Things to Do in Wrigleyville

Wrigleyville is a sports-themed neighborhood centered around Wrigley Field, which is the country’s second-largest baseball field, following Boston’s Fenway Park.

The streets are lined with restaurants, souvenir shops, sports pubs, and stores and kiosks with sports memorabilia supporting Wrigley Field’s Chicago Cubs, the local Major League Baseball team.

From ballgames to burgers, from sports pubs to nightclubs, there’s always something to do in Wrigleyville.  Come for the Cubbies, stay for the neighborhood.

Wrigley Field

The most obvious place to start your adventures in Wrigleyville is by visiting its namesake, Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field has been a staple in the Wrigleyville community since 1914 when it opened with a seating capacity for 14,000 fans. While the field hosted several teams, its longest-running and most notorious is the Major League Baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.

Even if you’re not attending a live game, you can schedule a guided tour of the facility, allowing you to sneak a peek at the Cubs dugout, clubhouse, the visitor’s clubhouse, the seating bowl, press box, and even a chance to walk out onto the field.

Wrigley Field also hosts a variety of concerts and special events.

Gallagher Way

Gallagher Way is a local hangout bustling with restaurants, fine hotels, and a classic Chicago character.

This distinct area of Wrigleyville helps create an entire game-day experience where you can celebrate your team spirit.  Come early, stay late as all the local businesses support the home team on game days.  This magical neighborhood nook also features movie nights, open-air markets, an outdoor fitness series, and year-round attractions.

Gallagher Way also happens to offer a unique atmosphere to host a wedding, private party, or corporate meeting.  In the off-season, be sure to catch it’s Christmas Tree lighting.  Year round, you can stop in at the Ivy Shop to get all of your Chicago Cubs memorabilia.

Music Box Theatre

The Music Box Theatre is Chicago’s hot spot for foreign, cult, classic, and foreign films. Built in the 1920s, the 700-seat theatre has been drawing in audiences for decades. From the twinkling simulated starry night sky to the raising of the red velvet curtain, the Music Box Theatre turns movie night into an experience, including real butter on popcorn.

The Metro

When it comes to musical performances, the Metro in Wrigleyville is the go-to Chicago venue. The Metro hosts local talent as well as nationally acclaimed musicians, such as R.E.M., Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy, and more.

Classic Sports Bars

Sports bars are the best way to kick off, enjoy, and celebrate game day with other fans. Off-season, the sports bars host a variety of live music, dancing, and entertainment. Some of the area’s most highly-rated sports bars include:

• Output Wrigleyville
• Stretch Bar and Grill
• Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern
• Murphy’s Bleachers
• Bernie’s Tap & Grill
• The Irish Oak
• The Graystone Tavern
• Yak-Zies Wrigleyville
• Rizzo’s Bar & Inn
• Nola Bar & Kitchen

Dining in Wrigleyville

While a pub burger and chicken fingers might hit the spot on game day, there is an abundance of fine dining locales in Wrigleyville ready to tantalize every taste & bud.

When you’re ready to satisfy your hunger, here are some of Wrigleyville’s highest-rated restaurants:

• Swift & Sons Tavern and Oyster Bar
• Smoke Daddy BBQ – Wrigleyville
• Cozy Noodles ‘n Rice
• Coalfire
• Tango Sur
• PR Italian Bistro
• Dimo’s Pizza Wrigley
• Bolivar & Lincoln
• Bodega Sur
• Toons Bar & Grill
• Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken

Shopping in and around Wrigleyville in Chicago

If it is a hidden treasure you are after, there are a few noteworthy shops and boutiques that might tickle your fancy.  Whether it’s a magical gift for a special someone, or you are just window-shopping for trinkets and shotskis, you will find it all right here. Noteworthy shops in Wrigleyville include:

• Reckless Records
• Chicago Comics
• Foursided
• Unabridged Bookstore
• Praha 
• M2 Boutique
• Brown Elephant Resale
• Inkling
• Noteworthy Notes

Comedy Clubs in Wrigleyville

Stand-up comedy is another favorite pastime in Wrigleyville, a testament to the power of laughter. There are several places to indulge in a live comedy act in and around Wrigleyville, including:

• Csz Theater Chicago
• Laugh Factory
• Chicago Underground Comedy
• Improv
• Annoyance Theatre & Bar
• The Blind Bet Comedy Show
• Comedysportz

Nightlife in Wrigleyville and Surrounding Areas

Live music and dancing are two phenomenal ways to let off steam, relax, and have fun.  So to help let your hair down, here are a few of the places you can get your groove on and rock out in Wrigleyville:

• Smartbar
• Deuce’s Major League Bar
• The Country Club
• Trace
• Casey Moran’s
• Holiday Club
• Underground Lounge
• Hydrate Nightclub
• The Cubby Bear Chicago

Festivals, Parades, and Special Events Near Wrigleyville

Lakeview, which encompasses Wrigleyville, features numerous annual and seasonal special events, such as the North Halsted Halloween Parade, Market Days, Chicago Pridefest & Parade, Lakeview East Tree Lighting, SausageFest Chicago, Lakeview Taco Fest, and more.

Lake Michigan

Wrigleyville and Lakeview are a stone’s throw from Lake Michigan’s shoreline; creating ample opportunities to soak in the sun and enjoy outdoor activities.  Come skate, swim, bike or hike by one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world.

Other Nearby Attractions

Wrigleyville is conveniently located in a bustling part of town.  Make this your homebase, and go exploring some of the best Chicago has to offer.  Museums, art galleries, gardens, aquariums, and so much more are all just minutes from Wrigleyville:

• Alta Vista Terrace Historic District
• Ann Sather Garden
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Millennium Park
• Navy Pier
• Shedd Aquarium
• Field Museum
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
• Skydeck Chicago
• Adler Planetarium
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Chicago Cultural Center
• The Chicago Theatre

Living in Wrigleyville

Game day brings heavy traffic by foot and by car, and it fills the neighborhood with cheers loud and proud for the home team. 

Non-game days, by contrast, are mostly quiet and peaceful, offering an ideal mix of excitement and traditional Chicago neighborhood living.

Public schools in the Lakeview area are governed by the Chicago Public School District.

Wrigleyville, which is technically a small neighborhood inside the larger community of Lakeview, has a population of about 7,316. It’s bounded by Fremont Street on the East and Southport Avenue on the West. On the north, it’s bound by Irving Park Road, and on the south, Roscoe Street. 

Wrigleyville’s real estate consists of low-rise brick buildings, condominiums, and single-family homes. Architecture styles include a dynamic combination of historic homes—such as those found in the Alta Vista Terrace District—and modern design for those who prefer new construction.

If you stroll up Sheffield or across Waveland Avenue where those streets border the walls of Wrigley Field, you’ll notice another kind of architecture unique to the neighborhood—the Wrigley Rooftops. These residential buildings look ordinary enough, except all 16 are capped with stadium seating that allows fans to watch games and concerts from a different perspective. The price of a ticket usually includes all-you-can eat food and beverage service.   

Single family homes in the area hold median values of around $1,600,000.  The median annual household income in Wrigleyville is estimated at about $125,000.

Conclusion

Wrigleyville is a bustling, happening, electric community where residents move like slow lightning between restaurants, sports bars, comedy clubs, and a wild array of nightlife. It’s also bursting with pride for the hometown favorites, the Chicago Cubs.  

Beyond baseball, Wrigleyville has plenty to do within its neighborhood boundaries.  Not to mention, its close proximity to a ton of entertainment, art, culture, and more.  Catch a ballgame, dine on a spectacular meal, indulge in the shops, visit a museum, or catch some classic cinema.

Wrigleyville does quiet down a bit in the off-season, making it an ideal place to live, work, and play while still having easy access to creature comforts and modern amenities.  Words alone can not do it justice though.  Perhaps it’s time you came to see the magic and the love for yourself.  Welcome home to Wrigleyville!