The Real Deal New York

Madison Square Garden is an indoor sport and entertainment arena at 8th Avenue between 31st and 33rd streets in Midtown Manhattan. With a seating capacity near 20,000 for most events, it is home to the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. It opened on February 11, 1968, but previously there were two other arenas called Madison Square Garden, the first from 1879-1890 and the second from 1925 to 1968, both located at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 23rd Street.

The current structure is built on top of Pennsylvania Station. Madison Square Garden is currently on a 10-year permit to stay in that spot, one the owners had hoped would have been extended to perpetuity in 2013. The City Planning Commission called for a 15-year permit, but City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and a group of activists were able to reduce the timeframe to 10 years.

Madison Square Garden has had a property tax exemption since 1982, one that now saves MSG tens of millions of dollars each year. The owners originally won that exemption from City Council by threatening to move the teams to New Jersey in the face of rising operational costs, but it is now the subject of much debate and whether or not MSG will be able keep that exemption in the future is unclear.