The Magnificent Mile is one of America's more aptly named neighborhoods, the
starting point for so many adventures (including this one), and rightfully one
of Chicago's more
popular tourist attractions. Packed throughout its length by restaurants and
storefronts, this piece of Michigan
Ave. stretches -- believe it or not -- roughly one
mile from start to finish. To the east, Lake Michigan laps up against the city,
defining Chicago
by its grandeur. To the west, O'Hare International Airport beckons, with jets
buzzing in from time to time (though rarely on time). And to the north and to
the south, there is baseball.
Those compass points mark today's
destinations, with the Yankees and Mets playing in Chicago on the same day for the first time
since 1980. Yet unlike then, when both teams played matinees, this one boasts
the Mets and Cubs during the day, and the White Sox and Yankees later tonight.
So watching both games is more than plausible -- it's my goal.
This rarely happens in New York City,
let alone Chicago
-- and that's precisely what makes Tuesday such a unique diversion for any New
Yorker who managed to venture the roughly 800 miles west. It's just not every
day that the Yankees and Mets share this town.
So taking off from the Magnificent Mile this morning, I'm
set to head to Wrigley Field, where the Mets and Cubs will soon prepare to play
their second game in as many days. Yet for me, this is about more than just baseball.
Never having stepped foot into Chicago
before this weekend, I'm ready to experience exactly what makes this city so
great. It's got to be more than the deep dish pizza -- or so I'm told. Either
way, I intend to find out.
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