Today, we bring to you the ultimate TV Series-Inspired Travel Guide to the Big Apple! So, come take a look and start planning your visit!
With New York being such an iconic city, it has drawn the attention of filmmakers and tv show creators from all across the globe. So, today we will share with you an awesome TV Series-Inspired Travel Guide with all the details for you to visit these spots!
With its tall buildings and diverse culture, having New York as the setting for a TV show is a dream.
There are dozens of locations and sets you can visit where you can recreate the scenes of your favorite shows.
Firstly, Why Not Participate In TV Yourself?
If you want to live out your dream as a ‘Friends’ character or become a lawyer like in ‘Suits’, you can totally move to New York and get involved in TV production.
There’s a misconception that New York is very competitive to live in, but there are loads of condos available in New York City to choose from.
Be careful who you shop with though because certain companies like Zillow and Trulia earn money from selling your contact information – so always read the T&Cs!
By using a reputable company like Exprealty, you can find a property right for you – which could be next to a location used on your favorite TV show!
If you live in the Big Apple, you could apply to be on a TV show because studios are always looking for actors and extras to play characters.
Or, you can simply travel around the city and discover all the cool locations used in shows over the years.
So, let’s check out the TV Series-Inspired Travel Guide:
Gossip Girl
Gossip girl was a drama popular among teens that ran from 2007-2012, revolving around the lives of privileged students living on the Upper East Side.
Scandals, gossip, and heartbreaks unfold throughout the show, which is filmed in numerous locations including famous landmarks, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Here are some of the places you can go to recreate some iconic scenes.
The Empire State Building
If you head on up to the top of the Empire State Building, you can enjoy taking in the sights and reminiscing about that Chuck and Blair scene.
After a turbulent relationship, Chuck tells Blair that he’ll be waiting at the top of the Empire State Building. He waits there with a bouquet of pink flowers, and Blair doesn’t show up because something happens.
She visits later and finds the flowers there, but Chuck is nowhere to be found. This is probably a must for when you’re traveling around New York, so don’t miss out.
Dine At Veselka
After being mentioned so many times throughout the series, we finally see Dan Humphrey visit the Ukrainian restaurant of Veselka.
Offering some great breakfast options (all day!), you can certainly eat your fill at this place whenever you find yourself slightly peckish.
Grab A Cocktail At Campbell’s Apartment
This bar, now known as the Campbell, featured in the premier episode of Gossip Girl, where we see Serena van der Woodsen scandalously get it on with her best friend’s boyfriend, Nate.
Only go if you’re feeling pretty fancy though because it’s quite an expensive place!
Wonder Around Brooklyn
One of the main characters, Dan, lived in Brooklyn, so it is featured on most episodes of the show.
Try roaming around Washington Street, where the Humphreys lived, because you can get a great view of Brooklyn Bridge and spot some notable locations used in the show.
Sit On The Met Museum Steps
Many scenes saw a large part of the cast gather here to talk and hang out.
Some confrontations and arguments went down here – there are plenty of famous scenes to pick from if you want to recreate any moments from the show.
How I Met Your Mother
This long-running sitcom follows a group of friends living their life in New York. Falling in love, heartbreak, wild-goose chases, and drunken nights all take place in various places around New York, but most notably, a bar.
McGee’s Bar
McGee’s bar was the inspiration for the bar Maclaren’s, which features on every episode of the show and is almost a character in itself!
The bar hosts How I Met Your Mother trivia nights every Tuesday so be sure to check this out if you’re a fan and features cocktails inspired by the show, such as ‘The Naked Man’.
Eat The Best Burger In New York
One episode follows Marshall’s hunt for the best burger in NYC.
Sample the same goods at Corner Bistro, Paul’s Da Burger Joint, and ‘21’ Club. Perhaps you could recreate Marshall’s iconic speech about how “it’s more than just a burger”.
Ride “The Drunk Train”
Copy Ted and Barney as they rode the last train back from Long Island which is known as “the drunk train” because most of the people are traveling back from a night out.
The 2:39 am train back a night at the Joshua Tree can be an entertaining and fun ride back, to say the least.
Sex and The City
From 1998 – 2004, this rom-com sees Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte navigate the complexity of relationships, sex, and friendships in the Big Apple. New York undeniably aided in the show’s success and you can find many of the locations when you’re traveling around the city.
Carrie’s Apartment
The location used for the residence of Carrie Bradshaw is 64/66 Perry Lane in the West Village. The real-life owners of these addresses are not a fan of people coming to crowd their door so try to stay respectful as you go to admire it.
Catch A Game At Yankee Stadium
If you find yourself in the middle of a messy break-up (or not) as Cassie did in season 1, then go and watch a baseball game at the Yankee stadium. Aim number 1: catch a ball. Aim number 2: find a new sexy Yankees Player to date.
Go Shopping
If you love shopping as much as Carrie does in the series, then you can browse many of the same shops as her.
Unfortunately, Barneys, a shop that she peered into occasionally, has closed down. Barneys had a special window display in honor of the show but was bought over in 2019.
You can still shop at places she did like Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman.
Late-Night Shows
Many late-night shows are recorded in New York. Many of these have been running for decades and are a staple part of TV for many Americans. If you can, try and become an audience member, but if not you can visit the venues.
- Saturday Night Live – 30 Rockefeller Plaza at 48th St
- Late Night with Seth Meyers – 30 Rockefeller Plaza at 49th St
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – 1697 Broadway
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – 30 Rockefeller Plaza at 49th St
Suits
Following a fraudulent aspiring lawyer who never attended law school. Suits was a successful show that ran from 2012 – 2019.
Although the show is set in New York, a lot of filming took place in Toronto too, but there are some memorable scenes that were filmed in New York.
One such example is Del Posto where ‘Darvey’ (the formidable duo of Harvey and Donna), goes to an Italian restaurant every year to celebrate the anniversary that Donna started working for Harvey.
Although Del Posto closed during the pandemic, it has reopened under a new name Al Coro, which you can still eat at.
Friends
Friends are arguably the TV show that most people will be familiar with. Airing from 1994 – 2004, Friends quite literally follows a group of friends.
This show was filmed primarily in a studio built set in Los Angeles but it is set in New York, so you can find some locations that were used around the city.
The Apartment Building
The external shots you see of the apartment building in Friends are located on 90 Bedford Street at the corner of Grove Street – you should be able to find it easily from all the tourists that will be posing outside it.
The building is thought to have been built in the 1890s, although it wasn’t made famous until the show first aired in 1994.
American Museum of Natural History
The place where Ross works, and the location of Ross and Rachel’s first date, is the fictional museum of New York Museum of Prehistoric History which was filmed at the American Museum of Natural History.
This museum makes a great stop on your travels around New York, even if you’ve never watched the show.
Watch a Rangers Game At Madison Square Gardens
As the boys did in episode 4 of the first season (where the Rangers were playing the Penguins), you can catch a hockey game at Madison Square Gardens.
This is known as ‘the world’s most famous arena’ and can hold over 20,000 people. If you don’t fancy watching a game, there are arena tours you can book as well.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
This show has aired from 2017 – the present, but its upcoming fifth season is apparently its last.
This period drama is set in the 1950s and follows Mrs. Maisel (Midge) who finds out her husband is having an affair, which causes her to start up a career in comedy.
See A Concert At Carnegie Hall
The finale of season 4 features the incredible Carnegie Hall, which still holds events to this day.
The episode sees Lenny Bruce (based on the real-life stand-up comic) take to the stage, who is also Midge’s mentor and romantic interest. The venue is in Midtown Manhattan and was built in 1891.
Since then, it has become the aspirational goal for many performers around the world – particularly those in music. Seeing an orchestra here is a must if you have the chance – it can be truly breathtaking.
Visit Coney Island
Coney Island is featured at the beginning of season 4 where the Maisels and the Weissmans have a memorable argument.
The location is a fun one to visit where you can spot the areas where different scenes were filmed, but also enjoy the carnival rides that are there.
See the sights from Deno’s Wonder Wheel, eat a famous hot dog, and seek some thrills on the rollercoasters – there’s something you’ll enjoy here, even if it’s simply appreciating the historic aesthetic.
Listen To Jazz At The Village Vanguard
This sensational venue has been running for decades and has always lived up to its name. Big names like Miles Davis, Horace Silver, and Thelonious Monk have performed here.
As well as jazz, it’s also been used for various other acts, which is why this venue featured as a stand-up venue in the show.
Sesame Street
For over 50 years, Sesame Street has been filmed in a studio in Queens. You can book a set tour to pose with all the well-known backgrounds used in the show.
There’s also a street sign that was put up in 2019 after the street was renamed. The sign can be viewed on the Upper West Side, near the Sesame Workshop headquarters.
Mad Men
Don Draper is a talented ad executive in the 1960s; Mad Men is a drama that ran from 2007-2015 and the locations used are for people who enjoy a good bar crawl.
- Grand Central Oyster Bar – Don and Roger enjoy a lunch filled with booze and oysters before having to climb 20 flights of stairs to reach a meeting they were already late for.
- PJ Clarke’s – this restaurant has been open since the 1880s and was seen often in the first season of Mad Men. Don’t forget to play ‘the Twist’ on the jukebox as they did in the show.
- Sardi’s – admire the caricatures on the walls and enjoy the continental food served where Don bumped into an ex-girlfriend, Rachel.
All in all, there are so many locations to visit you wouldn’t be able to do it all in one trip so why not consider moving there to give yourself the chance to see them all and even be in a show yourself?
From Gossip Girl to Mad Men – there’s bound to be a show you like that’s been filmed in the Big Apple so you can live out your favorite character’s fictional life!
Oh, if you enjoyed this TV Series-Inspired Travel Guide to NYC, be sure to check out this other awesome list of Movies that were shot in NYC to explore other locations as well!
