Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
owner of the Bulls) replaced the admittedly dilapidated Comisky Park with a con-
crete behemoth that lacks the yesteryear charm of its predecessor (it's now known
as
U.S. Cellular Field
). That said, sightlines at the new stadium are spectacular
from every seat (if you avoid the vertigo-inducing upper-deck seats), and every
conceivable amenity—from above-average ballpark food concessions to shops to
plentiful restrooms—has been provided for your ease and enjoyment. The endear-
ing quality about the White Sox is their blue-collar, working-class aura with which
so many Cubs-loathing Southsiders identify. Games are rarely sellouts—a residual
effect, presumably, of Reinsdorf 's sterile stadium and the blighted neighborhood
that surrounds it. All of this makes it a bargain deal for bona fide baseball fans.
Tickets cost $12 to $45 and are half-price on Mondays.
U.S. Cellular Field is at 333 W. 35th St. (
&
312/674-1000;
www.white
sox.mlb.com), in the South Side neighborhood of Bridgeport. To get Sox tick-
ets, call
Ticketmaster
at
&
866/SOX-GAME
or visit the ticket office, open
Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am
to 4pm, with extended hours on game days. To get to the ballpark by subway/El,
take the Red Line to Sox/35th Street.
BASKETBALL
Do not mention the name Jerry Reinsdorf or Jerry Krause to a Chicago sports
fan unless you want to be pummeled like a speed bag. The owner and general
manager, respectively, of the
Chicago Bulls
(
&
312/455-4000
) were—fairly or
not—castigated by the public and local press after dismantling the world-
famous six-time NBA championship Chicago Bulls following the 1998 season.
We had grown to take for granted the frenzied celebrations in the street that
inevitably occurred each June in the wake of the latest championship crown. It
was a wonderful boost for a perennially pessimistic sports-loving metropolis, and
a rare, indelible moment when the city's white and black populations seemed to
embrace in simple camaraderie and festivity.
So you can imagine what a jolt it has been to hear about the Bulls losing 5,
10, or 15 games in a row, year after year. The
United Center,
1901 W. Madi-
son St. (
&
312/455-4500;
www.chicagosports.com), where the Bulls play, feels
like an airplane hangar-size funeral parlor these days. For the time being, tick-
ets, once impossible to come by, are pretty much yours for the asking ($10-$85,
purchase through
Ticketmaster
,
&
312/559-1212
). So grab yourself a court-
side seat—there are plenty to go around.
The
DePaul Blue Demons,
the local college team and an NCAA tournament
selection last season, are a far better bet for a good game. They play mostly at
the
Allstate Arena,
6920 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont (
&
773/325-7526
),
although some of their games are at the United Center.
Field of Dreams
Wrigley Field is one of the last old-time baseball stadiums in the country
(no luxury boxes here!). For an intimate look at this historic ballpark, take
one of the tours that are offered on various Saturdays throughout the
summer; stops include the visitors' and home-team locker rooms, press
box, behind-the-scenes security headquarters, and yes—a walk around the
field itself. The tours do sell out, so buy tickets ($15) as far in advance as
possible. Call
&
800/THE-CUBS
or stop by the Wrigley Field box office at
1060 W. Addison St.
Moments
