Moving Daughter to Wrigleyville, where to park?
 

We are moving our daughter to the Wrigleyville area of Chicago on July 24th, there are home games the 24, 25, 26, and 27th, ALL the days we are there! Where would you park a vehicle during this period that won't break the bank? Despite the fact that we will be towing a trailer, that we will get rid of the first day, parking "I think" is going to be horrendous at best.

We actually park on the street for free--even on game day. You may have drive around for awhile and walk a few blocks. If you stay at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln Park, they valet park for $15. There are some lots around. Once we find a spot though, we hate to move--we use the bus or the El. Had to use the car to go to Target--killed me to move the car.

I know they have neighborhood stickers in Chicago. I assume Wrigleyville has them too. Basically the on-street parking is only for people with the stickers. I suggest you investigate immediately if that neighborhood has that and where you get one. I assume you can take her lease into whichever department and pick one up.

It looks like you can buy them on-line:

http://www.chicityclerk.com/resident...ing/index.html

AND they have special permits for people that live near Wrigley to park on game days!

http://www.chicityclerk.com/stadiumparking.php

Parking rules are most strict after 6 pm. That's when residental streets in Wrigleyville require a neighborhood sticker. If your daughter will have a vehicle, she can purchase a sticker through the City Clerk's office. The neighborhood parking sticker is $25 <b>in addition to</b> the $75 sticker required of all vehicles registered in the City. Welcome to Chicago ;-)

The City distributes guest stickers to each resident in the stadium area at the beginning of the season, I believe after the initial distribution, she would have to contact her Alderman's office.

If you'll be actively unloading the car/trailer, I don't think it will be a problem to have it in front of her building. If you are just looking for a place to leave your car during your visit, you can usually find spots along Clark or Broadway between Irving Park Road and Montrose.

Another (farther away) option for on-street parking would be Stockton or Cannon Drives in Lincoln Park. It would be about a mile away, but you could catch the Number 22-Clark or Number 36-Broadway bus back north. Just remember to not leave anything visible in the vehicle.

If you opt for any of the main streets, read the signs for the whole block as some that normally allow parking don't on game days. Some of the signs take a couple readings to understand. The ones that come to mind are along Addison. I don't recall the exact wording, but they essentially say there's no parking from 2 hours before a game until 1 hour after.

Finally, know that most parking meters are enforced until 9 pm Mon-Sat and until 8 pm on Sunday.

Thanks, she won't be having a car in Chicago. It's just us this weekend while we are there!

So we should be able to unload the pickup and the attached trailer without too much problem? Then we hope to drop the trailer off at the Uhaul place on Fullerton and then find a place to leave the pickup until we leave 3 days later.

Okay, a pickup truck is an entirely different animal.

First, you cannot drive any type of truck on a designated city boulevard. The only ones you'll likely encounter are Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue and Diversey. I doubt you'll be near the others.

You cannot park a pickup truck on any residental street without, you guessed it, a permit.;-)

In that case, you'd do best on the streets I mentioned earlier as Clark and Broadway are both main arteries. If you find a spot and are unsure, you can double check with the city by calling 311.

You could also try the parking lots around Montrose Beach, east of Lake Shore Drive at Montrose.

Boy, this is more complicated than I was expecting..

We thought of getting off the Interstate at Cicero Street and going north to either Belmont or Addison and then heading east to Halsted. Is that ok with a pickup? It's a small pickup, although with a trailer.

Probably Belmont as to avoid as much as possible traffic because of the Cubs.

Why not take 90/94 to Irving Park and head East on that? Irving Park moves the best of the East/West streets.

Agreed with Racy, I'd go with Irving Park. Belmont can get *very* congested.

Thanks.. I will check that out.

I agree with the Irving Park suggestion. But remember that Halsted ends three blocks south of Irving Park at Grace and merges into Broadway. Broadway continues north of there.

And just to keep you on your toes, you'll cross Sheridan Road while heading east on Irving Park and after you turn right to head south on Broadway, you'll cross Sheridan a second time.

I know this is probably a stupid question? But if you can't drive on certain designated streets in a pickup can you cross them? or is that illegal too?

I drove a very heavy U-Haul truck up Lake Shore because I had no idea about the restrictions. I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you get pulled over just play the out of town tourist card and say, &quot;What?!?&quot; I think you'll be fine.

You might also contact your daughter's landlord and see if he/she has a space you can park in for a few days. A lot of landlords leave a space for themselves and he/she might be willing to let you borrow it. Or perhaps a space comes with your daughter's new place even though she won't be using it.