In a mere week, yours truly is taking her 16-year-old niece to New York City for the very first time! Said niece has an image of what NYC will be like because she’s obsessed with a few TV shows that are set in the Big Apple.
So that got us thinking.
What are the best TV shows and movies set in New York City?
Here are 10 of our faves.
Friends
While it wasn’t shot in New York, we can’t talk about the city without thinking of Friends. There’s a fountain in Central Park, but sadly it’s not the one from the opening credits. The exterior of Monica’s apartment is located in NYC, but it’s nothing to brag about. Alas, this series still tops our list.
Sex and the City
Yes, we watched the reboot And Just Like That. But nothing will ever be as good as the original series. Shot all over the city, the most iconic location is definitely Carrie’s steps – located in West Village.
Gossip Girl
Yes, we watch the new series. But again, nothing will ever top the original. From the train station featured in the opening scenes to the steps of the Met, there are plenty of iconic New York locations featured in GG.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
The newest addition to the list, this series also features plenty of shots of the city. Our fave? The restaurant where Titus works, which we assume is based on Jekyll & Hyde.
Seinfeld
Though it was actually shot on the CBS lot in Burbank, the diner in Seinfeld is based on a real NYC locale. Monk’s Cafe is better known as Tom’s Restaurant and it’s located at 2880 Broadway (on the corner of West 112th Street) in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
The Devil Wears Prada
Based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, and rumored to be a loosely based on Anna Wintour and Vogue Magazine, The Devil Wears Prada is one of our faves. It doesn’t hurt that Austinite Adrian Grenier is in the cast. Did you know the Paris scenes were even set in New York? The St. Regis Hotel served as a stand in.
13 Going on 30
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this movie. It’s definitely one of my faves! Unfortunately this is another pick that tells a story set in New York City, but it was actually shot almost entirely in California.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
You didn’t think we’d leave a film starring Matthew McConaughey off the list, did you? Parts were shot in Canada but they do feature the city in key scenes like the ones at Madison Square Garden, the Manhattan Bridge and on the Staten Island Ferry.
Ghostbusters
We’re taking it old school for this one. The classic 80s film just had to be shot in New York considering the story line and the former SNL cast members it stars. If your looking for quintessential NYC filming locations, look no further than FDNY Ladder 8, aka Ghostbusters Central.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Now we’re taking it way back. Yes, this movie is inappropriate. We are aware. But, if you take the racist scenes out of the equation, it’s magical. I just wish we could take those racist scenes out of the equation.
Surely we missed one of your faves. Perhaps it makes our honorable mentions list. It includes: An Affair to Remember, National Treasure, Maid in Manhattan, New York Minute, Uptown Girls, In The Heights, Big, Night at the Museum, Younger, How I Met Your Mother, Felicity, Will and Grace, The Morning Show, and all of the Spiderman movies.
If you feel strongly enough to make a plea that we add your fave, shoot us a DM on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok and we’ll consider adding it.
Looking for more reel life filming locations? Check out these posts!
