“As a hockey player, playing for an Original Six team at Madison Square Garden, where its packed every night, theres nothing like it.” -Carl Hagelin

Arena: Madison Square Garden (1968)

Location: 33rd Street & 7th Avenue, Midtown Manhattan

Game Attended: January 12, 2008 vs. Montreal & March 15, 2009 vs. Philadelphia

Result: Two Rangers Wins

Seat Locations: Lower Level Sideline and Lower Level Rangers 1x End

Overall Impression: Classic Arena, Amazing Atmosphere, but Expensive

It’s the World’s Most Famous Arena, and they’re probably right. The Garden. MSG. No matter what you call it, you’re sure to have a memorable experience at the home of the Metropolitan Division’s New York Rangers. And my two visits for hockey games were no exception.

I’m not a Rangers fan, but man are they loud! Every goal calls for a chorus of 18,000 people singing GOOOOOOOOALLLLLLL. They despise their rival teams (Islanders, Devils, and Flyers), and they’ll let you know about it! And the Rangers player salute after every game is one of hockey’s special traditions. Overall, the Garden is a fantastic place to watch a hockey game!

Both games I attended were complete sellouts, and exciting games with plenty of action. Unfortunately for me as a Flyers fan, the Rangers won both. But that really didn’t take away much from the experience. I still have great memories of watching Rangers fans celebrate loudly and me trying to defend my self-worth by wearing a Phillies 2008 World Champions had along with my Flyers jersey (update: The Yankees beat the Phils in the 2009 Series, good effort, poor execution on my part).

Architecturally, two features stand out to me. First, the Garden’s drooping ceiling is unique and looks very cool. Second, they renovated the arena in the past few years to include the Chase Bridges, two separate sections suspended above the rink so fans can watch their team from above. Interesting concept, and they did a nice job protecting sight lines in the upper deck.

As far as food goes, I’ve been to the Garden four times and I’ve never eaten there, probably because it’s typical arena food with New York prices. But it’s New York, so there are myriad places to eat, drink, and be merry before or after a game, from the Tir Na Nog Irish pub across the street to abundant pizza places to Nick and Stef’s Steakhouse in the building on 33rd Street. Best steak I’ve ever had in my life, and they cater to game attendees with a casual dress code and quick, professional service. And getting to the building is incredibly easy: Penn Station is right below MSG with train and subway service to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, and New Jersey.

A final side note, the building has the best acoustics of any venue I’ve been to. Great music played during game breaks, and the two concerts I’ve been to were among the most enjoyable of my concert-going career. All in all, MSG is a world-class facility in a world-class city. Just get your credit card ready for an expensive day!

Building: 4 / 5

Atmosphere: 5 / 5

Neighborhood: 5 / 5

Overall: 4.5 / 5