SPORTING CITIES GUIDE... CHICAGO
Windy City skyline from the Chicago RiverThe Windy City really does have it all for travelling sports fans. Great sights to see, wonderful nightlife and the best sport on offer seven days a week.
With eight top of the line sports franchises playing across town in great venues that attract the best international events also, there is something for everyone.
And with teams like the National Football League’s Bears, the NBA’s Bulls, ice hockey’s Blackhawks and baseball’s Cubs and White Sox there is plenty of heritage and history to soak up in the process.
Chicago is also home to Major League Soccer outfit the Fire and one of the five marathon majors, run every October, and the city is stone-cold sports mad, opening its arms to World Cup soccer qualifiers, international rugby and gymnastics events in 2009 as well as welcoming golf’s classic Ryder Cup showdown between Europe and the USA at Medinah Country Club in 2012.
Here, we give you a run down of the city’s sporting clubs and stadia, followed by some practical tips on flights, accommodation, bars and restaurants, and the must-see tourist attractions Chicago has to offer.
THE SPORT
BASEBALL
The White Sox in action, June 2009
Chicago Cubs – formed in 1876, the Cubs were one of the National League’s founding members and won six of the first 11 titles. A first World Series success came in 1907 and the Cubs added their second a year later. What’s happened since? Well, nothing, yet the Cubs’ ongoing status as the also-rans of Major League Baseball makes for compelling viewing. To see them in all their finery head to its historic home at Wrigley Field on Chicago’s north side. It’s one of the city’s most famous attractions and the sport’s second-oldest ballpark after Boston’s Fenway Park.
Wrigley Field is accessible by subway at the Addison stop on the Red line heading north from the city centre to the Howard terminus.
Call (773) 404-2827 or visit http://www.chicago.cubs.mlb.com/
US Cellular Field, home of the White Sox
Chicago White Sox - The Cub’s despised rivals, playing in the American League and respresenting the south side of Chicago, the White Sox play in a modern stadium and won the World Series as recently as 2005. They have history too, having been founded in 1900, and winning their first World Series in 1906, at the expense of the Cubs.
There is also the 1909 Black Sox scandal to throw into the pot as well as a second World Series title in 1959 and while US Cellular Field may not evoke the nostalgia Wrigley does, the 1991 stadium that replaced Comiskey Park still generates a great atmosphere and a genuine ballpark experience.
And if you go on a Monday night the tickets are cheaper too. Call (312) 674-1000 or visit www.chicago.whitesox.mlb.com
US Cellular Field is also on the Red Line subway, heading south from downtown Chicago at the 35th-Sox stop.
Related blog: Soaking Up US Sports Culture in Chicago
And just to prove that not everyone is a fan of US Cellular Field, read this offering from Deadspin.com
BASKETBALL/ICE HOCKEY
Chicago Bulls - No mention of Chicago is worth its salt without mention of Michael Jordan and the Bulls, one of the most dominant franchises in NBA history.
Renowned for their gritty style, in Jordan they also had arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport at their disposal during the 1990s.
With ‘His Royal Airness’ driving them on and head coach Phil Jackson pulling the strings, the Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles in the early 90s, only the third franchise in history to complete a hat-trick of championships. It was a feat Jordan repeated in 1996, 1997 and 1998, and though the Bulls are not the force they once were, Chicago’s United Center, their home since 1995, still features a hustling team ready to scrap their way into the play-offs.
Aside from that the United Center is the largest indoor arena, well worth a visit for the history on display and also home to ice hockey’s NHL big guns the Chicago Blackhawks.
Both NBA and NHL seasons begin in September and extend into the following May and June if either side makes the play-offs, although tickets become scarce if that is the case.
For tickets, call (312) 455-4000 orvisit http://www.unitedcenter.com/
For the Bulls: www.nba.com/bulls.
For the Blackhawks: http://blackhawks.nhl.com/
The United Center is at 1901 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60612. To get there by public transport, take the Orange, Green, Purple, or Brown lines to Madison and from there take Bus 20 west. For Bulls and Blackhawks games only, Bus 19 takes you there as well.
Also check out the Chicago Sky Women’s NBA team at http://www.wnba.com/sky/
The Sky play at the UIC Pavilion, which seats 6,500 people and is located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Public transportation is the easiest way to get there. The Blue Line is a block away on Harrison. To see bus schedules for near the Pavilion, visit www.uic.edu/home/visiting and click on “mass transit".
GRIDIRON
Chicago Bears – One of the most storied and exciting franchises in the NFL since 1922, their heyday was in the 1980s when Mike Ditka led them to Super Bowl victory. 
“Da Bears” reached the Super Bowl as recently as 2006, without a decent quarterback according to the experts but hopes are high again that with new QB Jay Cutler, things are once again on the up at Soldier Field.
The newly-renovated stadium is the closest sporting arena to downtown Chicago, situated on the Lake Michigan shoreline, a five-minute walk from the Roosevelt stop on the Red Line heading south from the loop.
We’ve also seen a lively World Cup qualifier there recently, USA v Honduras and with 55,000 soccer fans inside the place it made for a lively night.
Soldier Field, home of 'Da Bears'Check out: www.chicagobears.com and http://www.soldierfield.net/
Related blog: Soaking Up US Sports Culture in Chicago
Inside Soldier Field, USA v Honduras, Soccer World Cup qualifier, June 2009
SOCCER
Chicago Fire – Aside from the occasional USA international, Chicago is also home to Major League Soccer’s Fire, which plays 30 regular-season league games a year at Toyota Park, south of the city centre in the suburb of Bridgeview (71st St. & Harlem Ave.).
Toyota Park is a modern $70m, 20,000-seater completed in 2006 and also hosts rugby internationals as well as the new Women’s Professional Soccer team Chicago Red Stars.
Toyota Park, set up for USA v Wales rugby Test, June 2009
Take the Orange Line to the end of the line at Midway, where on match days you can take the “Toyota Park Express” bus.
That leaves the Midway station every 20 minutes beginning two hours before kick-off and leaving the stadium 30 minutes after the game ends to return to the Orange Line Midway station. The fare is $1.75 each way.
Visit http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com, www.chicagoredstars.com and www.toyotapark.com
Related blog: A Rare Sporting Doubleheader, For Chicago At Least
GETTING THERE
AIR
With the new Open Skies agreement between the US and European Union, the options for crossing the Atlantic to Chicago are plentiful with flights available from every major European hub you can think of.
O’Hare (ORD) to the north-west of the city, is the main international airport for Chicago while Midway (MDW), south-west of the city centre, could be your arrival point from connections within the United States.
From the UK: Take your pick from American, BA, Virgin Atlantic (code-sharing with Continental) and BMI (code-sharing with United) from London Heathrow, with BA and American code-sharing out of Manchester. Flights are around 8hrs 30mins in length.
From Ireland: Aer Lingus, code-sharing with United, and American are the carriers out of Dublin.
All the major European airlines - Air France, Alitalia, Iberia and Lufthansa to name but a few, operate flights to O’Hare from their home airports.
While for flights from Australia, New Zealand, Inida, the Middle and Far East, check out Qantas, Air New Zealand, Air India, Korean Air and Nippon.
For a complete list of airlines using O’Hare got to: http://tinyurl.com/ltf5gx
And for the domestic airlines flying in and out of Midway, check out: http://tinyurl.com/lv8eby
Pitfalls – be prepared for lengthy waits at passport control when arriving at any American airports (except at Dublin in Ireland, and Canadian airports, where the US Dept of Homeland Security has passport control before entry to the departure lounges).
Be sure on your inbound flight to fill out those green visa waiver forms for citizens from compliant countries or the white forms for visa holders as well as the blue customs form everyone has to fill out and do it well in advance of the passport hall.
And don’t forget to fill out that new online form as international visitors to the US from Visa Waiver Program countries are now required to apply for travel authorisation online at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/ by using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. The good news is that once you’ve applied, you won’t have to do it again for two years.
GETTING TO/FROM CHICAGO
Both O’Hare and Midway are well served by public transport as well as private shuttle bus services, taxis and limos. As always, it depends on your budget how you travel.
For the 17 miles into town from O’Hare, there is really nothing to beat the value of the city’s CTA subway system (http://www.transitchicago.com/). The Blue Line links the airport with the city centre and its famous Loop and all for a $2.25 one-way flat fare for the roughly 40-minute journey.
The website also has a great trip planner tool on its home page which will be helpful throughout your stay, planning journeys from any address, not just CTA stations and bus stops.
If you want door to door service from airport terminal to hotel lobby, then there are a variety of shared shuttle mini-van services available at the terminals and we paid $28.00 one way, $50.00 round trip.
An ordinary taxi off the rank charges between $35-40 to Chicago downtown and like the shuttles can be found on the lower level curb-front of all terminals.
From Midway, 10 miles from downtown, the airport sits at the end of the CTA’s Orange Line and is the best bet, again for just $2.25.
For taxicabs, expect to spend approximately $25 to $28 for a ride to downtown Chicago
Once in Chicago, the subway is a clean, efficient and safe way to travel, at least in our experience, at most times of the day and evening, but as always, please use common sense and stick to busy carriages if travelling during the wee small hours.
And walking around downtown is one of the best ways to see the city.
WHERE TO STAY
Like all large cities, Chicago offers a host of options to suit every budget but we stayed clear of one hotel with the ‘Vagrants welcome’ sign.
All we can suggest is that you find a place to suit your pocket and then check it out thoroughly by reading the reviews of former guests on websites.
And if you have a review of your own based on past experience, please share it with us here at NextBigSportsEvent.com
In the meantime, here are a few establishments we have first-hand knowledge of.
The Whitehall Hotel
105 East Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: +1 312 944 6300
The Whitehall labels itself as Chicago’s true independent boutique hotel but don’t let that put you off. The 222-room hotel is slap bang in the middle of downtown, a minute’s walk from the Magnificent Mile shopping district on Michigan Avenue (Chicago’s equivalent to NYC’s 5th Avenue) and close to numerous bars, coffee shops and restaurants.
Its website also claims that if you present your Chicago Bulls, Bears, White Sox, Cubs and Fire game tickets when you check in, you can get a 10% discount (based upon availability) on one of their rooms or suites. We only saw this once we checked out unfortunately.
Housed in a 1930s building, the Whitehall is far from contemporary, our room at least was not big but it was clean, homely, friendly and excellently located for our purposes with rooms around $140 per room per night when we stayed last in June 2009.
Nearest subway is the Red Line ‘Chicago (Avenue)’ stop on State Street.
Travelodge-Chicago Downtown
65 E Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60605
Tel: (312) 427-8000
www.travelodge.com
At the southern end of the Magnificent Mile and close to Millennium Park and the Harrison CTA Red Line subway stop, this is a much cheaper option and recommended by a friend of the website although the reviews on various websites do not support his view. Proceed with caution.
Wyndham-Chicago
633 N Saint Clair St, Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: (312) 573-0300
http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/ORDDT/main.wnt
Well reviewed and met with nothing but positives by all those we know who have stayed there, the Wyndham is on the lake side of the Magnificent Mile and, again, excellently located for the sights, the nightlife and access to public transport to get you to the game.
Rooms as cheap as $112 per night in July 2006 if book and paid for in advance (non refundable). $159 per night if not.
Feel free to agree, disagree, or add your own review of somewhere else.
EATING AND DRINKING
Fornetto Mei, 107 E. Delaware Place Chicago, IL 60611, (Tel: 312-573-6301) next door to the Whitehall Hotel and doubling as the hotel bar, this is a nice pizza restaurant away from, but within a short walk of the madding crowds. Not your average pizza either. We tried sausage, grape and goats cheese on a thin crust. Nice.
Gibson’s Steakhouse, 1028 North Rush Street, Chicago, IL 60611 (Tel: 312-266-8999)
Old school Chicago steakhouse with celebrity pictures on the walls, a pianist in the bar and waiters in white coats presenting the raw steaks before ordering. Lively post-work crowd and expensive menu but if you want to splurge here’s the place to do it. Food was excellent, service friendly and impressive – even when our credit card was declined!
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Pizano’s, 864 North State Street, Chicago, IL (Tel: 312-751-1766)
One of three in the city, this is a neighbourhood pizza joint full of atmosphere with local crowd, sports on TV and Sinatra on the jukebox. The deep dish pizza is worth the extra cooking time, enjoy a beer while you wait. It’s open late too, until 2am, 3am on Saturdays.
Quartino, 626 North State Street, Chicago, IL (Tel: 312-698-5000)
Another superb Italian restaurant in a lively section of town just off the Magnificent Mile on the corner of Ontario and State streets. Very busy bar and a bustling dining room with excellent food including house-cured meats, brick-oven pizza and good wines.
Timothy O’Tooles Pub, 622 N. Fairbanks Ct, Chicago, IL 60611 (Tel: 312-642-0700)
A sports bar close to the Magnificent Mile between Ontario and Ohio streets with what seems like dozens of big screens, decent food (we liked the bucket of fries for $4) and a wide range of beers on tap. These guys even provide a shuttle to Bears home games but they also cater to the expat crowd with British and Irish sport on screen too. O’Tooles also has the best hot chicken wings in Chicago, voted by whom we do not know.
Still want more? Keep checking back for regular updates and recommendations.