Three years ago after, she graduated college in Cambridge, I took my daughter to a game at Fenway Park. Last year I took her to the ante-penultimate game at Yankee Stadium. Now I plan the first week in September to take her to a game at Wrigley Field.
Where are the best seats to get the flavor of that old park? Would we be able to walk all around and get a look from various locations?
What other sights in Chicago are must-see in a 4-day visit?
Thanks
BruceT
Replies
only there once. Got to check out Michigan Ave. and the Water tower district.
Geno's pizza is a must. Lots of architecture to make your neck sore. Wished I had time to check out the museums and art galleries. But did run into a Big concert at IIRC State park. Well from what I can remember it was to much fun. flying hung over is not advised.
Saw Shae Piere's From the Blue's Brothers movie.
Should go back some day soon
Have fun
Go Jay's
Geno's pizza is a must.
Gawd YES!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Thanks for the suggestions. The original Gino's is no longer there, so we settled for Giuliani's first location with names of famous Chicagoans on the walls.BruceT
Sears Tower, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, shops on Michigan Avenue, Art Museum, Sox Park, Merchandise Mart, Hancock Tower; these are all relatively close together.
I could go on and on...
Restaurant selection is endless...try Pizzeria Uno or Due for deep dish Chicago style pizza, or have a Vienna Red Hot with the works and a bottle of Old Style...
Take her for a ride on the "El".
Except for the museums and ballparks, street parking downtown is pretty much nonexistent.
Enjoy your stay!
kreuzie
Thanks for the suggestions.We rode the L several times, as well as many busses and the red, blue and green lines. 7-day CRT pass costs just $23 and we probably used $55 worth of rides in 5 days.We did see Adler, Field (two days free) Science and Industry.
BruceT
Glad to be of help, and good to hear you enjoyed the city.
Sounds like you got a great deal at the Field!
kreuzie
A would say the the Bleachers! Hot and if you can put up with strange folks.. What Chicago is~ We are all strange in our ways. Whever we come from!
AND sort of expensive, but well worth the expense is THE BOAT RIDES..
A first link I picked..
http://www.shorelinesightseeing.com/laketour.php?gclid=CPiLqO7n05oCFQLixgodWEx7GA
Many others..
Just look at what we have to offer on the net.. And contact our Mayors Office for places to stay away from!
Yes... DO contact them for Information..
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalEntityHomeAction.do?entityName=Mayors+Office&entityNameEnumValue=30
Edited 5/23/2009 9:49 pm by WillGeorge
Thanks for the suggestions. We were going strong all 5 days, seeing as much as we could, plus the ball games.
BruceT
Dear Bruce,
I do not know anything about Wrigley Field, but one thing is certain. Once an individual has visited Yankee Stadium.... AKA the Holy Land... everything else will appear.... well.................... less than.
Have a great time in Chicago! Great to hear of a man spending time with his daughter!
Best,
John
Edited 5/24/2009 9:05 am ET by Jmartinsky
I was not to impressed with Yankee Stadium. Time will tell with the new one. Fenway has a lot of charm but once you get over that it is lousy! I was pretty impressed with Wrigley, you could feel the charm and history like fenway but a little more comfortable. I only spent two days in Chicago so I don't have to much to recommend .
Dana
"Seen Better, done worse!"
Not impressed with Yankee Stadium?? WOW, you are a tough sell! To be where Babe Ruth played, where Lou Gerhig played and delivered "Baseball's Gettysburg address", to be where Roger Maris played, where Micky Mantle hit the facade...... TWICE!, Elston Howard, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto, Joe DiMaggio, on up to Lou Pinella, Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in a World Series, saying goodbye to Thurman.................... Don Mattingly, ...... and everyone else that I forgot. If that is not impressive, then I am not sure what is.Best,John
"To be where Babe Ruth played, where Lou Gerhig played and delivered "Baseball's Gettysburg address",..."Yes, if you were there 35 years ago. The Yankee stadium I went to last year was the same address, but was built in 1976 with virtually nothing left of "the house that Ruth built". I felt that it had no more charm than Dodger Stadium and less history, except that it was built on the site of the 1923 original.BruceT
But that's not the current Yankee Stadium, either. It just opened this year, and folks are hitting homers out of it at a high rate, despite the dimensions of the field being the same. MetroNorth announced new train service that will allow fans, starting as far out as New Haven, CT, to ride directly to the stadium on weekends.
Edited 5/25/2009 7:10 am ET by SteveSchoene
I'm sorry, I don't get your point. This thread was about visiting a storied ballpark steeped in history. I didn't say anything about the current Yankee Stadium. My point about last year's visit to Yankee Stadium was that I didn't feel a great sense of history there because it wasn't the same park where the greatest in Yankee history played. It was only 33 years old while Fenway and Wrigley have been operating for more than 90 years and even "upstart" Dodger Stadium is in its 48th year.BruceT
The Art Institue of Chicago is one of the most spectacular museums in this country. Going there is like walking through the pages of an art history book. Tons of Picasso, Manet, Monet, etc. Definately a "don't miss".
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
Thanks for the suggestion about the Art Institute. There were few people there and we could walk right up to all of the paintings. You're right, the impressionists collection is pretty extensive, including three of Monet's series of 8 "haystacks".
BruceT
bruce,
the wife went to a convention couple years ago in chicago. i don't get out much, so jumped at the chance to go. when visiting a new place, i love to check out as much can be done. parked my rental car in a central location and walked all over that town for three days. it all felt very people-friendly. the museums were wonderful and the buildings, beautiful. i walked and walked till sore and tired each day. i did not, however, make it to wrigley field. saw it from a distance. the south side of things was shocking. i thought our LA barrios and ghettos were dismal. richest nation on earth and we still harbor and tolerate such human misery.
enjoy your daughter/dad time at the field.
eef
Gotta sit in the bleachers. Bring your sunscreen/hat if it's a sunny day game. Enjoy an Old Style and a hotdog. Some of the new ballparks are fun places to watch a game, but Wrigley is old and a great place to watch a game (unlike Fenway). Camden Yards in Baltimore got it right for a new park, but Wrigley just oozes baseball.
Have a great time! Go Cubbies!
Thanks for the tips. No bleachers for us. Best seats available in May for a September 2 game were last row in the last section by the foul pole in right.By the 6th inning we moved to some empty seats in the second section directly behind home plate.BruceT
You gotta TRY to sit in the bleachers. I hear from my daughter--who lives there--that they are the hardest seats to get.
While you're there, you'll both like Millineum Park. It's close to the Art Institute and Grant Park.
By the way, you won't need a car in the city.
Thanks for the tips.We did see Millennium park and the fantastic "Bean".BruceT
brucet9,
It sounds like you'll have a great time no matter what. My 25 year old daughter has a habit of winning free trips, about 8 years ago she and I went to the NBA Allstar game and last fall she took her mother to India for 2 weeks.
I'm an old X-Yankee fan and hold the old stadium in high esteem. The first time I went to Fenway I was struck by the fact that during warm-ups I was literally 8-10' away from some greats; Lynn, Rice, Yas, etc. ...that was a bit un-nerving...I like my pedestals. You can get some of that same opportunity at Wrigley..well almost. Fenway is surrounded by a festive environment (bars, food vendors, people). Wrigley is in the middle of a neighborhood and a it less festive. Wrigley is more vertical than Fenway so you can see the game better. However, the Red Sox are better hitters so your looking up more anyhow :). Both stadiums are difficult to walk around when compared with the new Cominsky.
Mostly everything else in Chicago has been mentioned except maybe Navy Peer..something may be going on there. Mainly Chicago is a town to eat your way through with brief walks either shopping or museum hoping so you'll get hungry again.
Have a great time...
If you're at all interested in Frank Lloyd Wright houses, the Chicago area is loaded with them. Some are open for tours, the Robie House being one of them on the South Side in Hyde Park next to the campus of the University of Chicago where both Obamas worked and lived. You can easily visit and see one of his nearly 100-year-old houses that today looks wonderful in spite of some weathering and maintenance issues. While there, walk across the campus and see one of America's finest universities that includes the Oriental Institute with its Egyptian and other near-Eastern exhibits open to the public. I took my daughter there when she was exploring colleges. Have fun!
Thanks for the suggestions,We did tour the FLW home and studio and saw a couple of his houses in the neighborhood.BruceT
Thanks for the tips. We certainly did eat our way around town. We stayed a the Ambassador East in the Gold Coast ($100 per night two queen sized beds) and found lots of very nice sidewalk restaurants just three blocks south on Rush St.BruceT
bruce
I've spent a large portion of my life at Wrigley Field, so I can tell you that if you're looking for an experience in an old park, you'll get one.
If you sit in the bleachers, you will not have access to the rest of the park, and vise-versa. My seats are downstairs, under the skyboxes, and looking directly from third out to second base. Anywhere downstairs, out in the sun, would be terrific.
Keep in mind that in September, especially late September, if the wind is blowing in, (which it usually is), you will freeze your arse off unless it is really unseasonably warm. Dress appropriately in layers.
Have a great time. I've taken both my daughters and my son to games, and wouldn't trade the memories for anything.
As a side note, my son and I are even bigger hockey fans (go Blackhawks!), and I plan on taking him to all the different arena's for a hockey game as soon as he graduates college (3 more years). I'll only regret not getting him into the Montreal Forum before it closed!
Have fun!
Jeff
Thanks for the tips.That's disappointing that bleachers are shut off from the rest of the park.A couple of people have commented about weather. What should we expect for September 2?BruceT
A couple of people have commented about weather. What should we expect for September 2?Well, brucet9, this is the mystery that is Chicago! It'll probably be in the 70's, or even the 80's on that day. However, it could also easily be in the 50's. If the wind is blowing in, the temperature inside the park will be a good 10° to 15° cooler. When I go to the park, I always dress in layers, except in mid summer. Early or late in the season, you never know what you'll get.Have fun. Hopefully, the Cubs will be playing baseball by then, instead of whatever it is they are doing now!JeffP.S. No need to go see that so-called ball park on the south side where the minor leaguers play. You'll need an armed guard to get in and out of the place.
Brucet9
Seems everyone has mentioned just about everything to see in Chicago. I might have missed it but after "shopping" with your daughter take her to a show. Chicago has a great theater district. We took the kids to Wicked, Poppins and The Blue Man Group. We went to our first Sox game this weekend! Enjoy and bring a hat and coat. You never know.
Dan
Thanks for the suggestions. We walked around the theater district, but the only show we saw was a taping of the NPR radio show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me".BruceT
I second (or third?) the suggestion to take the architectural boat ride. It gives you an amazing views of the city from the 'inside'.You board at the SE corner of Michigan Ave. and the river. I think reservations are in order.A surprise item can be found at the base of the building in the NE corner of the river and Mich. Ave. (Tribune bldg.?) Look closely and you will discover stones imbedded in the wall from all over the world: the pyramids, the Great Wall of China, etc. You get the idea.Enjoy!Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Thanks for the tips.Weather was sunny and 70's the whole week, so our seats at the right field foul pole were comfy anyway.
BruceT
BruceT,
Lots of good ideas already - I will try to add a few. I have lived about 2 miles straight south of the park for 19 years. I get up to a game whenever I can slip away. Definitely take the El. If you get on the brown line in the loop (downtown) sit in the back of the last car if you can and take in some of the best views of the city. Then transfer to the red line at Fullerton and get off across the street from the ballpark at Addison. After the game walk south and take in the old houses, restaurants and bars, etc. When you get tired of walking it should not take more than two minutes to hail a cab.
As for other stuff to do I would second the recommendation to take a boat ride. There is a very good architectural tour that goes up and down the river pointing out significant buildings. The Chicago Historical Society also has a great museum if you are into that kind of thing. If it is warm you can go to the beach, Lincoln Park has a great zoo, lots of museums, etc. E-mail me directly if you want more specific recommendations.
Chris
Thanks for the tips.We did get to the Historical Society museum and both enjoyed it. Our hotel was in the Gold Coast, just about 6 blocks from Lincoln Park.
BruceT
If you can get out to Oak Park, there's a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture to take in. There are walking tours that should be exceptionally nice in September. Also, the docent-guided tour of FLW's studio and home is pretty inspirational.
The modern skyscraper was more or less invented by architect Louis Sullivan of Chicago and a few of his buildings still stand.
Although the river tour IS nice and educational, there is also a walking tour of the Art Deco buildings that I think is better. You get to walk into a few of the buildings so you can take in the beautiful lobbies, elevators, entryways, and other details that the river tour just can't do.
I still want to say "Go Blackhawks!"--just not as loud.
We did look at some of the early "skyscrapers", but they were Burnham and Root structures. Root is the guy who came up with the floating foundation solution to building a tall structure on the sandy wet soil (quicksand) of Chicago. The Reliance Building (1895) and the Rookery (1888) still stand.BruceT
Thanks all for your suggestions for my trip to Chicago.
Among other things, my daughter and I tried out the glass boxes that jut out from the observation floor of the Sears/Willis Tower.
Here's a post to my chicago pics on Picasa, if anyone is interested. http://picasaweb.google.com/brucet999/Chicago2009#
View Image
BruceT
Bruce,
I just returned from a long venture which included a great Red Sox/Yankees game at Fenway (from a box seat behind home plate). The only time I've had "chowdah" served to me while watching a baseball game!
The fans at Fenway impressed me as every single person stood silently and reverently with all hats off during the singing of the National Anthem--then they booed every player as the Yankees roster was announced!
I've caught a few games at Wrigley--and Comiskey. My recommendation would be to see a game at both venues if you are a real baseball fan. As has already been suggested, sit on the third base side at Wrigley and be sure to prepare for any sort of weather by layering! When the wind comes off of Lake Michigan, you'd think it was January!
Don't expect Chicago to be as welcoming as Boston.
Edited 5/26/2009 6:34 pm ET by heartwould
Dear H,
As a lifelong Yankee fan, I have developed an opinion of Boston and its fans. My mother was from Boston, so I am familiar with the sporting psychosis that goes along with that territory. The Boston fans, unlike the Yankee fans will cheer a fine defensive play made by the opposing team, unless of course that opposing team is from the Bronx. As baseball fans go and a general appreciation of the game, the Boston fans have it hands down over most other cities. On the other hand, the Boston fans were much easier to live with prior to them winning a couple of World Series! Way to go Boston.............. What.... 22 or 23 more and you'll be tied with the Yankees!Best,John
Edited 5/27/2009 7:23 am ET by Jmartinsky
John,
There was some interesting banter between a pocket of Yankees fans and the Red Sox faithful during the game, but nothing nasty at all. It was great for a Midwestern baseball fan to see!
One interesting thing I heard from several Bostonians: they have a tough time getting tickets to Fenway. They say that to see their favorite team play they travel to Baltimore to cheer for the "visitors." Is it really that much easier to get a ticket at Camden Yards?
"Is it really that much easier to get a ticket at Camden Yards"I believe it. Sports are like religion in Boston. They are very loyal fans as they draw pretty consistently no matter how they are playing. Fenway is a small park and the more season ticket holders there are, that means all the less tickets for the Faithful. "There was some interesting banter between a pocket of Yankees fans and the Red Sox faithful during the game, but nothing nasty at all."That was because the banter was in Fenway and not Yankee Stadium. At the Stadium, things can go ugly pretty quickly, but as I mentioned earlier, I think that the Boston fans are more appreciative than my fellow Yankee fans.Best,JohnEdited 5/27/2009 8:25 am ET by JmartinskyEdited 5/27/2009 8:25 am ET by Jmartinsky
Edited 5/27/2009 8:26 am ET by Jmartinsky
J,I was watching a show last night on cemeteries (it was a repeat on the travel station). They noted how after Boston won the world series many of the head stones were adorned by Red Sox banners and balloons...that joy went very deep. Isn't it amazing how the 'First Time' sticks in our minds...
sporting psychosis !!!!
My wife LOVED the Chicago Cubs... I would pick on her team and no sex that night!
bleechers
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