2013 Thread - Guide to Big East Cities...

[section202jay]

I saw an earlier Jays fan post a map but here is my written attempt for Omaha:

Omaha by car:
Obviously being the furthest west Big East city, it won't be easy to get to by car. Taking I-80 West is really your only option. It leads right into downtown if you take the I-480 exit just after crossing the Missouri River bridge. The Century Link Center is located on 10th Street in downtown.

Omaha by air:
Eppley Airfield is located north of downtown and just up Abbott Drive from The Century Link Center. Probably a less than 5 minute drive between the two. Cabs, shuttles, etc., are all available. Probably the smallest airport in the conference so none of you should have any issues.

Hotels:
The main thing to remember with a large majority of this is that everything is centrally located. You could get a hotel, shop, dine, tour, and watch the game all within walking distance.

Hilton Garden Inn Downtown - Located in the Old Market of downtown. Probably two blocks away from the arena.
Embassy Suites Downtown - Also located in the Old Market, this hotel is very nice (having used it for my wedding night). Located a few blocks further south from the arena.
Courtyard Omaha downtown - Across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn. Very close to the arena.
Omaha Doubletree downtown - A little more in the business/finance district of downtown but still very nice.
Hilton Omaha- Attached to the arena. Yes, attached. You can stay at this hotel and use the skywalk to go to the game.

If you wanted to stay further out there are plenty of hotels located off of the interstate on 72nd street or in suburban areas such as Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista. Or you could always stay across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa., and do the whole casino thing (legal over there). The Council Bluffs hotels are very close driving distance to downtown. It's what many people do when coming to Omaha (LSU college world series fans).

Restaurants:
Blue Sushi - Owned by Flagship restaurant group, this restaurant is located in the Old Market and very good (my opinion). Try their happy hours for lower prices.
Roja - Also owned by Flagship, this Mexican restaurant is also in the Old Market and off of Harney St.
Plank - Another Flagship restaurant, this seafood place is very modern and pricey. But fresh seafood is rare in Omaha and this place has it.
Blatt Beer & Table - Co-owned by Flagship, this place is located extremely close to the arena and across the street from TD Ameritrade Park. Good burgers and beer. But usually packed and can never get a seat around gametime.

M's Pub - People seem to love it. Look it up. Never been there myself.
Upstream Brewery - Located in the Old Market and very popular. Nice outside seating and a nice selection of beers on tap.
DJ's Dugout - Located across the street from the Century Link Center, this place fills up to the rafters before and after games. It's your typical sports bar food.

Brix - A good wine joint just west of downtown in Midtown Crossing. This place also serves great food. Best salmon I've ever had.
The Grey Plume - Also located in Midtown Crossing. This place is upscale and gets rave reviews. Never been here though.
Lo Sole Mio - THE Italian restaurant to dine at in Omaha. Fantastic food. The restaurant has hit a string of bad luck lately with their head chef and owner dying. Hope this place stays open. It's a classic Italian restaurant. They really cram you in there so it's not necessarily a place to have a quiet meal.

There are obviously plenty more dining options to check out. Those were just some of the ones I know are good. You can use this link for more info: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants- ... raska.html

Area Attractions:
Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo - Always ranked in the top 2 or 3 zoos in America. Very nice. Plenty of indoor attractions for the winter time.
Durham Museum - Right in the downtown area.
Old Market - This area has many of the restaurants, hotels, and shops that I've already mentioned. Old buildings, cool area.
Omaha Performing Arts
Joslyn Art Museum
Omaha Children's Museum
Lauritzen Gardens
Strategic Air and Space Museum - Just west of Omaha along I-80 near Mahoney State Park and Ashland, this museum is a hidden gem. All indoor with tons of aircraft and military exhibits.
Omaha Storm Chasers AAA baseball - Located in Sarpy County in the city of Papillion. Obviously their season runs April - September.
Omaha Lancers USHL - hockey team in Ralston at Ralston Arena. A suburb area of Omaha south on 72nd Street. Cool new arena with good prices.
Council Bluffs Casinos - Horseshoe, Harrah's, Ameristar.

Shopping:
The Old Market - Lots of unique shops right in the heart of everything like I've mentioned.
Midtown Crossing - Just west of downtown. Some unique shops. Not a huge area but very modern and nice. I think they have shuttles that run to and from the Century Link Center before and after Jays games.
Shadow Lake - South of Omaha in the suburb of Papillion. Typical outdoor shopping center with dining options and large department stores.
Metro Crossing - Across the river in Council Bluffs along I-29. Typical outdoor shopping/dining area.
Village Pointe - Way out in West Omaha. Outdoor shopping that is slightly more upscale.
Rockbrook Village - Cool area with unique shops. More in the center of Omaha but far west of downtown.
Aksarben Village - Near the University of Nebraska-Omaha's campus down Dodge Street not too far from downtown. Area has hotels, shops, dining, movie theater, etc.

I'm sure other Omahans have more to add.

[Xudash]

My take on Cincinnati:

I have traveled all over the United States, Europe and Canada, so I believe I can be objective about putting this in context, as far as describing Cincinnati is concerned. Importantly, I've lived in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Fairfield, CT., and Atlanta, and now live in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

My first observation for our friends here from the eastern seaboard is to not discount life in the Midwest. If you think the midwest is about cornfields and such, you're sadly mistaken. All the midwestern BE towns have a lot to offer. I agree with the comments about Louisville as well. It's funny, but I just finished the bourbon trail two days ago (I think).

Churchill called Cincinnati the most beautiful of America's inland cities. It historically has been a very Germanic town. If you hear someone saying "please" to you; they're a native that has translated the German word "bitte." I believe Cincinnati holds the largest Oktoberfest in the United States.

The city is built on 7 hills (mounts). Mt. Adams, as one example, sits on a hill which overlooks downtown. It has long been known for its nightlife. The Cincinnati of today now has the old, historic Over-The-Rhine area undergoing a huge reclamation. It now is chuck full of shops, bars, restaurants, etc. The Banks project on the river is a massive development that is filling in between the two pro stadiums on the Ohio River. Cincinnati has long been known for its fine dining options. Neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Mariemont and Mt. Lookout are treasures.

Quick hotel recommendation for coming to a Xavier game: the new Courtyard by Marriott at Rookwood Commons. It's one exit away on I-71 from Dana Avenue, which you will take to get to the Cintas Center. Otherwise, stay downtown and enjoy Cincinnati.

I love visiting New York. I know the Mainline pretty well. I know D.C. well. Take a drive on Grandin Road in Hyde Park or drive around The Village of Indian Hill and you'll quickly get over your cornfield perception, assuming that's where you're coming from in the first place.

[DudeAnon]

If you are in Cincinnati for a Xavier game. There are two mid-major programs nearby if you have free time: UC and Dayton.

I kid I kid.

[Jet915]

Beautiful Omaha!

[dmac80]

I've visited Omaha I can attest the Henry Doorly Zoo is an absolute must. As 202jay says the zoo has indoor attractions, including from my memory a huge 'swamp in the dark' live alligator exhibit, huge indoor rain forest and indoor desert...it's one of the top zoos in America...downtown was quite cool too with bars shops and restaurants

[TexanMark]

Hey guys...first time poster. Some of you probably know me from CSNBBS.com

Anyways Billyjack nice thread. Hopefully you guys can get the rest of the teams built.

If any of you have games with the old BE FB schools I have guides done for them. I'm going to be reorganizing my guides over the next 6-12 months to recognize the new realignments.
http://www.texanmarktailgate.blogspot.com

[billyjack]

Bump to get some UConn information.

Storrs is a nice small town, out in rural east central Connecticut.

Hartford, if playing at the XL Center, i'd love to get recommendations for visiting fans.

[MUBoxer]

Milwaukee/Marquette
The Bradley Center, where Marquette plays, is located downtown. It is bordered on the north by Highland Ave and on the south by State Street. It is between 4th street and 6th street.

TRANSPORTATION:

-Milwaukee's Mitchell airport is a little outside the city, so you will likely want to take a bus to the Badger Bus stop downtown (there is also a car rental place there if you choose to take that route). A taxi from the airport to downtown will run you about $30.
-Milwaukee is located on Interstates 94 and 43. If you take the I 43 Kilbourn exit you will come out one block south of the Bradley Center (also called the BMO, these days).
-We don't have much for rail, but there is supposed to be a new streetcar system installed for 2016 if you don't plan on coming in the next year or two.

HOTELS:

-The closest hotel to the BMO is the Hyatt, which is one block south on Kilbourn and 4th.
-Also within walking distance is the Hilton (3 blocks) on Wisconsin Avenue, the Doubletree (3 blocks) on WIsconsin and 6th, the Courtyard (4.5 blocks) on Michigan st., Hampton Inn (6 blocks) on Wisconsin and 2nd, and Residence Inn (7 blocks) on Plankinton.
Full disclosure: I have never stayed in a hotel in Milwaukee.

RESTAURANTS/PUBS:

-If you are going to a Marquette game, you have to stop at Major Goolsby's (4th and Kilbourn, 1 block south of BMO). It's a sports bar/restaurant/Milwaukee tradition. Just pencil it in.
-The Safe House is a local spy themed restaurant located basically in an alley across the river (technically Front Street). You will need the password to get in if you arrive after 8. If you don't have the password and arrive after 8 you will be asked to do something ridiculous to gain entry.
-Milwaukee is known for our German heritage. Mader's is a great German restaurant on Old World 3rd Street (1 block). Great German food, decent wine selection. If you want a less expensive German option the Old German Beer Hall, also on 3rd, has decent food (definitely check the online menu first though, to make sure it's in your comfort zone).
-I highly recommend anything on the Riverwalk (2 blocks from the BMO) just for the ambiance. If you happened to stop by the Rock Bottom, that's my personal favorite.
-Molly Cool's is a pretty good seafood place that's conveniently located on the Riverwalk (2 blocks East).
-The Milwaukee Cheese Mart on 3rd has a great local cheese and beer selection (it's mostly a bar, though).
-AJ Bombers (4 blocks east, 2 blocks north) has some of the best burgers in Milwaukee, cool atmosphere too. (Sobelman's is also a contender for best burger in Milwaukee, but they don't really have a location close enough to the BMO for walking. If you have a car I recommend googling directions to one).
-The King and Thai and the Thai Palace (guess what kind of food they have) are on 3rd street (1 block over, 2 down).
-Benihana (2 blocks) on Kilbourn and Plankinton is decent Japanese, as is Kiku (3 blocks down, 2 over).
-The local diner chain, George Webb, is 2 blocks down on 3rd. Nothing special, but is open 24 hours.

THE ARTS:
-The Milwaukee Art Museum has a pretty good selection and their own parking (you will have to drive to the lakefront).
-The Haggerty Museum of Art is located on the Marquette campus if you want to visit.
-We also have the St. Joan of Arc chapel, which is an intact Medieval church transported here from France. Lots of original Medieval pieces that you can actually handle too.
-Villa Terrace is a cool Museum, Mediterranean themed. They have art pieces, but the best part is the garden (IMO) which it will likely be too cold to explore in season.
-The Pabst Mansion is really cool, as is the Pabst Theater.
-The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts (3 blocks from BMO across the river) is home to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Ballet, and the Florentine Opera.

SHOPPING:
-The Grand Avenue Mall is on Wisconsin (3 blocks down, 2 over). Not anything special, it's a mall.
-There are lots of small shops and other things in the 3rd ward, but you will have to drive there unless you want to walk 20-25 min.

BEACHES, OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST:
-Bradford is a decent beach. It is definitely a drive away (North on Lincoln Memorial), and by the time you get here it will most likely be closed for the winter. We have other beaches, but same rules apply.
-Miller Brewery does free tours with free beer at the end.
-The Bucks will probably be in season if you are staying a few days, and don't mind some sub-par pro basketball.
-We also have the Brewers (who will be out of season)
-The Admirals (AHL hockey team) are usually pretty good.
-The Wave are professional an indoor soccer team, which is kind of similar to watching a hockey game. They are usually near the top of the league in the MSL (highest level of professional indoor soccer).
-UW-Milwaukee also has a D1 basketball team (sort of) if you're the kind of person who likes to watch a train wreck.
All of these sports teams (except the Brewers) play at either the BMO or US Cellular arena (across the street from the BMO).
-River cruises during the warmer months are fun and (relatively) cheap. They can range from dinner cruises to late night party cruises.

Conclusion
I have tried to keep this list to things near the Bradley Center (BMO), and have generally given approximate distances. There is much more to see in Milwaukee including the Milwaukee County Zoo, Fairgrounds, the National Olympic Training Center (ice rink), and the Potawatomi Casino. All are definitely worth a visit if you have the time and feel comfortable leaving the area immediately around the Bradley Center. Any other Marquette fans feel free to add. Y'all have fun now, and don't forget to hit me up if you are going drinking on 3rd or Water.

Did you seriously recommend two national chains of Benihana and Rock Bottom to people visiting? Why not include Applebee's and Chili's while you're at it?

Food: Bombers is cool but there's one in Madison. Go to Oscars or soblemans for a burger. Blue Cafe is African fair and rated the best restaurant in WI on yelp. Bayview is filled with awesome speakeasies and restaurants worth hitting up. For wings go to Points East Pub I am not understating just how incredible and unique the wings are and I have driven back to Milwaukee just to pick them up and bring them back to Chicago. Brat Haus is where to find the Milwaukee staple of the brat and it right by the stadium.

Things to do: skip the miller brewery and do one of the local tours. MKE will get you faced on great beer, Lakefront has one of the best tours in the state and is scenic on the river. And Good City is probably the best beer.

If there during the summer: Humboldt park beer garden and bayview beer gardens are great. Milwaukee is proud of its beer culture so there's German style beer gardens in a lot of the parks. Those two are the most picturesque.

[marquette]

Milwaukee/Marquette
The Bradley Center, where Marquette plays, is located downtown. It is bordered on the north by Highland Ave and on the south by State Street. It is between 4th street and 6th street.

TRANSPORTATION:

-Milwaukee's Mitchell airport is a little outside the city, so you will likely want to take a bus to the Badger Bus stop downtown (there is also a car rental place there if you choose to take that route). A taxi from the airport to downtown will run you about $30.
-Milwaukee is located on Interstates 94 and 43. If you take the I 43 Kilbourn exit you will come out one block south of the Bradley Center (also called the BMO, these days).
-We don't have much for rail, but there is supposed to be a new streetcar system installed for 2016 if you don't plan on coming in the next year or two.

HOTELS:

-The closest hotel to the BMO is the Hyatt, which is one block south on Kilbourn and 4th.
-Also within walking distance is the Hilton (3 blocks) on Wisconsin Avenue, the Doubletree (3 blocks) on WIsconsin and 6th, the Courtyard (4.5 blocks) on Michigan st., Hampton Inn (6 blocks) on Wisconsin and 2nd, and Residence Inn (7 blocks) on Plankinton.
Full disclosure: I have never stayed in a hotel in Milwaukee.

RESTAURANTS/PUBS:

-If you are going to a Marquette game, you have to stop at Major Goolsby's (4th and Kilbourn, 1 block south of BMO). It's a sports bar/restaurant/Milwaukee tradition. Just pencil it in.
-The Safe House is a local spy themed restaurant located basically in an alley across the river (technically Front Street). You will need the password to get in if you arrive after 8. If you don't have the password and arrive after 8 you will be asked to do something ridiculous to gain entry.
-Milwaukee is known for our German heritage. Mader's is a great German restaurant on Old World 3rd Street (1 block). Great German food, decent wine selection. If you want a less expensive German option the Old German Beer Hall, also on 3rd, has decent food (definitely check the online menu first though, to make sure it's in your comfort zone).
-I highly recommend anything on the Riverwalk (2 blocks from the BMO) just for the ambiance. If you happened to stop by the Rock Bottom, that's my personal favorite.
-Molly Cool's is a pretty good seafood place that's conveniently located on the Riverwalk (2 blocks East).
-The Milwaukee Cheese Mart on 3rd has a great local cheese and beer selection (it's mostly a bar, though).
-AJ Bombers (4 blocks east, 2 blocks north) has some of the best burgers in Milwaukee, cool atmosphere too. (Sobelman's is also a contender for best burger in Milwaukee, but they don't really have a location close enough to the BMO for walking. If you have a car I recommend googling directions to one).
-The King and Thai and the Thai Palace (guess what kind of food they have) are on 3rd street (1 block over, 2 down).
-Benihana (2 blocks) on Kilbourn and Plankinton is decent Japanese, as is Kiku (3 blocks down, 2 over).
-The local diner chain, George Webb, is 2 blocks down on 3rd. Nothing special, but is open 24 hours.

THE ARTS:
-The Milwaukee Art Museum has a pretty good selection and their own parking (you will have to drive to the lakefront).
-The Haggerty Museum of Art is located on the Marquette campus if you want to visit.
-We also have the St. Joan of Arc chapel, which is an intact Medieval church transported here from France. Lots of original Medieval pieces that you can actually handle too.
-Villa Terrace is a cool Museum, Mediterranean themed. They have art pieces, but the best part is the garden (IMO) which it will likely be too cold to explore in season.
-The Pabst Mansion is really cool, as is the Pabst Theater.
-The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts (3 blocks from BMO across the river) is home to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Ballet, and the Florentine Opera.

SHOPPING:
-The Grand Avenue Mall is on Wisconsin (3 blocks down, 2 over). Not anything special, it's a mall.
-There are lots of small shops and other things in the 3rd ward, but you will have to drive there unless you want to walk 20-25 min.

BEACHES, OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST:
-Bradford is a decent beach. It is definitely a drive away (North on Lincoln Memorial), and by the time you get here it will most likely be closed for the winter. We have other beaches, but same rules apply.
-Miller Brewery does free tours with free beer at the end.
-The Bucks will probably be in season if you are staying a few days, and don't mind some sub-par pro basketball.
-We also have the Brewers (who will be out of season)
-The Admirals (AHL hockey team) are usually pretty good.
-The Wave are professional an indoor soccer team, which is kind of similar to watching a hockey game. They are usually near the top of the league in the MSL (highest level of professional indoor soccer).
-UW-Milwaukee also has a D1 basketball team (sort of) if you're the kind of person who likes to watch a train wreck.
All of these sports teams (except the Brewers) play at either the BMO or US Cellular arena (across the street from the BMO).
-River cruises during the warmer months are fun and (relatively) cheap. They can range from dinner cruises to late night party cruises.

Conclusion
I have tried to keep this list to things near the Bradley Center (BMO), and have generally given approximate distances. There is much more to see in Milwaukee including the Milwaukee County Zoo, Fairgrounds, the National Olympic Training Center (ice rink), and the Potawatomi Casino. All are definitely worth a visit if you have the time and feel comfortable leaving the area immediately around the Bradley Center. Any other Marquette fans feel free to add. Y'all have fun now, and don't forget to hit me up if you are going drinking on 3rd or Water.

Did you seriously recommend two national chains of Benihana and Rock Bottom to people visiting? Why not include Applebee's and Chili's while you're at it?

Food: Bombers is cool but there's one in Madison. Go to Oscars or soblemans for a burger. Blue Cafe is African fair and rated the best restaurant in WI on yelp. Bayview is filled with awesome speakeasies and restaurants worth hitting up. For wings go to Points East Pub I am not understating just how incredible and unique the wings are and I have driven back to Milwaukee just to pick them up and bring them back to Chicago. Brat Haus is where to find the Milwaukee staple of the brat and it right by the stadium.

Things to do: skip the miller brewery and do one of the local tours. MKE will get you faced on great beer, Lakefront has one of the best tours in the state and is scenic on the river. And Good City is probably the best beer.

If there during the summer: Humboldt park beer garden and bayview beer gardens are great. Milwaukee is proud of its beer culture so there's German style beer gardens in a lot of the parks. Those two are the most picturesque.

6 years ago a kid from Waterbury, CT with 3 years left until graduation tried to help some people visiting Milwaukee out. Sue me.

[MUPanther]

Marquette will now be in year 2 at playing at Fiserv Forum. If it's been some years since you came to Milwaukee, a lot has change. The new Deer District is outside Fiserv Forum.

https://deerdistrict.com/