Madison Square Garden

Description:

• U2, Springsteen, the Police, and other monsters of rock and pop regularly fill this 20,000-seat arena, which is also home to pro sports teams the Knicks, the Rangers, and the Liberty. A cavernous concrete hulk, it's better suited to sports than to concerts, or in-the-round events such as the Ice Capades, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, or the Westminster Dog Show. If you end up with seats in the back, you'd better have binoculars.

  You'll find far better sightlines at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, an amphitheater-style auditorium with 5,600 seats that has also played host to some major pop stars, from the Rolling Stones to Bob Dylan. Watch for annual stagings of The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol, and family shows such as Sesame Street Live. Newest at MSG is the Wamu Theater, for events such as comedy shows, the NFL and NBA Drafts, and family programming.

  Note that in 2008, MSG's owners announced a massive renovation project, which is planned to conclude for the 2011-12 seasons -- though delays due to financing and other issues may alter the final schedule. Plans and updates are posted at http://msg.com/renovation.

  MSG's box office (which sells tickets sans surcharges) is located at Seventh Avenue and 32nd Street, or you can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster (tel. 212/307-7171; www.ticketmaster.com).

• © Frommer's 2013