Wrigley Night Game From Northbrook??

I have tried to read through past forum questions, but I am not sure what the best option is to get to and from my hotel, the Raddison Northbrook to Wrigley for a 7:00 Night Game (tuesday night).

Option 1 Metra-CTA: The only problem I have with this is that after the game we may hang out and/or the game may end late and the Metra stops running after midnight correct???

Option 2 Drive from Northbrook to Closest CTA station. How far would I have to drive to the closest CTA station from Northbrook. Would there be a safe place to park my car there considering we may not get back until past midnight??

Option 3 Drive from Northbrook close to Wrigley, we likely will want to do some stuff in the city and/or Wrigleyville before the game so we could be there as early as 2-3:00 (hopefully to avoid rush hour), is there easy/cheap/safe parking if you get there 4 or 5 hours before the game, how long would you guess it would take to get home at night from Wrigley to our hotel?? Would it be an “easy” drive or would it be something in which you could get lost easily??

What do you guys suggest, any other options??

Wrigley Night Game From Northbrook??

Driving into the city between 5 and 6 is not fun. The afternoon (leaving before 3) would be a better bet. After driiving it a few times when our kids were small, we%26#39;ve given up and always use the CTA, which drops you a short block from the stadium.

The closest CTA station to Northbrook would be either the Linden Avenue stop in WIlmette (just north of Evanston, take Lake Street east past Green Bay Road. Parking is limited, but nights shouldn%26#39;t be a problem) or the Yellow Line from Skokie (just east of I-94 at Dempster Street. Parking is south of the station off of Niles Center Road.) If you are using the CTA Yellow or Purple lines, you do need to be mindful of the schedule, or plan on taking a cab back. You could also park at Howard Street (just north of Touhy Avenue and a half-mile east of Ridge) where the trains run longer into the night.

You asked, ';is there easy/cheap/safe parking if you get there 4 or 5 hours before the game?'; Uh, the law of supply and demand says ';No.'; Private parking is a ripoff, the street spots are reserved for residents, and the little public street parking, a good walk west, can%26#39;t be used during rush hour.

Wrigley Night Game From Northbrook??

You can also drive to DeVry University and take the shuttle to the park for $6 per car. …mlb.com/chc/ballpark/directions.jsp

If you miss the last shuttle after the game, you can always take a regular CTA Addison bus back to DeVry.

FYI - per the above reply, the CTA lot in Skokie is much larger than the lot in Wilmette. Since you%26#39;re going to a night game, you can park for free in Skokie. It%26#39;s also closer to I-94. The cops only check the lot during the morning commuter hours. In Wilmette, you%26#39;ll need to pay for parking. The cops check the lot day and night.

Thanks for the replies.

I guess option 1 and 3 aren%26#39;t going to work. I am still considering parking by the CTAs. The yellow line(Skokie) won%26#39;t work, because they stop running before 11:00pm.

The Purple line appears to be a possibility, the Linden stop appears to be about 30 minutes from my hotel (12 miles) and a pretty straight shot. I am assuming that driving to my hotel at night should not concern me (willow and green bay road). However, how close will I be able to park to the station and how much will it cost?? Would it be pretty safe at midnight??? Will I be able to find a spot in the afternoon (2-3pm)??

I would consider the Shuttle, however the drive to my hotel would be further away (28 miles-32 minutes per Mapquest), but its on the Interstate so I like that. My only concern is that the shuttle start 2.5 hours before the game and we would like to be there by 3:00 (4 hours prior). Does anyone know if we could still park there?? Would we be able to get to Wrigleyville pretty easy??

Which of the two options would you choose?? I could go to another game when we are staying downtown, but based on other stuff we want to do this would work out best. SORRY for all the questions, but thanks...

I wouldn%26#39;t have any qualms about parking in Wilmette, although I%26#39;ve never parked there before. Parking at Linden is $2 for 24 hours. Bring quarters for the slotbox.

I would not recommend parking at Howard since you will be returning late and that area is a bit sketchy. Of course, you will have to switch trains at Howard, but the platform should be okay.

Wilmette is a very nice North burb and leaving there should be no worries at around midnight. I%26#39;d think you would be able to find a spot around 2ish.

On the way to the lot, if you want to stop off for a local treat, you can stop in Homer%26#39;s Ice Cream (http://www.homersicecream.com/) on Green Bay Road in Wilmette. Homers has been in operation for over 70 years and was rated one of the top 10 ice creams in the country by Bon Appetit Magazine and called ';finest in the country'; by the American Tasting Institute.

Thanks for the info. You guys are so helpful. I feel a lot more comfortbale about going to the game and being able to get back to my hotel at night. And the Homer Ice Cream sounds amazing, my wife will love it!!

Just out of curosity, for the other day I am in Northbrook, how much time am I saving taking the Metra compared to just going to Linden. The only reason I ask is because being tied to the Metra schedule (hourly) is a big drawback. But if it will take me an extra hour to get/return from downtown to Linden and then back to my car, it doesn%26#39;t matter. Espically since it sounds like the Metra trains are much nicer:)

Just a few thoughts on this thread.

If the OP is willing to arrive in Wrigleyville 4-5 hours before the game, you can by all means drive and find secure parking. No, it won%26#39;t be all that cheap. However, you may find it generally more convenient and no, you won%26#39;t get lost.

That said, if you plan to drink during and/or after the game, by all means take public transportation. Seems like the CTA options you%26#39;ve identified will work well. Don%26#39;t forget to buy a pass w/ enough fare value to get you to the game AND back. The Addison station at Wrigley Field is absolutely packed after a game.

Finally, in general, you do trade off some flexibility with Metra. However, that can also be a positive. Waiting on the platform for a CTA train can be frustrating too. And Metra is by far a cleaner, more comfortable riding experience than CTA.

For ';how to get there'; questions like this, try the trip planner at http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/. You may not want to follow the whole itin (e.g. you may choose to drive, walk, or cab certain bus legs), but it will give you a good idea of travel times and service hours.

Enjoy your visit!

If you do take the El train from Linden, you should allow an extra 30-60 minutesin the afternoon to see the Bahai Temple, which is only a few blocks away.