Terminal 5 — Attraction in New York

Terminal 5 is one of the very best places to experience a concert in NYC.

I was fortunate enough to get the premium VIP 1 experience at this venue, not once, but twice for two consecutive nights to see one of my favorite bands from the great nation of Japan. BABYMETAL.

I arrived hours early at the venue for my appointment check-in and I could immediately see and understand the separate line queues that Terminal 5 had set up. Very appreciative, I stood in my line with fellow fanatics and it was a nice clean and safe block and I stood for hours chatting with fellow fanatics until the time came for my line to check-in. The organizers of this process did an outstanding job of communicating everything to the lines and how the process of getting in would work. Having our ID's ready, to confirm ages and personalized VIP check-in and having our digital tickets ready along with giving us distinctively colored wristbands to allow the check-in process to go smoothly.

Which it did. After being given my VIP gifts, I was allowed to immediately purchase merchandise at an area that was clearly marked and visible.

After doing so, I was able to either, arrive to my front barrier spot on the floor (in front of the stage) or could have visited the numerous visible bars located on each level (from what I recall) and bathrooms were also clearly marked.

Everything inside Terminal 5 was clean and well cared for. The main floor and everything around that I noticed was spotless and I heard good things from others there that bathrooms and bars were also well taken care of.

I felt very comfortable and very safe inside. Speaking of that, I will say that Terminal 5 had the best Security Staff that I have ever seen in any venue anywhere in my life!

I am not exaggerating. I can specifically point out that the gentleman in charge of the Security Staff was an individual who I would say goes "above and beyond" the scope of the job. This gentleman was exceptionally accommodating. To this note, what I mean is Security Staff handed out Poland Springs to anyone who felt like they needed to hydrate. They were also very courteous when interacting with us. Also, fans who were crowd surfing on their way to the front barrier, the Security Staff were very quick to accommodate the safety of that crowd surfer coming over the barrier. There were no accidents and everyone was perfectly safe from what I observed. This was my experience from two nights, not just one. I can claim that Security Staff working at Terminal 5 are one of the very best in all of NYC.

The Audio at Terminal 5 was also perfectly fine. The music was crisp and not too overly base-boosted and nothing was 'shaking' so for a heavy metal show I was very pleased with these acoustics at Terminal 5.

Exiting the venue at the end of the shows was also perfectly smooth. The Main Exit was a minor queue to leave to the street however employees were present to guide everyone on their way out.

What else can I say about Terminal 5? I would rate it more that 5 stars if I could.

I was very honestly surprised with my exceptional experiences here over...

I'm still trying to find the sonic sweet spot at this venue. Upstairs on the second level you're going to get tinnitus from the speaker array if you want to be anywhere close to the stage. But there's less pushing and shoving on the two upper levels.

In with the Groundlings, you're getting bowled over by Alice the Goon and her many inconsiderate friends. But the sound still isn't much better from the edges. That means you have to get there super early to get smack in the middle or lest you become a Goon yourself.

The sound seems to have improved on my third visit to Terminal 5, but it's still not great. They're still of the school of "louder is better", but it is a bit more balanced now. But that could solely be due to my moving around trying to find the best spot each visit. As of now it's the ground floor or by the sound booth on the second level.

There are two bars on all levels so that helps with the crowds. The pours are standard NYC music venue pours... middling in both size and strength. Not the smallest cups I've seen, so there's that. That prize goes to the defunct Webster Hall.

The best thing Terminal 5 has going for it, is that it's relatively close to my house. There's nothing in the area and it's not all that close to any trains. But it is close to the M57 bus that'll take you right to the the 72nd Street 1/2/3 and Gray's Papaya. There's not much outside a lone food cart for eats near the venue.

Thanks to doNYC I've seen two free shows here. Brandon Flowers (from the second level right by the speakers, ugh) and AWOLNATION (ground floor with "I'm the Drunk Fun Ambassador, so I'm going to keep touching you" Guy). I really can't complain about free. But if I'm paying for a show, I don't want much of what...

Terminal 5 is probably one of my least favorite concert venues. For one, unlike many others, it isn't near the subway. Alongside that, their check-in/security system makes it so, if you are seeing an artist with any kind of notoriety, the show will not start on time.

So now you're inside, right? Well, I will say that they have a good amount of bathrooms and whenever I have gone in one, they have been clean. Mind you, it's one of the first things I do when I get there, so I can't speak to whether touch ups are done once the show has started.

Which leads us to the three levels you can view the show. Pretty much, this is the type of venue where, like most I'm sure many would say, that makes "GA" or "General Admission" a nightmare. You pretty much have to be here early to get a good spot at a railing to see anything. Otherwise, you may have to rely on your camera, or just watch from the various monitors they have setup (some with seating near them, which is a plus).

Sadly, there is some sort of VIP/ seating area, but for the concerts I've been to, I've never seen tickets for that area for sale, so I guess it's strictly for the guest of the artist, press, or maybe the venue's employees?

Security wise, things are relaxed and you can definitely see smoke rise in the air, depending where you are, and probably get a contact high. This isn't a problem, but when there are arguments or fights, it does seem no one is necessarily close by to squash things quickly. Though, only one time have I ever seen someone fight and, like most fights, it was over quick and they were either escorted out or moved away from the spot where things went down. Tranquility was...