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The Chicago Traveler

October 13th, 2008

Metra Van Buren Street Station Is a Parisian Gateway

I’ve mentioned before how small bits of Paris occasionally pop up here in Chicago. This includes the entrance to the Metra Van Buren Street Station on Michigan Avenue (across from the Auditorium Building). It is a replica of a Paris subway entrance designed by Hector Guimard. The entrance was given to Chicago by the city […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

October 8th, 2008

On the Side of Angels

One of the reasons I love living in Chicago is the availability of mass public transit. Even though it may be slow at times and the CTA is threatening yet another fare increase, I know that no matter the time of day, I can usually get where I’m going (or at least close to it).
[…]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

October 1st, 2008

New CTA Rail Cars Stand Out

About two weeks ago, the CTA began testing its new “max capacity” reduced-seat ‘L’ cars on the Brown Line in an attempt to provide more space (and garner more revenue) from overcrowded rush-hour trains.
About a dozen seats were removed from the trial rail cars, allowing each to hold approximately 25 more riders than normal cars. […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

September 17th, 2008

Subway Signals

Years ago, while riding the ‘L’ underground, I always found it amusing to see passengers confusedly looking at their cell phones and wondering why they didn’t have any signal. Didn’t they realize that they were several feet below the surface?
Nowadays, being under the streets doesn’t have to stop you from texting, gabbing, Twitter’ing, Flickr’ing, and […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

September 15th, 2008

Ike Brings Floods to Chicago

The Chicago Traveler and all of us here at b5media send our thoughts and well-wishes to all those along the Gulf coast who have been affected by Hurricane Ike.
I also want to extend my sympathies to many in the Chicagoland area. The hurricane’s residual effects brought two days of steady, pouring rain. Rivers and creeks […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

September 5th, 2008

My Evacuation Vacation

As a few of you already know, I was vacationing in New Orleans, Louisiana for Labor Day weekend. Or rather, I planned to vacation there. I arrived last Thursday afternoon, and by Friday night, I was fleeing from Hurricane Gustav.
Let me just say it was quite an adventure. That Friday evening, my friends and I […]

By Matt B -- 5 comments

August 29th, 2008

Labor Day Weekend 2008 (Aug 29-31)

• The African Festival of the Arts is Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival, featuring three music stages, ethnic cuisine, and more than 300 vendors selling everything from fine art to skin care products. Presentations include book discussions and dance workshops. (Aug 29 – Sept 1)
• The 30th annual Chicago Jazz Festival is the city’s longest-running lakefront […]

By Matt B -- 1 comment

July 19th, 2008

Chicago Links

Time-Out Chicago dutifully posts updates, reviews, and photos of the Pitchfork Music Festival.
The PBLT (a cross between a peanut butter sandwich and a BLT) at Lula Cafe is a bit more than you’d bargain for, according to Drive-Thru.
Yesterday, today, and…? You know the word I’m looking for, but do you know how to spell it? […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

July 18th, 2008

CTA Considers Standing Room Only

Now that seniors can ride the CTA for free and with the rising costs of gas, more and more people have been using the city’s public transit. While this is great in terms of “traveling green,” this means that there are more commuters during rush hour on already crowded buses and trains. But due to […]

By Matt B -- 1 comment

June 14th, 2008

Ride Smarter

With the rising costs of gas, more and more people are turning to public transit to get where they’re going. Now, Google Maps can help guide your way.
Just enter your start and end points. If available for your route, you’ll see the option to “take public transit.” You can even see bus and train schedules, […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments