Tour NYC’s 13 Most Memorable TV Show Filming Locations

Take a tour around the city visiting some of the most memorable filming locations of your favorite New York TV show episodes.

1. How I Met Your Mother: MacLaren’s

NYC LOCATION: McGee’s // 240 W 55th St

MacLaren’s is a staple of How I Met Your Mother. The Irish pub Ted and Marshall live above is the crew’s favorite hangout spot throughout the show. The pub was actually inspired by McGee’s Pub, an Irish bar and restaurant located in Hell’s Kitchen. The show’s co-creators, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas used to hang out at McGee’s while working as writers on The Late Show with David Letterman.

2. Sex and the City: Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment

NYC LOCATION: 64 Perry St

This Greenwich Village gem was once the exterior home for Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. While the exterior was used as Carrie’s apartment in the show, the interior is much grander than Carrie’s quaint studio. The beautiful brownstone on 245 E. 73rd street was listed for $9.65 million in 2012 and sold for $200,000 over asking price.

3. Gossip Girl: The Steps at The Met

NYC Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art // 1000 5th Ave

The steps as The Met were a regular location for Blair Waldorf and her crew during the early seasons while the bunch was still in high school. Venture inside the at the top of the steps and experience the largest art museum in the US.

4. Mad Men: Oyster Bar

NYC Location: Grand Central Oyster Bar // 89 E 42nd St

There’s no shortage of business lunches in Madmen. In season one you can see Roger and Don slurping down oysters at an oyster bar. The classic red and white gingham tablecloth used in the episode recreate the historic Grand Central Oyster Bar.

5. Broad City: Soulstice

NYC Location: Chalk Gyms // 193 N 9th St, Brooklyn

As an aspiring trainer, Abbi works at a cleaner at the Soulstice gym, which makes its way into almost every episode. While the name “Soulstice” parodies trendy New York gyms like SoulCycle and Equinox, scenes at the gym are actually filmed at Chalk Gyms in Williamsburg.

6. Gossip Girl: The Palace

NYC Location: Lotte New York Palace Hotel // 455 Madison Ave

Many scenes were shot outside the Palace, a temporary residence for the Van der Woodsens’ and home for the Bass’s during seasons 1 and 2. The 5-star hotel sits in midtown Manhattan directly across from the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

7. Girls: Café Grumpy

NYC Location: Café Grumpy--Greenpoint // 192 Meserole Ave, Brooklyn

Ray and Hannah work at the Greenpoint Grumpy as baristas and it becomes a regular spot on the show. Thanks to the exposure from Girls, Café Grumpy now serves their brew to grumpy coffee-enthusiasts at eight locations all around the City. They will be opening up a location in Miami in Fall 2017.

8. Sex and the City: Magnolia Bakery

NYC Location: Magnolia Bakery--Greenwich Village // 401 W Bleecker St

Just around the corner from Carrie Bradshaw’s beautiful brownstone sits Magnolia Bakery, which has since become a staple of Sex and the City. The 30-second scene shows Miranda and Carrie sitting on a bench, chatting, and eating cupcakes. Since then thousands of Sex and the City fans have visited the bakery, which now has seven New York locations.

9. Seinfeld: Monk’s Cafe

NYC Location: Tom’s Restaurant // 2880 Broadway

The exterior of Tom’s Restaurant was used as the exterior for Monk’s Café, a regular spot for Jerry and his friends throughout the series. The interior shots were filmed at a studio in California, however Seinfeld buffs from all over the world come to Tom’s Restaurant for a picture outside the iconic sign and some classic diner eats.

10. Mad Men: P.J. Clarke’s

NYC Location: P.J. Clarke’s--Third Ave // 915 3rd Ave

“A bunch of us, just the girls so far, are going to P.J. Clarke’s tonight,” Peggy says to Pete in season 1, episode 8 after just receiving a promotion. A bunch of the gang from Sterling Cooper makes their way to P.J. Clarke’s after work and dances the night away. Now, P.J. Clarke’s still stands as a New York institution, and you can visit its original location on third ave.

11. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Times Square

NYC Location: Times Square // 7th Ave between 45th and 47th

Kimmy and Titus begin their friendship in the pilot episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, when the two start singing Circle of Life in the middle of Times Square. Venture over to this iconic spot and experience its beautiful chaos.

12. Friends: Rachel’s Work at Bloomingdale’s

NYC Location: Bloomingdale’s // 1000 3rd Ave

After her waitressing stint at Central Perk, Rachel snagged a job at the prestigious Bloomingdale’s, which makes its way into many Friends episodes. Visit the original Bloomingdale’s on third avenue in Midtown and experience this iconic department store that takes up an entire block.

13. 30 Rock: Rockefeller Center

NYC Location: Rockefeller Center // 30 Rockefeller Plaza

Tina Fey’s comedic series 30 Rock takes place in Rockefeller Center, where Tina’s character Liz Lemon and her colleagues write for the fictional series TGS with Tracy Jordan. Shots of Rockefeller are shown throughout the entire show, including in the pilot when Liz buys all of the hotdogs in a hotdog stand to prove a point, then hands them out to everyone on the streets--including security at 30 Rock!