Tourism hits one out of the park

June 10, 2004

BY JENNIFER JONES

Art Institute? Check. Restaurant that serves deep-dish pizza? Check. Wrigley Field? Sorry, sold out -- how about a visit to the neighborhood instead?

A number of people are choosing to watch Cubs games at the bars around Wrigley Field instead of attending the games themselves. But you might have some wrong assumptions about just who is descending on the area -- during the game, anyway, and during this part of the season. After all, it's only June.

Based on a small sampling of the people who came out during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, a large percentage of the people at the bars during the games are tourists. Because it is increasingly difficult to get a ticket to a Cubs game, many are choosing instead to visit Wrigleyville and get a taste of the game-day atmosphere. They might feel the tickets are too expensive or maybe they do not want to commit to the entire game but still want to see the area.

Wrigleyville, it seems, is becoming as much of an attraction as the field itself.

''We couldn't get tickets to the game,'' said Christie Richard, who was at Sports Corner Tavern and Grill with some friends from Kentucky. ''We looked on eBay and they weren't affordable. But we still wanted to get the game experience and show them the field.''

Many of the Chicagoans in the area Saturday were the hosts of the tourists, and Wrigleyville was just another stop in their scheduled weekend. Or they were suburbanites in for a day in the city, or people who lived so close to the park, they had just wandered over to enjoy their afternoon.

The bars, of course, usually are packed before and after the game. But at least on this day -- a sunny one with 70-degree temperatures -- the scene during the game was laid back. None of the bars were overcrowded. In fact, most were no more than half-filled. Murphy's Bleachers and Sports Corner Tavern and Grill welcomed the most people, mostly because of their outdoor patios and their proximity to Wrigley Field.

A tour of the streets surrounding the stadium found people who were content to soak in the experience of being near the ballpark and were not too concerned that they were not watching the game in person.

People from cities such as Los Angeles, Detroit and Kansas City who were in town for one reason or another -- a graduation or a boys or girls weekend -- were checking out the Cubs game. Three young men at the Cubby Bear had come from Nebraska, Florida and Indiana to attend a bachelor party.

''We're Cubs fans,'' said Chris Wagoner of Rockford. ''Apparently real Cubs fans can't get tickets anymore, so we're here.''

Across the bar area and close to a window that offered a view of Wrigley, some fraternity brothers were spending time together. They were from all over the country, too, and were in town for a party for a friend who had just returned from Iraq.

''There's something about looking at the stadium out the window and watching the game on TV,'' said Nick Batta of Indianapolis. ''And it's a lot less expensive.''

Murphy's Bleachers and Sports Corner Tavern and Grill were the most crowded, but they also boasted the greatest number of people who did not appear to be watching the game. Most had gathered where they could enjoy the sun.

A group of women from Boston had come to visit Jennifer Peterson and were seated at a table in the middle of Murphy's that also gave them a chance to get some sun. Peterson said it was less of a hassle to come to the bar than deal with the crowds and prices at the game.

''You never watch the game anyway,'' she said. ''I'd rather be out here and chit-chatting.''

That might give White Sox fans some ammunition in their battle against Cubs fans, but they should know that there were Sox fans in the neighborhood, too. Dave Sowa, who lives in the South Loop, is a Sox fan but admitted he came to Murphy's for the atmosphere. Another Sox fan, Ed, who would not give his last name, said it gave him ''hives'' to be at Murphy's but he also admitted it was fun.

Weather and seat location seemed to be a factor in the decisions of people who had left the game to go to the bars or had decided not to go into Wrigley at all. Two women from Chicago had tickets to the game but their seats were in the shade and they wanted to sit in the sun so they were at Sports Corner Tavern and Grill.

Maria Bermudez, who lived nearby, said she had left the game early after the sun had moved so much that her seats were in the shade. Rodney Gullion, from Madison, Ind., had watched some of the game inside Wrigley, but he did not have a good view from his seat so he left. A couple had bought seats from scalpers only to realize when they were inside that the seats were not together. They sat together anyway until the actual seat-holders showed up.

For locals who used to be able to get tickets relatively easily, it is quite different than it was just a few years ago.

At Yak-zies, Nick Bechtol and his friend were seated at one of the tables watching the game. They live nearby and like to come watch the games at the various bars when they are able to get away from their responsibilities as medical students. Bechtol said his brother and his brother's girlfriend were visiting from out of town and had paid $50 each for $25 tickets. But he did not think it was worth it for him to pay scalpers double the ticket price because he could go to another game.

And it was not like they weren't having fun.

''It's the atmosphere,'' said Jon Zugel, a fan from Chicago, explaining why he was watching the game at Goose Island Wrigleyville. ''Having everyone around. If you can't be there, it's better to be around fans watching the games.''