Thinking of getting tickets to a Blackhawks game when the Wings are in town. Any suggestions on hotels or a place to grab a bite to eat near the United Center. Also, I've never bid on Priceline but am thinking that may be the best way to get a hotel room at a good rate. What area is the United Center in on the maps? Thanks!

You do not want to stay anywhere near UC, trust me.

Downtown, River North areas is where you want to Priceline bid.

Free or cheap shuttles/buses will get you to the game.

Agree, I wouldn't suggest staying near the United Center - there aren't a lot of lodging and dining options. The 19 city bus is an express bus that runs from Michigan Avenue (Chicago and Michigan) through the loop (on Madison) to the United Center on game days and for special events, and it's $2 each way. In my opinion, this is by far the easiest way to get to United Center. I just took it for a Springsteen concert, and it was very quick and simple. You can find info on the CTA Website.

That being said, I'd suggest bidding on a room in the Loop, or Magnificent Mile/Streeterville, as you'll never be too far from the bus stop. Most of the hotels in these areas will be either close to the bus or a very short cab ride. I'd look at biddingfortravel.com for suggestions on how to use priceline.

Enjoy your trip!

Because of a funding struggle, the Number 19 is one of the routes the CTA is proposing to eliminate on November 4. They are also proposing raising fares.

The alternative would be to catch the Number 20 bus anywhere along Madison Street. If you stay north of the river, you could catch any southbound bus on Michigan Avenue to Madison.

The fare would be $2.50 for each leg if you pay cash. You could buy a 1-day pass that allows unlimited rides for $6. Other multi-day passes are also available. Check www.transitchicago.com for details.

I went to post this following response, when I saw information from Citylights on the same issue. I will post what I had written with a P.S. following.

With all due respect to others posters...

"Free or cheap shuttles/buses will get you to the game." I would not make my plans based on that statment.

"The 19 city bus is an express bus that runs from Michigan Avenue (Chicago and Michigan) through the loop (on Madison) to the United Center on game days and for special events, and it's $2 each way." Not necessarily; and not for fare price, either.

The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) is facing a huge funding crisis, where 39 bus routes are scheduled to be eliminated effective November 4, 2007 - and another large number in early January 2008, unless sufficient funding is received from the state legislature. In addition, there will a large percentage of fare increases (depends on what type of payment for fare you will be using).

The end result is this: Over half of the city's bus routes are slated for elimination. More are scheduled for service reductions (i.e., no weekend service, reduced hours of operation).

In addition, several of the city's El lines are experiencing service delays and/or interruption due to construction (which goes on for years). For example, the Blue Line is temporarily shut down this weekend in areas with shuttle bus service for those affected areas.

In the case of the OP, both the Washington/Madison Express (#20X) and the United Center Express (#19) mentioned above are scheduled for elimination on November 4, 2007. Elimination of bus routes does not mean that additional busses will be added to the remaining routes, although they might, if they are considered key routes.

My advice to the OP: Watch the CTA website to determine the status of the bus lines and El service when you are here. If you still are able to take a bus to the area, then add in plenty of extra time to figure for filled busses. Please, please do NOT take the El to this area. If the busses are not running, I'd recommend taking a cab to and from the UC.

City, all the fares will definitely be increased. I've seen the $2.50 being purposed to be at least $3.00 - but that's IF all those routes are eliminated and personnel laid off - and I've even heard rumors for much, much more. I suspect that it will all come down to what will occur in the state legislature for funding.

While the #20 still will get the OP to the UC, if the other two routes are eliminated, the OP will be fighting for seats on one bus route formerly serviced by three. You know what that means.

Wow, I didn't realize the extent to which the CTA was facing a funding crisis - I knew costs were rising but wasn't aware they were planning to eliminate so many routes - how awful, especially for those residents of the city who rely on the bus as a primary means of transportation. Sorry for the incorrect info- I always look to public transportation in big cities, and the bus worked so well for me (and the many others using it!)

Anyways, in that case, a cab would be an ok (and not too expensive) option. If you do take the bus, I'm pretty sure that the buses line up on Madison, so try to exit on that side of the building (the exits were pretty clearly marked.)

There's a Holiday Inn/Crowne Plaza on Monroe (I think) in the West Loop, near the United Center. Might not be a bad option for you. It's probably the closest hotel to the arena. You didn't mention if you're driving to Chicago or not. If you drive, you might consider one of the hotels a in Lincoln Park/Lakeview (Days Inn, Best Western Hawthorne, the Willow, City Suites on Belmont) and drive to the game. Otherwise, the Loop and River North are your best bet.

By the way, the area around the United Center is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. Lots of new construction there. If you go a few blocks west of the arena, it starts getting sketchy, but there's no reason to do that. Carmichael's steakhouse is a few blocks away, although I'm not sure how good it is. Onesixtyblue, which is part-owned by His Airness is nearby (it's expensive). And the arena is not far from Greektown (West Loop) and Little Italy.