Madison Square Gardens.

The world’s most famous arena.

Madison Square Gardens is an impressive building. There is no denying that. If you have the time I recommend you take the tour as it really does give you an added appreciation for the venue – and let’s you experience seating areas you might not otherwise get to see.

Just inside the building there is a merchandise shop that should cater for your Knicks based goods (or Rangers on NHL days). There are smaller merchandise stalls located around the concourse where you can pick up a foam finger, baseball cap or jump shirt if you are looking for one of the more popular ones.

A range of beer, spirits and soft drinks are available alongside a good range of food including hotdogs, burgers, popcorn and candy floss (or cotton candy as it’s called in the States).

Before the game the queues are not normally too bad but they can get long during the quarter breaks. It is also worth noting that American venues stop serving alcohol at the start of the final period of play, so at the start of the fourth quarter in basketball.

Prices are a little high but that’s typical in sporting venues. New York has no shortage of restaurants so I would recommend eating before the game if you want something substantial.

They claim that there is no such thing as a bad seat at MSG. I don’t entirely agree with this. Some of the seats in the 400 section are not ideal. Yes, you can see the whole court but as you are far from it, it helps to have the jumbotron. Except that in the furthest back seats you can’t see the jumbotron – small to screens are provided but at a pretty uncomfortable angle. Overall this does not have a massive impact but it is worth being aware of if you are going for your first visit.