Home Cities Chicago Chicago A big-league city with two ballparks, a shared West Side arena and the lakefront Bears stadium, tied together by the L and a world-class food and nightlife scene.
Airports: ORD, MDW
Venues Where to stay in Chicago The Loop / Downtown Chicago's central business and hotel district on the lakefront, with the best transit access to Soldier Field, the ballparks and the United Center.
The best all-round base: walk to Soldier Field and take the Red Line to either ballpark.
All CTA L lines converge here; Red Line to both ballparks.
Driving downtown is not recommended.
O'Hare (ORD) ~19 mi; Midway (MDW) ~11 mi.
Riverwalk, theatre district and endless dining and bars nearby.
Best for: Best overall for a Chicago sports weekend
Pros: Huge hotel selection, Walk/short ride to Soldier Field, L lines to Wrigley, Rate Field and the United Center
Cons: Premium pricing
Wrigleyville / Lakeview The neighborhood wrapped around Wrigley Field — one of the great walk-up ballpark scenes in sports, with bars on every corner.
The essential Cubs experience — stay in Wrigleyville and never need a car.
CTA Red Line (Addison) at the gates.
Not recommended; use the L.
O'Hare (ORD) ~14 mi.
Clark Street around Wrigley is packed with bars pre- and post-game.
Best for: Best for a game-only Cubs trip
Pros: Walk to Wrigley Field, Legendary game-day bars, Red Line to downtown
Cons: Rowdy on game nights, Boutique hotels only
River North Chicago's nightlife and dining hub just north of the river, walkable to downtown transit and close to the United Center.
Stay here to pair the game with Chicago's best night out, minutes from the United Center.
Walk to Red/Brown Line; buses to the United Center.
Transit and rideshare preferred.
O'Hare (ORD) ~16 mi.
The city's densest concentration of restaurants, bars and clubs.
Best for: Best for nightlife
Pros: Best restaurant and bar density in the city, Walk to Loop transit, Close to the United Center
Cons: Busy and pricey on weekends
Best overall for a Chicago sports weekend