Was over at Wrigley Field this evening in Chicago to catch the Cubs vs. Reds. What a beautiful old baseball park Wrigley Field is.

For those who’ve not been to Chicago or Wrigley Field two quick comments:

First, the group I’m with rented the rooftop of an adjescent building upon which bleachers have been built. It’s like renting an extra big box – you’re outside, there is a barbeque, and a great vantage of the game. With a nighttime temperature of 23 degrees, it was a perfect evening for taking it all in.

Second, it was amazing to see how Wrigley Field is really nestled into a residential neighborhood. More importantly, the City of Chicago has preserved the surrounding buildings so that everything feels like it is coming out of the 1920’s. It is a stunning place to walk around and the charm is almost overwhelming. One can only imagine the number of development applications to transform, modernize, commercialize or densify the neighborhood the city must have turned down.

As an aside, those with some extra cash lying around may be interested to hear that the Cubs are for sale. I was informed that the expected selling price will be a cool $1B US. Too rich for you? Maybe you should have invested earlier. The Chicago Tribune Newspaper apparently bought the Cubs back in the 80’s (again, I was informed by a fan) for a mere $20M.