Wrigley with no baseball
 

I have tickets to a game at Wrigley Field over Labor Day weekend. Baseball is likely to be on strike, and there are no tours offered while I will be in town. If nothing else, I will head down to the stadium so I can at least see it from the outside. <BR><BR>My question: What is there to do down in that area around the ballpark? Any recommended restaurants? Other stuff to see?

The area around Wrigley Field is in general a residential area (I live there), but in the couple of streets right by the park, Clark, Sheffield, Addison you will find several good restaurants along with sports bars and right across the street from the field you will find a couple of Cubs souvenior shops.<BR><BR>Not sure what you are looking for or your tastes but Cubby Bear, Hi-Tops, Sluggers, and Sports Corner are all nice/rather large sports bars right by the field. Most have nightly entertainment too (live bands or DJ) along with big screen TVs and the usual bar food. Usually after any game these places are packed. Places like the Cubby Bear are usually packe anyway because they have a prety good rep for having live bands on the weekends but charge a cover. Most of these bars have pretty good cubs memorabilia inside as well and Sluggers even has upstairs batting cages.<BR><BR>If not looking for the bar scene, there are several good restaurnts, most cheaper and some less touristy than downtown. But if you are staying in the Michigan Avenue area, I am not sure it would be worth the trip out to the area jsut to go to one of these restaurants. Anyway, almost every type of food is available (that is why I like living in the area as we don't ever cook but do delivery/takeout about 5 nights a week). Heaven on Seven (cajun/New Orleans style), Outpost (casual upscale with huge wine list), Tuscany (great Italian food), Thai Classic (some of the best inexpensive Thai food in the city), several sushi bars, Billy Goat Tavern (world famous cheezborgers from the Saturday Night Live skit), El Jardin (pretty good mexican) Texas Star Fajita Grill (great Tex/Mex) several pizzz placces. Cannot think of anymore off the top of my head, but if go to the area and walk a 2-4 block radius you will find about any cuisine you want.<BR>

Excellent info. Thanks.

The area up around Wrigley also has a bunch of interesting shops (boutiques, not Gaps) and an arthouse movie theater (The Music Box). Several small theater companies also have their homes within walking distance of the Friendly Confines.<BR><BR>The Metro, a legendary live music venue, is about a block north on Clark Street. The lake is about 4 blocks East.<BR><BR>If you got off the El at Belmont (the stop before Wrigley) you could wander up Clark Street and poke your head in where you're interested.<BR><BR>Personally, I find the area more interesting than Michigan Avenue, with its Pottery Barn and Cheesecake Factory.<BR><BR>The Chicago Reader will have a listing of events (www.chireader.com) and it also has a restaurant search tool that allows you to search by cuisine, price, and distance from a given landmark.<BR><BR>HTH,<BR>Racy

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Racy, made some particularly good suggestions (especially the Metro and the Music Box), I'd like to add a few:<BR><BR>There are some good reggae bars in the area, and one great one - The Wild Hare pulls in some world class bands on a regular basis. It's next door to Sluggers, which, by the way is a filthy, cheesy pit. Unless, you're DYING to hit the batting cages, avoid it at all costs - it's far and away the worst sports bar in the area.<BR><BR>I like the food at Tuscany and Heaven on Seven - but neither place is unique to the neighborhood - they're offshoots of original locations. Angelina's on Broadway, another Italian place, has a smaller menu than Tuscany (and a smaller room), but is more intimate and has more atmosphere (and is a bit hipper) than Tuscany - if that's what you're looking for. It's not technically in Wrigleyville, but a tiny bit east (at Addison and Broadway).<BR>

Rollie,<BR><BR>I feel your pain.... have tickets for the Cards/Cubs series, too. A couple weeks ago I was optimistic that there would be baseball that weekend but now I'm not feeling very good about it. <BR><BR>I hope we're both wrong and can see baseball at Wrigley like we've both planned. (Go CARDS!) <BR><BR>Sandi

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