NCAA/Bradley Center Parking

[FVBrewerFan]

So, I was lucky enough to get tickets at face value. Problem is, from what I've been hearing, parking will be a nightmare and very, very expensive.

 

Anyone have any suggestions on where to park that is close enough to walk, and not crazy expensive (Lots near the BC, Hyatt, etc. )

[paul253]

There are parking structures all over the place. I don't know what you consider very very expensive but I'd guess it would cost around $20. Definitely not Chicago expensive. There are structures on 4th/Highland, 6th/Highland and James Lovell(7th)/State. All three are within two blocks of the BC. A little further away there are some structures by the Grand Ave Mall. It's walking distance but a little further (4-5 blocks). There's a structure by the Marcus Center on Water St between State and Highland. That's on the other side of the river but there's a pedestrian bridge near there as a short cut. There's also a big flat lot on Water/Juneau. Again it's a little further but definitely still walkable (5-6 blocks). Street parking may be tough and the parking checkers will get you if you park illegally......trust me. Hope that helps.

[Patrick425]

There are parking structures all over the place. I don't know what you consider very very expensive but I'd guess it would cost around $20. Definitely not Chicago expensive. There are structures on 4th/Highland, 6th/Highland and James Lovell(7th)/State. All three are within two blocks of the BC. A little further away there are some structures by the Grand Ave Mall. It's walking distance but a little further (4-5 blocks). There's a structure by the Marcus Center on Water St between State and Highland. That's on the other side of the river but there's a pedestrian bridge near there as a short cut. There's also a big flat lot on Water/Juneau. Again it's a little further but definitely still walkable (5-6 blocks). Street parking may be tough and the parking checkers will get you if you park illegally......trust me. Hope that helps.

 

There will be a little more competition on Thursday and Friday for spots because they are work days. It depends on the proximity of parking structures to office buildings. To give you an example, I can see the Hyatt structure parking lot from my office. That one usually appears to be pretty empty during a normal work day. One block to the south of that on 3rd street there is a parking structure located right next door to the blue federal building. That lot generally appears much fuller (with cars parked on the top level). I would say that the Hyatt and BC lots should be safe bets on Thurs/Fri as I don't believe many workers use those lots (although...now that I say that....I know that there are several spots in the BC parking lot reserved for MATC). Might not be a bad idea to try to get downtown by 8am on Thursday and Friday and just "hangout" (grab breakfast, go take a picture with the Fonz) until game time if you want to be assured of getting decent parking.

 

Also, some lots have "early-bird" specials (generally before 8 or 9 am) during the weekday. Not sure if this will be true while the tourney is going on, but possibly if you get there 2 or 3 hours before the first game it might be.

[sveumrules]

Best free place to park I've found for BMOHBC events is east of the river/Water St. I normally park on either Broadway or Milwaukee between Juneau and Kilbourn. Then just walk down and cross the bridge over the river on Highland Ave back behind Rudy's. It's like a 6 block/5-10 minute walk.

[Patrick425]

Best free place to park I've found for BMOHBC events is east of the river/Water St. I normally park on either Broadway or Milwaukee between Juneau and Kilbourn. Then just walk down and cross the bridge over the river on Highland Ave back behind Rudy's. It's like a 6 block/5-10 minute walk.

 

My guess is that most of this "free parking" you found was on weeknights or weekends. I put free in quotes, because on weekdays street parking will be metered and/or on a time limit. The area you are talking about is in the middle of the MSOE campus. Unless they are on spring break this week, street parking will probably be fairly limited in this area on Thursday and Friday.

[paul253]

The area you are talking about is in the middle of the MSOE campus.

 

That reminds me. There is another structure on Knapp and Broadway. It's a small one and I'm not sure if it's reserved entirely for MSOE but it's another option to check out if you're desperate. Also, the MATC structure on 8th/State.

[bani1717]

I found this info helpful:

 

http://www.jrn.com/wtmj/shows/wisconsins-morning-news/Where-to-Park-for-Milwaukee-NCAA-Games-250970491.html

 

www.parkmilwaukee.com/

 

Parking anywhere near the Bradley Center will probably be kind of a mess and will also be pretty expensive tomorrow (they said anywhere from $15-$75 in the radio broadcast linked above). There may be a decent number of people coming from elsewhere in the state and/or out of town, moreso than for most events (think moreso like big concerts than typical Bucks/Marquette games). So you could have more people who don't have a super firm grasp on where they're headed or where they'll park. You also have people going to work to compete with for parking. I don't mind walking, so I don't plan to try to drive anywhere within about half a mile of the Bradley Center when I go to the game.