CTA – Damen

Cool old station. A few bars and restraunts in the area. Also a walgreens nearby. If you want to experience old Chicago this is the place!

***The CTA is a great, inexpensive and quick way to get around the city; this station, which lets out to the popular Wicker Park neighborhood, offers all of these pluses as well as a more unique look than what you will find at most stations; the Damen station has a throwback look that includes wrought iron-​like handrails painted white to give the station an old-​fashioned amusement park feel; this station is near many great Chicago shops and restaurants like Mindy’s Hot Chocolate and Trenchermen***
I am not sure what the parking situation is in this area; you might be able to find parking spaces in the nearby residential area.

I used to live off the corner of North and Western, so I had the option of going to the Western blue line stop, or the Damen blue line stop. I always opted for Damen in the morning because the guys who worked there were always super nice, helpful, friendly and entertaining! Every few minutes, this man would speak over the speakers, announcing the arrival of south bound and north bound trains, wishing everyone a wonderful morning, and his gratitude for us riding the CTA! I haven’t experienced this at any other stop, especially not consistently every morning. It always warmed my heart and brightened my day to be greeted over the speakers by such a chipper and sincere personality — it’s like he never got tired!
Other than that, the renovations, the gorgeous view of coming into downtown, and the general air of this stop definitely make it one of my favourites. Wicker Park is wonderful, I just wish I felt safe enough to live right off the stop, but visiting is always a treat!
For reference, I now live off the brown line, which is beautiful, but the attitudes off this blue line stop are unbeatable so far!

Chicago transportation is generally super slow.

I completely agree with Mark E. — this stop has a lot of charm. And that view of Chicago… mm, mm! If you’ve seen the #SearsFromHere photos on instagram, this provides the perfect vantage point for you to take one of your own.

One of the nicest CTA stops I’ve seen yet. The lower lobby possesses antique charm, with it’s hardwood floors and original features. Being that this is the stop that lets off at my favorite intersection in the city, with almost endless places to eat, drink, shop, or just walk around, it’s a station I am probably never unhappy to be getting off at.

Damen, Damen, Damen you never disappoint. This probably is one of the nicest stops on the blue line and by far my favorite. Not only are the people who frequent the stop kinder than most, the stop has hardwood floors for goodness sakes!!! All the best shops, red mango, buffalo exchange, american apparel, urban outfitters, are right by there! I love it. Just get off at damen and roam around for an hour, you won’t be disappointed.

I remember the first time I got off at this stop. It was a few years ago and I was on my way to a rib cooking contest in Wicker Park. A few months later I ended up moving into the neighborhood and frequented this stop regularly. Now I have moved on in my life and no longer occupy a place in the city. Getting off here represents the different stages in my life. (tips glass) to memories…

I like this stop. It’s in a nice area. It could use a nice face lift possibly, but it’s still one of the nicer stops I use frequently. It’s one of those ugly beautiful things about the city. I like watching people in transition, and there are always lots of people here. Staff that works at this stop is always friendly as well.

Public transportation. Not super clean, but that’s to be expected. Staff is friendly. A for having a machine with the ability to add money to your card with credit.

Can the CTA please spend some money to upgrade this busy station! It is not handicap accessible and the floors in the station are warped wooden planks. There are always low life’s hanging out near the entrance and the station is way too small for the amount of people who use this on a daily basis.
The only redeeming quality is the extremely nice guy who works the morning weekday shift who helps everyone out and announces when the next train should be arriving. This station needs to be blown up and start over again!!!

It looks like I gave 5 stars, but its really more like A MILLION STARS!
So I take this train every day and they really do give you constant updates letting you know where the train is, when it’ll be here, and when the following one is coming if the next one is full. Thats cool.
Here’s where they made the leap from 5 stars to a million– I was taking the train on a Thursday afternoon to O’Hare to catch a flight to Denver where I was to meet up with 10 old college friends from all over the country and party for 4 days. I was a few stops from O’Hare when I reached for my wallet. Couldn’t find it. Wasn’t there. Vaguely recalled placing it on the turnstile at the Damen stop to pull out my CTA card since I only had one free hand, then sprinting up the stairs using both hands to carry my bag and catch the train.
Panic ensued.
I suffered through all the stages of loss as I realized that A. I was missing my flight and B. unless some miracle occurred, I was missing this trip. Our yearly reunion party trip. I decided to continue to OHare and then figure this mess out instead of getting off at the next stop and returning to Damen.
Upon reaching the OHare stop, I talked to a few CTA employees who took me to the CTA office there to speak to the supervisor. By the time I got to her, she was already on the phone with the Damen attendant, who informed her that he had not only found the wallet, but he had sent it with the conductor of the following train to O’Hare and it should be reaching any minute!
Sure enough, a CTA lady arrived with my wallet 10 minutes later and I was able to catch my flight! Partying ensued.
THANK YOU DAMEN CTA ATTENDANT!

When you get drunk in Wicker Park and need to get back into town, this is your spot. It’s actually a lot of fun because everyone else is waiting around is just as drunk as you. They have a few spots where you can lay down. The wait at night takes awhile but it’s a blast to people watch.

Roomy and easy in/​out turnstiles.
Convenient area reserved for buying/​adding money to transit card.
Bike parking inside the station on the mezzanine.
Trains come frequently.
Great stop.

I totally agree with Brandon on this one, and its the exact reason I came to write a review. That announcer on the weekdays is SO NICE. Every day when I am begrudgingly dragging myself to work he says, «we want to thank you for riding the CTA, we mean it. Have a great day and a wonderful week.»
Does anyone else want to get this guy a Christmas gift?

There’s something about this station I really like. Can’t quite put my finger on it.
Even when it’s crowded, you can get in and out pretty quickly. Nice view from platform (always a plus for me with stations). Convenient location. The people on duty seem friendly, from my experience.

We have a bond, damen blue line stop. I’ve lived right next to you for 9 months now, and every night and weekend, your shouldve-​been-​replaced-​years-​ago timbers and rails and sleepers creak and groan and spark when some wet behind the ears driver takes the bend too fast, and sends a cascade of sparks. The old timers treat you right, they speed up, then slow down as they approach the curve, and then slingshot into it gracefully.
You’ll never be as sexy as the lake red and blue line stops, with their flat screen tvs. You’ll never be as gritty as the 18^th and ashland pink line stops, or every single stop on the green.
But hopefully, soon you’ll display some local art work. And where else could i have stood every morning and watched as one by one the pieces of what is now Big Star fell into place. And which other stop has the friendliest cta employee, who announces how long before a train for the loop is arriving, so i can decide whether to pull my book out, or keep my hands in my pockets?
I like you more than chicago-​red, my former home stop. I’ve tried not to giggle when a cta sweeper has swept snow off your platforms onto some unsuspecting passerby on north ave.
ah, damen blue! your second exit on north ave is my favorite part about you. thanks for keeping it real!