CTA – Harrison

Unfortunately, this red line station has been put at the end of the list of the CTA’s «nice-​ification» initiative.
The turnstiles are frequently out of order, especially at the Polk St entrance. I am often swiping my Ventra card, being prompted to «Go», and then make my way through the turnstiles, which do not budge to let me through. This means I have to run two blocks over to the Harrison Street entrance, and have a CTA person let me through (thankfully, all the CTA people at this stop are always very understanding and kind).
It’s very dirty. The entire station is covered with graffiti and trash. Someone once left a suitcase that appeared to have exploded clothing everywhere at one of the entrances. It remained there, clothes scattered about, for TWO WEEKS.
It is not very safe-​feeling place. It is freezing cold, big and empty, and a lot of strange dudes just «hang out» there. CTA has been implementing more security at other stations, but I have not noticed that here.

The closest red line stop to where I was living in Chicago.
Very convenient location, on Harrison & State. I always felt fairly safe, I never had any trouble, even on the nights I came home late. Just mind ya own business and you should be good to go.
Oddly, I really miss this station, it was always felt like I was home when I exited the trains =(

Maybe Michael had a bad experience, but mine was fine. Very average station; good, convenient location. 4 stars.

I do not know about the one star review on here but I found taking the red line was urber useful for us when we were getting around downtown.
Knowing the rules of the subway, which is never go down there super late at night and by yourself, we usually only used it during the day like most sane people.
The waiting area was clean and updated, they had transit people there telling you to stay behind the yellow line, plenty of people old, and young mind their own business.
The subways were clean and had the AC on; the only thing I did not enjoy was being squished together with all my fellow stinky Lollapalooza friends.
The fairs are cheap and I had fun when I wasn’t being squished, did I mention that it was my first time ever riding the Red Line! :smiles:

While staying at a nearby hotel, I started many of my explorations of Chicago at this station. No gangs of teenagers tried to kill me with hoes during my waits here.

I was almost mugged and then almost pushed into the El tracks tonight by a band of drunk teenagers. It’s been a long time since anything has happened to me that made me lose my faith in people.
I descended into the city bowels at the Harrison St. El stop, which happens to be the closest El stop to where I teach on Monday nights. Normally, I take the Brown line, but this was closer, I was tired and I didn’t feel like walking any farther than necessary.
A band of obviously not sober, high on something teenagers came down to the El platform. There were nearly twenty of them. They were boisterous and scary. One of them was dressed like quite a «hoe.» She could not have been 17 years old. I looked at her and thought to myself, «My God, who are your parents and do they know where you are and what you look like?»
One of this poor young girl’s compatriots looked at me and said
«Watchyoulookinat, whitey? You want her, don’t ya? Yeah, you want it bad, don’t ya?»
I turned my back, started to walk away, and he grabbed my brief case, which I grabbed back. «You want me to push yo ass in those tracks, muthafucka? I’ll kill yo ass. Gimme all yo money.» And he lunged toward me. If he were not so big and fat, and had he been agile, he could have nailed me.
The only other people down there were two young women who were as scared by this incident as I was. I told them to run upstairs and get the station attendant.
At that moment the train came. I got on. These nuts kids got on. All of them. I got off and waited for the next train.
Who do these children belong to? Shame on their parents.