bobo

hey how come madison square garden is round and where are the flowers.

You are a clown

Pour yourself another drink there Bobo and we will take care of everything.

xxx

Actually, for those of us non New Yorkers, the name presents an interesting question. It's a unique name I've always wondered how it got its name. Any answers?

al

Let me hazard a guess -- there's actually a Madison Square in NYC, somewhere I think in the 20s. That must've been the original site of the Garden.

The second Garden was on 8th Avenue, b/w 49 & 50, the site of what now is Worldwide Plaza, home to Universal Music and a couple other companies.

The third (and present) Garden was a mistake because in the process Penn Station, one of the grandest buildings in New York, was torn down.

Me

Madison Square (its original name) was originally an abandoned station on the Harlem Railroad in New York, and was renamed the "Great Roman Hippodrome" when it was repurchased by P.T. Barnum. After acquiring the building, Barnum rented out the arena to Patrick Gilmore, who proceeded to install potted plants, fountains and gravel paths and change the name to "Gillmore's Garden." Since the building was located near Madison Square, its name changed in 1927 to Madison Square Garden.

al

Any idea then how Boston Garden came to be? Similar situation? Out and out copycats?

Me

From the same site, very next paragraph:

One year later (1928), the president of Madison Square Garden, Tex Rickard, announced his intentions to build a similar boxing arena in Boston, which he appropriately named "Boston Madison Square Garden." Soon after its November 1928 opening, the "Madison Square" reference was dropped leaving "Boston Garden."

al

Thanks for the info.

hmmm

The orginal Madison Square Garden was located at 23rd and Lexington. The park there is known as Madison Square Park. It later moved to 49th and 8th. That was knocked down in 1969 and the new one opened at Penn Station 34 and 7th.