As we freeze our McNuggets off in the dead of winter, one’s thoughts turn to warmer times and the anticipation of Spring. And, of course, baseball. I stumbled across a link today for Wrigleyville Rooftops. These are the fantastic bleacher seats on the rooftops of the buildings on Waveland Avenue across from Wrigley Field in Chicago. This is a Chicago baseball tradition that goes back to 1914. A few years back, the existence of the rooftops seating was threatened by a proposed expansion to Wrigley. This was a potentially huge blow to the owners of the buildings, which have transformed the quaint idea of grills and lawn chairs on the roof to a lucrative business that now charges $125 a seat and up and features amenities such as full BBQ menus (all the brats you can eat!) open bar and private indoor clubhouses and bars (for those annoying rain delays).
Sadly, our Philly stadiums were built in the middle of an industrial no-man’s land, so we have none of the neighborhood charm and character like Wrigley, Fenway or Yankee Stadium. I’m not complaining – even though I miss the Vet, Citizen’s Bank park is one of the most accessible and comfortable places to watch a ballgame, and their food was voted ‘Best Ballpark Eats’ by Food Network in 2007. The problem that once you leave the ballpark, there’s nothing but parking lots and a mass exodus to the bridge or I-95 (and all the dollars with it). If the Philly Live! project comes through, well, that’s another story. But it still isn’t Wrigley.
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