The movie-geek’s guide to New York City: 15 must-see filming locations

Housing more than 8-million artefacts and books, the magnificent main branch of the New York Public Library has been featured prominently in Ghostbusters, The Day After Tomorrow, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sex and the City: The Movie (really, Big?) and Spider-Man (oh, Uncle Ben).

From there, make the short walk to Bryant Park for a burger at Shake Shack and a spin on the charming carousel in the summer or on the ice skating rink in the winter.

Insta-worthy: Patience and Fortitude, the Library Lions located at the library’s 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue entrance, are the big draw for shutterbugs. For a less predictable shot, head inside to snap the spectacularly ornate Rose Main Reading Room.

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Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy, Date Night, Captain America, Big, Shaft (the original!), A Chorus Line, Vanilla Sky, Birdman… The list of movies shot in the neon-lit heart of New York City is endless.

Times Square is at its brightest and most boisterous at night, but don’t go there hungry. En route, stop at West 51st Street and Broadway for a bite at Ellen’s Stardust Diner – featured in New Year’s Eve – where the showtunes-singing wait staff are part of the experience.

Insta-worthy: For a panoramic view of the world’s most-visited tourist attraction, jostle for a spot on the stepped red roof of the TKTS discount booth just below 47th Street.

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Fans of The Godfather will recognise this famed theatre as the spot Michael Corleone and Kay Adams learn about the assassination attempt on Don Corleone. Billed as the “Showplace of the Nation” when it opened in 1932, Radio City Music Hall continues to host hundreds of concerts and events each year. Don’t have a ticket? Get an insider’s view of the venue and meet one of the world-famous Rockettes during the guided one-hour Stage Door Tour.

Insta-worthy: The marquee shoots best at night from the intersection of 6th Avenue and West 50th Street.

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Who you gonna call? You can’t help but hum the Ghostbusters theme song on your approach to the active FDNY firehouse used as Ghostbusters HQ in the 1984 comedy classic. For a photo op alongside like-minded fans, book an NYC TV and Movie bus tour with On Location Tours which makes a stop at this TriBeCa location.

Grab a bite nearby at The Odeon, the legendary bistro featured in the film adaptation (and on the book cover) of Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City.

Insta-worthy: Once you take the requisite photo of the firehouse exterior, look down: the station’s insignia – featuring the Ghostbusters logo – is painted directly on the sidewalk.

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The most iconic skyscraper in New York City (thanks, King Kong!), the Empire State Building has played a starring role in Elf and Sleepless in Seattle – though, sadly, the latter film’s emotional climax was filmed on a replica set. Head out early in the morning to avoid long line-ups for tickets, security and the elevator leading up to the famous open-air Observation Deck on the 86th floor.

Insta-worthy: The only problem with the 360-degree view from the Empire State Building is that it doesn’t include the Empire State Building! For that, you’ll need to visit Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center 16 blocks north. You can save money and skip lines by purchasing a New York CityPASS to get access to both experiences.

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Although you saw it destroyed by a flying saucer in Men in Black, the real-life Unisphere stands tall in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. The 12-storey stainless-steel globe was commissioned for the 1964 New York World’s Fair to celebrate the dawn of the space age and “Peace Through Understanding,” and shines like new thanks to recent restoration efforts.

Baseball fans will want to visit nearby Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, while little ones will enjoy the Queens Zoo.

Insta-worthy: If you’re visiting in the summer, a selfie with the reflecting pool and fountains is a must. In the off-season, when the pool is empty, stand underneath the globe for a unique angle.

A transportation hub for travellers and commuters since 1913, Grand Central Terminal has been the big screen backdrop for everything from chases (North by Northwest) and gun battles (Carlito’s Way) to alien invasions (The Avengers) and flash mobs (Friends with Benefits). To learn more about this Beaux Arts beauty, download the Grand Central Tour app ($5) for an official self-guided audio tour, then stop by the Magnolia Bakery location in the Lower Concourse for one of their deeply delicious cupcakes.

Insta-worthy: Watch the ebb and flow of the bustling main concourse from the east or west balconies or aim high for a photo of the arched windows and constellation-themed ceiling mural.

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Conceived by John D. Rockefeller during the Depression as a “city within a city,” Rockefeller Center encompasses six square blocks of Midtown Manhattan. Several of the complex’s most popular attractions have made film appearances, including The Rainbow Room (Sleepless in Seattle), Top of the Rock (The Adjustment Bureau) and The Rink at Rockefeller Plaza (Elf, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York).

After a day of sightseeing, relax with a cocktail at the stately Lotte Palace New York on Madison Avenue – its Tavern On 51 bar offers a cool Old New York vibe. The mansion-turned-hotel appears in the rom-coms 27 Dresses and Just My Luck.

Insta-worthy: The stairs to the Center’s sunken plaza are the best spot to capture a shot of the massive gilded statue Prometheus, one of the most-photographed works of art in the city.

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Manhattan’s 341-hectare green space is one of the most popular filming locations in the world. Movie buffs will recognise Central Park’s bench-lined Mall from Kramer vs. Kramer and Maid in Manhattan, picturesque Bethesda Fountain as the site of the sing-along in Enchanted and Wollman Rink as the oh-so-romantic backdrop in Serendipity and Love Story.

If a hot dog from a cart won’t do, nestled on the park’s west side is the world-famous Tavern on the Green. Featured in dozens of films including Wall Street, Beaches and Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the restaurant is probably best known as the spot where poor Louis Tully bangs fruitlessly on the windows trying to escape a demon dog in Ghostbusters.

Insta-worthy: All of it – but the balconies of the whimsical Belvedere Castle at the 79th Avenue Transverse offer particularly stunning views of the Great Lawn to the North and the Ramble to the south.

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Part tourist attraction, part talisman for New York Stock Exchange traders, artist Arturo Di Modica conceived Charging Bull as a symbol of strength and courage. Located at Bowling Green at the intersection of Broadway and Morris Street in Lower Manhattan, the statue has popped up in Hitch, Arthur (the remake) and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

While you’re there, enjoy a Wall Street-inspired moment with a drink at the bar at CUT inside the luxurious Four Seasons New York Downtown on nearby Barclay Street. Afterwards, walk two blocks west to One World Trade Centre to marvel at the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Insta-worthy: Go very early in the morning or late at night to get a photo of Charging Bull and its controversial new companion, Fearless Girl, without throngs of tourists in the background.