What makes the home to the Chicago Cubs so unique is that it is the center of a thriving neighborhood. On a map, you’ll know the area as Lakeview (Lakeview East, if you want to get technical). However, locals will tell you this neighborhood is Wrigleyville, one of the best places to be in Chicago.
The name Wrigleyville comes from the center of it all: Wrigley Field. Around Wrigley Field, you will find any amenity any Cubs fan could look for on a game day or night out. Bars, restaurants, shopping, and even hotel accommodations can be found within the block surrounding the Federal Landmark.
What people often forget, though, is that this place is a real neighborhood. Lakeview is home to over 100,000 citizens. People live right next to the stadium and all the blocks surrounding it. Some of these homes are timeless and etched in our memory without even knowing it.
For instance, take the buildings from 3627-3633 on N Sheffield Ave, just outside the right-field bleachers. You may know one of these homes for having the EMAUS CATULI sign counting how long it had been since the Cubs won a World Series before 2016. If you were a Cubs fan before it was cool, you’ll remember one of these buildings having the big TORCO sign on it. These buildings also had a full view of the playing field before the video board beyond right field took that away.
These buildings have been iconic to the Cubs and Cubs fans throughout the history of the Cubs playing at Wrigley. But they are now in grave danger of existing, and you may be able to help preserve them.
An Alderman has approved new construction on the sight of these iconic Wrigley residential buildings. The structures built in 1901, 13 years before Wrigley Field, would be demolished. In their place, a 29-unit, five-story residential tower would be built. For reference, that would be two stories higher than the buildings standing now. Because of how tall the new structure would be, views inside Wrigley to the lake would be obstructed. Sunlight would also be limited to the blocks behind the new structure.
Cubs fans have taken to the internet to help save these beautiful buildings. A petition has been started to fight their demolition and prevent the construction of the massive structure that would take their place. Recently, the Cubs have done a great job renovating Wrigley Field and the surrounding areas to keep the neighborhood up-to-date while maintaining the historic appearance it deserves. This new building would significantly decrease the look and feel of what Wrigleyville is supposed to be – a neighborhood.
The Cubs have a home unlike anyone else in the league. Many have tried to duplicate the feel of the neighborhood. The Atlanta Braves have what they call The Battery outside their new stadium. St. Louis has built a “ballpark village” across from their home. However, none of these places compare to the actual neighborhood feel that Wrigleyville creates.
These new buildings may hinder the feel of the Cubs playing in an actual neighborhood as they do. If you’d like to join the movement, here is a link to the petition.
