and pink line stops.

You know, it’s pretty much like every other Blue line stop, but just a tad bit bigger. It kind of seems cleaner too but that’s about as much as I need to say about it.
Oh, and that during rush hour times it gets as crowded as the highway except with people instead of cars.

the Cumberland stop is like the UN of the blue line. workers and residents and students and commuters all getting along.
there are better stops, there are worse, but none compare to the early morning delight of cumberland.
when the train pulls into cumberland and the doors open, its like a siphon… and all of the work ladies in sneakers and suits and all the lumber year fellas in dirty khakis all divest rapidly, leaving a little flutter of air behind as the rest of the train car breathes a little easier and enjoys being able to put their bag back on the seat next to them.
ahhh the nuance of CTA commuting.

I really love this place, and I’m listing all the many reasons why.
Nice huge rock in the middle of station entrance (snapped two pics I think of the structure in December)
Convenience store inside selling nice items, but open only on weekdays I think.
Beautiful corporate office buildings nearby.
Nice restaurants within walking distance, and they are Hooters, Outback Steakhouse, and Bennigan’s, and a nice little eatery within walking distance from the north side of the station in Park Ridge on Higgins, its name I can’t think of.
Dominicks, like the last restaurant in the paragraph above, is near here. Get some shopping taken care of.
Lots of Pace/​CTA buses to transfer to/​from the BlueLine.
I’ll close this out by simply saying: I really love this place!