Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom

Went to the Santigold concert on 4/​30, definitely one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. But I’m a Long Island girl who doesn’t go to the city much so I appreciated how close to Penn Station this venue was. The security was pretty easy-​going as opposed to some venues where you’re left feeling violated and they had a bar that accepts debit/​credit whereas most places are cash only which means I’m SOL since I never have cash. It wasn’t overly hot and stuffy and we didn’t even get there too early and we were pretty close to the front of the stage. Overall, amazing concert in a great venue. I much pretty Hammerstein Ballroom to Terminal 5 or the Best Buy Theater. 10/​10, would concert here again.

This venue is the absolute worst. I’ve gone twice in three months and after my second concert last night, it’s safe to say these people haven’t gotten their sh** together after running this venue for as long as it has been open.
The line situation is ridiculous. I understand wanting to search people coming in, but when you’re waiting on a 5 block line, finally getting to the entrance and having them do a brief scan, you then begin to realize what was the point of waiting in the first place.
The bar situation:
So, I’ve worked in bars and restaurants for about 15 years and there is 0 logic behind what goes down behind the bar. You have these bartenders working their tails off dealing with a bar about 25 people deep. So after waiting on an atrocious line to get in, you then must wait on an exhausting line to purchase your drink. As you’re waiting, you can’t help but notice the group of people standing behind the bar, «overseeing» operations (aka, doing nothing). So instead of helping out, they’re main priority in «managing», I’m assuming, is making sure the bartender don’t steal. Wouldn’t it be more profitable and beneficial to having more hands helping out to maximize profit? It’s painful to watch, honestly. So one person, who seemed to be the main manager, was so available «overseeing» aka doing nothing, that I asked to speak with her about how this all works (since I had 20 minutes of standing in line again waiting for my drink). Her answers were sad and she was basically rude trying to explain to me how everyone has different job titles and it’s not their responsibility to bartend, which I get. I’m sure this is her job, and someone appointed her to just stand there, but when there are 2 bartenders and 3 people overseeing them, you have to wonder how dumb their upper management obviously is. Sadly, I will never return to this beautiful New York staple. Give everyone a break and allow them to enjoy a night out hassle free.

A friend and I saw Metric perform here the other week! Setting my personal opinion regarding the Ticketmaster website aside, Hammerstein Ballroom is a decent venue for soft/​indie rock bands. Great location, only a few blocks from Penn Station. The acoustics work in favor of more melodic songs (anything heavier or bass-​heavy would probably be drowned out), and the ultra high ceilings make light shows look amazing.
Plenty of floor space to dance, and the crowd at this venue is significantly more polite and aware of personal space compared to those at let’s say Irving Plaza or Gramercy Theater. I’d say it’s a lot more difficult to see the stage here if you’re short, though, compared to other venues. But there are seats and balconies available, if that’s an issue. There were also two makeshift bars in the back, offering a $ 6 rum punch special — which were quite strong and much cheaper than drinks at the bar we had pre-​gamed at before coming to the show.

A 6 $ water? Really. I get we are in New York City. Blah blah blah. Been to plenty of shows and never paid more than 3 – 4 $. Fine. But 6 $. Really? I can get a beer for that much. Terrible. Never coming back here. Even if my favorite band was playing. The acoustics were horrible and the whole attitude of the staff is terrible.

Came here to watch the Copa America 2016 centenario drawing. My first time at this place and it was a great experience and great live show. Big and very nicely decorated. The seating were ok. The décor were great. The show itself was awesome. There were two singers that performed at the show: Diego Torres and Yandel. The live show and experience did not disappoint.
I was able to meet with Raul Gonzalez Blanco (Real Madrid Legend,
) and other soccer legends like: Valderrama, Lalas, Dunga, and others.
Overall, this venue is amazing for whatever show you are planning on attending for… :)

This is absolutely the worst venue I’ve ever been to. I came here a few days ago (2÷14÷16) to see Awakenings featuring some really great djs. I was soooo excited for this show, it was the first time Awakenings would be featuring in the US…
The design of this place itself and staff is an absolute embarrassment. First, there are only two bar islands each with 3 bartenders that have to serve overpriced drinks for a theater who has a capacity of like 3500 people (for concerts).
Second, the staff. How are these people employed? Everyone seems to be on drugs or drunk. Security seems to lack in communication. My party and I were told at the entrance we would need a 21+ bracelet and once we were inside we got yelled at for asking for it.
When we went to buy our drinks, the bartender decided to take a 15 minute break to take a shit. People are getting angry, they’re shoving, yelling for another bartender, but there is no one else to fill in for him. He finally comes back… and this guy is really something. He cannot attend anyone until he sees only one person at the counter. No one can stand next to you because he will just stand there and stare or yell at you and say «I can’t f-​ing serve you until they move». I should of just left and not have wasted a single penny at this place. He’s lucky I gave him a pity tip. Oh and he did yell at me for not leaving atleast 20%. In which I proceeded to tell him to go f himself.
We then wanted to see if we could bring up drinks to the upper levels once we were inside and they said sure, of course, you just need to go back outside and enter the upper levels through the main entrance. So there we go, though the sea of people, trying to go to the front. Once we’re there, guess what? We can’t take our drinks to the upper levels.
At some point, we’re finally enjoying ourselves. The lighting is cool, the sound in the back of the room wasn’t bad, and we can see the DJ on the big screen panel for those who can’t see him. We start to notice one of the DJs getting angry during his set, some of the controls on the mixer isn’t working. They have to stop and fix it. Later on the music cuts off. The DJs did not look happy. The production team was running around trying to fix things.
My advice to everyone would be to avoid this place at all costs. I wish I could have enjoyed the show much more.
Did I mention I saw security snorting coke? Yeah… save your money…

If you’re here for live music, grab a beer before beelining to the front of the floor area by the stage. It will be a long walk through the crowd otherwise.

I’ve been here for Hillsong Church (when it was held here) and again for Gwen Stefani’s Mastercard Priceless Surprises concert. This is a nice venue. Balcony seating has a great view, and even GA standing area was roomy and good view of stage. The make-​shift bar setup was fast for the crowd size, and the bathroom moved quick and was clean.

I had balcony seats and could hardly see anything. The staff sent us to the wrong section at first, but later corrected their error. Because of this we weren’t there as early and got the crappiest seats in the box. The staff didn’t seem like they had been provided enough training.
I think this place could use a facelift. Finally, I found the acoustics terrible, but maybe the sound varies more on who is performing and how they set up. Security was non existent too. I wish I’d brought in a water bottle (or flask) and saved the $ 6. I’m happy to pay that for beer, but not water.

Keith Urban was performing here and I just had to see him. I called ahead of time to ask if they could provide me with a seat? They were very nice over the phone about it. But when I got there I was passed like a bowling bowl from one usher to another before I was granted a seat in the balcony. I was sent up there because I couldn’t stay on my feet for over three hours of the show. When i had to use the restroom, again the many ushers made me feel as if I had committed a crime. They keep insisting that I needed to go down to the basement since the restroom up there was for the VIP! I told the usher to give me a break when we need to go we all become VIPs!
The venue was okay, the sound system sounded good only because Keith Urban would sound great in any condition. I had a great time not because I was made so uncomfortable being there, but because of whom I had gone to see. But if he should be performing there again I will think twice about going. I have to name this venue the one with usher attitude problem.

I’ve been to hundreds of concert venues all over the country and I can safely say that Hammerstein ballroom is one of the worst I have ever been to. I went to a concert there a few years ago and had nothing but bad memories so I avoided it. Last night there was a concert I could not refuse going to so I gave them another chance. I was sorry I did.
Firstly, one of the worst traits of this venue is the employees who work there. They are the biggest assholes I’ve ever seen at a concert venue. I got in line and some rude man saw my bag and said «oh god». He proceeded to stick his hand in there and go through every item. I had a tiny water bottle buried in the bottom and he said you can’t bring that in and watched over me like a hawk to see if I would throw it out. I said I’ll go leave it in my car. I then went and got in the line on the other side of the building and the new guy who let me in did not notice it. Screw you, asshole.
I was meeting my mom at the show and she was sitting upstairs in the handicap section. She was saving me a seat and they told her I can go meet her once I got there. So I was heading upstairs and the extremely rude man at the steps said I can’t go up there without a pass. I told him my mom is up there in the handicap section. He was said in he rudest tone «you have to have a pass». Finally some woman let me take the elevator to meet up with my mom but at that point I had already missed half of the openers set due to the miserable attitudes the staff showed me.
Halfway through the show I decided to go hang out on the floor. After the act we were there to see ended, the plan was for my mom and I to meet in the lobby. So I was standing in the lobby and another rude woman came up to me and rudely said you can’t wait in the lobby, only on the floor or outside and there is no re-​entry. I’m not sure how she expected us to find each other on the floor. This was this third nasty employee I dealt with in a matter of 2 hours.
Besides nasty employees, the venue plain sucks. The floors are sticky and filthy. Unless you get there very early, you won’t see the stage if you’re short. The design of the venue is just awful. It’s one huge pit and I guarantee there will be a ton of heads blocking your view and smelly bodies rubbing against you. The balcony is a joke. The seats are so far back that you’ll need binoculars.
I know I’ll never go to another show at Hammerstein ballroom. I promise if you do you’ll be sorry like I am. I don’t know where the owners find such miserable employees.

This is one of my favorite venues in NYC. I swear each time I come here, they transformed it to something new! The first time I was here, it was for a Pandora Holiday Concert. They had the whole room decorated very festive! The room itself is huge and can accommodate a lot of people. You never feel like you are being crushed by the crowd.
However, it was my second time being that sealed the deal for me for this place. We were here a couple weeks ago for a Bastille Concert and it was amazing here. I feel like the space was big but you can still get close to the stage. You can just feel the performance and the venue definitely enhanced the performance. I will hopefully be back here for another great experience!

Not a bad spot to see a show. I feel no matter where you are its a good seat/​view. The sound system is decent. The bathrooms are a little on the small size. Overall its an average place.

On line for an event and not only does the event start at 8pm and we are STILL outside in the rain, but these fuckers make you leave your umbrella outside (they are not allowed in) and you can «retrieve» them when the event is over. HOW THE FUCK is a person supposed to find their umbrella when the MAKE you put them in garbage cans prior to being let in.
#GetYourShitTogether #DisrespectfulCunts
#HammersteinBallroomSucksBalls
#TheFuckingNerve
#YouBitchesTriedIt

I’ll never come here again. My seat in the first balcony was directly behind a huge pole. Me and others could not see the stage
They actually have 5 such poles obstructing views on this level. This is nonsense!

Hammerstein Ballroom is an awesome venue space by Penn Station, offering a variety of performances and events.
When you first enter, you will be ushered into a modern, brightly lit lounge where they process your tickets via iPads. They basically check to see if your name is on their list.
Anyways, from there, you take the elevator up a few floors (don’t remember exactly how many) to reach their «base» level. From there, you can access the coat-​check, which has a color coded system based on the window you’re at (I believe there are 3 windows). Pro tip: the middle one always has the shortest wait time at the end, so leave your coats with them.
After that, it’s just a few set of stairs before finally reaching the actual main space. The interiors are very bright and clean, giving the area a very sleek and modern feel to it.
There’s also an upstairs balcony section that you can go to, but it may be «VIP» depending on the event. The dance floor is pretty spacious, with a normal club set-​up with the bar in the back and the stage up front. The mixed drinks here, while cheap (er), are weak and watered down. I’d recommend sticking to beer if you need a drink.
The clean and spacious inside definitely makes the venue, however, I have to knock off a star for their long wait times. Depending on which event you’re going to, you could be looking at anywhere from 1 to 3 hours of wait. Definitely bring something to do/​someone to talk to.
Otherwise, get ready to party once you finally get in!

The Chapter of Firsts:
Upon the behest of my friend, I accompanied her to the Z100 All Access Pass last week. During this event, we got to watch incredible live performances from Megan Trainor and Charli XCX, while feeding our hoarding tendencies.
That’s kind of where the perks stopped.
The 1^st of the firsts included my clumsy hipster sneaker getting caught on a vendor table cloth. I went flying. To my credit, I tried to fall short of that terrified little girl near the balcony, but the universe knows, I am not that coordinated. And so, headlong into that curly-​haired 10 yr old, I went. Horrified was her father who didn’t say a word and somehow said it all with his eyes.
After recovering from that embarrassing «flight» (check out that perfectly-​placed pun), my friend and I snagged a couple of steps and utilized them as seating. In between sets, I chatted up my friend about the artists. And then came the saddest excuse for a bully. He started making racial slurs at my friend and I, to which I immediately told him to Shut The Front Door, if you catch my drift.
Being as he kept such good company in the form of 3 catty and vicious female miscreants, he felt the need to continue berating me. As I was about to handle him, a sound tech tried to get past the trolls. They ignored his request, and as he proceeded to step over them, one of the females shoved him. That little beast shoved him so hard that he stumbled and kneed me right in the back.
At this point, Jenn has upgraded to apeShit status. I got up and was about to notify security, when the stupid guy then attacked the sound tech with cheap styrofoam. Sound guy defends himself and the rest happened so fast, it was almost a blur. I say almost because I distinctly remember the cold Coke inadvertently being thrown into my face. I’ve always wondered what a Real Housewife of NJ or Atlanta was experiencing in that moment. I’ll be honest, I always pictured me as the tosser and not the receiver. That was my 2^nd first.
Lastly, I was no longer going to wait for the slow-as-$hit security to show up and save me. I took a moment to wipe the sweet beverage from my eyes, and then confronted the self-​entitled fu$k. At this point, my voice could be heard pretty far across the rows of bewildered humans. Isn’t it funny how quiet bullies become when someone actually stands up to them?
Lesson for all the wannabe trolls out there: you had better be ready for a throw-​down if you insult someone’s family & heritage.
On the way out, as he was being dragged by the lost-​but-​now-​found, security, he meekly said, «let’s take it outside.» As I smirked at him, my only thought was, «looks like you’re the one being taken out.»
— — — — — — — — — — — –
You can’t operate a large venue without great security. The poor rating is for the slow security response. In the time that it took for them to arrive on scene, someone could have really been hurt. We were on the upper balcony section, and there were only a few steps separating us from pancake-​dom. And after they took him away, you would think that they’d question him for assault.
But no, they just released him to the wind. I don’t see how this was a proper way to handle it. I ended up leaving my contact information and asking why he wasn’t held and made accountable. The security guard replied, «we’re trying to figure that out now.» It wasn’t as if it was a sudoku puzzle.
A vendor who witnessed the whole ordeal told me that the same hoodrat had been hassling a bunch of other people. She had called for security for a while. This whole ordeal could have been avoided. His men messed up BIG time. I attempted to contact the venue through Twitter and heard nothing back. Shame on you all & shame on The Hammerstein for hiring the lot of you!

I have been to Hammerstein Ballroom many years ago for a party and I probably couldn’t tell you much about the place but now going as an adult I can really appreciate this venue. I attended a catered corporate event and it was very nice.
Conveniently located near many train lines, it’s is extremely conducive to travel to and from using public transportation. Hammerstein is clean and has a pleasant staff. The coach check uses an advanced electronic ticket system on an iPad to keep track of your items.
The food was warm and flavorful with just the right amount of seasoning to satisfy palates of all cultures. The staff, dressed in plain clothes (not uniform) was very efficient in picking up empty glasses and plates.
The bar serves up a delicious pomegranate martini! Be careful the drinks are sneaky as hell! They were a little on the weak side and I am not a heavy drinker. I would love to attend Hammerstein in the future for other events.

Hammerstein is a very decent theatre. I was here this past weekend for BlizzCon Qualifiers Event for Hearthstone! This place also hosted many Korean pop star concerts in the recent years.
From my experience, I think this place is alright. It does their job of hosting performances and events. The way that Hammerstein is set up is like every other auditorium. There isn’t anything that really stood out to me. It is really not the most modern or classy looking place you would expect it to be. The inside looks extremely old and is in need of a face lift. The seats are hard and quite uncomfortable. I actually expected a little more from Hammerstein since it is located near Penn Station.
I would eat before you go inside. You have many choices like Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, and Five Guys — they are across the street. For a more gourmet meal, Korea Town is only a 10 minutes walk. Concussion is overpriced and it is not worth your money.
Security guards were very friendly and they liked interacting with attendees while we were on the line waiting to go in. They were really fun to talk to!

Saw Coheed and Cambria here.
Large venue, good sound quality (except in the beginning when Thank You, Scientist was playing, there was 30 seconds of feedback). I was in the very very front by the stage, this area can be hit or miss, in lower quality venues, this area will have bad sound quality because of speaker arrangement. This was not a problem at Hammerstein.
Their AC was adequate. It was really hot, but there were also thousands of people pushing their way to the front. Even with that, it was still cooler than some other smaller concerts I’ve been to at other venues. All in all a decent venue for a show.