Chicago's United Center: History, Future, and DNC 2024

The United Center in Chicago is hosting the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and also turns 30 years old on August 18th. So, I thought it would be interesting and relevant to quickly discuss the history and future of this famous Chicago sports arena. Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!
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Hey, I'm Gavin! I'm better known as Chicago Geographer or CG online. I'm 23 and have an Environmental & Urban Studies degree from UChicago. This channel is the result of my lifelong passion for geography, videomaking, and urbanism. Make sure to subscribe to see my latest videos, and thanks for stopping by!
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MEDIA CREDITS and FURTHER READING:
Background music: / glitchxcity and / electricmudkip
Street View, maps, and 3D imagery: Google Earth
Chicago Bulls logo: By stats.nba.com/m..., Fair use, en.wikipedia.o...
Chicago Blackhawks logo: By www.nhl.com/bl..., Fair use, en.wikipedia.o...
Panorama during Bulls game: By Jordano53 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikime...
Chicago Stadium exterior: By David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA - 19841104 15 Chicago Stadium, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikime...
Chicago Stadium interior: By Unknown author - The Sporting News Archives, Public Domain, commons.wikime...
Chicago Stadium commemorative plaque: By nixternal from Chicago, USA - IMG_0909.JPG, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikime...
Chicago Stadium postcard: puckstruck.com...
United Center with Bulls and Blackhawks logos: By Arvell Dorsey Jr. from Chicago, IL, United States - United Center, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikime...
William “Rocky” Wirtz: www.nbcnews.co...
Jerry Reinsdorf: www.si.com/mlb...
United Center history page: www.unitedcent...
United Center under construction: www.thorntonto...
Demolition of Chicago Stadium: By Subwoofer - Own work, Public Domain, commons.wikime...
Chicago Stadium and United Center both standing: www.facebook.c...
United Center interior: By Gavindow, CC BY 3.0, commons.wikime...
Blair Kamin: commonedge.org...
Architectural review of United Center: www.chicagotri...
DNC 1996 footage: • Coverage of the last n...
Henry Horner Homes demolition article: www.chicagorep...
SummerSlam 1994: www.wwe.com/sh...
Michael Jordan statue: By www.flickr.com... (posted to commons at 14:13, 3 October 2009 (UTC) by User:Like tears in rain as File:Monument to a great.jpg), CC BY 2.0, en.wikipedia.o...
United Center during COVID: www.unitedcent...
Security perimeter map: www.chicago.go...
The 1901 Project renderings: www.rios.com/p...
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#chicago #unitedcenter #dnc2024 #bulls #blackhawks
history of united center
chicago sports history
chicago stadium
chicago democratic national convention

[@CanadaBricks]

My dad lived in Chicago for a while before moving to Canada. He used to work at United Center and got free tickets to Blackhawks and Bulls games. I envy him so much, because he got to watch legends like Michael Jordan, Jeremy Roenick, Pippen, and Belfour

[@helvetiqa]

I really, really hope The 1901 Project can learn from the mistakes of the "urban revivals" of the past and be awesome🤞

[@jss.42]

So cool to learn about the home of the Chicago Big beef cows

[@joetrey215]

The sea of parking lots was the cost of having a slum. The absence of the slum allows for new developments. This clearly highlights the crucial importance of slum clearance.

[@ivanscottself9077]

Very interesting video! Thank you for posting. I have been there a few times and didn’t know about the damen station on the green line

[@timewave02012]

I went to an Iron Maiden concert at the United Center on free tickets and it was surprisingly convenient. Living well outside the range of CTA, and Metra barely being useful only for commuting during business hours, my choices are drive to a CTA station, park, and take CTA, or drive directly where I'm going. Needless to say, the latter is usually a lot easier.

[@sommerioslo]

I happened to visit Chicago just months before the United Center was opened, apparently. The first and only time I've been to the US.

[@ninaeleonore]

Great video! I've been to the UC for a Hawks game and for a concert and it's definitely a good venue! I do wish it was well integrated into the neighborhood as Wrigley Field is, so the 1901 Project sounds super awesome!

[@Terji]

love these videos on specific buildings

[@egz3637]

Very interesting building! Timely release as well.

[@arepiv]

Good job with this video! I came here to improve my US knowledge in Geoguessr but these other videos are so well made! Knew nothing about this arena.

[@malloryatack4988]

awesome video!!!

[@Alfredssssss]

This was a very interesting video, CG!

[@potato7268]

the satellite imagery of the united center surrounded by the sea of parking lots is jarring but the redevelopment project sounds promising. thanks for the interesting video!

[@19alligators]

so interesting to see the history of this area. as someone who is from the area and a polisci major, i’m curious about how both of the stadiums here affected housing displacement for people of color considering the massive amount of redlining in chicago. like it just seems like the ceos of these teams wanted to drive people living in these neighborhoods (mostly poc) away from the stadium which is honestly pretty sad and perhaps what the architecture critic was getting at :(

[@txquartz]

It is exactly the point. They also want to get their hands on the land to push out the current buildings in the area. Displacement by inducing market forces. So it's not even really a standard gentrification project, since those buildings near would remain, so much as a way to expand West Loop's hyper-expensive office and residential corridor, and push redevelopment the entire way west. Like an amoeba's "arm" reaching out to consume.

[@albertsancho5909]

Happy 30th birthday to the United Center.

[@ethancook5705]

Hopefully it will be around for many years to come.

[@brendanmcclory9925]

that is the house the the goat michael jordan built

[@robertofernandez7773]

That new neighborhood looks good. Hopefully it gets built

[@troyshilanski380]

I saw the Beaslys reaction to your channel and liked it.

[@vickiekostecki]

So many parking lots. That was the first thing I noticed.

[@nancymiller5413]

Did people use public transportation to get to the United Center before the new station opened? How far was the walk from the “old” station, if applicable? Seems crazy that it took 30+ years to make the new station.

[@txquartz]

Most do not. For many live in the suburbs, and there is little to no integration between networks, so they would have to ride to their downtown metra station, then transfer to a bus. The added time hassle from the Metra and bus schedules makes it difficult. Basically, unless you live within two miles of the lake along the red line, going anywhere, except the loop itself, is a frustrating slog.

[@drewmorrison]

The walk to the Ashland stop is about a 12-15 minute walk I would say. It’s not horrible. The problem is, most people have to connect at another train (probably at Clark/lake) and that stop is awful to go to.

[@anditomars]

I've always taken the L there. The previous options were Ashland Pink/Green or the Illinois Medical District Blue line. Both 10-15 minute walks. The Damen stop is a marginal improvement for UC purposes. It's beyond me why thet don't just make a UC stop on the pink line because it passes within a block of it.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

It’s great to hear that they’re going to redevelop those parking lots.

[@FilppaClip]

Hey Chicago Geographer! I was Wondering If You Can Do a Series Of Prehistoric Lakes Of all Of The Continents Where you Can talk About Lakes That Use To Exist But Died Out Of Lakes That Used to Exist But Still Have Remnants Like Pyramid Lake Was a Remnant Of Lake Lahontan. you Probably Wont See this Comment But if you Do You can Maybe Consider it as I love your Videos About Lakes

[@Blacid.]

Good vid CG! Too bad this didnt catch onto the algorithm :(

[@sintrabio]

I wish you had touched a bit on the gentrification aspect of the "westward" expansion. I am curious if there are any provisions for current businesses and residents in surrounding areas within the development project.

[@nefarious_kitty]

While I agree that Wrigley is much better integrated into the neighborhood, I don't agree with your assessment that there are many "street-facing facilities". All of the concessions within the field are reserved for game attendees and even the plaza open to the public (it's actually private property) is closed off to the public during games. When there's no game going Wrigley is still a massive hulk inaccessible to anyone. The only street-facing facilities in the complex are the retail within the newly built Cubs office building, pretty standard for a commercial building in the city.

[@davidw7]

I think most point out how directly across a regular street or total commercial street-level.... AS Wrigley was more intended to mean? Wrigley also got new additions on a new plaza commercial and use for non-games. New buildings across also... in a added hotel and more eateries, shops mostly related to sports and of course... the bars of Wrigley going down Clark especially. Also is 2 L stops for separate lines less than a block to block away. Though the stadium Wrigley.... is not surrounded in the main building with exterior shops. Added on the plaza are some and the plaza IS open to the public other than some games and events. Clearly from above as in the video. You see a huge difference in no parking lot surrounding Wrigley. So perhaps saying around the stadium meant directly across a street/plaza vs huge parking lots and that is it till streets... rather than the content creator misspoke about Wrigley's attributes. Now in a few years... a United Center more similar... a full combo of Commercial, retail, residential and probably hotel etc. Parking will be more condensed into a sort of garage apparently? So in look of being surrounded by commercial when complete... it will be more as Wrigley as a stadium actually surrounded more directly by a neighborhood vs a Island with huge parking lots.

[@fubini_yt]

🎉

[@ryans7097]

Excited to see what happens with the 1901 project if it turns out anything close to those design pics it will be a great addition to the city. Look forward to seeing updates on the channel.

[@leafbelly]

So where do people generally park when they go to Wrigley? When I've gone there, I took public transit.

[@ChicagoGeographer]

There are scattered lots farther out from the stadium that get used for games, but otherwise a lot of people do take some kind of transit to get there, especially locals

[@txquartz]

People sell driveway driveway and empty lot spots where they can

[@alexiscriollo2747]

What the lifespan of the United Center??

[@gymkhanagirl8784]

🤟

[@DanPantalones]

Wrong Wirtz. Bill Wirtz died in 2007. "Rocky" Wirtz took over after that.

[@jake12.48]

Trump 2024

[@janis7077]

If you have brain damage, sure.

[@DanoldDai]

@@janis7077 He probably does.

[@inwalters]

This is a non-political channel. Let's keep it that way.

[@jake12.48]

@@DanoldDai don't assume my gender

[@jake12.48]

@@inwalters bro literally made a video about the DNC 😂😂😂