If you have been in various major arenas around the country like I have I think you can see that what makes Madison Square Garden special is the lighting. The brilliant effect at the Garden is how quickly the warm beautiful glow of the basketball court drops off into darkness as you move on up the seats, giving the court the genuine feeling of a well-lit stage. It is remarkable how quickly this transition takes place there.

You notice this effect when you watch a game on TV as well. Once you get a few rows past Spike Lee's seat you almost don't see the audience in attendance, or you have to make an effort to see them. In other arenas, for example Utah's Energy Solutions Arena (what a name), it seems like you can see spectators fairly well-lit and distinctly half way up the arena seating.

In my opinion this lighting effect is one of the secrets of Madison Garden's aura that rarely gets mentioned in discussions about this beautiful building.

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