New York is the most filmed city on earth. Here is where to find the firehouse, the fountain, the apartment building and the steps, and which guided tour to book.
New York City is the most filmed city on earth, and Central Park alone appears in over 300 films and TV shows. Key screen locations include the Ghostbusters firehouse in Tribeca, the Friends apartment at 90 Bedford Street, Bethesda Terrace from The Avengers and Enchanted, and the Met steps from Gossip Girl and Ocean's 8. Guided bus tours cost from $65, with pedicab and private options available.
Few cities double as a film set the way New York does. Central Park alone has appeared in over 300 films and TV shows, and productions from Ghostbusters and When Harry Met Sally to Friends, Gossip Girl and The Avengers have turned ordinary corners of Manhattan into places screen tourists now cross oceans to photograph.
The good news is that most of these locations are free to see from the sidewalk. A handful, such as the Empire State Building observatory and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, require tickets. Guided tours, from bus trips covering dozens of sites to private pedicab rides through Central Park, bundle the highlights into a single outing.
The productions below account for many of the locations travelers ask about. Some are decades old, others recent, and several share the same filming spots, which is why Bethesda Terrace and the Met steps keep reappearing on itineraries.
| Title | Year | Type | What was filmed here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghostbusters | 1984 | Film | Hook & Ladder 8 firehouse as headquarters exterior, 55 Central Park West as apartment building |
| Friends | 1994-2004 | TV | 90 Bedford Street apartment building exterior |
| The Avengers | 2012 | Film | Bethesda Terrace in Central Park for post-battle scene |
| Sex and the City | 1998-2004 | TV | Various Manhattan locations including Met steps and streets |
| When Harry Met Sally | 1989 | Film | Katz's Deli orgasm scene and Met Museum |
| Enchanted | 2007 | Film | Bethesda Fountain musical number in Central Park |
| Gossip Girl | 2007-2012 | TV | Metropolitan Museum steps and Upper East Side |
| King Kong | 1933 | Film | Empire State Building climax |
| Sleepless in Seattle | 1993 | Film | Empire State Building observatory |
| The Godfather | 1972 | Film | Various NYC locations including Staten Island house |
| Spider-Man | 2002 | Film | Times Square, Flatiron Building, and rooftops |
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | 1992 | Film | Plaza Hotel and Central Park |
| Seinfeld | 1989-1998 | TV | Tom's Restaurant as Monk's Cafe exterior |
| The Wolf of Wall Street | 2013 | Film | Wall Street and financial district |
| Night at the Museum | 2006 | Film | American Museum of Natural History |
| Ocean's 8 | 2018 | Film | Metropolitan Museum of Art gala heist |
| John Wick: Chapter 2 | 2017 | Film | Bethesda Terrace and other Manhattan spots |
| 30 Rock | 2006-2013 | TV | Rockefeller Center and 30 Rockefeller Plaza |
12 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Manhattan, New York Outside only
Filmed here: Exterior of Ghostbusters headquarters
This active Tribeca firehouse served as the exterior of the Ghostbusters headquarters in the 1984 film. It remains a working station, so viewing is from the public sidewalk only. Visitors are asked to respect the firefighters on duty, but the facade makes an easy and free photo stop for fans of the franchise.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Avengers post-battle scene, Enchanted musical number, John Wick meeting
One of Central Park's most filmed spots. The Avengers shot its post-battle scene here, Enchanted staged its musical number at the fountain, and John Wick: Chapter 2 used the terrace for a meeting. Access is free and public, and it is best visited in daytime when the arcades and carvings are easy to see.
Manhattan, New York Outside only
Filmed here: Exterior of the main apartment building
The exterior of the building where Friends was set, seen throughout the show's run from 1994 to 2004. It is a private residence in Greenwich Village, so there is no interior access and loitering is discouraged. Most fans take a quick street-level photo and move on, often pairing it with nearby Washington Square Park.
Manhattan, New York Ticketed
Filmed here: King Kong climax, Sleepless in Seattle romantic scenes
The climax of King Kong in 1933 and the romantic observatory scenes of Sleepless in Seattle in 1993 both unfolded here. The observatory is open to the public with tickets, and the lobby holds movie exhibits. It remains one of the few screen locations where the filmed view is the same one visitors get.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Ghostbusters library ghost scene, When Harry Met Sally interior
The library's marble lions and reading rooms appeared in Ghostbusters, site of the famous library ghost scene, and in When Harry Met Sally. Entry to the reading room is free, and the steps outside are among the most frequently filmed in the city. A convenient stop between Grand Central and Times Square.
Manhattan, New York Outside only
Filmed here: Dana Barrett's apartment building (Spook Central)
Dana Barrett's apartment building, better known to Ghostbusters fans as Spook Central. It is a private co-op on Central Park West, so viewing is from the sidewalk only. The Art Deco tower is easy to photograph from across the street and pairs naturally with a Central Park visit.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Gossip Girl Blair Waldorf scenes, Ocean's 8 gala
The grand staircase where Gossip Girl filmed Blair Waldorf scenes and where the Ocean's 8 heist gala took place. Sitting on the steps is free, though entering the museum requires a ticket. The steps sit at the top of Fifth Avenue, close to Central Park and Bethesda Terrace.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Arrival scenes, Avengers and other action sequences
The main concourse hosted arrival scenes in North by Northwest and action sequences in The Avengers. Access to the concourse is free, and the celestial ceiling is worth a look up regardless of film interest. The terminal sits blocks from the New York Public Library, making an easy pairing.
Manhattan, New York Ticketed
Filmed here: Hotel exteriors and some interiors
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York filmed exteriors and some interiors here in 1992. Public areas of the luxury hotel are accessible to visitors, and its Grand Army Plaza position beside Central Park makes it a natural add-on to a park itinerary. Even non-guests can soak up the movie history in the lobby areas.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Monk's Cafe exterior
The diner facade stood in for Monk's Cafe on Seinfeld throughout the show's 1989 to 1998 run. Only the exterior was used, but the diner itself is open to the public, so fans can eat inside a Morningside Heights institution. A longer trek uptown, but a simple subway ride.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Park scenes and arch shots
The marble arch appeared in When Harry Met Sally and in Glee, and the park itself is a recurring screen backdrop. Entry is free, and the arch is a popular photo spot. Greenwich Village location makes it an easy walk from the Friends apartment building a few blocks west.
Manhattan, New York Free to see
Filmed here: Action sequences and iconic street scenes
Spider-Man staged action sequences here in 2002, and Taxi Driver used its neon streets decades earlier. The square is always busy, and the lights themselves are the attraction. It sits at the heart of the theater district, so most visitors pass through regardless of film interest.
New York also has production infrastructure that travelers can engage with. On Location Tours runs a daily NYC TV and Movie Tour by bus departing from Broadway and 51st Street, visiting more than 60 filming locations including the Friends apartment and Central Park sites, at $65 for adults. Behind the scenes, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment issues free film permits for public locations and maintains a location library, while Sunset Pier 94 Studios, a purpose-built campus with six soundstages, opened at Pier 94 in 2025. The state backs the industry with a 30 percent production tax credit, up to 40 percent with bonuses, under an $800 million annual cap that includes $100 million for independent productions, expanded in 2025 with a Production Plus 10 percent bonus for repeat applicants.
Guided tours make sense for screen tourists who want to cover many locations without route planning. Bus tours hit the broadest range of sites, pedicab tours focus on Central Park spots such as Bethesda Fountain, and private guides allow fans of a single show to dig deeper. Options below skew heavily toward Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, with smaller selections for Friends.
Sex and the City Hotspots Bus Tour NYC
A bus tour of Manhattan hotspots from the series, rated 4.5 from 1318 reviews, and the most reviewed Sex and the City option listed.
NYC TV & Movie Locations Bus Tour: Friends, Seinfeld & More
Covers sites tied to Friends, Seinfeld and other shows by bus, rated 4.5 from 1293 reviews, and a strong pick for mixed-group fans.
90 min NYC Private Gossip Girl Pedicab Tour
A 90-minute private pedicab ride at $98, rated 4.8 from 195 reviews, ideal for Central Park locations such as Bethesda Terrace.
Grand Gossip Girl Tour
At $199 and rated 4.9 from 58 reviews, this grand tour suits dedicated fans wanting a fuller itinerary.
New York City: Sex and the City Hotspots Private Guided Tour
A private guided version of the hotspots tour, rated 4.5 from 58 reviews, for travelers who want exclusivity.
Budget Gossip Girl Tour 90 min
A 90-minute budget option rated 4.9 from 50 reviews, pairing a low price with strong satisfaction scores.
Private Sex and The City Tour in New York with Movie Scenes from famous TV show
A private tour focused on famous scenes, but the 3.8 rating from 25 reviews suggests checking recent feedback before booking.
Gossip Girl Private Guided Pedicab Tour
A perfect 5.0 rating from 10 reviews makes this private pedicab tour a boutique choice for Upper East Side sites.
Friends Locations Tour
A private Friends-focused tour rated 5.0 from 9 reviews, aimed squarely at fans of the show's locations.
New York City: Friends Tour
A Friends tour rated 5.0 from 6 reviews, a smaller alternative for fans of the 90 Bedford Street era.
Best of NYC:Top-Rated Sex and the City Hotspots Pedicab Tour
At $50, this pedicab hotspots tour rated 4.5 from 5 reviews is the cheapest Sex and the City option listed.
Gossip girl Tour
At $160 with a 3.7 rating from just 3 reviews, this is the weakest-reviewed option on the page.
No. 90 Bedford Street is a private residence. The exterior appeared throughout the show's 1994 to 2004 run, and viewing is from the street only, with no interior access and no loitering permitted.
Yes. Hook & Ladder Company 8 in Tribeca is an active firehouse whose exterior served as Ghostbusters headquarters in the 1984 film. Visitors can photograph the facade from the public sidewalk but should respect the working firefighters.
The daily NYC TV and Movie Tour by bus, departing from Broadway and 51st Street, costs $65 for adults and visits more than 60 filming locations including the Friends apartment and Central Park sites.
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain are the standout, appearing in The Avengers, Enchanted and John Wick: Chapter 2. Central Park overall has appeared in over 300 films and TV shows, and the Plaza Hotel scenes from Home Alone 2 sit at its southern edge.
Most exterior locations are free to view from public sidewalks. The Empire State Building observatory and the Metropolitan Museum of Art require tickets, though sitting on the Met steps, made famous by Gossip Girl, costs nothing.
Reviews suggest yes. The Grand Gossip Girl Tour is rated 4.9 from 58 reviews at $199, the 90-minute private pedicab version is rated 4.8 from 195 reviews at $98, and a budget 90-minute option holds a 4.9 rating from 50 reviews. The cheap $160 listing, rated 3.7 from 3 reviews, is the one to avoid.
New York rewards both planners and wanderers. A visitor can stand on the Met steps in the morning, eat at Katz's Deli where When Harry Met Sally filmed its most famous scene, and watch dusk fall over Bethesda Fountain by evening, all for the price of a subway ride. Travelers who prefer structure should book the multi-show bus tour, while devoted fans of a single series will find pedicab and private options worth the extra cost.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for New York.
