Some of my favorite things -- on the North Side

The love affair with Wrigley Field starts with its old manual scoreboard that has anchored the ballpark since 1937. Built under the direction of then-Cubs treasurer Bill Veeck, who also planted the outfield ivy, the scoreboard connects fans with the game. Sit in the bleachers and you can hear the satisfying, Old World thunk of numbers sliding into position.

In an age when fans demand instant updates, the guys inside that hand-operated scoreboard are quicker than any electrical monstrosity. The pennants flying above report the standings. The scoreboard not only gives instant balls and strikes, but allows fans with the scorecard code to follow other baseball games around the Majors down to details such as what starting pitcher just got lifted for what reliever.

And, unlike on the South Side, fans who want to know the score must be able to add.

Even if you can't get a ticket, can't watch the game from the rooftops, can't catch it on a TV at a nearby bar, can't listen to it on the radio or can't get a final-score text messaged to you on your phone, one glance at the scoreboard flagpole will let you know if the W flag flies to signal a Cubs win, or they were forced to hoist the L flag.

Memories abound inside Wrigley, but a boy always remembers his first trip to the men's room. Nothing makes a kid feel more like a man than elbowing his way to a spot at the urinal trough amongst a herd of drunks and men with old prostates. And knowing how to operate the foot-controlled sinks (a beauty lost on less-hygienic fans) separates the fans from the tourists.

While U.S. Cellular has better food inside the ballpark, the Friendly Confines on the North Side extend into the neighborhood and beyond. I generally park free on a side street somewhere near the Ann Sather restaurant, 909 W. Belmont Ave., and, fortified with Ann's cinnamon rolls, walk north or take the L to Addison.

In addition to other great restaurants and bars, the neighborhoods around Wrigley also contain secret parking spots. I once parked in a legal spot on the street directly in front of a line of cars waiting to enter a $30 lot. Arrive early, read street signs and remember that you have to hoof it back to your car before the resident parking restrictions kick in.

Some of the best things about Wrigley are what can't be found there. You can't find annoying canned video montages airing on a giant TV screen during every stop in the action, no fireworks following a meaningless 9th-inning home run by the home team, no designated hitters, and no whining about how much better the old ballpark was.

So go to Wrigley, soak up the atmosphere, keep an eye on the scoreboard, watch the ivy go from brown to green to brown, and think about how you one day will tell your grandchildren that you were there during that magical season when the Cubs earned their second '08 World Series Champions banner.