Madison Square Garden
New York City, NY
Built: 1968-02-11
Capacity: 19,812
Knicks (nba)Overall Rating
4.2out of 5
Arena Rating Breakdown
Food
9.5 out of 10Seat Comfort
5.0 out of 10Transportation
10.0 out of 10Vibes
9.0 out of 10View
9.5 out of 10Walkability
7.0 out of 10Visit Details
Date of Visit: January 26, 2025
Pro Tip
No tip provided
What We Loved
- Being right there at Penn Station is clutch: 5/5 stars for transit, no question.
- The energy in MSG is real. Totally electric atmosphere for the Kings vs. Knicks game
- The Carnegie Deli Pastrami: 10/10, no notes.
- Awesome view from our seats (Sec 112, Row 22). We were right in front of the suites & they shared their snacks with us.
- After dropping my pastrami sandwich (tragic!), I went back and purchased another one. At the pickup window the server remembered me and immediately refunded the second sandwich when I told her about the first dropped one. That's incredible service right there.
- We did the MSG tour the day prior ($138 for three, rescheduled from game day due to multiple MSG events). Definitely recommend if you want that behind-the-scenes experience.
What We Didn't Like
- Seat comfort (or lack thereof): Okay, let's be real – the seats were ROUGH (2.5/5). Calling it a Spirit flight experience is spot on! I'm only 5'2", and it was a squeeze.
- Getting around inside: It was just okay (3.5/5). Not terrible, but not as seamless as maybe some other places.
The Verdict
The history, the vibe, the easy transit, that pastrami... it mostly outweighed the fact that we felt like sardines in our seats. Definitely a must-do, especially as NY natives, just maybe prepare for that tight squeeze! While the standard tickets were expensive ($592 for the three tickets), it was still an awesome time at The Garden.
Tip: I signed up for the Knicks Fan First Program newsletter in July 2024 for presale access 10 days before the general public in September 2024. This was a great way to get "reasonable (to MSG)" ticket prices.
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