New York City is one of the most well known, most visited and unique places on the planet for many reasons. It contains a huge, diverse population, is home to hundreds of beautiful architectural structures, and is the home of several exceptional sports teams. New York is also home to some of the most memorable moments in pop culture, most of which took place at Madison Square Garden, “the world’s most famous arena.” Since the Garden first opened in 1879, it has featured legends such as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, and Wayne Gretzky, to name a few.

In an effort to keep up with the overwhelming number of concerts, sports games, and other events the arena holds, a renovation began in 2011 that aimed to restore the Garden to its former glory. The renovation was divided into three phases, during which the arena was shut down.

In October, the renovation was completely finished, resulting in a new and improved arena. The total cost of the transformation was more than 1 billion dollars, with over 700 million dollars spent on construction and over 200 million dollars in renovation costs alone.
According to Newsday, there are many noticeable differences between the new Garden and the old, such as its larger lobby with beautiful new tiling.

Although the lobby and larger-than-life scoreboard are an amazing touch and definitely worth the money, the greatest change comes in the bridge suspended high above the floor which connects the two sides of the arena to each other. The “Chase Bridge” includes seating for reporters and broadcasters while blending right into the upper level.

Perhaps the best part of the modernized Madison Square Garden is the “Defining Moments” exhibit, which commemorates, through pictures and descriptions posted around the arena, historic moments from unforgettable concerts and sporting events that took place there.

The transformation of Madison Square Garden has reshaped the way people view the famous showground. According to Newsday, Madison Square Garden CEO Hank Ratner said he is “proud and relieved” to have achieved the unthinkable in terms of his dreams for the Garden. Clearly, the man has every right to be proud.