So I’ve lived in Wrigleyville for over a year now. And I think the phrase “Living the Dream” is an understatement. Alot of people who don’t live in Chicago, or live in the neighborhood, don’t really understand that people actually live there. For most people, its a day at the park and a day to let loose…So i thought I’d give everyone a glimpse into what its like to be a resident of the best neighborhood in the world.

During a typical homestand, day games are the norm. That means a 1:20 start at the ball park and a 9:00 a.m. start for the neighborhood. People start arriving about then if they’ve never been to the park before. They look around at the statues and the bricks and take a walk around. They stop off at the Cubby Bear, Sports Corner, or the brand new Harry Caray’s . You can spot a first timer, whether its his or her first Cubs game or first visit to our magnificent city. Here’s a few tips that help in spotting these rookies (and also a little bit of advice on how to not look like them).

1: Fannypacks, visors, old gym bags full of food and drinks.

2: This one’s pretty obvious, maps. Just a tip, buy a small map or at least be discreet with your map. Everything in Chicago runs in straight lines, so if you get lost, you can always turn around. Numbers get bigger as you go west and north. Keep that in mind too.

3: Arriving 4 hours before game time and not planning to drink. If you get here that early, and don’t plan on drinking…alot. You really stand out. There’s no need to be that early. Wrigley Field has been here a long time and the people that work there are really good at getting you into the ballpark close to game time. You can’t tailgate or sit on a grassy spot anywhere. So unless your goal is to play “I bet my tab will be bigger than yours” at Houndstooth, don’t get here that early.

4: Paying kids like me $30 so that you can park in our spaces. I mean, I love you all…you’ve paid our bills and provided us with beer and pizza money, but I mean really? $30? Drive around a bit…all the spot sellers compete with each other so you can probably haggle us down if you really try. But come playoff time, don’t act all surprised when we say $75. You paid $800 for the ticket, what’s another $75 for a bunch of college kids who just bought $500 worth of books they aren’t going to use.

5: And finally, my personal favorite, walking like your out on a sunday stroll. We have places to go and so do you. So walk faster, walk with a purpose. And please please…listen to the traffic management people…don’t argue with them…just let them do their job.

All these observations aside, I live in the greatest neighborhood in the world. Even though my neighborhood gets flooded everyday with 60,000 people, I love it. I love hearing the roar of the crowd before I see what happens on TV. And I still get chills every time I hear “Go Cubs Go” out my window.