My dad and I are driving down from Madison, WI to go to a Cubs game next Thursday (day game). We%26#39;re going to head down early to make a few stops in my dad%26#39;s old neighborhood (Berwyn) first and then over to Wrigley field.
Here are my parking options as I see it:
1. Street parking at Wrigley. I%26#39;ve read in previous posts that you don%26#39;t need a permit to park during day games - but availability is an issue.... and leaving Wrigleyville after the game is an even bigger issue.
2. Park downtown %26amp; take the Red Line (Issue - we%26#39;ll need to get back to our car downtown - and most likely encounter rush hour traffic heading out of the city.)
The big question is which option is the lesser of two evils in our plight to get back to Wisconsin after the game? I realize it%26#39;s probably going to be a pain either way.
Thanks!!
Wrigley Field parking dilemma...help!?
As someone who regularly drops and picks up my hubby and kids from Wrigley, driving around there at game time isn%26#39;t too bad. The cops keep everything moving.
There are a lot of small parking places around Wrigley and you%26#39;ll see people standing almost in the middle of the road waving you in. They are generally safe and the prices are all the same. I doubt you%26#39;ll find street parking, and if it%26#39;s an evening game there are restrictions. Alternativley, you will probably find parking in a neighboring area like Lincoln Park, which is just south but not as far as down town, where you can get the train or even walk to a game. If you park around Wrightwood, which is 2600 north, it%26#39;s still okay to walk as long as you and your dad are fit. If not, you%26#39;ll easily be able to wave a cab down. There%26#39;s no need to park all the way downtown.
Another option is to park west of the game, along Addision (which is the street Wrigley is on) so you can then hightail is onto the freeway and make your getaway to Wisconsin.
Go to the CTA web site and you%26#39;ll find which buses go east and west on Addision - www.transitchicago.com. You might also be able to hail a cab from there.
If you don%26#39;t mind paying for parking though, I would just drive around the streets in the Wrigley area and take the first parking lot you see.
Wrigley Field parking dilemma...help!?
Thanks! I appreciate the advice. I don%26#39;t mind paying for parking - I just want to be able to get out and not get stuck in traffic for hours!
Sounds like parking west of the stadium may be a good option as well.
Thanks!
You can find street parking without too many problems if you go early enough. Try around Racine and Melrose (look up that intersection/area on mapquest if you%26#39;re not familiar with the area). I usually have luck on day games in that area if I want to park. As for leaving afterward from that area, as long as you head south and west (away from Addison and Clark where the stadium is at), you shouldn%26#39;t have too tough of a time getting out. Your best bet might be going south and getting on the freeway at Fullerton if you%26#39;re headed back to Madison that night. One way or the other (Red line from downtown or in your car), you will hit rush hour traffic after the game. You could always grab some food in Lincoln Park after the game, let traffic die down some, and then head home around 7.
Why not leave your car in the suburbs and head into the city for the game on the CTA? You can park at the western end of the Pink Line (in Cicero, not far from Berwyn) or at the western end of the Blue Line (also not far from Berwyn). You could even head up to Skokie and park at the Yellow Line station -- that would be a head start back to Madison after the game (via I-94), or Rosemont or Cumberland on the NW side (a head start to Madison via I-90).
CTA parking info: http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/park.html
I have to agree, if you%26#39;re driving in, park west of Wrigley. We usually see 1 or 2 day games a year and we always park west of the ballpark. No permits required as you mentioned.
Usually, I usually park west of Ashland - on one of the first 2 cross streets just west of it. Lately, I%26#39;ve been parking a little closer to the ballpark - on Cornelia or Eddy St. between the streets of Racine and Ashland which makes for a shorter walk. The latest we%26#39;ve ever arrived is at the start of the game and always find streetparking. The side streets are usually one way, you might have to hunt a little bit to find an open spot. If you do park in one of the lots near the ballpark, make sure you get an easy out and are not blocked in - the last time I saw people were charging $20.
It%26#39;s a straight shot west on Addison to 90/94 North to get back to WI.
Here%26#39;s a map: http://tinyurl.com/2hmkvm
If you%26#39;re stopping in Berwyn, why not just take the metra rail in to union station from there, %26amp; then walk a little east to the red line from union station? Then you can just leave your car parked at the Berwyn Metra station and not worry about the traffic?
I disagree with all ideas that involve taking the CTA from downtown, which includes most of Chipset%26#39;s suggestions. For instance, if you park at Cumberland, you%26#39;ll have to either take the bus all the way over to the Blue line then hop on that northbound or take the red line to downtown then the blue line back out...both options are at least a 1.5 hour ordeal, and more likely 2 hours during rush hour.
Your best bet is to either park around Wrigley or park North of Wrigley and take the train down (Chipset%26#39;s Skokie parking idea would work here). I also recommend taking Irving Park road to the highway, not addison. Addison is a cluster whether there is a cub%26#39;s game or not.
Thank you all for your suggestions. For all practical purposes, it sounds like parking around the Stadium will work out best for us. We do plan on arriving early - probably 11:30(ish) so hopefully that will help avoid some traffic/parking problems. I appreciate the street references/parking ideas - I%26#39;ll mark them down %26amp; keep them in mind as I%26#39;m trolling the area for a parking spot!
Thanks!
If you%26#39;re getting to the area around 11:30 you%26#39;ll be fine street parking. I thought your concern was more dealing with the traffic jam after the game, which can be pretty sluggish on any of the streets around Wrigley.
An advantage of getting on northbound 90/94 at Addison is that the on-ramp becomes its own lane, rather than forcing you to merge left right away like all the other on-ramps. When traffic is heavy that%26#39;s a plus. If you opt for 90 to Madison (via Rockford) you%26#39;ll need to get left within a mile or so; if you go via 94 (i.e., via Milwaukee) you can keep right.
If you want to avoid Milwaukee construction and traffic, you could do what I do from the N suburbs when heading to Madison: exit 94 after you cross the state line, onto WI-50; take that west all the way to US-12 (near Lake Geneva), and then US-12 all the way to Madison. The only town of substance you slog through is Fort Atkinson; there%26#39;s a bypass around Whitewater now. The roads are speed limit 55 instead of 65 like I-94, but the route is more direct and the time is about the same.
Great help here. I%26#39;m heading up for a Friday day game next week and now have solid parking plans a, b and c ready to go. Go Brewers!
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