CALLING ALL Cubs and Cardinals fans

[jnotrizzle]

Hey guys, I'm taking a mini-road trip to Nashville this summer with my girlfriend for a wedding.

I told her I'd go to this wedding and drive if we could go to games at Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium (I'm coming from Minnesota). She obliged. The schedule works out perfect on August 14-15 to go to a 1:10 at Wrigley on Thursday and a 7:10 game at Busch on Friday.

So, what I'm asking is to the fans of these teams, what are the best seats in these stadiums that are fairly affordable? I'm thinking something in the $100-$150 range.

Thanks guys!

[joefromchicago]

Whatever you do, don't buy tickets to the Cubs games from the Cubs. The team will probably be about as bad as it has been for the past couple of seasons, which will make tickets on the secondary market cheap and plentiful. Your best bet is to buy on StubHub or some other reputable reseller. Last year, I got upper deck box seats for a weekday day game for around $15 a seat, which is a savings of about $45 each.

As for the best seats, I'm partial to the upper deck boxes. It's an old stadium, so you're not a mile away from the field. Also the concession stands are closer and the lines to the bathroom are shorter. Lower deck boxes are fine, but expensive. Sit in the bleachers if you want to get a tan.

[The Game]

Best seats I have ever had at Wrigley were standing room only for Sox vs Cubs in June 2003. $10 back then. If you are going to go to Wrigley and it is your 1st visit, you have to sit in the Bleachers. As far as Busch, I have been to 3 games there the last 2 years and my uncle had a hookup, so the seats were 3rd base side even with the bag 10 rows back. There is not a bad seat at that park. LF line above the pen would be nice also.
While in Chi go across the street and go to either Cubbie Bear or Murphy's. Parking is not fun for Wrigley. Look for a $10 dollar spot about 2-3 blocks west of the park on Addison.
On your way down I-55 to STL try not to get gas close to the city. I live at exit 236. Don't go to the Shell right there $3.79, go into town and go to the 1st Shell you see past Casey's. $3.63 as of today. Farther south you go on 55, the cheaper gas will be. Dwight, Pontiac, etc. get a Shell's gas card and save .03.
As far as places to eat, there are a few Cracker Barrell's on 55, check their website. The one i tend to go to is at Bloomington-Normal and another one near Edwardsville.
While in St Louis go to PII pizza
Pi Pizzeria ? award-winning deep and thin crust pizza in st. louis, mo serving lunch and dinner every day
also check Stubhub for Cubs tickets. Never bought from there, but they seem to have good prices.

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by The Game

Best seats I have ever had at Wrigley were standing room only for Sox vs Cubs in June 2003. $10 back then. If you are going to go to Wrigley and it is your 1st visit, you have to sit in the Bleachers. As far as Busch, I have been to 3 games there the last 2 years and my uncle had a hookup, so the seats were 3rd base side even with the bag 10 rows back. There is not a bad seat at that park. LF line above the pen would be nice also.
While in Chi go across the street and go to either Cubbie Bear or Murphy's. Parking is not fun for Wrigley. Look for a $10 dollar spot about 2-3 blocks west of the park on Addison.

That's pretty much the official out-of-town visitors' guide to Wrigley Nothing wrong with that, especially if you're an out-of-town visitor, which jnotrizzle will be. I'm sure one of the first questions he'll get when he says that he went to Wrigley will be "did you sit in the bleachers?"

I'll just mention here that I spent many a quality afternoon in the bleachers, playing hooky from school, when tickets were only $1.25 and were only available for purchase on the day of the game. That was a bargain, and it was a fun time. Now, bleacher tickets go for $30 (face value - ordering online boosts them up to $40 per ticket), and there's not much discounting for those because all of those out-of-town visitors want to be able to tell their friends that they sat in the bleachers. Meanwhile, you're still sitting in the baking sun on hard wooden benches and you're farther away from the field than anyone else at the ballpark. That was fine when I was fourteen years old. Now, however ... thanks, but no thanks. If I want a tan, I'll go to the beach. If I want to see a ballgame, I'll sit in the upper deck boxes.

And as for Murphy's and Cubby Bear, they're both packed after the games and they have your basic Bud-Miller mix of beers. They're fine if you don't mind having to yell at the person next to you in order to be heard and having random strangers spill beer on you. There are plenty of really good taverns around Wrigley, especially if you're willing to walk a few blocks, where the patrons aren't packed together like sardines and where the beer lists are more extensive.

[The Game]

Originally Posted by joefromchicago

That's pretty much the official out-of-town visitors' guide to Wrigley Nothing wrong with that, especially if you're an out-of-town visitor, which jnotrizzle will be. I'm sure one of the first questions he'll get when he says that he went to Wrigley will be "did you sit in the bleachers?"

I'll just mention here that I spent many a quality afternoon in the bleachers, playing hooky from school, when tickets were only $1.25 and were only available for purchase on the day of the game. That was a bargain, and it was a fun time. Now, bleacher tickets go for $30 (face value - ordering online boosts them up to $40 per ticket), and there's not much discounting for those because all of those out-of-town visitors want to be able to tell their friends that they sat in the bleachers. Meanwhile, you're still sitting in the baking sun on hard wooden benches and you're farther away from the field than anyone else at the ballpark. That was fine when I was fourteen years old. Now, however ... thanks, but no thanks. If I want a tan, I'll go to the beach. If I want to see a ballgame, I'll sit in the upper deck boxes.

And as for Murphy's and Cubby Bear, they're both packed after the games and they have your basic Bud-Miller mix of beers. They're fine if you don't mind having to yell at the person next to you in order to be heard and having random strangers spill beer on you. There are plenty of really good taverns around Wrigley, especially if you're willing to walk a few blocks, where the patrons aren't packed together like sardines and where the beer lists are more extensive.

I can't disagree with any of that. I have never sat in the bleachers and although I have not been to Wrigley since 2006 I always tend to sit somewhere under the upperdeck on the 1B side bout 20 rows back. Just gotta fight the pole in my way. As far as Murphy's & Cubbie Bear I recommended those since they are right outside the park. John Barleycorn is better and is only 2 blocks down. Harry Carray's is better but might be too far out of his way if he doesn't want to go through downtown on LaSalle.
Don't want someone who has never spent any time here to get lost or wind up in the wrong neighborhood.
Wow prices went up at Wrigley. I have not paid more then $12 at Sox park in 6 years. Half price Mondays are great, and the other games I have been to have either been free or paid for by others.

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by The Game

As far as Murphy's & Cubbie Bear I recommended those since they are right outside the park. John Barleycorn is better and is only 2 blocks down. Harry Carray's is better but might be too far out of his way if he doesn't want to go through downtown on LaSalle.
Don't want someone who has never spent any time here to get lost or wind up in the wrong neighborhood.

Barleycorn's is a good choice. You'd need to take a cab or drive to get to Harry Carray's. There are a number of drinking establishments along Clark St. within easy walking distance of the park that are pretty good. A few blocks west is Southport, where there are also some good taverns.

It would be difficult to end up in the wrong kind of neighborhood, unless you walk a fair distance to the northeast and end up in Uptown - which actually isn't that bad. If you find yourself on Halsted St., you may not want to wander into the bars there unless you don't mind the distinct lack of a female clientele

[The Game]

Originally Posted by joefromchicago

Barleycorn's is a good choice. You'd need to take a cab or drive to get to Harry Carray's. There are a number of drinking establishments along Clark St. within easy walking distance of the park that are pretty good. A few blocks west is Southport, where there are also some good taverns.

It would be difficult to end up in the wrong kind of neighborhood, unless you walk a fair distance to the northeast and end up in Uptown - which actually isn't that bad. If you find yourself on Halsted St., you may not want to wander into the bars there unless you don't mind the distinct lack of a female clientele

Boystown isn't that far away from Wrigleyville. I guess it's different then when you go downtown on prom night and wind up with a flat tire right outside of Cabrini Green. Since it is no longer there it is not an issue. I was trying to keep it simple.
He's coming from MN keeping him close to 90,LSD & 55, is what I had in mind.