Best Buildings for a One-Seat Ride to the Loop

TL;DR If you work downtown, a one-seat ride (no transfers) is the commute upgrade that matters most. The Red Line covers the Gold Coast and the North Side, the Brown Line covers Lincoln Park and Old Town, the Blue Line covers Wicker Park and Logan Square, and the Green and Pink cover the West Loop. Here is where to live by line.

Ask anyone who commutes by train: the best commute is the one with no transfer. A one-seat ride means you sit down once and arrive, no waiting on a cold platform to switch lines. Since every CTA line runs to the Loop, the trick is living near the right single line. Here is the breakdown.

The Red Line: Gold Coast and the North Side

The Red Line is the city's 24-hour spine and the most useful single line for a Loop commute. It serves the Gold Coast right at the edge of downtown, then runs north through Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, and Edgewater. Buildings near a Red Line stop in any of these get a direct, always-running ride downtown.

The Brown Line: Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview

The Brown Line is the scenic, neighborhood-friendly option, looping through River North at the Merchandise Mart and serving Old Town (Sedgwick), Lincoln Park, and Lakeview. It is a pleasant above-ground ride straight into the Loop from some of the prettiest residential blocks in the city.

The Blue Line: Wicker Park and Logan Square

The Blue Line is the choice for the hip Northwest Side, with a direct ride from Wicker Park (about 15 to 20 minutes) and Logan Square, plus 24-hour service and a straight shot to O'Hare. Buildings near Damen, Division, California, or the Logan Square stop are well placed.

The Green and Pink Lines: the West Loop

The Green and Pink Lines serve the West Loop and Fulton Market at the Morgan and Ashland stops, putting the Loop about 20 minutes away while living in the city's hottest dining neighborhood.

How to use this

Pick the line that fits the lifestyle you want, then live near a strong stop on it. Because they all run to the Loop, the one-seat ride is available from many neighborhoods, so you can have both a great neighborhood and a simple commute.

For the buildings with the most stations overall, see our most CTA stations nearby ranking, for the neighborhood-by-line view our where to live if you work in the Loop guide, and for the data, our commute times ranked report. Then browse current openings and book a tour.

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