My son convinced me to take him to the Blackhawks playoff game in Chicago tomorrow. If I drive in mid-morning and park by the United Center, do you have any recommendations for things for us to do nearby until game time?
Hoo boy. Been a decade at least since I went to a game at the United Center. And most of my experiences were from the Stadium. But there was essentially nothing to do in the immediate area - other than a couple of restaurants. Taylor street and the Water market are to the N and E, and Greektown is a mile or so to the E. MAinly of interest for eating.
Be sure to park in one of the expensive lots. Again - it has been decades - but I had a car broken into there trying to save the price of parking.
Instead of parking near the Stadium, I’d suggest you head downtown and check out the museum campus, Millenium Park, and Michigan Avenue and State Street during the day, then drive a couple of miles straight west closer to game time.
I know they closed some of the worst public housing in the immediate area of the Staium, and there has been a significant resurgence of dining and housing west of the loop. Hope things have improved tremendously since I used to go to games and concerts at the Stadium - and the United Center - but the West side has never been the best side of Chicago.
I don’t know about keeping yourself occupied all day, but some of the best restaurants in Chicago are nearby on Restaurant Row. Most of those places you’ll need reservations, so plan ahead. If you’re a beer drinker, you could check out Haymarket Brewery. Haymarket also runs a free shuttle to the United Center.