Manhattan businesses geared up Monday for a flood of die hard fans sporting blue and orange to descend on local businesses and watch the first home game of the Knicks historic run at the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation estimated that the playoff run has already generated over $200 million in economic impact for the city so far, with the possibility of another $263 million by the time the finals are over.
Much of the influx will support the city’s hospitality and tourism industries, which have struggled to recover from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago. This year’s unprecedented number of massive events may turn the tide, according to Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance.
“ Our bars, our restaurants are just doing amazing, and they are so pumped up to welcome people through their doors,” Rigie said. “And when we talk about the economic impact…our bars and restaurants have really, really been struggling for the past bunch of years. But this is a boon to not only Knicks fans, sports fans, but to our city’s small businesses and neighborhoods across the five boroughs.”
Arthur Backal, the owner of Versa Restaurant & Rooftop, a 10,000 square foot bar overlooking Madison Square Garden (MSG), said that the first two games generated so much excitement from fans that he’s had to add more staff and additional televisions.
“ Everything was electric on Wednesday and Friday, and you could just feel the energy throughout the entire city,” Backal said. “This has been a special time in New York. We haven’t seen this kind of excitement since the 90s when they got close but didn’t finish the job.”
Ali Ferris, an event sales manager with Versa told amNewYork that just like the Knicks, staff at the restaurant have had to come together collectively to step up their game when the pressure is on.
“ I think it really brings out the best in our staff as well,” Ferris said. “They love the hype. They love seeing a lot of people come out and it’s really great to see a packed room.”
She said that Friday, immediately after the team’s nail-biting victory by a single point, the restaurant played Jay-Z’s famous anthem, “Empire State of Mind.” Instinctively, she said the entire room joined in singing.
“ New Yorkers get a bad rep for just being in their own lane,” Ferris said. “But in that moment, I saw everyone come together; they were all singing the song together, and it was really a beautiful moment.”
Knicks’ Finals run charges NYC with electricity
The fandom has reached a fever pitch across the city. For days, the streets have been covered with fans Knicks jerseys, hats, shoes and anything superfans can get their hands on. Major buildings like the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and Rockefeller Center lit up the skyline with glowing orange and blue lights in solidarity.
Street vendor Divine Everlasting was bombarded with fans Monday, all clamoring for Knicks shirts and hats, asking what kind of payment he’d accept: Venmo, Zelle, Cashapp, Apple Pay, cash, etc.
“ You gotta get it while you can because, you know, there’s only one championship once a year,” Everlasting said to amNewYork.
He said—in between helping customers— that vendors set up early in the morning and he would stay until after the game, but his merchandise usually sold out way before then.
“ The printers can’t really keep up with the demand, so that’s the whole problem,” Everlasting said.
The hype even extended to Washington, with President Donald Trump set to see game three Monday night at MSG. amNewYork even saw a uniformed Secret Service agent toting a Foot Locker bag. The contents of the bag were not known.
But with historic fan interest and frenzy comes historic security concerns. The wave of fans watching outside of MSG Friday swelled to around 6,500, and NYPD said it took 26 people into custody. One person allegedly punched an officer and bit another.
Trump’s attendance at game three prompted the Secret Service and NYPD to cordon off a secure perimeter on Monday, stretching from 30th to 35th Streets and spanning between 6th and 8th Avenues. NYPD said that traffic and pedestrians would be barred from entering the area without a ticket to the game, a train ticket, or plans to visit a business in the area.
The city designated a separate watch party location at Bryant Park in lieu of MSG’s Plaza 33, but business owners in the area said they still anticipated much of the would-be watch party goers to instead choose to watch the game at nearby bars.
Rigie said local restaurants and taverns are taking extra precautions to manage the surge in business and excitement.
”Everyone wants everyone to go out, have fun, celebrate, but of course be safe,” Rigie said. “And they understand when the Knicks are playing at this level, that people are gonna be a little extra excited. So they’ve brought in some extra security, extra eyes, extra staff to make sure that everybody can have fun and be safe.”
Shane Chrystal, general manager of the Stout NYC pub on 35th Street, told amNewYork that more than overzealous fans, the restaurant added additional security to manage the large numbers of people expected to come through.
“ We’ve added security more for crowd control, not for anything bad,” Chrystal said. “The fans’ energy is just through the roof.”
He said that the pub expected to reach its capacity quickly and anticipated a line down the block.
“ Reservations have been booked since the Knicks clinched the Eastern Conference,” Chrystal said. “So people have snapped up reservations all the way right up to game seven. It’s just been chaos.”
But if the Knicks tack on two more wins Monday and Wednesday to add to their record 13-game playoff win streak, New Yorkers may not see a Game 7.
“You’ve got to go with the Knicks’ home turf,” Chrystal said. “The city is going crazy. I think they’ve rattled the Spurs, so, absolutely…I think the Knicks will win.”
