Do you want to visit some famous New York movie locations? Then you came to the right place! From Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, New York City’s landmarks had quite a few appearances on the big screen over the years.

You might not even realize how many movie locations New York has, and most of them are accessible to the public. Sometimes it can be easy to miss and walk right by a famous movie location. For example, I walked by the Friends Building in West Village many times without looking up at the building to realize what it was.

In this article, I’ve narrowed down a list of some of the top New York movie locations to visit. Enjoy!

The 34 Most Iconic New York Movie Locations (2024)

1. Bethesda Terrace & Fountain in Central Park

Central Park address: 59th Street to 110th Street (Between 8th and 5th Ave), New York, NY

The beautiful Bethesda Terrace & Fountain is located in Central Park and a popular New York movie location. The lower passageway is decorated with tils and arches and often has street musicians playing music there. If you’re a fan of Gossip Girl, thus is where Blair and Chuck got married. Other movies and tv shows that took place at the Bethesda Terrace & Fountain were:

• Hair (1979)
• Staying Alive (1983)
• Home Alone 2 (1992)
• Uptown Girl (2003)
• Elf (2003)
• Enchanted (2007)
• 27 Dresses (2008)
• Friends with Benefits (2011)
• When in Rome (2010)
• The Avengers (2012)
• The Letter (2012)
• John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

2. Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment (Sex and the City)

Address: 66 Perry St, New York, NY

If you’re a fan of the show Sex and the City, you should be very familiar with what Carrie’s apartment building looked like. A classic beautiful brownstone. The exterior of her home is located on Perry Street which is one of the most beautiful streets in West Village if you ask me.

3. The Friends Building (Friends)

Address: 90 Bedford St, New York, NY

Even though the iconic show Friends was supposed to be in New York City, it was filmed in California. Anyways, you can see throughout the show clips of the building used in the opening credits, where Rachel, Monica, Chandler, and Joey lived which actually is located in West Village in New York City.

The Friends apartment building is located on the corner of Bedford and Grove Street. You can’t enter the building since it’s a regular apartment building, but you can still enjoy the view from the outside. On the first floor of the building is a lovely café you can visit called The Little Owl.

4. Tom’s Restaurant (Seinfeld)

Address: 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025

If you’re a Seinfeld fan you need to visit this iconic New York movie location. Tom’s Restaurant is a popular restaurant next to Columbia University and is featured in Seinfeld a lot! When creating the show Seinfeld, rumors say that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David stopped by often and used it as the inspiration for Monk Café where they often meet.

5. Times Square

The intersection of Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway, New York, NY 10036

Times Square is, yes… very overwhelming and feels super touristy. Most tourists have a very different view of Times Square because of movies and tv shows they have seen Times Square in. Some people think it’s a very romantic and cool place to visit. Movies don’t necessarily show how smelly, loud, and crowded it can be. Anyways, this is a very popular New York movie location. Here are some movies that were filmed here:

• Taxi Driver (1976)
• Crocodile Dundee (1986)
• Big (1988)
• Jerry McGuire (1996)
• Vanilla Sky (2001)
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
• Spider Man 3 (2007)
• I am Legend (2007)
• Date Night (2010)
• New Year’s Eve (2011)
• Friends with Benefits (2011)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
• Birdman (2014)

6. The Mall in Central Park

Central Park address: 59th Street to 110th Street (Between 8th and 5th Ave), New York, NY

The Mall is a beautiful place in Central Park and has been seen in many movies such as:

• Big Daddy (1999)
• Serendipity (2001)
• Stuart Little 2 (2002)
• Friends with Benefits (2011)
• When in Rome (2020)
• Get Him to the Geek (2020)

7. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

The Met is a gorgeous and large museum located on the edge of Central Park on the Upper East Side. If you’re a fan of the show Gossip Girl, you might recognize the stairs where the girls often sat during their school breaks. This is also the place where the MET Gala takes place every year. This museum had its fair share of screen time and has been seen in plenty of movies and tv shows such as:

• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
• Looking for Richard (1996)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002)
• Hitch (2005)
• The Nanny Diaries (2007)
• Ocean’s 18 (2008)

8. Grand Central Terminal

Address: 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Grand Central must be one of the most beautiful and iconic New York movie locations. Come here and pass through the same walls that so many fictional heroes, cops, and gangsters have been racing across for decades. Here are some movies that were filmed here:

• Superman: The Movie (1978)
• Carlito’s Way (1993)
• Men in Black 2 (2002)
• Just my Luck (2006)
• I am Legend (2007)
• Friends with Benefits (2011)
• The Avengers (2012)
• The Avengers (2012)
• John Wick 3 (2019)
• Gossip Girl

9. Empire State Building

Address: 20 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001

What is more New York City than the Empire State Building? This famous building is often featured in a lot of classic movies and TV shows to help with the storytelling.  Here are some:

• King Kong (1933)
• Superman II (1980)
• Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
• Independence Day (1994)
• Elf (2003)
• King Kong (2005)
• How I Met Your Mother
• Gossip Girl

10. Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most beautiful structures in New York City and is of course an iconic movie location in the city. Here are a few movies where you can see Brooklyn Bridge:

• Saturday Night Fever (1977)
• Sophie’s Choice (1982)
• Oliver and Company (1988)
• Kate & Leopold (2001)
• Enchanted (2007)
• I Am Legend (2007)
• Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)
• Cloverfield (2008)
• John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

11. Rockefeller Center

Address: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111

The Rockefeller Center is a very famous place in New York. This place is well known for the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and ice-skating rink. This is one of the most iconic New York movie locations. If you ask me, the most famous scene that took place here might be the ending of Home Alone 2 (1992) where Kevin is reunited with his mother. Here are some other movies that were filmed here:

• Midnight Cowboy (1969)
• Mr. Deeds (2002)
• Elf (2003)
• Respect (2021)

12. The Plaza Hotel

Address: 768 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Another Home Alone 2 (1992) location. This is where Kevin in the movie spends his time in New York all by himself. Other from that, this 5-star hotel has hosted a lot of world leaders, high profile and celebrities over the years but also been featured on the big screen:

• North by Northwest (1959)
• The Way We Were (1973)
• 13 Going on 30 (2004)
• Bride Wars (2009)
• The Great Gatsby (2013)
• Sex and the City

13. New York Public Library

Address: 476 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018

The New York Public Library is an incredibly beautiful building located on 5th Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan. When it opened in 1911, it was officially the largest marble building ever built in the United States. Just like other famous buildings, this has been a popular New York movie location.  

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
• Spiderman (2002)
• The Day after Tomorrow (2004)
• The Pink Panther (2006)
• Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)

14. Washington Square Park

Address: Washington Square, New York, NY 10012

Everyone knows Washington Square Park from the iconic fountain and large Arch. This is a lively park that’s perfect for people watching as well as spotting some movie scenes. Here are movies that were filmed there:

• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
• Ghostbusters II (1989)
• Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
• Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007)
• Two Days in New York (2012)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd7A14ZsdOg

15. The Statue of Liberty

Even though movies are rarely filmed at the actual location, it had quite a few appearances on the big screen. It’s a great way to show that the scene takes place in New York since it’s highly recognized all over the world. The Statue of Liberty is shown in many movies and tv shows like:

• Saboteur (1942)
• Planet of the Apes (1968)
• Splash (1984)
• Ghostbusters II (1989)
• Wolverine (2000)
• The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
• Cloverfield (2008)
• Spider Man: No Way Home (2021)

16. Radio City Music Hall

Address: 1260 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020

The neon lights outside the Radio City Music Hall building are very memorable and easy to spot in movies. Here are a few movies that were filmed at Radio City Music Hall:

• The Godfather (1972)
• Annie (1982)
• Home Alone 2 (1992)
• New York Minute (2004)

17. The American Museum of Natural History

Address: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

We have all seen this museum in the famous movie Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller. Even though the movie was not actually filmed on the inside, it was still supposed to be the museum. Here are a few other movies that were filmed there:

• Malcolm X (1992)
• Men in Black II (2002)
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
• Night at the Museum (2006)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2016)

18. McGee’s Pub (How I Met Your Mother)

Address: 240 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

The bar featured in the show How I Met Your Mother called McLaren’s Pub is based off a bar in Midtown Manhattan. This is actually where the creators of the show stopped by for drinks while working for the Late Show with David Letterman.

19. Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8

Address: 14 N Moore St, New York, NY

This has been a popular New York movie and most famous as the Ghostbusters HQ. Here are some movies that were filmed here:

• Ghostbusters (1984)
• Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
• Hitch (2005)
• Ghostbusters (2019)
• Seinfeld
• How I Met Your Mother

20. Loeb Boathouse in Central Park

Central Park address: 59th Street to 110th Street (Between 8th and 5th Ave), New York, NY

If you ever go to Central Park, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the Boathouse. Spend around $20 and rent a rowing boat. This will absolutely make you feel like you’re in a movie. It’s both romantic and fun. Here are some movies that were filmed here:

• The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
• Sex and the City
• 3 Men and a Little Lady (1990)
• 27 Dresses (2008)

21. Lotte New York Palace (Gossip Girl)

Address: 455 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022

If you’re a fan of Gossip Girl, you need to stop by Lotte New York Palace. In the show, this is the hotel owned by Chuck Bass where Serena lives for a while with her family.

22. Coney Island

Address: 1208 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224  

Coney Island in Brooklyn is a classic New York movie location thanks to its memorable seaside view, amusement park, and boardwalk. Many movies were filmed here such as:

• The Lords of Flatbush (1974)
• The Wiz (1978)
• The Warriors (1979)
• Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986)
• Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• Uptown Girls (2003)
• Men in Black 3 (2012)
• Brooklyn (2015)
• Wonder Wheel (2017)
• Spider Man: Homecoming (2017)

23. Puck Building

Address: 295 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

This is one of those buildings I’ve walked by many times before realizing it’s one of the most iconic New York movie locations. Movies that were filmed here are:

• When Harry met Sally (1989)
• The January Man (1989)
• Cupid (2009)

24. The Unisphere

Address: Between Grand Central Pkwy and, Van Wyck Expy, 11354

The Unisphere has become a landmark as well as one of the most iconic New York movie locations. Other than movies, some music videos were filmed here like “Flava in Ya Ear” by Craig Mack and “Mo Money Mo Problems” by the Notorious B.I.G. Here are some movies that were filmed here:

• Black Rain (1989)
• Men in Black (1997)
• Iron Man 2 (2010)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

25. Katz’s Delicatessen

Address: 205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

One of the funniest scenes in the movie When Harry Met Sally (1989) took place at this New York deli located on the Lower East Side. Here you can order specialty pastrami sandwiches, pickles and more. Here are some movies that were filmed at the Katz’s Deli:

• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
• Donnie Brasco (1997)
• Looking for Kitty (2004)
• We Own the Night (2007)
• Enchanted (2007)

26. The Copacabana

Address: 625 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

The Copacabana is well known for being owned and operated by American Mafia members. The most famous scene that was filmed here was from the movie Goodfellas. Here are some movies that use this location:

• The French Connection (1971)
• Raging Bull (1980)
• Goodfellas (1990)
• Carlito’s Way (1993)
• Green Book (2018)

27. Columbia University

Address: 116th and Broadway, New York, NY 10027

This famous IVY league school has had quite a few appearances on the big screen. It’s not surprising considering how beautiful the campus it is. The following movies took place at Columbia University:

• The Detective (1968)
• Altered State (1980)
• Ghostbusters (1984)
• Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
• Malcolm X (1992)
• Spider-Man (2002)
• New York Minute (2004)
• Hitch (2005)
• The Nanny Diaries (2007)
• The new Sex and the City show: And Just Like That

28. 7B Horseshoe Bar AKA Vazacs

Address: 108 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009

This East Village dive bar has made a few appearances in movies. You have seen Carrie Bradshaw get almost arrested for smoking pot and scenes from Godfather 2. It’s also Luke Cage’s bar in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are other movies that used this bar as a filming location:

• Godfather II (1974)
• Serpico (1973)
• Crocodile Dundee (1978)
• Rent (2005)
• What Happens in Vegas (2008)
• Begin Again (2013)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2016)

29. Tiffany – 5th Avenue

Address: 727 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10022

This store is most famous for being a part of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring the iconic Audrey Hepburn. It’s also been in other movies and tv shows such as:

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
• Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
• Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
• Gossip Girl
• Sex and the City

30. The Dakota Building

Address: 1 W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023

The Dakota has for a long time been a residential building for the rich and famous such as: Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Cher, Madonna, Judd Apatow and Téa Leoni. In Roman Polanski’s horror film Rosemary’s Baby, The Dakota was used for exterior shots. John Lennon, a resident and former member of the Beatles, was murdered outside the building on December 8, 1980.

• Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
• Ghostbusters 1984
• Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

31. Mookie’s House – Do the Right Thing

Address: 173 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

If you’re a Spike Lee fan you need to head to Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. In the film Do the Right Thing, Mookie lived in a house that is still standing today. The whole movie was shot on Stuyvesant Avenue, between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue.

32. Flatiron Building

Address: 175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

The oldest skyscraper still standing in New York, the Flatiron Building has made its way into some movies over the years but is most famous for being the HQ for Daily Bugle in the Spiderman movies.

• Superman (1978)
• As Good As It Gets (1997)
• Godzilla (1998)
• Armageddon (1998)

33. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Address: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128

Another iconic New York movie location is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which thanks to its gorgeous and interesting design has made it into some movies:

• Cactus Flower (1969)
• Three Days of the Condor (1975)
• Manhattan (1979)
• Men In Black (1997)
• Hamlet (2000)
• The International (2009)
• Armageddon Time (2022)

34. Queensboro Bridge

Address: Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, New York, NY 10044

Queensboro Bridge is one of the best New York movie locations. You can spot the bridge in the following movies:

• The Godfather (1972)
• Manhattan (1979)
• Home Alone 2 (1992)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Summary of the top New York movie locations

Do you have any favorite New York movie location? Feel free to leave a comment below!