Virginia Game Time: Friday at 6:10 PM Central
- Thread starter Dandy
- Start date
If you left at 5 or 5:15 you would be fine. Even in really bad traffic it should take 20, maybe 30 minutes to get to the stadium. That gives you plenty of time to get in and get to your seat. The worst part about staying in the River North area is that it just gets completely jammed with traffic during rush hour, and at night, and it takes you 10 minutes to go one mile.
If you are staying in the Loop, you could take the Blue line as well, get off at the Illinois Medical District stop, and walk like three blocks north. If you're staying in River North, which is where most of the hotels are, then take a cab/uber.
I'm assuming the doors open an hour before tipoff? It depends how early you wanted to get there, but I would leave yourself about 30 mins of travel time from downtown to the UC. At that time on Friday, it can take quite awhile just to go a few blocks because a lot of those streets get gridlocked.
I see the Blue L train stops just 2 blocks south of the United Center. Is it better to do that or cab/über it from River North area to the UC?
I agree...Wisconsin and Notre Dame fanbases are huge, I figured that region would for sure be on CBS
It will take you about 30 minutes to take the Red line to the Loop, then transfer to the Blue Line out to the UC. It's $2.25 per person, so it will be cheaper than taking a cab, even if you have 4 people, and roughly the same amount of time. The El can get a little busy during rush hour, but you're going in the opposite direction of most people, so the trains shouldn't be too packed.
If it was me, I would take the train, but I also hate taking cabs places.
Yea, me too. Always nice when you can get the kids down before tip-off. Oh well, it's the sweet sixteen, not going to complain about anything.
I was also planning to leave at 11. Reading this I feel like I'm already too late.
I'm staying in the River North area and it looked like taking the 65 and 50 buses was the best public transportation. I have a bus stop right outside my hotel and it looks like the 50 drops off right by the UC. All I've seen on here is people recommending the train. Any pros/cons to the bus versus train?
Leaving at 11 is probably cutting it a little too close. I'd guess you'd make it in time but if there's an accident or major traffic getting into the city, you're probably not going to make it on time.
I would recommend against the bus for two reasons. The bus will still get stuck in the same traffic as all the cars, plus it makes stops. Second, the bus in River North during rush hour gets very very full. The trains are more reliable because they bypass traffic even though you have to transfer from the Red to the Blue downtown, it could still be faster. That bus will be in traffic pretty much the whole way from the hotel to the United Center.
Will traffic from the west (heading east) be significantly less than heading west (out of downtown)? Or will it be crazy at that time no matter the direction?
If you're coming in via I-290, it will be bad. The stretch of 290 from Hillside into the city is always jammed up until you get to Harlem Ave. It won't be quite as bad as going out of downtown though. Depending on how far from the west you're coming, I would give yourself 90 minutes to go from Aurora to the UC. I don't think it will take quite that long, but that's a safe number, barring a major accident.
I'll confirm everything melt said.
Train is faster than buses because no traffic.
Traffic is bad coming into and leaving the city on Friday evenings.
Leaving DM at 11 on Friday is cutting it close. You will hit Chicago at rush hour. There will be traffic jams and if there's an accident, you will not be moving. (There will be an accident because Chicago)
You will probably get here on time, but you are flirting with missing tipoff because of traffic. Take a whole day off and leave DM Friday morning. That way you can get into the city early afternoon and relax. You'll be glad you did.
Train is faster than buses because no traffic.
Traffic is bad coming into and leaving the city on Friday evenings.
Leaving DM at 11 on Friday is cutting it close. You will hit Chicago at rush hour. There will be traffic jams and if there's an accident, you will not be moving. (There will be an accident because Chicago)
You will probably get here on time, but you are flirting with missing tipoff because of traffic. Take a whole day off and leave DM Friday morning. That way you can get into the city early afternoon and relax. You'll be glad you did.
Is it okay/safe to just walk from a hotel near the Monroe station?
Google Maps says it is a 30 minute ride/walk on Blue Line, a 45 minute just to walk it.
Not much of a time difference. Just wondering if it is an "okay" area.
Google Maps says it is a 30 minute ride/walk on Blue Line, a 45 minute just to walk it.
Not much of a time difference. Just wondering if it is an "okay" area.
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The solution to all of these problems is to just go to a bar in the West Loop or near UC early in the afternoon 
Won't have to deal with traffic and you can then walk to UC.
Won't have to deal with traffic and you can then walk to UC.
We are leaving at 9:00 AM, so hopefully get there early enough to check in and then head over to beat the rush hour.
