I think it's safe to say many Lakeview residents have a love/hate relationship with Wrigley Field. It's iconic, a major national tourist attraction, good for business and keeps things exciting. On the other hand, the larger and more boisterous crowds and traffic can grate long time residents.
Some have a loving relationship (me, but I don't live in Lakeview)..
Some totally hate it.
Oh, and that's the CTA Red Line tracks...another Chicago love / hate thing.
2 comments:
I just hate how every suburbanite who visits for a game treats the neighborhood like one huge beer garden with zero respect for anyone who lives or works in the area.
Drinking and cussing on the Red Line, urinating in alleys, trash everywhere, drunk and disorderly conduct that spills off of Clark... it all gets old very quickly.
That being said, anyone who lives here knew of these things before they decided to rent or purchase int he area. The stadium has been there for 97 years, its not a surprise. And the benefits of Cubs funded street cleaning, neighborhood investment and a plethora of drinking and eating options offset the pain of 81 games a year.
I might not over generalize "suburbanites". My guess is the majority of bad actors are city residents. That said, it's a party atmosphere that's a real give and take.
The added concert dates are an issue too.
I'd say real estate within a block and a half of the park is probably at a 5% or so discount to comparable properties a couple more blocks out (all things being equal and not backed up to the Red Line). The small block of West Pensecola at Clark just west of the park is an example of a tough sell to people wary of Wrigley crowds.
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