Is Lakeview a good place to stay in Chicago?

Lakeview is a good base if you want nightlife, a game at Wrigley Field or a local neighbourhood feel. The Red Line at Addison and Belmont runs straight into the Loop, and the lakefront path is a short walk east. It suits baseball fans, groups of friends, younger travellers and anyone who would rather stay among Chicagoans than in the downtown towers.

The area is lively and residential at once. Around Wrigley Field, Clark Street is lined with sports bars and rooftop seats, and Gallagher Way next to the ballpark hosts events through the year. Northalsted has bars, clubs and restaurants that stay busy late, while Southport Avenue to the west is calmer, with boutiques and cafés among leafy streets of greystones.

The downside is the noise and crowds on game days and weekend nights, when the streets around Wrigley Field fill with fans and bars stay loud until late. You're a train ride from the Loop's museums and Millennium Park, and hotels are small in number, so choice is limited when the Cubs are at home.

What makes Lakeview special is how much fun it is to come home to. You can watch a game at one of baseball's oldest ballparks, walk along the lake at Belmont Harbor and spend the evening in some of Chicago's liveliest bars, all from a better-value hotel than you'd find downtown.