Philips Arena
Philips Arena is respected around the United States as one of the most modern and state-of-the-art multiple-purpose sports venues. It is used for professional sporting events, college level sporting events, concerts, and other events throughout any given year. It hosts nearly 2 million guests and more than 160 events in an average year.
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Philips Arena serves as the home of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association and the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. It has been open to the public since 1999, when it replaced The Omni (in the same location), the arena that was previously in operation in Atlanta. The arena seats over 18,000 people for Atlanta Hawk basketball games, and it seats roughly 17,500 for ice hockey games, since the ice rink extends wider for the court and chairs are put down for basketball game floor seats.
The layout of Philips Arena is unique in that all of the luxury boxes and club seats are aligned along one side of the arena, while all of the general admission seating is along the other three sides. It was so unique and interesting that the Detroit Lions later emulated the setup at their home field of Ford Field, as did the UCF Arena (then the UCF Arena, now the CFE Federal Credit Union Arena) at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. This is unique because most modern stadiums have their luxury boxes and club seats around the entire arena or stadium, all in the central level of the stadium. This causes the general admission upper deck sections to be two to four stories higher, making those seats less desirable to fans and less valuable. By contrast, this approach spreads out the seats without having to build high into the upper decks of the arena. Now, more of the seats are closer to the action, and the less expensive seats are still attractive seats to visitors. The venue provides Hawks ticket holders with one of the best viewing expereinces possible.
Getting There and Getting In
The Hawk Walk is a unique indoor street that connects Philips Arena MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), the CNN Center, and the Georgia World Congress Center). The Hawk Walk also includes a diverse food court with a large variety of selections for those passing through, including but not limited to pizza, barbecue food, and grilled sandwiches. The street also includes the Hawks Shop, proving access to a variety of Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena merchandise.