My Urban Sherpa

New York Movies

There is a reason so many major films shoot in New York City – New York is a great backdrop. In addition to the iconic locations we’ve seen on the silver screen time and time again in Woody Allen films, there are locations that only a local or a location scout could find. From independents to blockbusters, Oscar winners to box office duds, a film forum of movies have been shot in the Big Apple. If you’re a movie buff you will enjoy this selection of locations, famous with New Yorkers, and made famous on the screen.

1. If you are feeling peckish on the Upper West Side, stop by Café Lalo. You might remember the scene from You’ve Got Mail that was shot here; Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan when she was still the Queen of the romantic comedy. Try some cheesecake with your cappuccino.

Cafe Lalo, 201 West 83rd St.
(Amsterdam & Broadway)
New York, NY 10024

2. Sticking to the romantic comedy/Meg Ryan theme, a trip to the Lower East Side is incomplete without a stop at Katz’s Deli. While the Jewish Deli seems to be an endangered species in NYC, Katz’s still thrives on the old reliables. Go for fare that New Yorkers have been enjoying since 1888: pastrami on rye, knish or matzo ball soup.

Katz’s Delicatessen
205 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002

3. Even though it was nominated for a few Oscars, Working Girl was one of the more underrated movies of the 1980’s. There are quite a few NYC locations in this film. Start with the Staten Island Ferry – the location of the opening and one of the most spectacular views of Manhattan. A sad side note is that the lobby of the office building in the film was the doomed 7 World Trade Center, destroyed on 9/11.

4. Tootsie made such a lasting impression that it was selected by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry. It’s also a classic New York story that so many of us can relate to. So why not head to another classic, featured in the film – The Russian Tea Room. You are transported from Midtown to Moscow just by walking through their opulent doors.

Russian Tea Room

150 West 57th Street Ave.
NY, New York 10019

5. Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple has been a film, a television series, and a Broadway play. One of the great scenes in the film has Oscar and Felix at Shea Stadium for a Mets game. As a Yankees fan, I normally wouldn’t mention this – but Shea is soon to be a thing of the past, set for implosion after the 2008 season.

6. I don’t have to tell you what Wall Street is about. Just know that a sequel is in the works and I hope it’s as good as the original. Wall Street itself is a tourist mecca – as everyone heads down there to see the financial capital of the world. The goings on of interest take place in glass corner offices, high above the street traffic. For a view at the power brokers in town, head to the 21 Club in Midtown where a scene from the film was shot. It’s old school New York at its finest. Men: Jackets are mandatory.

21 Club

21 West 52nd Street
New York, New York 10019

7. If you came to town via JFK, you’ve already seen this location. The old TWA terminal was a perfect setting for Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can. Not only was the architecture ideal for the 1960’s-set film, but it was virtually empty since TWA was bought out the prior year. You’ll see a whole new Terminal 5 soon as JetBlue re-opens it in 2008.

8. Ghostbusters featured New York City as a character and a location. The firehouse that served as Ghostbusters Headquarters is my favorite. This very real and very small firehouse epitomizes the Tribeca neighborhood it protects.

Hook & Ladder 8
14 N. Moore Street
New York, NY 10013

9. If you couldn’t tell, I am a huge Neil Simon fan, including Barefoot in the Park. This film resonates today – 40 years after its release. Plus you just can’t deny how damn good-looking Redford and Fonda were in their day. Check out the building where the Bratters lived – which they probably could sell today for a few million bucks.

111 Waverley Place
New York, NY 10011

10. As we have the holidays around us, our review wouldn’t be complete with one of the funnier movies of the last few years, Elf. The department store in the film is actually the CUNY (City University of New York) Graduate Center, and was called Gimbels. Gimbels was Macy’s biggest competitor for many years and played a key role in Miracle on 34th Street – yet another holiday classic. The CUNY building, pictured above, was once Gimbels flagship store before the company went out of business some years ago. If it’s shopping your are after – you can head to Macy’s.

CUNY Graduate Center
365 5th Avenue
New York, NY

Our film editor Jeff Mandell is a native New Yorker whose recent accomplishments include loosening up his Mid-Western born wife to honk and curse at cabbies. He has spent the last 10+ years working in television production on a variety of subjects, some interesting and some obviously not. When not offering an opinion on the subject at hand, Mandell cooks, roots for the Yankees and walks through Times Square pretending to be a Belgian tourist.