Symmetry V

Belmont CTA Station

Symmetry III

Belmont CTA Station

Harrison Haiku

I've mentioned before that most of the CTA el stations have some type of public art installation. At the Harrison Stop on the Red Line, this art is in the form of haikus written by students in Columbia College's Creative Writing Poetry program and students from the nearby Jones College Prep School.

This particular haiku seems to indicate that the Cubs vs. Sox is not the only North Side/South Side rivalry in Chicago. (The Clark and Lake stop is on the North Side; the Harrison stop is on the South Side.)

Train Tracks

I'd never noticed that the door pulls on the Kimball station of the Brown Line have little train tracks on them. It appears that they kept these unique door pulls even after they renovated the rest of the station.

A Real Green House

This is the Ashland stop on the Green (and Pink) CTA lines. It's one of the oldest stations in the CTA system and certainly a unique one. It seems that there were four stations built in a Queen Anne style. Only two remain, this one (in its original location) and the station at the Garfield Park Conservatory/Central Park el stop (which was relocated from the Homan Avenue stop).

To Boldly Go ...

This is the artsy installation at the Fullerton CTA Station. No sign to help identify the piece or the artist. I thought it looked a little like the Starship Enterprise but, after looking up the link, I think it is safer to say it looks like a UFO.

Up on the House Tops

It's hard to take photos from the el. You have to get a window seat (and preferably one of the single seats so your neighboring passenger doesn't wonder about you too much). You have to be on a car that doesn't have those translucent advertising signs over the windows. You have to be on the correct side of the train (constantly changing your seat location just draws attention). But it is a fun challenge. These were taken from the Brown Line. The top one is near Montrose. The bottom one, with the blur is while the train was heading toward the Damen Stop.

One of These Days

I've been meaning to take a photo of this escalator for awhile. It is the escalator at the North and Clybourn stop on the CTA Red Line. I swear it is the narrowest escalator in the CTA system. It's barely 24 inches wide. With a bulky winter coat and any packages, you have to stand sideways. You also have to stand single file on it so you feel trapped when there are a lot of people riding the escalator. On the other hand, it's a good motivator for taking the stairs.

The North and Clybourn station is the one right by the new Apple Store in Chicago. So, I'm betting it gets a full makeover, complete with a wider escalator, soon.

Sepia Line

The Armitage Stop on the Brown Line. Since it was the Brown Line, I did it in sepia-tone ;)

Standing in Line

The artistic touches at the Wellington stop on the CTA Brown Line.

Remind Me!

As the CTA remodels the stations, especially on the Brown Line, it is adding artsy touches to each one. This seems to be the soon-to-be-unveiled art installation at the Diversey El stop. I'll have to remind myself to come back in a few weeks to see it in its full glory. I'm wondering if there is lighting that will better show the shades of red and purple that you can just see in the afternoon sunlight.

Red and Pink on the Brown Line

This very bright mosaic (?) was installed at the Chicago Avenue stop on the CTA Brown Line. The CTA has been installing art - mural, mosaics, sculptures - at many of the remodeled stations through out the city. I'm trying to find out a little more about this but haven't been successful. I'm curious about all the symbols ... and wouldn't the colors have coordinated better on the Pink Line or the Red Line?

April Theme Day: The Color Red

Today is Theme Day on City Daily Photo. This month's theme, voted on by City Daily Photo members is The Color Red. I discovered that Chicago has a number of red icons.

Clockwise from top left

The CTA Red Line, Alexander Calder's Flamingo, The Wrigley Building with special red lighting, Alexander Calder's signature on the Flamingo, a certain restaurant with a big red tomato at the door, the CNA Building

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Next Stop: 2010

Next Station ... Next Year.
Like this CTA train, we're all flying to 2010.

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve.

Street Level

The "el" in Chicago isn't always elevated. Along this stretch of the Brown Line (previously known as the Ravenswood), it is at street level.

Under the El

Cool shadows under the Ravenswood (Brown Line) El at Franklin and Erie.

CTA Mural

A bright poster at the Randolph and Wabash Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Station. I'm just not sure about the relevance of the Eight Ball in the bottom left corner. ;)

Riding on a Rainbow

The Chicago Transit Authority has tried for years to come up with names for the 'el' lines that would make it easy for tourists and riders to decipher.

I've lived here long enough to remember Congress-Douglas, Howard-Englewood-Jackson, Lake-DanRyan, Ravenswood, Evanston Express, and Skokie Swift.

Those morphed into Congress-Douglas-O'Hare, Howard Dan Ryan (there was a short-lived and ill-fated attempt to abbreviate that as "Ho-Dar"), Lake-Englewood-Jackson (calling that "LE Jack" was similarly short-lived), Ravenswood, Evanston, and Skokie. Then Midway was added.

Its current incarnation is colors. In order of the above names, it is Blue Line, Red Line, Green Line, Brown Line, Purple Line, Yellow Line, and Orange Line. The Pink Line is the newest. Trouble is, we're running out of colors. If they add any lines, we'll have to use names like Chartreuse, Apricot, or Soylent Green.

Through the Glass, Darkly

I took this photo through the windshield (I didn't think it would be a good idea to stand in the middle of the street to take a picture). I think that is why it looks darker and grittier than in "real" life. The title is "A Full Life Turns Mistakes into Miracles". I couldn't find anything on the artist, though.