Photos by Lloyd Brown and Greg Venuto, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza New York, NY 10001
Year Opened: 1968
Capacity: 18,006
Madison Square Garden Continues To Flourish
Madison Square Garden, or MSG as the locals often call it, has finally completed its latest transformation. After the inside was refurbished from 2011-2013, the outside and main entrance were revived over the past 5 years. The 7th Avenue entrance is now majestic and grand and offers a little pedestrian courtyard with seating on 33rd Street.
The Garden is home to the New York Rangers of the Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League and the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association.
Just to the right of the new entrance is a Los Tacos No. 1 and Anita Gelato and a modern gateway to the subway and Penn Station.
Fun fact: How did Madison Square Garden get its name?
Answer: The Garden was originally situated at Madison Square Park at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street) and was named after James Madison, the fourth president of the United States.
Two venues called Madison Square Garden were located just northeast of the square, the original Garden from 1879 to 1890, and the second Garden from 1890 to 1925.
The third MSG moved to a new location from 1926 until 1968 on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th streets. In 1969, the 4th and present location was born between 7th and 8th Avenue from 31st to 33rd Streets.
Madison Square Garden is the last of the NBA and NHL arenas not to be named after a corporate sponsor.
In recent years, there has been pressure on building owner Jim Dolan (who also owns the Rangers and Knicks) to relocate MSG and make way for a new, vibrant, and massive Pennsylvania Station that sits underneath the Garden. The city council approved a special permit of only five years in 2023 to allow Dolan to remain until 2028. The move attempts to have Dolan commit financially to the expanded train hall before granting a longer special permit to keep MSG at its present location.
The Garden received a much-needed facelift from 2011-2013. The inside of the arena was upgraded to include new seats and bathrooms, wider concourses, new luxury suites closer to the ice, club seating areas with high-end food, and a Bridge Level with seats that provide a great aerial view and some bar stool seating. The West Balcony was also added which replaced the old skyboxes.
There are six entry points - four on 8th Avenue and the main entrance on 7th Avenue which leads to the lobby and box office. There are also 2 VIP entrances.
Food & Beverage 5
In addition to traditional fare, the lower bowl includes Lavo Meatballs, Avenue Cantina, Carnegie Deli, Mike’s Hot Honey (chicken), Fuku chicken sandwiches, Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, Paulie Gee’s Pizza, Rock Lobster, and Tao Sushi. Other choices include Daily Burger, Garden Market, and Chicken and Things.
On the 200 level, there is Dunkin Donuts, Bar at the Garden, Pat LaFrieda Prime Rib, Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, and 7th Street Burger.
There are also vegan and gluten-free options. For beverages, there are craft beers on tap (Blue Point, Shock Top, and Goose Island) and mixed drinks. A 24-ounce draft beer is $16. Pepsi products are the beverage of choice. A 20oz soft drink is $20 and Aquafina is $5.50. Many of these options are on the 200 level with less of the high-end fare.
The Bridge Level includes Daily Burger ($16 for a cheeseburger), Chicken & Things ($17 tenders and fries), Bar at the Garden, and Fratelli’s Pizza. Remember to have your Chase Card handy as a 20% discount is offered for fans who spend $30 or more.
The lines get extremely long at the end of the period. Two tips: head to the concession stands before the horn sounds or if possible wait for the end of the second period as lines are not as long during the second intermission.
Atmosphere 5
The atmosphere and game day production are solid.
The Rangers hype video leads into the intro of The Who classic Baba O’Riley and then the voice of PA Announcer Joe Tolleson blares “Here they are: The New York Rangers” and up comes the Who as the players hit the ice. Then operatic tenor John Brancy is sure to enliven the fans by singing the national anthem. Brancy does about half of the Rangers games.
MSG Ceiling, Photo by Greg Venuto, Stadium Journey
Madison Square Garden is special, from the lobby to the box office, the team store ,and the exhibits that commemorate special events. The inside features the iconic ceiling with a cable-supported roof. The 28’ x 57’ scoreboard (which displays the names and numbers of all skaters on the ice throughout the game) over center ice is riveting and then your eyes are drawn to the Chase Bridges which cross the ice at the top of both sides of the upper bowl.
A new banner 2023-2024 Regular Season Champions was added to the rafters to start this season but that will not impress most Rangers fans. Four banners commemorating the Rangers’ four Stanley Cup wins (yes only 4) also hang over the Club Lounge seats.
The lower bowl is located on the 6th floor and the upper level is on the 7th floor. The lower concourse is fairly wide but gets jammed quickly right before the game and at intermissions. The upper concourse is extremely narrow in spots and lines back up for food and bathrooms causing sporadic traffic jams in between periods.
Fans can take escalators to the seating areas but check with Guest Services and they will direct persons who need assistance to elevators and can call for a wheelchair if needed.
The arena is divided into Sections 100 through 400 and in addition, there are 96 suites on the Club Level. The sightlines have been much improved since the more than $1 billion renovation that was completed a decade ago. On the negative side, legroom is at a minimum.
The current building pays homage to the old Blue Seaters who were the raucous backbone of the Rangers in the 70s and 80s. The 400 Level features blue seats and is appropriately named ‘’The Blue Seats’’ for the former Garden faithful.
Neighborhood 5
The area around MSG, located in midtown Manhattan, is busy and boisterous. Pedestrians, taxis, trucks, cars, and buses flood 7th and 8th Avenues and 34th Street even late at night. Penn Station is situated beneath the building and the new bold and beautiful Moynihan Train Station is directly adjacent to MSG on 8th Avenue. The building is 255,000 square feet, housing both Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road ticketing and waiting areas, the unrivaled design includes state-of-the-art security features and a contemporary, digital passenger experience.
Macy’s, Empire State Building, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center are within walking distance. There is the Molly Wee Pub, Stout, and Mustang Harry’s for pre-gaming. For food there is Koreatown and NY Pizza Suprema (413 8th Avenue) is often rated one of the best pizza places in Manhattan.
There is a bevy of lodging options including The New Yorker Hotel, Fairfield Inn and Suites, the Renaissance New York, and Courtyard New York Manhattan/Chelsea.
Fans 4
New York Rangers fans are more reactive than proactive. The days of cheerleading and rallying the team when the home team is down in professional sports are over for the most part and fans tend to wait for something to happen to cheer. Prices have forced loyal fans to watch more games from home as MSG has catered to the rich and famous. Despite the outrageous ticket prices, the Rangers sell out almost every game and are averaging 17,975 so far this season. Blueshirts fans enjoy wearing their Rangers sweaters to the games and it’s common to see many women in the crowd.
The Garden still erupts for goals by the home team as they break into the Goal Song (Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!!) with the horn blaring and the red lights swirling under the Jumbotron. The song called Slapshot, which debuted in 1995, was written by Rangers organist Ray Castoldi. The favorite chant is the fans’ rallying cry “Let’s Go Rangers” and also ”Igor, Igor!” after a great save or saves to salute All-Star goalie Igor Shesterkin if he happens to be manning the net.
The ultimate Rangers fan is Larry Goodman (aka Dancin Larry) who dances to Strike It Up at almost every game during the final TV timeout of the 3rd period with the Rangers cheerleaders encouraging his act. Larry has been doing his thing since 1996. The Rangers are the only team in the league without a mascot. Maybe it’s time has come.
The Garden does a good job of displaying plenty of crowd shots on the scoreboard during breaks in the action. MSG does three T Shirt Tosses which get the joint jumping and adds a few celebrity sightings. The sound system is clear and music is a mix of pop and organ and played at a good decibel level.
Access 5
Access is a plus except for traffic around MSG. The Path Train from New Jersey, subway stations on 6th (B, D, F and M and N, Q, R, and W) and 8th Avenue (A, C and E and 1, 2 and 3), LIRR trains from Long Island and Queens underneath at Penn Station, and Grand Central Station (serving Westchester and Connecticut) is about a 15-20 minute walk.
Driving to MSG can be problematic coming in from the West Side Highway or East River Drive. There are plenty of parking facilities nearby so check SpotHero or ParkWhiz to prepay for parking which runs about $30-45.
The doors open 90 minutes before the event and security scanning is fairly efficient.
Return on Investment 2
The investment for one event at MSG is costly. If you can find a ticket for under $100 consider yourself lucky. The only time to get in for less is for early-season weeknight games in October and November or if the Rangers fall out of playoff contention.
The lower bowl will run $150 or more for behind the goal (not including TicketMaster fees) and much more to sit at center ice ($350 and up). Food and beverages are pricey but much more options are available and the quality has improved. For the most part, steer clear of souvenirs and look for less costly options online or in local sporting goods stores.
Extras 4
One point is for the Theater at Madison Square which features Annie presently starring Whoopi Goldberg.
Another point is the diversity of MSG which offers in addition to the Knicks and St. John’s basketball, concerts, and comedy shows. Avril Lavigne, Mary J. Blig,e and Dua Lipa are three headliners set to perform in 2025.
Billy Joel, who holds the record for the greatest number of appearances at the Garden with 150 shows stated that "Madison Square Garden is the center of the universe as far as I'm concerned.” A blue banner honoring Joel’s 150 hangs from the rafters.
The third point is for tradition: the classic Rangers sweater has been in use since the franchise's birth in 1926, with several alterations along the way. Tex Rickard was the first owner of the Rangers, one of the Original Six teams that competed in the NHL before its 1967 expansion, along with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The fourth and final point is for the impressive new main entrance on 7th Avenue. leading into the lobby. This area was covered by scaffolding for a few seasons and now is wide open with the marquee flashing upcoming events. This is an entrance worthy of its moniker “The World’s Most Famous Arena”.
Final Thoughts
MSG is always deserving of a Stadium Journey and not just for hockey. The Arena is vibrant and exciting but don’t forget the plastic.
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