New York’s iconic landmarks – from Central Park and Times Square down to The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building – form an instantly identifiable skyline. Even if you haven’t been before, you probably have a pretty good idea of what this city is like. This American city has actually become one of the most recognisable in the world due in no small part to the fact that it regularly doubles up as a film set/backdrop.
Whether you are a cinema buff or your favourite film was shot here, then you’ll want to ensure you step straight into the movie and walk in the footsteps of Hollywood stars.
So, before you book your flights to New York, here are the most iconic film locations in the Big Apple, to get you started:
1. Empire State Building
More than 250 movies and TV shows have been filmed at this 102-storey tower. It is perhaps best-known for being climbed by a giant gorilla in the 1933 film King Kong as well as the subsequent remakes.
Films set here include:
- King Kong
- An Affair to Remember
- Sleepless in Seattle
- Elf
- Oblivion
Where is it? Midtown Manhattan – Fifth Avenue, 33rd and 34th Street.
2. Grand Central Station
This station isn’t only a busy transportation hub it is also one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions and the setting for more than 50 movies and TV shows. You may well have seen it in Friends with Benefits, when Justin Timberlake organised a flash mob here for Mila Kunis.
Films set here include:
- Friends with Benefits
- One Fine Day
- I Am Legend
- Men in Black
- Superman: The Movie
Where is it? Midtown Manhattan – 42nd Street and Park Avenue.
3. New York Public Library
The second largest library in America was also where Carrie Bradshaw was finally due to marry Big in the Sex and the City movie (before he got cold feet and left her at the altar). You’ll see her running down the staircase when she discovers the news.
Films set here include:
- The Thomas Crown Affair
- Ghostbusters
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s
- The Day After Tomorrow
- Sex and the City: The Movie
- Spiderman 3
- Maid in Manhattan
- 13 Going on 30
Where is it? Midtown Manhattan – Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and 40th Street.
4. Central Park – Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Central Park has been the setting for hundreds of movies and it is one of the most popular spots in the whole of America, let alone New York. Particularly, it would seem, around the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. You may recognise it from the final scene in The Avengers movie, which was shot at the top of the terrace.
Films set here include:
- Elf
- One Fine Day
- The Avengers
- When Harry Met Sally
- Enchanted
- The Producers
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Where is it? In the heart of Manhattan, between Upper West Side and Upper East Side.
5. Rockefeller Center
You may recognise this from the famous image ‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper’ taken by Charles C. Ebbet. However, it is also the TV studio for various shows including Saturday Night Live and, of course, the setting for many movies. The famous Christmas tree is shown in Elf when Jovie takes Buddy to see it.
Films set here include:
- Ghostbusters
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
- Sleepless in Seattle
- Spiderman
- Elf
Where is it? Midtown Manhattan – Fifth Avenue between 48th and 51st Street.
6. Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the largest art galleries in the world, this was the location where a rich businessman stole a Claude Monet painting at the start of The Thomas Crown Affair.
Films set here include:
- Thomas Crown Affair
- When Harry Met Sally
- I Am Legend
- Hitch
Where is it? Central Park, Fifth Avenue, 82nd Street.
7. The Plaza Hotel
This 5-star hotel – which will set you back thousands of dollars a night – is where Kevin McCallister checked into with his dad’s credit card when he got on the wrong flight in Home Alone 2. It’s here he asks the now-president Donald Trump for directions to the lobby. The hotel offers the experience, including a ‘10 scoop ice cream sundae extravaganza’.
Films set here include:
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
- 101 Dalmatians
- Bride Wars
- It Could Happen to You
- Crocodile Dundee
Where is it? Midtown Manhattan, located next to Central Park and Fifth Avenue.
So, now you know where they are, which iconic film location are you going to check out first?