16 Movie and TV Show Locations in Manhattan You Can Actually Visit

If you’ve been planning to move to Manhattan, you should know that you will be moving to the most used filming location in the world. Most of the locations you can still visit, and in some of them, you can have the same meal or drink as the characters on the screen! Every step you take will be followed by a glimpse of a movie scene from the top of your head.

If you are already a Manhattan resident, you have probably had a couple of déjà vu moments while strolling the Manhattan streets. The more you are aware of the number of locations used in movies, the more you will feel Manhattan’s magic around you.

We prepared 16 movie and TV show locations that will completely change your perspective on Manhattan.

Movies in which Manhattan is a CHARACTER itself:

When discussing the correlation between movies and NYC, the first things that come into mind are probably The Godfather, The Sopranos, and almost all Martin Scorsese movies. You can only imagine it happening in The Big Apple since the location represents one-half of the theme and the story itself.

Since Manhattan is a worldwide pop culture icon of New York City there are a lot of movies where Manhattan represents a character of its own.

If you want to really feel the City’s essence and history, you should look at these movies again.

1. Once Upon a Time in America

Even though this four-hour-long masterpiece is predominantly located in Bronx and Brooklyn, the iconic movie poster has Manhattan Bridge on it. It is just a glimpse of Manhattan that simultaneously shows its distance and presence, which is a big part of the movie’s theme!

2. Taxi Driver

While Travis is driving through Manhattan at night, Manhattan streets are alive and represent active characters themselves. The route of the taxi was strictly organized. It was filmed at 202 East 13th Street, 214 W 42rd Street, 226 East 13th Street, 546 Columbus Ave, 58th Street & 8th Avenue, 5th Ave & East 19th Street, 737 8th Avenue, and 87 Columbia Heights.

3. Afterhours

Another Scorsese hit from 1985 truly represents the Manhattan atmosphere in the 80s. The main character Paul is spending a night in Manhattan, going from one adventure to the other. The story is predominantly located in SoHo since one of the main locations, Kiki’s loft apartment is located on 28 Howard Street. In a funny and dark way, we get to feel the essence of a Manhattan night in all the secret night crawler places.

4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Having breakfast at Tiffany & Co. is a symbol of the American dream!

This 1961 movie has this jewelry store as an essential motif, and you can still visit It on 610 5th Ave in NYC. From 2023 you can eat breakfast here too! Smoked salmon, bagels, and waffles will all be at your disposal for a real Audrey Hepburn vibe.

Also, you can visit Holly Golightly Apartment on 169 E 71st Street on Upper East Side. Of course, only the exterior is used for filming. The interiors are filmed in a studio in LA.

Other filming locations in Manhattan you can visit

5. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known as the MET, is the fifth largest museum in the world and the most visited museum in NYC. It is located on Fifth Avenue, and it has been an inspiration for many movie scenes.

In When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan wanders around the museum’s Egyptian Room.

In Ocean’s 8, a third Ocean’s Eleven spin-off, the museum’s Met Gala was recreated for the scene of a diamond heist.

Other movies filmed at MET are Looking for Richard, Maid in Manhattan, Hitch, and The Nanny Diaries.

Also, epic lunches of Blair Waldorf’s crew in Gossip Girl are located on the MET stairs.

The address is 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street.

6. The Plaza Hotel

Since 1907 The Plaza Hotel has been known as one of the most luxurious hotels in NYC. With over 21 floors, one of them being Royal Plaza Suite worth $40,000 a night, this is an unavoidable filming location.

Home Alone 2 has an epic scene in this hotel when Kevin uses his dad’s credit card to stay in one of the rooms.

North By Northwest, Crocodile Dundee, The Great Gatsby, and Bride Wars have also been shot here.

You can visit it or take a picture in front of it at 768 5th Ave.

7. Katz‘s Delicatessen

Katz’s Deli is famous for being New York City’s oldest deli. Founded in 1888 and known worldwide for its pastrami sandwiches, it also has its cult place on the movie screen.

Once again, When Harry met Sally has an epic movie scene set here in which Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have lunch. There is a sign on the wall where the scene was shot, and you can order the same thing Sally ordered!

Enchanted and Donnie Brasco also have scenes located in this famous deli!

Grab a bite at 205 E Houston St every day from 8 am to 12 pm. On Saturdays, they are open 24 hours!

8. FDNY Ladder 8

The iconic base of both 1984 Ghostbusters and its 2016 remake is a famous FDNY Ladder 8 building in Tribeca. You can still find a Ghostbusters logo on the wall of the building at 14 N Moore Street.

Except for this cult movie, the building has its brief appearances in TV shows such as Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother.

9. Times Square

Representing a significant commercial, tourist, entertainment, and financial hub of NYC, Times Square is a must when showing Manhattan in movies. It is one of the busiest squares in the world. There is no wonder that the scene in Vanilla Sky, where Times Square is totally deserted, seems almost unbelievable.

Except for being deserted, Times Square has been destroyed by a wave in Deep Impact. It is the location of a Spiderman VS Electra fight in Spider-Man 2. Midnight Cowboy also has its bits located in Times Square and the post-apocalyptic movie I Am Legend made Times Square look post-apocalyptic too.

10. Radio City Music Hall

In the year of its building, Radio City Music Hall was the largest indoor theater in the world. It is part of the Rockefeller Center and has several movie scenes behind it.

The most epic movie scene is the one from The Godfather when Michael Corleone goes to watch a screening of ‘The Bells of St Mary’s and finds out that Don Corleone has been shot.

Kevin in Home Alone 2 passes by Radio City Music Hall once he goes sightseeing.
You can still visit an event or walk by it on 1260 6th Ave!

11. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

Located in the Financial District, this building is at the center of attention in The Wolf of Wall Street. Since the movie itself is based on the real story of Jordan Belfort, the actual location is used too!

Another scene from the movie is shot near the World Financial Center when Belfort spends a day on his yacht, where he meets the agent Partick Denham.

12. Rockefeller Center

The full circle of Home Alone 2 movie finishes in Rockefeller Center since it is where Kevin reunites with his mother.

Today, many famous shows are shot here, including Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Saturday Night Live.

There is also a scene in Elf where Buddy and Jovie ice skate in the rink in Rockefeller Center!

45 Rockefeller Plaza is the place. We recommend wintertime visits since it is beautifully arranged with Christmas lights, a Christmas tree, and an ice-skating rink (just like in the Elf).

13. Empire State Building

The epic symbol of New York City and Manhattan is the Empire State Building. From the original 1933 King Kong to 2005 King Kong, all the epic movie scenes have their place here.

Elf, Supermen 2, Sleepless in Seattle, and many more used this NYC symbol for storytelling. Gossip Girl used this location on one of the most significant Blair-Chuck episodes.

14. Carry Bradshaw’s Brownstone

Located at 66 Perry St lies the famous Carry Bradshaw’s brownstone building. Even though in the show itself it is said that it is located in Upper Manhattan, you can actually visit it in the downtown West Village. The interiors were, of course, filmed in the LA studios. Still, you will surely recognize the building from numerous scenes of Carrie entering and leaving it.

15. Tom’s Restaurant

For the last location, we choose an epic inspiration for a hangout spot for characters in Seinfeld. Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David used this place as a muse for Monk Café, which is shown in a beloved sitcom. You can visit Tom’s Restaurant at 2880 Broadway. It is also one of the favorite spots for Columbia University students.

Suppose you are interested in filming in Manhattan. In that case, you should know that Roadway Moving provides storage for the filming equipment and movers from one filming location to the other! Be free to contact us since we would love to participate in the process!