I like to call Wrigley Field Chicago's largest beer garden. Indeed, it is a popular spot to spend a summer afternoon despite the Cubs' less than stellar performances in the last, oh, 99 years. In fact, the Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908.

Not that it matters. Droves of fans visit Wrigley and claim almost every seat in the stadium each year. Although many games sell out early, tickets are often released on game day or can be bought outside the stadium. Surrounding Wrigley are a variety of restaurants and sports bars to enjoy before or after a game. If you want to avoid crowds, I suggest you leave the area, however.

You can reach Wrigley fairly easily by taking the CTA red line to the Addison stop. Street parking is hard to find and the lots are expensive. If you don't mind walking or taking a bus, you could park a mile west of Clark street on Addison with little problem.

While there are a few seats with an obstructed view, most of the seats offer a great view of the field. Some people love to sit in the bleachers, but be warned... the Bleacher Bum crowd can be loud and unruly.

The stadium itself is beautiful, with its ivy covered outfield walls and old fashioned scoreboard. After the passing of legendary announcer Harry Carey, a guest celebrity usually carries on his tradition of singing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch.

Souvenirs are aplenty at the ball park, but you'll find more reasonable prices at the souvenir shops near the stadium.

While a variety of food and drink options are available, I recommend the traditional hot dog washed down with an Old Style beer. Oh, and bring your own peanuts. They're cheaper outside the stadium.

Wrigleyville is composed of several square blocks surrounding Wrigley Field, the historic home of the Chicago Cubs. After watching the Cubs beat the Padres 8-3, we walked across the street to the corner of Clarke and Addison and into the world famous The Cubby Bear.

The Cubby Bear is advertised as "the place" for Cubs' post-game partying. It seemed that a good number of the crowd that were leaving Wrigley Field headed in that direction. Within minutes the place was packed. I was not impressed. It seemed very dirty and kind of smelly. There were no tables available, so we waited in line at the bar for a cold one. All they served were domestics and the basic imports. The Cubby Bear is not a brew pub. That was enough for me. I was thankful that my friends were in agreement. I can now say that I experienced The Cubby Bear after a Cubs’ game, but there are much better places just down the road.

Just a few blocks down on Clarke Street is Goose Island Beer Company. It was pretty crowded, but there were still a few tables available. When I visit local brewpubs, I always try the India Pale Ale (IPA). Goose Island’s IPA was above average, but it was just a bit too hoppy for my taste. I next tried one of their darker beers. The Honest Stout is brewed with caramel malt and has a robust, roasty flavor. I really enjoyed the taste. The creamy body was very rich and satisfying. Goose Island’s flagship is their Honkers Ale. I think the Honkers was everyone’s favorite. It had a nice rich taste with a gentle hop finish. We spent a couple of hours at the Goose Island Beer Company and had a great time. There were several good friends, plenty of nice conversation, and an endless supply of ice-cold brew.

Wrigleyville is also filled with many shops. There are the usual souvenir shops and those hocking Cubs’ clothing and memorabilia. And there are some unconventional shops as well. There was one shop that featured vintage Roaring 20s dresses and clothing in its window.

This was probably one of the best nights that I have experienced while traveling on business. I first went and watched the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. Then spent the rest of the evening with good friends in a fun and exciting locale like Wrigleyville.

The highlight of my trip to Chicago was definitely watching a Cubs game at historic Wrigley Field. Seeing the ivy-covered walls and the building-top seats across the street, all of the things that we have seen hundreds of times on TV were awesome. The scoreboard is still manually operated. You can actually see the guys changing out the numbers when someone scores. There is no hint of the sterile surrounds of Comiskey Park. The friendly confines of Wrigley Field is America’s second-oldest ballpark, and is where baseball was meant to be played.

We had quite an adventure on our way to the ballgame. We jumped on the "L" downtown. From there, it is only a short ride on the Red Line, which stops directly at Wrigley Field at the Addison Station, except when there is a fire on the track. Our train moved forward about 50 feet, then retreated back into the station. Every train in the downtown area was stopped and evacuated. It was a weekday about 6pm, so there were thousands of people coming up from the subway. There were no available taxis, so we jumped on a waiting bus. After about 45 minutes, we had moved maybe a mile. The bus driver gave us directions to Wrigley Field. We had no choice except to walk the remaining couple of miles. We arrived at the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.

We had just purchased our tickets on the internet earlier in the day and we had great seats. We were on the field level, about 15 rows behind home plate. I was amazed to see that the screen protecting the fans from foul balls was made of old, rusty chicken wire. I probably missed the first few pitches by just looking around and soaking up the wonderful, old-fashioned ballpark atmosphere.

The walk to Wrigley Field had left me quite hungry and thirsty. I quickly found my way to the pizza and beer. I am used to normal mediocre ballpark food. I was pleasantly surprised that the Chicago style pizza was so good. The beer was frosty cold and really hit the spot.

On the field, the Cubs were hosting the San Diego Padres. Sammy Sosa hit his eighth home run of the early season to help the Cubs defeat the Padres 8-3. My heart was pounding when I sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the Seventh Inning Stretch.

Wrigley Field has been the site for many of baseball’s historic moments. Babe Ruth’s "called shot" during the 1932 World Series; Ernie Banks’ 500th career home run; and Pete Rose’s 4,191 career hit, which tied him with Ty Cobb for the most hits in history, all happened at Wrigley Field.

Without doubt, this was my best baseball experience ever.

Watching a Cubs game is nice, a little piece of heaven. If you love baseball, or for that matter, even if you don't, the "friendly confines" of Wrigley Field is a great place to be. The atmosphere is amazing all around, from the smell of hot dogs to the yell of "fresh, cold beer" or of the fans when they sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame! It is fun for the whole family.

It is America’s pastime, baseball. Almost nowhere else in America will you get the same experience as you do at Wrigley Field. It is considered one of the best baseball fields to visit in the United States, and the atmosphere at a Cubs game is like no other.

Baseball is in its purest form at Wrigley Field. The stadium was built in 1914 and little has changed since then. It is the second oldest major-league ballpark in the nation and brings feelings of nostalgia anytime you are there. Wrigley Field still has its original scoreboard, and you can tell if the Cubs won or lost their game that day by the flag flying from it (W = Win, L= Lost). You feel like you must root for the home team here (and it will be the Cubs, not the Socks); you must indulge in beer, popcorn, ice cream, and peanuts to your heart’s content; and you will sing "Take me out to the Ballgame."

I would suggest purchasing tickets online or through Ticketmaster. The scalpers jack up the prices a ton, especially if the Cubs are on a winning streak. Unlike other parks, there is really no bad seat at Wrigley Field, so you will always have a chance to watch the game or the other fans.

Getting to Wrigley Field is easy enough. I would suggest taking public transportation; just jump on the Red Line "L" and get off at Addison. You are able to see the field from the platform, so you can’t get too lost, or you could always just follow the crowds in red-and-blue apparel. There is parking but not a lot, and you will pay anywhere from $10 to $30 for parking spaces. Once again, these prices go up depending on how the Cubs do.

Once inside the stadium, make sure that you check out the buildings across the street. These are some of the best places to watch a Cubs game in Chicago. These are rooftops that are rented out on game days, usually to companies, and are fully catered. If you have a chance watch a Cubs game from these rooftops, they are arguably the best view and a unique experience.

There is tons of traditional baseball food in Chicago, and the prices reflect the fact that you are in Chicago. If you don’t feel like playing the game-day prices, I would suggest you check out some of the many restaurants located around the ballpark. In addition, if you are looking for Cubs apparel, look into a few of the shops. The prices may very well be better than the hawkers out on the street.

Wrigley Field is the host to America’s most lovable losers when it comes to baseball. In addition, there is the feeling of old-time baseball that adds to the feeling of the ballpark. Not much has changed here since 1932, when Babe Ruth called his shot (a moment in baseball history).