How safe is ~5:00 AM in Lakeview, Chicago waiting for a bus?

December 7, 2013 5:27 PM

This is pretty last minute, but I'm visiting Chicago tomorrow for a short period of time, and need to catch an early train back home the next day (it leaves Union Station at 6:00 AM). I'll be in Lake View and/or apparently Boys Town that night/morning. Particularly around the intersection of Halsted & Addison. I have two bus choices (151 and 8) to go from there to Union Station. 1) Should this area be safe after 4:30 AM to be waiting around for a bus for 10-20 minutes? 2) Do you have any experiences with either bus being on time this early? 3) Bus 8 actually doesn't drop me off right at Union Station, so how safe should the area around Union Station be around 5:30 AM? For what it's worth, I'm a guy, but I don't have any city living experience, and am definitely not threatening looking. (Also: I'm aware of the bus tracker web app, but my phone can't access it, so I can't just wait inside where I'll be until the bus is nearby) Thanks!
posted by SollosQ to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (14 answers total)

You'll be fine. They'll both be pretty fast that early in the morning. I'd take the 151 just because it drops you off right at Union. Obviously be careful and pay attention to your surroundings, but you should be fine.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 5:44 PM on December 7, 2013

Shouldn't be a big deal to be at Union Station at 5:30 AM. A lot of people will be heading to work/commuting/catching buses and trains like yourself.

Can't speak directly to the stop where you'll be waiting, but you will most likely be OK. I second the 151 also. The buses should be pretty on time but I'd head out a few minutes early just in case, 'cause I'm like that.
posted by stoneandstar at 5:45 PM on December 7, 2013

Lakeview's a really safe neighborhood to begin with, and there's a police station literally one block west of Halsted and Addison. So yeah, you'll be fine waiting for the bus. It might feel unsafe because there will be very few other people out at that hour, but I (young female) personally wouldn't think twice about taking that trip at any hour of the day or night. Either bus should be fine as well, but it'll probably be easier for you to just take the 151.
posted by gueneverey at 5:53 PM on December 7, 2013

The relevant bus stops are right by my house--you'll be fine, safetywise. But honestly, every time I've needed a 151 to get me to Union Station in time for an early morning train, it has failed me. The 8 is generally more reliable, but personally, I'd take a cab ($15ish) or ride the el to the Loop and walk/cab the rest of the way. You're much more likely to make it to your train on time.
posted by crush-onastick at 5:57 PM on December 7, 2013 [3 favorites]

Oh, and the walk from the #8 to Union is also perfectly safe.
posted by crush-onastick at 5:57 PM on December 7, 2013

It is a good area of Chicago. I would be comfortable catching a bus there. You can look at the CTA Bus Tracker if you feel uncomfortable waiting and want to try and get there just a minute or two before. However, it isn't perfect and you may end up having to wait until the next bus.
posted by AlexiaSky at 6:05 PM on December 7, 2013

I generally prefer the 8 bus as well, but the one time I tried to take it to the Greyhound station for an early departure, it didn't come for like 45 minutes. I think the take-home message here is whichever bus you pick, leave earlier than you think you need to.
posted by gueneverey at 6:09 PM on December 7, 2013

If you can stop by the bus stop earlier, it'll have a number you can text for bus information. (Admittedly, it didn't work for me the one time I've tried it (I think you text CTABUS and then a number, but wasn't clear whether it's CTABUSXXXX or CTABUS XXX. Or I'm just incompetent.)
posted by hoyland at 6:34 PM on December 7, 2013

So this will be 4:30 am Monday morning? Should be totally safe. My girlfriend lives up there, and the biggest thing you've got to worry about are drunk bros... but probably not at 4:30 am on a Monday.

Seconding the El. Just take the Red line (towards 95th). Get on at Addison, get off at Monroe. It's (literally) a 10 block walk from there to Union station, due west, and is guaranteed to be faster than the bus even with the walk.
posted by special agent conrad uno at 7:32 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

it's fine!
posted by jennybento at 9:05 PM on December 7, 2013

I'm a wuss. I'd take a cab. In addition to safety issues, it's pretty darn cold at 4:30 in the morning in Chicago this week.
posted by Lylo at 9:39 PM on December 7, 2013

In my experience, buses that early in the morning are actually the most likely to adhere to schedule, because there's the least amount of traffic to delay them, but it's always better to check the real-time bus arrival information.

Check at home before you leave, but without a smartphone/data, you can still text "ctabus [stop code]" to 41411 for information. The relevant bus codes for the 8 and the 151 (you can actually look these up ahead of time) are:

8, Halsted and Addison, southbound: 14901 (so you'd text "ctabus 14901")
151, Lake Shore Dr and Addison, southbound: 1063

I believe there are real-time arrival signs at the Addison Red Line, but if for whatever reason they are not functioning, you can also check the arrival of the Red Line by texting "ctatrain ADRE" to 41411 which will text you back both northbound and southbound trains.

Finally, I used to take the 6:10 am train to Milwaukee all the time and Union Station is perfectly safe at that time. I took cabs, because somebody else was paying for it, but I would have felt perfectly fine taking the train and walking there.
posted by andrewesque at 10:28 PM on December 7, 2013

I used to do a similar trek regularly at that time to go to swim practice at exactly the same time.
I used the el in the winter mostly to keep from totally freezing. (You can exit the redline st monroe and catch the 60 for the few blocks west.)
I felt pretty safe either on the el or on the 8 bus. (Female.)
posted by susiswimmer at 1:49 AM on December 8, 2013

Mod note: A couple of comments deleted; let's just stick to the question asked.
posted by taz (staff) at 6:36 AM on December 8, 2013