New York is a concrete representation of most people’s ambitions, dreams, goals, worries, and fantasies. It’s a lovely and romantic city which can also be genuine and intriguing. It is indeed evidently amusing. At least, plenty of the greatest television shows would make you think so.
In even less than a decade, television has evolved from being overloaded with telenovelas and sitcoms to being a home for excellent, high-level entertainment. However, it’s not only the actors or the storyline that keeps television shows so interesting these days but also the time and effort the shows’ staff spent on location scouting that brings spectacular shows to life.
Over the years, you have probably watched several of the most popular TV series based in New York. People worldwide usually come to the Big Apple to visit the most well-known filming sites in real life. FRIENDS and How I Met Your Mother fans may now see and explore many of the most iconic places from these New York TV Series.
The following are some of the most iconic and magnificent filming locations you’ve only seen on your televisions.
Monk’s Diner from Seinfeld
Even casual viewers of this tv show will remember the vibrant red neon “Restaurant” sign, wherein the group frequently gathers and talk about simple things. In Seinfeld, the restaurant is recognized as Monk’s Café, although it is known as Tom’s Restaurant in real life.
When you see the restaurant in real life, you will see the word “Tom’s.” However, they usually crop the name from the frame in every shot of Monk’s Café. So from this day forward, when you watch Seinfeld, you’ll never be able to unsee Tom’s signage.
Tom’s Restaurant or Monk’s Café is situated on the corner of Broadway and W112 Street, only a few blocks away from the north of Central Park.
American Museum of Natural History
For the whole ten seasons of “Friends,” the group appears at about every notable tourist attraction or museum that New York City has to offer. One of which is the American Museum of Natural History, where Ross Geller works as a doctor of paleontology.
It is also where Joey Tribiani worked as a tour guide for only a short time. This museum, specifically in the planetarium, was also the location of Rachel and Ross’ first date, only for it to be awakened up by a bunch of Catholic School Students who were on their field trip.
It’s also among the filming locations for How I Met Your Mother. The group joins a black-tie fundraising event at the American Museum of Natural History, where Barney boasted about destroying the blue whale display when he was six years old. Ted had a lot of fun fiddling with the museum’s magic whispering acoustics.
Aside from the tv shows mentioned, 30 Rock also shot some of its scenes at the American Museum of Natural History. Kaylie is given a tour of TGS’s floor by Jack Donaghy, during which she exhibits a fascination with marine biology. She freaked out when Jack informed her he recognized her favorite explorer and offered Kaylie a special museum tour.
This museum was also where Jack and Avery attended a black-tie banquet, wherein Jack had a hard time choosing between Avery and his high school sweetheart, Nancy.
FRIENDS Apartment Building
FRIENDS has been almost everyone’s absolute favorite television show. The apartment building featured in the ten seasons of introductory shots as the home of the nation’s most favorite friend group has instantly become one of the fascinating places to visit.
This Friends filming location is in West Village, at the corner of Bedford and Grove Streets. Although the actors of this legendary TV sitcom never actually set foot in this building, it’s still a must-visit place in New York City.
MacLaren’s Pub from How I Met Your Mother
McGee’s Pub, located on 55th Street along Broadway and 8th Avenue, is the inspiration for one of television’s most renowned pubs, the MacLaren’s Pub you see in almost all the How I Met Your Mother episodes. The show’s producers often visited the McGee’s Pub for beers, which inspired them to produce nearly the exact version of the bar for their tv sitcom.
On Monday nights, head there to catch an episode of How I Met Your Mother while having a Suit Up Sandwich and a nice refreshing cocktail. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to sit at one of the tables and experience the feels of being a HIMYM character.
And if you’re not a massive fan of the famous tv series, you will still be likely to appreciate the Pub’s excellent food and reasonably priced drinks. Some say the HIMYM casts and crews used to go to the McGee’s Pub for a big celebration at least once a year.
Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island is also a popular filming site for the New York television series. You can spot this location from the TV show FRIENDS. The married couple, Monica and Chandler, toured their children’s biological mother, Erica, and they took her to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, wherein Chandler dresses up in “I Love New York” attire.
In How I Met Your Mother, Barney encourages Ted to do bungee jumping with him from the Statue of Liberty, which Ted declines. They also featured this place on the television show Seinfeld, wherein Kruger Industrial Smoothing recruited George upon losing his career at Yankee Stadium. The business, led by Mr. Kruger, is famous for screwing up the Statue of Liberty — the reason why the statue is still green.
Corner Bistro from HIMYM Best Burger in New York
Marshall Eriksen claims that he has eaten the best burger in NYC on his first night in the city, but he can’t recall which place it was. Eight years later, he goes on a mission to find it, stopping at various restaurants, including the Corner Bistro, and trying other locations that claim to serve “the best burger in New York.” Corner Bistro is a real-life pub located at West 4th Street, New York.
Al’s Soup Kitchen from Seinfeld
One of the most famous Seinfeld sayings was “NO SOUP FOR YOU!” The real-life soup chef named Al Yeganeh, owner of the soup kitchen “The Original Soup Man,” actually inspired the “Soup Nazi” character in Seinfeld. He reportedly claimed to despise the label “Soup Nazi” and sometimes even refused to serve Jerry Seinfeld in his restaurant.
Café Grumpy from Girls
At the start of the HBO series, Girls, Hannah, played by Lena Dunham, worked as a barista at Café Grumpy, which is actually a real-life coffee shop with many branches in New York City, one of which is in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The baristas of the real café have openly declared their disapproval for the show’s depiction of young New Yorkers, but that hasn’t stopped the establishment from offering up excellent coffee and delicious baked goods.
Check out our post about What Have Been the Top TV Shows Set in New York City for more great fun!