Why Ogilvie station is the best Metra station in the universe (of Chicago)
Chicago is a city of rivalries, White Sox vs. Cubs, (Cubs vs Cardinals), Bears vs Packers, but none compare to that of the Metra stations: Union Station vs. Ogilvie (note that Metra Electric doesn’t count, as no one really recognizes it as a station, at least no one that matters).
vs.
Union station is intimidating and confusingly large. Ogilvie simple and friendly. Score one Ogilvie.
Union station has ATMs and Krispie Kreme, but Ogilvie (from now on, “the Big O”) has Dunkin Donuts, at least one ATM, and a friggin’ bank on the third floor, not to mention 2 cookie companies (Tollhouse and Mrs. Fields) and a walkway over Canal. the Big O rocks!
Union (practically in ruins) has a bar, an arcade and is an architectural landmark. They also have Amtrak (in addition to Metra). O has two bars, count them, two, awesome glass mirror windows (awesome!) and Metra, which is the only way to fly! O wins again!
The ruins haven’t in recent memory seen someone get shot. The Awesome O has, which people like (in addition to the bars), as it’s reminiscent of the old gangster days, of Al Capone: drinking and guns, just like the prohibition era. Score another one for the O.
total score? ruins-0, the Big O-awesome. basically, Oglivie is friggin’ awesome… hands down.
4 Comments so far
Before i started coming downtown, word on the street seemed to be that most people came to Chicago via Union Station. Only until I actually began communting did I realize this other unknown “station” called Ogilvie.
First of all, one wouldn’t even know Ogilvie exists. It is on the bottom floor of an office building. At least Union has a sign!
Also, Ogilvie has one entrance off of Madison, where Union has several, off of Jackson, Adams, Madison, and Canal. There are two buildings that make up Union and they are connected underground, so no matter what entrance you use, you can access the main station.
Union also has a plethora of buses that take you there. Lets see, Ogilvie has 3, maybe 4 for the whole city.
Union station is a historical landmark with many interesting features, such as the legendary great hall. Now lets see, Ogilvie has nothing like that. At all.
Union has Jamba Juice, Corner Bakery, Krispy Kreme, Nuts on Clark, and the Snuggery all on the North concourse. The South one has all that and more! Oh wait, Ogilvie only has one concourse….
At least I don’t have to worry about getting shot while walking to my train…….
Ogilvie actually has four exits/entrances. Madison, between Wacker and Canal, on the west side of the river, Washington, and Lake? The other three aren’t as well known to those who don’t actually use the awesome “Big O.”
Ogilvie has 124, 129, 60, 56, 20, 14, 126? atleast… that’s just from one direction (up madison) there are others that come up canal, or down clinton (125)…
As I said, Ogilvie has awesome mirror windows and a cool futuristic shape. Boring old Union is like a copy of some Greek facade… it’s been done.
Ogilvie does have Jamba Juice, Corner Bakery, Dunkin Dounuts, some popcorn place, (I have no idea what Snuggery is…) and like 3 (almost 4 concourses…) the one on top, the one below which is split by the stairs, and the one by the walkway across Canal. We have a bookstore (related to Borders, Walden-?), several clothes shops (real clothes not tacky tourist ones), a GNC, a body works, etc… lots of awesome stores! Ogilvie wins!
Union has buses #1, X28, 129, 151, 126, 157, 14, 156, 30 at least…..
Ogilvie looks futuristic? Come on now! It looks like every other glass building in Chicago! It has to share space with an office building. At least Union has its own buildings! The “greekness” of Union stands out in this city of glass anyways.
Union is also home to Amtrak, as well as Metra. Plus they have a CTA vending machine where people can buy bus passes. Convenient right? Union is the premier train station in Chicago, serving transportation to the suburbs, as well as cities across the US, via Amtrak. Union also has the Megabuses which take you to neighboring cities for about a dollar, or something.
Hands down, Union rocks my socks!
Union station also has the cool stairway from the Untouchables. You and your friends can re-enact the baby-carraige dropping scene.