new york film locations tour

A self-guided New York film locations walking tour (with map)

Posted on Last updated: December 20, 2022

Explore Manhattan through the locations of iconic movies and TV shows, from Ghostbusters to King Kong, on this self-guided New York film locations walking tour – map and directions included.

* This site contains affiliate links , where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

It was my first trip to New York and everything should’ve felt new. But I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I’d been here before. Walking past Fifth Avenue’s skyscrapers as yellow cabs rushed by, it hit me. I might not have actually been to the Big Apple before, but I’d walked these streets and seen these views in so many movies it almost felt like I had.

Times Square’s neon lights, the view from the top of the Empire State Building, steam rising from subway vents – they were all part of the films I grew up with. Although I’ve been back to New York several times since, I still haven’t shaken off that feeling of excitement I get from seeing these places translated from the screen into real life.

Whether you’re a rom-com or thriller fan, love black and white films or modern blockbusters, chances are New York will feature in your film history too. And Manhattan has such a high concentration of film locations that it makes for a great walking tour.

So grab your camera and some comfy shoes, and in just under seven miles (or five miles if you use the handy subway short cut) this self-guided New York film locations walking tour will take you in the footsteps of King Kong , Ghostbusters and many more.

A self-guided New York film locations walking tour

Start your New York film locations walking tour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue. The nearest subway station is 86th Street, which is on the route of the 4, 5 and 6 trains. From the station it’s around a 10-minute walk to the museum.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka The Met) is one of the world’s largest art museums, and its main building stretches for a quarter of a mile along Fifth Avenue. There are over two million items in the Met’s collection across 5000 years of history, with everything from ancient Greek sculptures to artworks by Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.

On screen, the Met is where Pierce Brosnan steals a Monet painting in the 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Well the exterior scenes are at least – the Met didn’t want to be associated with a robbery, even a fictional one, so didn’t allow filming inside.

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan take a wander around the Temple of Dendur in the Met’s Egyptian Room in When Harry Met Sally (1989). The temple also featured in Ocean’s 8 (2018), the third Ocean’s Eleven spin-off. The production team recreated the museum’s Met Gala – an annual celebrity-filled fundraiser – as the scene for a diamond heist.

From the Met, follow Fifth Avenue south along the edge of Central Park (1.2 miles) until you reach the end of the park where you’ll see the Plaza Hotel on your right.

The Plaza Hotel

The Plaza Hotel * opened in 1907 and gets its name from the Grand Army Plaza which it’s located on. It stretches over 21 floors and was built to look like a French Renaissance château. It’s one of the city’s most luxurious – and expensive – hotels, and a stay in its lavish Royal Plaza Suite will set you back an eye-watering $40,000 a night.

Over the years the Plaza has featured in plenty of films, including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Macaulay Culkin’s uses his dad’s credit card to stay there when he gets on the wrong plane and ends up in New York instead of Florida. It’s also been a location for North By Northwest , Crocodile Dundee , The Great Gatsby and Bride Wars .

Leave the Plaza and carry on walking down Fifth Avenue for a few minutes and you’ll see Tiffany & Co’s flagship store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.

Tiffany’s

With its polished marble exterior and sparkling window displays, Tiffany’s is one of the world’s best-known jewellery stores (who hasn’t coveted one of their turquoise boxes?). It became part of movie history in 1961 when Audrey Hepburn stepped out of a cab and stood looking through the shop’s window in the opening scenes of Breakfast at Tiffany’s .

You can have breakfast at Tiffany’s yourself at the Blue Box Café (reopening in 2023 after refurbishment). It’s decorated in their signature turquoise colour and serves smoked salmon bagels and buttermilk waffles – though book well in advance.

Tiffany’s is also where Patrick Dempsey asks Reese Witherspoon to marry him in Sweet Home Alabama (2002), which prompted a flurry of proposals in the store ever since. And if you want a turquoise box for yourself and don’t quite have a diamond-sized budget, you can get a more budget-friendly silver Tiffany chain for around $95.

Keep walking south down Fifth Avenue until you get to 51st Street, then take a right turn and walk one block to 6th Avenue (0.5 miles) and the Radio City Music Hall.

Radio City Music Hall

The Art Deco Radio City Music Hall * is part of the Rockefeller Center. It was the largest indoor theater in the world when it was built in the 1930s and has had over 300 million visitors since then. The main stage is the length of a city block and the theatre’s Rockettes dance troupe have been high-kicking their way across it for the last 90 years.

As well as being a filming location for several game shows, Radio City appears in The Godfather (1972) – Michael Corleone and his wife are watching a show when they hear Don Corleone has been shot. It was also shown in 1982’s Annie and Home Alone 2 .

Next continue south down 6th Avenue, then turn right along 45th Street and walk for one block to 7th Avenue and Times Square (0.5 miles).

Times Square

Over 330,000 people normally pass through bustling Times Square each day, making it one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations. But in the Tom Cruise film Vanilla Sky (2001), Times Square is completely deserted after the production team got special permission to empty it of people and cars for three hours early one Sunday.

Will Smith also goes hunting in an abandoned Times Square in the post-apocalyptic I Am Legend (2007). It was destroyed by a giant wave in Deep Impact (1998). And is the site of a fight between Spiderman and Electra in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Times Square also appeared in classic films Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Taxi Driver (1976).

Then head south down 7th Avenue. Turn left when you reach 43rd Street and follow it for three blocks to Park Avenue where you’ll find Grand Central Terminal (0.5 miles).

Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal was built in 1913 and is a US National Historic Landmark, as well as still being one of the city’s busiest transport hubs. The station exterior and Park Avenue Viaduct were the site of the Battle of New York in 2012’s The Avengers .

The main concourse was used for a flash mob scene at the end of the Justin Timberlake film Friends With Benefits (2011). Look up to see its beautifully detailed astronomical ceiling – though keen astronomers might notice the star map isn’t totally accurate.

Below the concourse is the Oyster Bar where George Clooney has lunch with his daughter in One Fine Day (1996). And Will Smith’s been to Grand Central twice – to film exterior shots for I Am Legend and discover aliens in the locker room in Men in Black (1997).

Outside the station, head west along 42nd Street for two blocks to the New York Public Library’s Schwarzman Building (0.3 miles).

New York Public Library

With its marble walls, grand staircases, chandeliers and ceiling fescoes, the New York Public Library is one of my favourite New York buildings. On screen it stood in for the foyer of The Met in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999). But it’s probably best known as the place where the Ghostbusters hunted down the ghost of librarian Eleanor Twitty (1984).

The library’s beautiful Rose Reading Room is two blocks longs long and 15 metres high, with a gilded ceiling painted with clouds. It appears in The Day After Tomorrow (2004), where survivors of the new Ice Age burn the library’s books to keep warm.

And Carrie Bradshaw chose the library as the venue for her wedding to Mr Big in Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) because it was “the classic New York landmark that housed all the great love stories” (though it didn’t quite work out for her).

Exit the library onto Fifth Avenue and walk south for seven blocks until you reach the Empire State Building (0.4 miles) at 20 West 34th Street.

Empire State Building

The 103-storey Art Deco Empire State Building * has to be one of New York’s most iconic buildings. And the first time many of us ever saw it was on screen with a giant gorilla swinging around the top of it in the original 1933 monster film King Kong .

Since then it’s been used in over 250 films and TV shows, including Superman II (1980), where Christopher Reeve’s Superman catches the tower’s antenna before it falls. And its interiors were used as Buddy’s father’s offices in the 2003 festive film Elf .

The Empire State Building was also used in romantic favourite An Affair to Remember (1957). Cary Grant asks Deborah Kay to meet him at the top of the Empire State Building, but she’s hit by a car on the way there and doesn’t make it.

An Affair to Remember is Meg Ryan’s character Annie’s favourite film in Sleepless in Seattle (1993). So the Empire State Building’s observation deck is where she finally meets up with Tom Hanks’ character Sam and his son at the end of the film.

The next hop is a bit bigger, so you can also catch the subway if you don’t want to walk (take lines B/D/F/M from 34th Street to 2nd Avenue). Otherwise head down Fifth Avenue then take Broadway south through Union Square before going left on East Houston Street to Katz’s Deli, on the southwest corner of Houston and Ludlow Streets (2.2 miles).

Katz’s Deli

Katz’s Deli on the Lower East Side was founded in 1888 and is known for its giant pastrami on rye sandwiches. It got its big screen break in When Harry Met Sally (1989), as the place where Meg Ryan faked an orgasm over lunch with Billy Crystal. You can sit in her spot under a sign saying “Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had!”

The deli also appears in fantasy film Enchanted (2007) and is where Johnny Depp’s character meets with an FBI contact in Donnie Brasco (1997).

Next head back along Houston Street as far as West Broadway and then follow that south until you reach 14 North Moore Street (1.4 miles).

FDNY Ladder 8

Finish your New York film locations walking tour at the New York City Fire Department’s Hook and Ladder 8 firehouse. It was built in 1903 and has been a working fire station for more than a century. But you might know it better as the base for the Ghostbusters as it featured in both the 1984 original film and the 2016 remake.

Well the outside of the building did at least – a lot of the interiors were actually shot in the studio in LA. But the Ghostbusters logo from the film hangs outside the station after a crowdfunding campaign raised money to build one. The station also appeared in the 2005 film Hitch and episodes of TV show Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother .

From the station it’s a few minutes’ walk to Franklin Street or Canal Street subway stations. Or you’re surrounded by Tribeca’s bars and cafés if you fancy a post-tour drink.

New York film locations walking tour map

If you’d like to do this New York movie walk yourself, click on the map below to access directions through Google maps. The full route is 6.9 miles/11.1km and takes 2.5 hours to walk straight through, but allow four hours to include stops along the way.

Or the shorter route with the subway short cut between the Empire State Building and Katz’s Deli is 5 miles/8km in total with 1 hour 40 minutes of walking.

Looking for somewhere to stay in New York?*

Save for later

You might also like

Visiting New York on a budget

New York in winter: 9 of the best things to do in New York at Christmas

Beginners’ Brooklyn: 3 must-see areas for your first trip

Monday 25th of December 2023

A great find. Easy to follow enjoyable tour. Thank you

Lucy Dodsworth

Saturday 30th of December 2023

That's great – really glad you enjoyed it!

Friday 1st of September 2023

I'm going to NY soon with my youngest and was looking for a movie tour for our first day. This is perfect for us

Tuesday 5th of September 2023

Thanks Grant, hope you have a great trip!

darekandgosia.com

Thursday 4th of July 2019

Nice list Lucy! So many iconic locations :) Which one is your favorite one? :)

Monday 8th of July 2019

Ooh that's a tough one – I do love Grand Central, such a beautiful place and I'm a big train travel fan too.

Friday 1st of March 2019

What a wonderful guide, Lucy! I'm visiting New Your in a week and these locations will be perfect for one of my filming projects. Exactly what I was lookig for, thanks :)

Tuesday 5th of March 2019

Hope you have a fab time – it's such a great city!

New York City TV & Movie Tour

The new york city tv & movie tour will lead you to new york city’s best filming locations on this guided sightseeing bus tour you will see over 60 nyc locations featured in your favorite tv shows and movies..

So sit back and relax as your tour guide leads you through the most filmed city in the world , all from the comfort of a bus with air condition in the summer and heat in the winter. They will take you on a tour of the city’s most recognizable locations sharing with you some of the TV and film industry’s best-kept secrets. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite characters when you hop off at different NYC locations throughout your tour.

This tour travels through much of Manhattan while highlighting the specific TV and movie locations that are the tour’s focus. As a result, families and friends often find this tour an ideal way to tour the city! While the tour does not visit such Manhattan landmarks as the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building, you will be visiting neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village , Chelsea , SoHo and Tribeca .

Bookings for this tour are non-refundable and can not be cancelled or rescheduled.

• Car , Coach
• Other Filming Locations
• Public tour

From € 57 per person

Covid-19 safety measures

Your safety is our top priority.

Although there are no known cases of illnesses at On Location Tours, we are responsible for keeping an active stance in preventing the spread of any diseases.

We are following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with Federal and State guidelines on stopping the spread. If you are feeling unwell, we kindly ask that you stay home for the safety of all customers and staff attending the tour.

Customer & Staff Protection

The daily washing and disinfecting of our vehicles encompassing the exterior and interior is standard operating procedure to ensure customers feel safe and secure.

• All high touch areas are wiped clean and disinfected including headrests, armrests, grab handles, luggage compartments, railings, windows, and window sills.
• The cabin floors are swept and mopped thoroughly, and the restroom is wiped down and disinfected.
• Advanced hand sanitizer that kills more than 99.99% of common germs is provided to all customers.
• Our buses are equipped with upgraded filtration systems, a driver partition screen, and an electrostatic disinfectant fogging system that is FDA and EPA approved.

• Meeting point: Ellen’s Stardust Diner
• Times Square
• Columbus Circle
• Central Park South
• Fifth Avenue
• Flatiron District
• Washington Square Park
• Greenwich Village
• Meatpacking District
• Midtown Manhattan
• Tour ends: McGee's Pub
• Visit your favorite Friends at the iconic Friends apartment building
• Stop by Washington Square Park, as seen in Girls, The Mindy Project, Glee, Someone Great, and When Harry Met Sally
• Get a glimpse at popular hotels as seen in American Hustle, Ocean’s 8, and Home Alone 2
• Take a photo in front of the iconic firehouse as seen in the Ghostbusters franchise.
• See the ‘Original Soupman’ and other locations as seen in Seinfeld
• Pass by famous sites as seen in The Office and Modern Family
• Get a glimpse at locations as seen in Homeland and This Is Us
• End your tour at McGee’s Pub; the original inspiration for MacLaren’s in How I Met Your Mother
• See new spots from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Power, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Trainwreck, Mr. Robot, Younger, Avengers: Endgame and more!

Tour details

Small private tours are typically 1 hour shorter.

Meeting point

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure in front of Ellen’s Stardust Diner on 51st Street and Broadway, New York 10019 (view map)

Tour departs

Thursdays – Sundays at 11:00 am (Jan – Dec) Daily at 11:00 am (Jul – Dec)

55th & Broadway, New York

Live guide speaks

Tour operator.

On Location Tours

Cancellation policy

Accessibility.

All ages welcome Suitable for children Children must be accompanied by an adult Not wheelchair accessible

Professional live guide Transport and driver Vehicle with air condition

Food & Drink Gratuities (optional)

Things to bring

Appropriate clothing Comfortable shoes

Film series

Locations (13), 1. meeting point: ellen’s stardust diner.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure in front of Ellen’s Stardust Diner on 51st Street & Broadway

2. Times Square

The experience begins in the heart of New York City, Times Square. See where Kimmy and Titus sing their hearts out in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt . Pass the famous steps where the cast of Glee sang a version of “I Love New York/New York, New York” in the Season 2 finale, and where Jamie introduced Dylan to the word “Flash Mob” in Friends with Benefits . Then pass the bar where Michael Keaton has his post performance drink in Birdman .

3. Columbus Circle

As you venture into Columbus Circle you’ll see famous buildings like The Time Warner Center and Trump International, home to some of the most expensive real estate in the country. Appearing in movies like Tower Heist , Enchanted and Ghostbusters , Columbus Circle is a New York staple that cannot be missed.

4. Central Park South

As you venture down Central Park South, you’ll get a glimpse of the locations that have set the stage in a number of the industry’s latest and greatest. See the most filmed building in the world, The Plaza Hotel, as seen in films such as American Hustle , The Great Gatsby , Bride Wars , Home Alone 2: Lost in New York , and Crocodile Dundee .

The Plaza’s Oak Room Bar set the stage for Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and was featured in the last season of Mad Men . Out front is the beautiful Pulitzer Fountain that was replicated in the opening credits of Friends and where Blair and Serena danced on Gossip Girl .

5. Fifth Avenue

Check out the famous locations from New York City’s funniest sitcoms on the exclusive Upper East Side. See Barney’s, where Elaine from Seinfeld buys a dress, only to realize it looks horrible on her. Then see the Pierre Hotel where Monica and Chandler tie the knot in Friends .

Continue your adventure and you’ll see the famous Fifth Ave stores that have been used in a number of films. Pass by FAO Schwarz, most famous for its role in the movie BIG , and see Tiffany & Co., which was featured on screen in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Glee and New Years Eve .

Cruising down Fifth Avenue the NYC TV & Movie Tour takes you past yet another Trump Tower that you’ll recognize as Wayne Enterprises in The Dark Knight . Next pass the St. Regis Hotel, as seen in The Devil Wears Prada, Taxi Driver and Miss Congeniality . You can’t miss Rockefeller Center, home to NBC Studios where The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show , and countless other TV shows and movies film.

Most recently Marvel’s Daredevil featured a tense scene between Fisk and Madame Gao at the same rooftop garden Spider-Man swings onto with Mary Jane in Spider-Man .

See the New York Public Library, a filming location for Ghostbusters, Ted 2, 13 Going 30, Sex and The City: The Movie and catch a glimpse of the Empire State Building, featured in King Kong, Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember .

6. Flatiron District

The journey continues as you approach the Flatiron Building, which you’ll recognize from Spider-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , and the scene from The Other Guys when Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson leap from the top. Across the street is Madison Square Park, where Ron Burgundy fights the ultimate battle of the news teams in Anchorman 2 . You may also recognize this park from I am Legend, The Adjustment Bureau and Something Borrowed.

7. Washington Square Park

Our first stop on the tour is one of New York’s most famous landmarks, Washington Square Park. It’s here where Glee, The Mindy Project, Don Jon, Blue Bloods and countless other movies and TV shows filmed. Around the corner you can spot the Comedy Cellar where Louie performs in Louie and the McDonald’s where Julian demands breakfast in Big Daddy .

The Tribeca area is famous for its annual film festival founded by Robert De Niro but is also a great location for filming. Your tour guide will escort you for a photo-op at the FDNY Hook & Ladder 8, known as the Ghostbusters’ Firehouse , also seen in Hitch and Seinfeld .

9. Greenwich Village

In Greenwich Village your guide will lead you off the grid, literally into the maze of one hundred year old townhouses and cobblestone streets. You’ll appear in a familiar place, the perfect photo-op outside the apartment building that was home to Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Rachel from Friends .

10. Meatpacking District

In the Meatpacking District, you’ll see the Standard Hotel which houses the Boom Boom Room, that you’ll recognize from Gossip Girl and The High Line, one of New York’s newest parks featured in Hitch, GIRLS, and The Mysteries of Laura . Hovering high above is The Highline Hotel, whose grounds were often featured as fictional “Hudson University” in Law and Order SVU .

11. Chelsea

Moving through Chelsea you’ll see Empire Diner from Men In Black II and Home Alone 2 . Pass the Star on 18 Diner where Abby and Ilana recover after an all nighter on Broad City . Even see the Chelsea Television Studios where The Wendy Williams Show and The Rachael Ray Show are filmed.

12. Midtown Manhattan

Making your way through Midtown you’ll find the famous Macy’s in Herald Square, used in holiday favorites Miracle on 34th Street and Elf . See the Time-Life Building, featured in Mad Men as the new Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce office. You’ll catch a glimpse of the original “Al’s Soup Kitchen” from Seinfeld and the Bank of America Tower, which plays the role of “Atlantis World Media” from HBO’s The Newsroom . Even enter the world of Marvel’s Daredevil on Eighth Avenue at the 50th street subway stop, where “Foggy” Nelson places a desperate call to a friend in the NYPD.

13. Tour ends: McGee's Pub

The NYC TV & Movie Tour ends at McGee’s Pub, the inspiration for MacLaren’s Pub in How I Met Your Mother , where you’ll have the opportunity to take photos, grab a drink or dine at the spot that inspired the “bromance” between Barney, Ted and Marshall.

Reviews (0)

There are no reviews yet.

You must be logged in to post a review.

Related tours

Central Park TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour

Sopranos Sites Tour

Sex and the City Hotspots Tour of New York City

Superhero Walking Tour of New York

By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy .

Awesome, you're subscribed!

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!

The best of New York for free.

Sign up for our email to enjoy New York without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush).

Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another?

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Love the mag?

Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions.

• Things to Do
• Food & Drink
• Time Out Market
• Coca-Cola Foodmarks
• Attractions
• Los Angeles

Get us in your inbox

🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!

The best TV and movie tours in NYC

Take these TV and movie tours to spot film locations like the apartment from Friends and deli from When Harry Met Sally

Los Angeles might get all the credit for the entertainment industry, but NYC deserves some attention too. After all, this is the city of Friends , Seinfeld , When Harry Met Sally , Breakfast at Tiffany’s and many of best movies of all time . Discover all the city’s best-known filming locations on these TV and movie tours in NYC. Spot Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop from Sex and the City , the Bada Bing! strip joint from The Sopranos and that famous subway grate from The Seven-Year Itch . And since you pass so many iconic New York attractions and NYC parks along the way, these tours double as excellent ways to see the city.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to New York City tours

An email you’ll actually love

Best TV and movie tours in NYC

Central Park TV and Movie Sites Tour

With 843 acres of meadows, woods and streams, Central Park offers a gorgeous green backdrop for filmmakers. So perhaps it’s no surprise that countless movies have been set here, from When Harry Met Sally to Ghostbusters . Movie buffs will recognize the skating rink featured in Serendipity , the people-watching scene from Annie Hall and the path that Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin biked along in On the Town . This two-hour walking tour takes you to 30 film locations within the park, though hundreds more exist. $25

When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour

Instead of hitting all the usual downtown spots, this bus tour focuses on Midtown, the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side. Find the Seinfeld gang ’ s favorite restaurant, the fountain from Moonstruck , the Plaza Hotel from the The Way We Were and more filming locations. Bonus: You’ll also get a good look at Columbus Circle, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim along the route. $39

New York TV and Movie Tour

Consider this the one-stop-shop for filming locations in the Big Apple: The three-hour bus tour takes you all over Manhattan, from the East Village to the Upper West Side. Highlights include the apartment building where Monica, Rachel, Chandler and Joey lived on Friends , a hotel featured in American Hustle and Ghostbusters headquarters. $43

Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/ Eli Duke

Gossip Girl Sites Tour

Spotted: You checking out all of B and S’s usual Upper East Side haunts. You don’t need a Sidekick or plaid school uniform to hit up the Constance Billard School for Girls or Blair Waldorf’s lavish apartment building—or at least, the real-life locations that inspired them. In true Gossip Girl fashion, your guide will also dish the dirt on some little-known facts about the show on this three-hour tour. $49

TCM Classic Film Tour

Prefer the classics to new releases? The Turner Classic Movies bus tour of 60 filming locations around Manhattan has you covered. As you pass each spot, your guide will queue up the accompanying scene inside the bus so you can compare the original clip to the current day site. The subway grate on 52nd and Lexington might not look like much today, but it gains a whole new meaning once you rewatch Marilyn Monroe’s scene from The Seven-Year Itch . $49

Sex and the City Hotspots Tour

What Sex and the City fan hasn’t daydreamed about switching lives with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda or Charlotte for the day? The over-the-top outfits, glamorous parties and outrageous dates might be too good to be true, but at least the scenery is true to life. Visit Carrie’s brownstone, some of the girls’ favorite bars and an X-rated store featured on the show on this three-hour bus tour. There might even be time to stop for a Cosmopolitan. $49

The Real Housewives of New York City Tour

Don’t worry, reality TV fans: There’s a bus tour on this list for you, too. Now’s your chance to see where Bethenny coined her most famous saying and—who could forget—Aviva threw her prosthetic leg across the room. The four-hour route takes you to some of the glamorous locations featured on the series—and the backdrop for some of the most infamous fights. $49

The Sopranos Sites Tour

Technically speaking, this tour takes you outside the five boroughs, but The Sopranos is such an iconic New York show that we couldn’t leave it out. After you board the bus in Midtown, you’ll go through the Lincoln Tunnel—the site of the show’s unforgettable opening sequence—on your way to the New Jersey suburbs. There, you’ll check out the Bada Bing! strip club, Big Pussy’s auto body shop and the restaurant featured in the final scene of the series. $52

TV and Movie Locations Tour With Official NBC Studio Visit

Channel Liz Lemon for this tour of NBC’s film and television studio at Rockefeller Center. After visiting a few film locations in the area, you head inside for the main event: a tour of the production studios where Saturday Night Live , NBC Nightly News and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are filmed. Better get ready for your close-up: You’ll also get a chance to record your own five-minute talk show segment. $84

Looking for more tours in NYC?

Check out the best TV and movie tours in NYC

• Things to do
• Walks and tours

[image] [title]

Discover Time Out original video

• Press office
• Investor relations
• Work for Time Out
• Editorial guidelines
• Privacy notice
• Do not sell my information
• Cookie policy
• Accessibility statement
• Terms of use
• Copyright agent
• Modern slavery statement
• Manage cookies
• Claim your listing
• Local Marketing Solutions
• Advertising

Time Out products

• Time Out Worldwide

NYC TV & MOVIE BUS TOUR > 40 LOCATIONS

Are you a lover of Movies and TV series and can’t wait to visit their main locations during your NYC vacation? You are in the right place.

With our NYC TV & MOVIE TOUR you will have the chance to visit iconic locations that have made movies and TV series memorable such as:

Friends, When Harry Met Sally, Home Alone 2, Ghostbusters, How I Met Your Mother and so many more!

Our tour has  HIGH RATINGS on TripAdvisor: over 5900 reviews , with an average of over 4.5 / 5 stars and it is ranked 141  out of over 1200  tours in NYC

Use CODE “ DISCOVEROLT ” for an EXCLUSIVE 10% DISCOUNT

ABOUT THIS ACTIVITY

• Cancellation Policy
• COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

THE EXPERIENCE

• Visit your favorite Friends at the iconic apartment location
• Stop by the famous arch at Washington Square Park, a location featured in Girls, The Mindy Project, Glee, Someone Great , and When Harry Met Sally .
• Check in to the popular hotels as seen in American Hustle, Ocean’s 8, and Home Alone 2
• Snap a photo with your sidekick ghouls at the iconic firehouse as seen in the Ghostbusters franchise .
• Discover the origins of the ‘Original Soupman’ and other locations as seen in Seinfeld
• Sitcom fanatic? Embrace your inner sarcasm and laugh your way to sites as seen in The Office and Modern Family
• Dive into the drama and see locations featured in Homeland and This Is Us
• End the day with a pint (or two!) at McGee’s Pub; the original inspiration for MacLaren’s in How I Met Your Mother.   This is where the tour ends

Times Square

The experience begins in the heart of New York City, Times Square, which holds the notorious New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and is home to locations featured in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Glee and Friends with Benefits .

Then, pass by the swanky piano bar The Rum House, featured in Birdman .

Columbus Circle & Central Park South

As you venture into Columbus Circle you’ll see famous buildings like The Time Warner Center and Trump International, home to some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

Appearing in movies like Tower Heist, Enchanted and Ghostbusters , Columbus Circle is a New York staple that cannot be missed.

As you venture down Central Park South, get a glimpse of the locations that have set the stage in a number of the industry’s latest and greatest.

See the most filmed building in the world, The Plaza Hotel, as seen in films such as American Hustle, The Great Gatsby, Bride Wars, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Crocodile Dundee.

The Plaza’s Oak Room Bar set the stage for Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and was featured in the last season of Mad Men .

Out front is the beautiful Pulitzer Fountain that was replicated in the opening credits of Friends and also seen in Gossip Girl .

Upper East Side & Fabulous Fifth Avenue

Check out the famous locations from New York City’s funniest sitcoms on the exclusive Upper East Side. See Barney’s, a luxury department store, and the Pierre Hotel, the elegant landmark hotel right across from Central Park.

Continue your adventure and see the famous Fifth Ave stores that have been used in a number of films. Pass by FAO Schwarz, most famous for its role in the movie BIG , and see Tiffany & Co., which was featured on screen in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Glee and New Year’s Eve .

Cruising down Fifth Avenue the NYC TV & Movie Tour takes you past yet another Trump Tower that you’ll recognize as Wayne Enterprises in The Dark Knight .

Next pass the St. Regis Hotel, as seen in The Devil Wears Prada, Taxi Driver and Miss Congeniality . You can’t miss Rockefeller Center, home to The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show , and countless other TV shows and movies.

See the New York Public Library, a filming location for Ghostbusters, Ted 2, 13 Going On 30, Sex and The City: The Movie and catch a glimpse of the Empire State Building, featured in King Kong, Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember.

Flatiron District and Washington Square Park

The journey continues as you approach the Flatiron Building, which you’ll recognize from Spider-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , and the famous scene from The Other Guys .

Across the street is Madison Square Park, the historic public square featured in Anchorman, I am Legend, The Adjustment Bureau and Something Borrowed . It’s also where Glee, The Mindy Project, Don Jon, Blue Bloods , and countless other movies and TV shows filmed.

Around the corner, you can spot the Comedy Cellar, a comedy club where many top comedians perform as featured in Louie and the McDonald’s as seen in Big Daddy .

The Tribeca area is famous for its annual film festival but is also a great location for filming. Your tour guide will escort you for a photo-op at the FDNY Hook & Ladder 8, known as the Ghostbusters’ Firehouse , also seen in Hitch and Seinfeld .

Greenwich Village, the Meatpacking District

In Greenwich Village, your guide will lead you off the grid, literally into the maze of one-hundred-year-old townhouses and cobblestone streets. You’ll appear in a familiar place, the perfect photo-op outside the Friends apartment building .

In the Meatpacking District, you’ll see the Standard Hotel, which has windows overlooking lower Manhattan, the High Line, and the Hudson River. This hotel also houses the Boom Boom Room that you’ll recognize from Gossip Girl , and The High Line, one of New York’s newest parks featured in Hitch, GIRLS , and The Mysteries of Laura .

Hovering high above is The Highline Hotel in the West Chelsea neighborhood, whose grounds were often featured as fictional “Hudson University” in L aw and Order SVU .

Moving through Chelsea you’ll see Empire Diner from Men In Black II and Home Alone 2 . Pass the Star on 18 Diner where Abby and Ilana recover after an all-nighter on Broad City .

Making your way through Midtown you’ll find the famous Macy’s in Herald Square, the flagship department store, used in holiday favorites Miracle on 34th Street and Elf . You’ll also see the Time-Life Building, a 48-story skyscraper on Sixth Avenue, featured in Mad Men .

Catch a glimpse of The Original Soupman, the popular soup restaurant featured in Seinfeld , and the Bank of America Tower, a 55-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan which plays the role of “Atlantis World Media” in The Newsroom. Even enter the world of Daredevil on Eighth Avenue at the 50th street subway stop!

The NYC TV & Movie Tour ends at McGee’s Pub, the inspiration for MacLaren’s Pub featured in How I Met Your Mother, where you’ll have the opportunity to take photos, grab a drink or dine.

✅ Licensed Tour Guide

✅ Transportation

❌ Hotel pick-up and drop off

❌ Beverages

❌  Gratuities (never required, but highly appreciated if you enjoyed the tour)

People with mobility impairments: although the amount of walking is very limited, we get on and off our Bus multiple times during the tour

Non-refundable, cannot be rescheduled: Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded and cannot be rescheduled because your space is being guaranteed at the event.

• Buses cleaned with epa-registered disinfectant between every tour
• All employees to wear face masks
• Mandatory temperature screening for all employees
• Face masks required for all travelers (mandatory by local governments)
• Hand sanitizers available aboard buses
• Limited seating on buses for added space between passengers
• Contactless check-in process

MEETING POINT

The meeting point is at the intersection of 51st Street and 7th Avenue.

TOP SELLING TOURS IN NYC

Holiday Spirit in Manhattan

Speedboat Ride – Statue of Liberty & Brooklyn Bridge

Manhattan in Lights – Night Tour + Top of the Rock Ticket – Luxury Experience

Niagara Falls and Outlet – 2 Days Tour from NYC

Best of Manhattan – Luxury Experience

From New York City: Niagara Falls Full-Day Bus Tour

• DYKER HEIGHTS & DUMBO CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOUR
• LATEST ARTICLES FROM OUR BLOG
• CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

#TheLocatorContest: Click here to print The Locator!

Check out the What’s Filming Now live-feed social media app by On Location Tours!

This app shows you where movies and TV shows are being filmed, in real-time!

TOP 20 TV & MOVIE LOCATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY

We’re turning 20! On June 12th, 1999 we started showing people from all over the world the most iconic locations from TV shows and movies around New York City. While our tours feature hundreds of locations to everything from the original King Kong to the new Avengers franchise, let’s count down the 20 most popular filming locations you can find in the Big Apple.

Tour: East Village TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour

This family owned pastry shop stretches back to 1984. Not only can you enjoy some yummy treats here but it’s also been a filming locations for shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Village . You might remember it recently from the 20th season of Law & Order: SVU when Olivia Benson goes to talk to an employee there to find out more about a kidnapping.

• Holly Golightly’s Apartment

Tour: TCM Classic Film Tour

While most of the interior shots were filmed in Los Angeles, the exterior shots of the apartment were right here in NYC. The beautiful white brownstone can’t be missed.

• Queensboro Bridge

Probably recognized from the poster of Woody Allen ’s Manhattan , this is where him and Diane Keaton watch dawn break. It was also featured in 1936’s My Man Godfrey where Irene convinces Godfrey to marry her.

• Puck Building

This building will be instantly recognized by any Will & Grace fans, as it is the exterior shot for Grace Adler’s office. It’s also been seen in When Harry Met Sally , American Psycho , and the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .

• Carrie’s Brownstone

Tour: Sex and the City Hotspots Tour

Although Carrie Bradshaw lives in Upper Manhattan in the HBO series that also celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, this apartment is actually located downtown in the West Village. Like most TV shows, the inside of the apartment is actually a studio, but you’ll recognize the outside from the many times Carrie comes and goes for a night out.

• Daily News Building

Tour: The Super Tour of NYC

The Daily News Building stands in for the headquarters of the Daily Planet in the original 1978 Superman . Walking in and seeing the big globe will instantly make you remember when Christopher Reeve did the same as his alter ego Clark Kent.

• New York Public Library

Tour: NYC TV & Movie Tour , Sex and the City Hotspots Tour

You might remember the devastating scene from the Sex and the City movie where Carrie throws the bouquet of flowers in Big’s face… or you might remember the library from the gang’s hideout in The Day After Tomorrow . Or maybe from Gossip Girl , Spiderman , Law & Order , Network , Person of Interest … we could go on!

• The Dakota Building

The Dakota stands in for Branford Apartments in Rosemary’s Baby , where Rosemary and her demon neighbors live in the film. It’s also featured in Hannah and Her Sisters as Sam Waterson takes Diane West and Carrie Fischer on a tour of this building.

• Hook & Ladder 8

Tour: NYC TV & Movie Sites Tour

This firehouse is featured in every single Ghostbusters film, from the 1984 original to the 2016 reboot. Here’s hoping it makes a cameo in the next chapter!

• Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building plays the role of the Daily Bugle in the original Spider-Man trilogy, but it also appears in This Is Us and Armageddon .

• Katz’s Delicatessen

Here you can sit in the very spot where the line “I’ll have what she’s having” was uttered in When Harry Met Sally . The diner was also featured in 2007’s Enchanted .

• Rockefeller Center

Not only the home of the studios for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , Late Night with Seth Meyers , and Saturday Night Live , the building is the main location in the series 30 Rock .

• 7B Horseshoe Bar

This bar with a red door is the setting of the scene where Tony ambushes Frank and “Michael Corleone says hello” in The Godfather Part II . It’s also the setting of one of Nadia’s (many) deaths in Russian Doll , the Life Cafe in Rent , and Luke Cage’s bar in Marvel’s Jessica Jones .

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tour: When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour , Gossip Girl Sites Tour

A favorite among Gossip Girl fans, this is where Blair the Queen B sits to eat yogurt with the girls. It’s also the location of the main heist sequence in Ocean’s 8 .

• Tom’s Restaurant

Tour: When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour

This diner (the exterior, anyway) is known as the hangout for the main characters of Seinfeld throughout its lengthy run.

• Grand Central Terminal

Tour: Gossip Girl Sites Tour , TCM Classic Film Tour , The Super Tour of NYC

From classic cameos in films like North by Northwest to the opening scene from the very first episode of Gossip Girl to the climactic battle scene from The Avengers and the inspiration for Madagascar , Grand Central is one of the most popular landmarks for TV and film.

• Central Park

Tour: Central Park TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour

The most filmed park not only in the country but in the world, characters stroll around here in Enchanted , Home Alone 2 , Broad City , Kramer vs. Kramer , Isn’t It Romanti c, and more.

• Times Square

Tour: NYC TV & Movie Tour , The Super Tour of NYC

Times Square was famously emptied out in the Tom Cruise movie Vanilla Sky , and was famously recreated in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 . It also appears as Michael Keaton’s nightmare in Birdman as well as Steve Rogers’ reality in Captain America: The First Avenger .

• Washington Square Park

A romantic spot in When Harry Met Sally , an empty wasteland in I Am Legend , a battleground in Avengers: Infinity War , a protest space in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , and a friendship meeting spot in Someone Great , this park has truly seen it all. As nearby NYU doesn’t exactly have a campus, this is the closest thing to it so you will be sure to see some students milling about.

• Friends Apartment

Tour: NYC TV & Movie Tour

Seen in every single episode of Friends , this building has been on our tours since the beginning all the way back in 1999. The common theme is that the show was filmed in LA, but this is indeed the building from the hit series!

NEW YORK MOVIE TOUR DETAILS

Bus Tour & Walking Tour

DEPARTURE LOCATION

Ellen's Stardust Diner

Mc Gee's Pub

DEPARTURE TIME

Availability, like this tour, movie tour: highlights, movie locations.

Ghostbusters

The Dark Knight

The Great Gatsby

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

& many more!

TV Show Locations

How I Met Your Mother

Gossip Girl

DETAILED TOUR ITINERARY

Lights, camera, action! Here are some of the top locations you will see on this tour!

Movie Locations Since the release of the second Ghostbusters movie, the hype about the four ghost chasers was never bigger. We follow the footsteps to where it all began. See the Columbus Circle, where Stay Puft Marshmallow Man stamped through towards Central Park West or the New York Public Library, where the crew got scared by a ghost in the reading room. Not to forget the headquarter of the Ghostbusters at the FDNY Hook & Ladder 8 in Tribeca! Ever wondered what kind of building the monstrous ape King Kong in 1933 conquered? It’s the Empire State Building! And this landmark is so popular, that by today it has been featured in more than 250 movies, including Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember . These and many more New Yorker movie locations are waiting for you!

TV Show Locations NYC is the ultimate hub for a variety of famous sitcoms, drama series and talk shows. If you ever wanted to see, where the advertising agency from Mad Men or Al’s Soup Kitchen from Seinfeld is located, then you are definitely making the right purchase, because your tour guide will show you! Even a small Friends tour in New York is included, as you will not only see the Pulitzer Fountain from the opening credits on 5th Avenue, but also the apartment building in Greenwich Village, where Rachel, Ross, Joey & Co. used live, laugh and cry together. A must-see for every fan! Talking about friendship sitcoms in Manhattan - Final destination of this tour will be back in Midtown at McGee’s Pub. What’s so interesting about this pub? It inspired the producers of How I Met Your Mother for the MacLaren’s Pub - The bar where Marshall, Ted, Lilly & Co. frequently hung out during the period of 9 seasons! Try one of the drinks and dive into the atmosphere of the series. Feel free to stay longer after the tour ends.

NEW YORK MOVIE TOUR: HIGHLIGHTS & ITINERARY

Detailed itinerary, why join us, questions about our movie tour.

If you have any questions regarding the NYC TV and Movie Tour or in general, don't hesitate to call us at +1 212-557-1654 , drop us an  email  or try our  FAQ . Our friendly and knowledgeable multilingual customer care team will be happy to help you.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Sex and the city tour.

40+ filming locations

HAMPTONS TOUR

$169/person

Full-day excursion by bus

MADAME TUSSAUDS

Ticket to the wax museum

NYC TV and Movie Tour – On Location

If you like movies or TV shows, then you already know that majority of the scenes take place in major cities such as New York City. If you’re in NYC, make sure to check out this really unique tour called the NYC TV and Movie Tour. They take you to some of the most popular spots shown in TV shows and movies such as Friends, Seinfeld, Hitch, Spider Man, I Am Legend and many more.

Table of Contents

Meeting Place

The tour started at 10AM and we met up at Ellen’s Stardust Diner in Midtown Manhattan. There we met our tour guide and 15 other people taking the tour. We were all led to a tour bus to start the day.

Exploring NYC based on TV and Movie Locations

The NYC TV and Movie Tour is pretty straight forward. We took the bus to our first stop which was Washington Square Park. During the ride down, the tour guide would explain the sites we would see and then show us movie or tv clips in relation to the site. For example, for Washington Square Park, he showed a clip of I Am Legend because the main character’s house is in the area. Also, the popular Washington Square Arch is in the movie. Once we got to the area, we parked the bus and visited those same locations mentioned above.Here is a fun fact; it costs about $300 to just acquire a film permit. Usually there are colorful flyers posted on poles days before a shoot to notify the area that parking will be prohibited and that sidewalks need to be cleared out.

Friends – Arguably The Most Popular TV Show

The people that participated on the tour came from different parts of the world. We had tourists from Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand. Obviously, different countries have different cultures, but one thing we all had in common was that the TV Series, Friends, was and probably still is a show that we still watch. On this tour, we visited the apartment that the TV show would feature to set certain scenes in the show. Only the exterior of the apartment was filmed in New York. The interior was actually filmed in a studio over 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles. Check out the pictures above!

Other Sites and Locations

Other places we visited was a fire department featured in Hitch and Ghostbusters. We also saw the outside of the apartment where Will Smith’s character in Hitch lived. We also drove by a diner featured in Men in Black. For the movie and TV lovers, this is definitely a tour to take. It’s pretty cool to see locations that you see in movies. If you’d like to take the NYC TV and Movie Tour, please book it by using the button below.

I'm a true New York fan! Not only have I visited the city over 25 times but also have I spent several months here at a time. On my blog I show you the best and most beautiful spots of the city, so that you have a really good time! You can also find lots of insider tips in our New York travel guide . Also check out my hotel finder for New York !

Get exclusive content, real insider tips, and the best deals in NYC for FREE!

Start of your trip: We will remind you with current events when you are in NYC!

• Philadelphia
• Washington DC
• New Orleans
• Fort Lauderdale
• Smoky Mountains
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles
• California & Vegas
• Malaga - Costa del Sol

Email Address is invalid

Please enter your password

The email address or password provided is incorrect. Please try again or click 'Forgot Password' to reset your password.

Don't have an account?

• My Account My Itineraries Log Out
• Maps & Guides
• Sightseeing Pass App
• Travel Tips
• New York With Kids
• Cancellation Cover

On Location Tours - NYC TV and Movie Tour by Bus

Free entry with the sightseeing pass.

Normal Entry Price: Adult $61.00 - Child $45.00

On Location Tours - NYC TV and Movie Tour by Bus with The Sightseeing Pass

• Visit popular spots from Friends including the gangs apartment building
• Stroll through Washington Square Park featured in Isn’t it Romantic, Someone Great, Glee, The Mindy Project, and When Harry Met Sally, etc.
• Catch a glimpse of the hotels featured in Ocean’s 8, Modern Family, American Hustle and The Sopranos
• Vehicle tour, approximately 3 hours

Straddle fiction and reality as you visit famous sites from both the big and small screen. • Visit popular spots from Friends including the gangs apartment building. • Stroll through Washington Square Park featured in Isn’t it Romantic, Someone Great, Glee, The Mindy Project, and When Harry Met Sally, etc. • Catch a glimpse of the hotels featured in Ocean’s 8, Modern Family, American Hustle and The Sopranos. • Pass the Dundler Mifflin Paper Company and other locations from The Office. • See The Original Soup Man, along with other Seinfeld locations. • Snap photos at the famous Hook & Ladder 8 from the Ghostbusters franchise. • See new locations from Billions, Veep, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Will & Grace, Younger, Power, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Homeland, Divorce and more!">

What You Get

• Sightseeing DAY Pass holders can choose "NYC TV and Movie Tour by Bus”, “Central Park TV and Movie Sites Tour” or "When Harry Met Seinfeld Bus Tour" with On Location Tours. Sightseeing FLEX Pass holders can choose "NYC TV and Movie Tour by Bus", “Central Park TV and Movie Sites Tour” and "When Harry Met Seinfeld Bus Tour" with On Location Tours, each counts as another one of your choices.

How To Redeem

Please call On Location Tours to reserve your tour on 212.683.2027 or reserve online at https://onlocationtours.com/pass-holders/ (Customers should scroll down until they see the Sightseeing Pass button). $10 reservation fee is required if you are booking more than 24 hours in advance of the tour. A credit card (number, security code, expiration date) is required to hold any reservations. A zip code will also be required for domestic customers.

• Daily: 11:00am Blackout Days: September: 11, 18, 25 October: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 November: 6, 13, 20

Getting There

Departure point In front of Ellen’s Stardust Diner at 1650 Broadway Drop off point 55th & Broadway, New York

Telephone: 212-683-2027

• Closest Subway
• 50 St Broadway
• Closest Bus Stop
• W 50 St/7 Av

You may also like these attractions nearby

Top of the Rock® Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center

Normal Entry Price: $43.99

Normal Entry Price: $42.46

Radio City Music Hall Tour Experience

Normal Entry Price: $33.00

Central Park All Day Bike Rental by Fancy Apple

Normal Entry Price: $49.00

Plan Your Trip in Advance - Download Free Maps and Guides

New york tourist map, new york city subway map, free 250 page guidebook, hop-on hop-off bus map, newsletter sign up.

Daily insiders Travel Tips for selected destinations

10 Iconic New York Filming Locations In Youve Got Mail

• New York City plays a pivotal role in You've Got Mail, becoming a character of its own in the heartfelt romantic comedy.
• Iconic locations like 79th Street Boat Basin and Zabar's become central backdrops, revealing the enduring allure of the city.
• From Verdi Square to Joe's Apartment, the film's picturesque settings capture the essence of serendipitous love in NYC.

You've Got Mail isn't just a film; it's a heartfelt ode to New York City, interwoven with the charm and fate of a classic romantic comedy. Released in 1998 and directed by Nora Ephron, the beloved movie stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly—two characters who find love in the most modern of ways: over email. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Upper West Side, You've Got Mail showcases some of New York's most legendary spots, turning the city into a character of its own.

From quaint bookshops to bustling street corners, Ephron's affection for the city shines through every scene, making it not just a stage for Joe and Kathleen's romance but a love letter to the metropolis itself. Through exploring these iconic locations, audiences revisit the steps of Joe and Kathleen and celebrate the enduring allure of New York City itself. The most iconic filming locations from You've Got Mail are landmarks in their own right, woven into the fabric of the timeless rom-com.

You've Got Mail: 10 Things That Have Aged Well About The Movie

79th street boat basin, the only marina in new york that allows year-round residency aboard boats.

Nestled within picturesque Riverside Park along the Hudson River, the 79th Street Boat Basin is the only marina in New York City that permits year-round residency aboard boats . This serene locale provided an ideal backdrop for the lives of Joe Fox and his father, serving as their aquatic home following simultaneous breakups. Offering a slice of maritime life amid the urban sprawl, the Boat Basin exudes a charm that perfectly complements the film's New York City narrative.

In You've Got Mail , the 79th Street Boat Basin is more than just a scenic spot; it's a sanctuary for the Fox family. It features prominently in various scenes, creating a tranquil retreat from the hectic pace of running their mega bookstore, Fox Books. This location also frames some of the movie's more tender moments, such as Joe helping his younger brother with his spelling, playfully greeting New Jersey across the water, and one of many awkward moments with his notoriously inappropriate stepmom.

Barney Greengrass

The celebrated new york eatery is over 100 years old.

Barney Greengrass, an emblematic New York delicatessen, is renowned for its storied history and deeply rooted connection to the Upper West Side. Founded in 1908 and relocating to Amsterdam Avenue in 1929, the celebrated eatery has long been a beloved fixture among locals . Its inclusion in You've Got Mail underscores its status as a quintessential New York locale, perfectly aligning with the film's homage to the unique character and charm of the city. In the movie, Kathleen and her wise confidante Birdie (Jean Stapleton) share a meal at Barney Greengrass.

Their conversation over lunch, set against the backdrop of this historic deli, centers on Fox Books' looming challenge to Kathleen's beloved Shop Around the Corner. The scene not only highlights Kathleen's personal stakes but also serves as a tribute to the enduring appeal of neighborhood staples like Barney Greengrass in the face of modern challenges. The deli's authentic atmosphere provides a perfect setting for such pivotal discussions, blending the rich flavors of New York's culinary heritage with the narrative spices of commerce and competition.

10 Best TV Series & Movies Set In New York

Verdi square, a quant & charming spot on the upper west side.

Verdi Square, a quaint and charming spot on the Upper West Side , becomes a pivotal setting in You've Got Mail , encapsulating the film's central romantic tenet: true love might just be lurking around the corner. This notion—that the love of your life could be right under your nose—is beautifully portrayed through the evolving relationship between Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox as they unexpectedly meet at various neighborhood locales. This sweet, heartfelt message makes You've Got Mail one of the best romantic comedies of the '90s .

One such serendipitous meeting unfolds at Verdi Square during a bustling farmers' market. In Verdi Square, as they meander through stalls brimming with fresh produce, the tension of their bookstore rivalry begins to melt away, paving the path for a burgeoning friendship. It's in this relaxed, everyday environment that they share a park bench and exchange glances loaded with unspoken words. Joe's casual suggestion that they bump into each other again for lunch and Kathleen's playful wish for him to enjoy a ripe mango capture the essence of their budding affection.

A Cozy Cafe That Became A Favorite Of Nora Ephron's

Cafe Lalo, nestled on West 83rd Street, exudes a charm that has made it one of New York's most endearing cafes. Just around the corner from where Nora Ephron once lived, this cozy establishment became a favorite haunt for the director , eventually inspiring its inclusion as a critical location in the film. The cafe's intimate setting hosts one of the movie's most critical moments. While Joe and Kathleen, known to each other only as their online personas, agree to meet face-to-face for the first time, the anticipation is palpable.

Kathleen, known in their emails as "Shopgirl," arrives with a book marked by a flower to signal her identity to her unknown suitor. However, as Joe approaches Cafe Lalo and peers through its welcoming windows, he discovers that the woman he has been falling for online is none other than his real-life business adversary. This pivotal scene, rich with dramatic irony and heightened emotions, unfolds amidst the inviting ambiance of Cafe Lalo, making it not just a backdrop but a character in its own right.

The Shop Around The Corner

Created outside a real antique store on west 69th street.

Kathleen's treasured bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner, was so crucial to the film that it was almost like a character in and of itself. The famed Upper West Side children's shop Books of Wonder inspired the store, although Efron filmed interior scenes on a set. The exterior scenes, however, were filmed outside an actual store on West 69th Street, which was an antique store at the time . That was easily fixed with a new sign and movie magic, turning the facade into a picture-perfect bookstore.

The storefront plays a pivotal role in the film as it acts as a conduit for Kathleen's emotions. When she is happy, she skips through the door excitedly. When she misses her mom, she envisions them twirling. When she concedes to Fox Books, she closes the rolling gates on her beloved business. This iconic storefront ushers Kathleen through the most formative stages of the movie.

Gray's Papaya

An iconic new york diner on broadway.

Gray's Papaya, a quintessential New York hot dog stand, is celebrated for its iconic street food and a charming venue for romance in You've Got Mail . Situated on Broadway, the eatery is emblematic of the New York dining scene , offering a taste of the city as authentic as it is beloved. In the movie, Joe and Kathleen's burgeoning relationship is beautifully framed by the window of Gray's Papaya, where they share the famed hot dogs.

This casual dining experience becomes a subtle yet significant moment of connection between them, underscoring the simplicity and joy of newfound affection. The scene captures them slowly becoming enamored with each other, set against the backdrop of one of the Upper West Side's most famous locales. It's a testament to the film's ability to turn everyday moments into milestones of romantic comedy, making it one of Meg Ryan's best rom-coms .

A Trease Trove For Food Lovers & Embodies The Quintessential New York Lifestyle

Zabar's stands out not only as an iconic New York City landmark but also as a cornerstone in the narrative of You've Got Mail , embodying the quintessential New York lifestyle . This beloved specialty market, a treasure trove for food lovers, has been immortalized in numerous films and television shows, from Sex and the City to Seinfeld , highlighting its cultural significance and appeal as the ultimate New York shopping experience.

In the movie, a memorable scene unfolds at Zabar's when Kathleen Kelly finds herself in a cash-only checkout line without any cash. This leads to a quintessentially New York moment: she is met with impatience and a dose of sharp attitude from the other customers and the cashier, Rose, portrayed by Sara Ramirez. Joe Fox uses his charm to persuade the grumpy Rose to let Kathleen use her credit card, saving the day and deepening their connection in a scene that blends humor, romance, and the everyday drama of city life.

Kathleen's Apartment

A new york brownstone on w. 89th street.

Throughout the movie, viewers see Kathleen Kelly skipping in and out of her adorable apartment in a quintessential New York brownstone on W. 89th Street . Although the inside of Kathleen's home was filmed on a set in New Jersey, the exterior is perhaps more important, as it is the setting for a beautiful scene that is the movie's turning point.

While standing by her building, Joe finally reveals his feelings to Kathleen. He professes his desire to rent movies with her for as long as they live if only their business war weren't in the way. Kathleen fights her clearly growing desires for him because she holds out hope for the mysterious NY152. The scene is pivotal for the tension between Joe and Kathleen. With its poetic lines, beautiful background music, and impeccable acting, it is one of the most swoon-worthy scenes of any romantic comedy.

5 Reasons Why When Harry Met Sally Is Meg Ryans Coziest Rom-Com (& 5 Why Its Youve Got Mail)

Joe's apartment, despite a fictional address, the actual building is 210 riverside drive.

Joe's apartment in You've Got Mail , ostensibly located at the fictional address NY152 on Riverside Drive , is central to one of the film's most defining moments. The building, set at 210 Riverside Drive, is a classic example of New York architecture, chosen for its quintessential charm and used for exterior and interior filming. The scene where Joe Fox finds himself trapped in an elevator with his girlfriend Patricia, played by Parker Posey, becomes a turning point in his personal journey.

During this elevator scene, Joe comes to a profound realization about his relationship with Patricia. Her intense and overbearing personality, humorously described as someone who " makes coffee nervous ," sharply juxtaposes the warmth and connection he feels with Kathleen. This moment of clarity amid a claustrophobic setting heightens the emotional stakes as Joe recognizes his need for a partner who aligns more closely with his values and desires.

91st Street Garden, Riverside Park

A picturesque garden perfect for the you've got mail romantic ending.

In New York's iconic Riverside Park lies a picturesque garden that's a favorite of local children, college kids, and dogs like Brinkley. This charming hidden gem is the site of You've Got Mail's final and dreamiest scene . Joe emails Kathleen and invites her to meet him where the path curves at the 91st Street Garden. When he arrives, he gets her attention with Brinkley's help.

Hanks then delivers his last beautiful line in You've Got Mail , "Don't cry, Shopgirl ," as he wipes away Kathleen's tears. She whispers, " I wanted it to be you so badly ," before they lock lips in a long-overdue kiss, wrapping up the movie in a perfect way. Joe pats Brinkley on the head, "Over the Rainbow " plays, and the camera tilts high above the New York City neighborhood that was the true star of this beloved film.

'New York Undercover' cast to reunite on national tour, stars talk trailblazing '90s cop drama

The cast of the classic 1990s procedural "New York Undercover" is hitting the road for the show's 30th anniversary.

The national tour will feature a reunited cast that includes Malik Yoba , Luna Lauren Velez and Michael DeLorenzo. The trio revealed the news on Monday's episode of The Tamron Hall Show .

"Audiences (have) never had a chance to have this experience with us so we intend to go on the road as (a) cast," Yoba, 56, told host Tamron Hall . "We're going to hit markets across America. We're working with artists that have performed on the show."

"New York Undercover" aired on Fox from 1994 to 1999 and followed detectives J.C. Williams (Yoba), Eddie Torres (DeLorenzo) and Nina Moreno (Velez) in one of the first police dramas to cast actors of color in leading roles.

"We understood the assignment," Yoba said. "The assignment was to push the culture forward in the most authentic way possible."

The group noted that Tamron Hall was their first time doing a daytime interview as a cast, highlighting the lack of promotion the show received. "Despite the fact we were No. 1 in Black and Latino households, at the time, it wasn't regarded as mainstream fare," Yoba continued.

'Pulp Fiction' 30th anniversary reunion: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, more

"One of the best things we accomplished was the relationships," added DeLorenzo, 64. "We weren't a typical cop show."

The trio noted the iconic music and guest stars on the series, including Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Celia Cruz, The Notorious B.I.G., Al Green, Aaliyah, D'Angelo, SWV, Ziggy and Damian Marley, and more.

'Scrubs' stars gather for a mini reunion: 'Getting the band back together!'

Created by Kevin Arkadie and Dick Wolf — the latter of " Law & Order " fame — the series also starred Patti D'Arbanville, George Gore II, Fatima Faloye and Lee Wong. The series was nominated for several NAACP Image Awards, including two wins for Yoba in his role.

Velez, 59, and Yoba previously reunited for a "New York Undercover" TV film in 2019, produced by Wolf and Ben Watkins.

In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline reported that ABC had ordered a pilot for a "New York Undercover" reboot, written and produced by Watkins and Wolf. Deadline later reported that the pilot was still being shopped in 2020, with Peacock said to be in negotiations to pick up the series and "The Chi" showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis attached.