Damen
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Damen is the SE of just three stations on the Blue line that are on a conventional light grey painted elevated structure and was built back in 1895 as part of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated's Northwest Logan Square Branch. The station has two wooden side platforms that have been given a historic renovation and lack tactile warning strips. They still have their original white iron platform railings that have decorative triangles within them. There is a canopy on each platform held up by central white supports that covers about two cars of each platform. These are across from each other but extensions were made to the platforms in separate directions: Todays these are towards the northern end of the Loop-bound platform and in the middle of the O'Hare-bound platform.
Two staircases beneath the canopy on each platform lead down to a first intermediate landing level where they each become one staircase before reaching another intermediate landing where the two directions merge to one staircase, this one has white walls and looks to be an extension of the restored station house before continuing down into the back of the station house where the turnstiles are. There is also a white with black trim cashiers booth. These are all inside a historic brick station house with doors out to the west side of Damen Avenue.
At the northern end of the O'Hare-bound platform, the platform continues becoming extremely narrow beyond the front of the train's stopping location, this walkway continues around a curve, looking into the windows of nearby buildings, before widening out at a small canopy structure. This covers a single high exit only turnstile that leads down to a staircase that winds it's way down under the tracks to the north side of North Avenue.
Photos 1-22: 17 July, 2009; 23-48: 15 February, 2019
