Madison Square Garden - New York Knicks Arena Guide

In February 1959, Graham-Paige had purchased a 40% interest in the Madison Square Garden for $4 million and later gained majority control. In November 1960, Irving Mitchell Felt, president of Graham-Paige, purchased from the Pennsylvania Railroad the rights to build at Penn Station. The new structure was one of the first to be built above an active railroad station’s platforms.

The arena opened officially in February of 1968. Since a disagreement between ownership and the city of New York, the arena has since been tax-free under the condition that all Knicks and Rangers home games must be hosted at MSG, or else it will lose this exemption. The Madison Square Garden is the last of the NBA and NHL arenas not to be named after a corporate sponsor.

The Garden owners spent $200 million in1991 to renovate the arena’s facilities and added 89 suites in place of the upper deck seats. Between 2011 and 2013 then Garden underwent a $1 billion renovation that took place over three offseasons. The renovation was done in phases, with most of the work done in the summers not to interrupt the NBA and NHL seasons. The new features included:larger entrance, retail shops, broadcast studio, larger concourses, new lighting, new seating, two pedestrian walkways suspended from the ceiling to allow fans to look directly down onto the games, more dining options, improved dressing rooms, locker rooms, green rooms, upgraded roof, production offices, large windows that offer views of the city streets around and several other spaces and seating options.

Interior view of Madison Square Garden

Below is a seating plan of New York Knicks's Madison Square Garden:

Several popular bars are located within walking distance to the arena, with a few of the favorites being Kabooz’s Bar & Grill, Tír na Nóg, American Whiskey, and Jack Doyle’s. Jack Doyle’s is located at 240 West 35th Street in the center of Manhattan. Just a few minutes away from some of New York’s famous attractions such as the Empire State Building, Macy’s, Times Square, and many more. They are also just one block away from Penn Station & Madison Square Garden, so it makes it a perfect place to get a drink before the game or your way home.

While several of the bars and pubs in the area offer several food options, a few other food options are a favorite of the locals and are right around the arena that you can stop at before tip-off. Some of the local favorites include Nick + Stef’s Steakhouse, Club Bar & Grill, Club Bar & Grill, NY Pizza Suprema, OCabanon, and many more. Since the Knick are very popular in the area, and New York City is always full of life, there will always be popular spots scattered throughout the city that would be a great place to stop at before a game.

The Madison Square Garden All Access Tour gives you a behind-the-scenes look at The World’s Most Famous Arena on a 75-minute tour. The Garden is host to some of New York’s favorite teams and has a history of legendary boxing matches, concerts, and live events. On this tour, you can expect to see backstage areas facility, visit a luxury suite and get an up-close view of the famous concave rooftop from the Chase Bridge. You also get to learn about The Garden’s 150-year history from an expert tour guide who knows several stories and many defining moments that the Garden has seen.

Typically, Knicks tickets vary on who they are playing on the given night, but tickets can be found for as low as $40, with an average price of $180. Some of the arena’s premium seating options include the Madison Club, The Loft, Premium Seating With Delta Sky360° Club Access, and Premium Seating With Access to J.P. Morgan Club at Madison Square Garden. While the Knicks are one of the top five in annual ticket prices, they play in one of the most storied arenas, and being able to visit the Garden is worth the price of admission.

Since the Madison Square Garden is located near the heart of Manhatten, there are several travel options you can choose from. The most popular transportation methods would include MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority), which operates subways and buses. There are also various forms of care services and thousands of parking spots if you chose to bring your vehicle.

The address for the Madison Square Garden is as follows:
• 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001

While traffic during game nights will drive larger crowds than usual down to Manhatten, you should be prepared for heavy traffic as you are in a very populated city that sees heavy traffic daily. If you are coming from surrounding suburbs, you will most likely be coming into the city on a major highway then transitioning into city street driving.

While the Madison Square Garden does not have an official parking garage/spaces, there are several places you can park throughout the city. With the subway stopping nearly everywhere throughout the city, it may be a struggle to bring your vehicle. Still, with a little research beforehand of parking and subway travel, you should have no problem finding parking in the city if you are prepared.

You are most likely looking to be on MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) for public transportation, which operates subways and buses. There is a subway stop at 34 St-Herald Sq station, which is just a block away from the Garden at 6th Avenue. With the subway reaching almost everywhere in the city, this will be your most straightforward and quickest form of public transportation while you are in the city.

Suppose you are coming from out of state and flying. In that case, you will most likely fly into one of the many New York City airports, including JFK International and LaGuardia International airports.