Best of New York: Movies Set in the City

Although Hollywood is known for its movie-making, New York is where the magic happens. So many classic movie moments have happened in NYC, from the balcony scene in West Side Story to the romantic finale of Sleepless in Seattle. Want to see the best New York on screen? Start with our picks of the flicks:

King Kong (1933)

It’s hard to think of a more iconic New York movie image than King Kong on top of the Empire State Building, clutching Fay Wray in his hand. Although films about the jungle and the animals that lived there were popular through the first few decades of the 1900s, this was the pinnacle of the genre. It was also one of the first times the Empire State Building was seen on the silver screen; it was built in 1931, only two years before the film was released.

Taxi Driver (1976)

This Martin Scorsese classic is not only a portrait of New York in the 1970s, but is also a product of the alienation and anxiety of the Vietnam era. Robert De Niro plays a former Marine who drives a NYC yellow cab, ferrying riders back and forth while surveying the city life in all neighborhoods. In the 35 years since the film was made, it’s amazing to see how New York has changed, particularly in the East Village, where De Niro first meets the young Jodie Foster.

Manhattan (1979)

Woody Allen is often heralded as the most quintessentially New York filmmaker, and the title of this movie says it all. Besides the amazing images of the city (particularly the final scene in front of the Queensboro Bridge), Allen infuses his film with a intellectual bent, a sharp sense of wit, and a wry self-deprecation that many people now imagine when they think of NYC.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Not only is this romantic comedy favorite set in NYC, it surveys the city over the course of 12 years. Watching the movie is like seeing a reel of New York’s most famous spots; Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan meet up in Washington Square, Shakespeare and Co. Books, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Giants Stadium, and the batting cages at Coney Island, just to name a few. Of course, the most famous scene takes place in Katz’s Delicatessen, where Meg Ryan memorably remarks, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Spider-Man (2002)

Even though the dazzling special effects and high-flying hero are the centerpiece of this film, the New York locations steal many of the scenes. Peter Parker makes his home in quiet Forest Hills, Queens, sells his photos to the Daily Bugle in the Flatiron Building, and perches on top of the Chrysler Building. In the climactic scene, he foils the Green Goblin by rescuing the passengers of the Roosevelt Island Tram (which has now reopened, if you want to live some movie magic and experience the trip for yourself!).