New York, more than almost any other city, is the filmmakers-favorite. From comedy to drama to horror, this big, beautiful city is the backdrop to hundreds of films and series - for practical reasons, and simply because it has such a pop-culture significance. King Kong claimed the Empire State Building, countless romantic comedies feature walks in Central Park, decades of holiday movies see romantic pairings kiss in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree... New York is always front and center.
However, within that huge range of films and shows simply set in New York, some make the city itself a co-star. These films and shows aren't just in New York, they are about New York, and they are sure to inspire any viewer to think about heading to the Big Apple themselves.
Sex And The City
The groundbreaking (for the time) Sex and the City simply wouldn't be the same without New York - it is, after all, the titular City! The series (and later films) see Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte navigate love and careers in the Big Apple, and New York itself is constantly in the foreground. Whether it is the stunning brownstone Carrie lives in, commentary about Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey, or the events that scream New York (the hottest restaurants, fashion week, Upper East Side auctions), the city is as much as part of the show as Mr Big.
Broad City
Whereas Sex and the City was often criticized for being overwhelmingly white and not particularly sensitive around LGBTQ issues, Broad City is a much more realistic view of young women in the city today. Ilana and Abbi are two friends trying to make their way as adults in New York, and unlike many sitcoms, this show is surprisingly realistic when it comes to things like apartment size and income levels. That realism is balanced out with a powerful friendship and some slightly less believable adventures, and it may be one of the best New York comedies made in recent years.
Breakfast At Tiffany's
Arguably Audrey Hepburn's best-known film, Breakfast at Tiffany's is an iconic look at a young woman making her way through New York City using only her wits (and a little bit extra).
Holly Golightly is charming, complicated, fascinating, vulnerable, and powerful all at once, and is a true style icon. And with Tiffany's and yellow cabs front and center, it's a movie that is pure New York.
Birdman
Filmed so that it seems to be almost entirely a single shot, Birdman is an incredible film that centers on Broadway - and a washed-up superhero actor trying to make it on the stage. The city itself is the literal backdrop, but the pull of Broadway and the relationship that actors (especially blockbuster stars) have with the theater district is as much a star of the film as Michael Keaton. This simply could not have been made anywhere else in the world, and that seeming-single-shot shows off some of the city at its most realistic.
30 Rock
This SNL-inspired comedy is not just set in New York, but in 30 Rockefeller Plaza - it's hard to imagine somewhere more quintessentially New York than that! And while the antics of Liz Lemon and the writers of their fictional skit show are the focus, the city is a huge part of the show as well - and this comedy couldn't exist without it.
How I Met Your Mother
There are plenty of New-York-set sitcoms that might leap to mind, here, but these are the big three: Seinfeld (the original), Friends (the iconic), and How I Met Your Mother (the recent). All three keep NYC front and center, but arguably, How I Met Your Mother makes the city the biggest part of the show.
From Ted's inner struggles when Stella wants him to move to New Jersey to pisodes about what makes a 'real' New Yorker, to Lily refusing to admit that she doesn't know Dowisetrepla as an area, to Marshall struggling when he first arrives, HIMYM focuses on the city in a way that other sitcoms don't - and it pays off.
When Harry Met Sally
Nora Ephron might not have the most realistic view of New York City, but this classic rom com will certainly make viewers fall in love with it. This is a film where the city's weather always matches the mood, where fall is picture-perfect, where New Year is the biggest moment of the year... in short, it's a romanticized version of New York that is still, somehow, perfect.
West Side Story
Unlike many New York movies and series that are all about the rich and the white, West Side Story is a truly classic musical that tells a different story - of immigration, culture clashes, and of course, true love. As a Broadway show, West Side Story is layers on layers of New York, and could not be considered an institution when it comes to seeing the city on the big screen - and for good reason.
Modern Love
Based on the long-running New York Times series of the same name, Modern Love takes a look at the real people of the city, and how they fall in (and out of) love. With different stories each episode, the series covers everything from dating with bi-polar to unrequited love to sweet success stories. It's charming, unflinching, and deeply New York.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Finally, a quirky and hilarious take on the classic NYC cop show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a comedy smash-hit, following the oddball detectives of a Brooklyn precinct through their madcap adventures. It's not the most realistic look at life in the city, but it does manage to cover more serious issues while hosting Halloween heists and crazy capers.