Bears pendulum swings back towards suburban Arlington Heights Stadium

[badgervike]

Anybody miss these days with the Vikings?  Downtown - Arden Hills - Downtown - Arden Hills....

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4518...on-heights

That's a big piece of property in the suburbs with access to major roadways...but it's not where the Bears belong.

[purplefaithful]

Well, Kevin Warren was here when USB and Eagan were id'd and developed...This doesn't surprise me in the least.

I agree, Bears outside of Soldier Field just feels wrong.

[Montana Tom]

My wife is from the Chicago suburbs and she remembers some of her early memories was of her parents taking her downtown for demolition derby races at Soldier Field. The Bears belong downtown.

[StickierBuns]

Don't miss any of this gamesmanship, they'll use one against the other. Chicago has a unique situation with the stadium being on the lakefront like it is, it should be kept down there. I'll be shocked if it isn't. Northwestern is getting a new stadium, the Bears could play there until its constructed.

[MaroonBells]

I haven't been to a game in Chicago in years, but I hope they keep it downtown. If I remember right, Soldier, the Shedd, the Addler and the Field are all within walking distance. Move it to Arlington and, yay, you'll be walking distance to a Walmart, a Lowes, a Staples and a Great Clips.

[pattersaur]

I haven't been to a game in Chicago in years, but I hope they keep it downtown. If I remember right, Soldier, the Shedd, the Addler and the Field are all within walking distance. Move it to Arlington and, yay, you'll be walking distance to a Walmart, a Lowes, a Staples and a Great Clips.

[JimmyinSD]

I haven't been to a game in Chicago in years, but I hope they keep it downtown. If I remember right, Soldier, the Shedd, the Addler and the Field are all within walking distance. Move it to Arlington and, yay, you'll be walking distance to a Walmart, a Lowes, a Staples and a Great Clips.

Do those places really add to a game day experience?  IIRC correctly there isnt much else in that area as far as hotels and restaurants to add to the game day experience,   ive never been to a game there,  but have been to the other places a few times and always found it to be an odd location for a football stadium.

The location will change to suite the people using it if the city allows,  look at what used to be around the dome location,  news paper offices, paint warehouse, and a lot of other stuff that doesnt really enhance a game day and look at it now.  Their arlington heights threat ( because I assume they arent really relocating )  would likely become as much or more of a game day/weekend destination as the current location is.  

I look at glendale az,  all that shopping and entertainment options and hotels came because of the 2 sports venues,  I think the same would happen in about any major city.

[StickierBuns]

Do those places really add to a game day experience?  IIRC correctly there isnt much else in that area as far as hotels and restaurants to add to the game day experience,   ive never been to a game there,  but have been to the other places a few times and always found it to be an odd location for a football stadium.

There is nothing retail/hotel oriented close to Soldier Field, you are correct. You have to walk West away from the stadium, under Lake Shore Drive and back into the city for any bars, restaurants, shopping, hotels etc. As MB mentions there's things like the aquarium, etc. not that far away but otherwise nothing and certainly nothing that would add to the gameday experience. The Le Meridien Essex where I stayed last year for the game was so perfect, across from Grant Park on Michigan Ave and just a <20 minute walk to the stadium. The hotel is just ok, but the location is amazing. 

I do think its a bit of a strange location for a stadium, but its been there a long time now. And there's nowhere else downtown to put it.

[MaroonBells]

Do those places really add to a game day experience?  IIRC correctly there isnt much else in that area as far as hotels and restaurants to add to the game day experience,   ive never been to a game there,  but have been to the other places a few times and always found it to be an odd location for a football stadium.

The location will change to suite the people using it if the city allows,  look at what used to be around the dome location,  news paper offices, paint warehouse, and a lot of other stuff that doesnt really enhance a game day and look at it now.  Their arlington heights threat ( because I assume they arent really relocating )  would likely become as much or more of a game day/weekend destination as the current location is.  

I look at glendale az,  all that shopping and entertainment options and hotels came because of the 2 sports venues,  I think the same would happen in about any major city.

Unfortunately Soldier field was built before there was such a thing as "game-day experience." Suffice to say I much prefer to be in the city. Love cities like Denver and Minneapolis, who have all their sports and arts facilities downtown. Fly in, take light rail to a downtown hotel and walk to everything you want to do.

[badgervike]

I worked a few miles from the Arlington Park property. Schaumburg is only 4 miles away with a large shopping, dining, hotel presence so it's actually not a bad location. There's also lots in Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows. The Bears have proposed an entertainment zone on the property with dining and shopping on the property which would be available year round..similar to many of the newer baseball complexes. It would certainly make for a better tailgate experience as even the limited US Bank tailgating space dwarves that at Soldier Field.