Movie Magic in Manhattan

Almost every time I enter Manhattan, despite any rainy weather, hustle and bustle, and the grungy atmosphere getting off the train, it is as if everything pauses for a moment, a title song plays in my head, and I have entered a Nora Ephron movie. Sure, the city is a bit grimey, sometimes it feels like you can never escape certain smells and smoke, but there is also a picturesque aspect about the city. As I have been exploring Manhattan more this year with friends and family who love movies, I thought that I should give you, the reader, a bit of a cinematic walkthrough of the city. However, a word of caution - you will probably not be able to take on all of the places listed in this blog in one day. So, spread this out over a couple of days to save your feet and your mind. Let’s begin!

When I think of movies in New York and where I like to go, I tend to gravitate towards the Central Park area. Let’s say I arrive in the city at Penn Station. I would either walk up 8th Avenue, or take the C line up to the 81st Street - Museum of Natural History subway stop. If I take the subway, I can see creative mosaics of butterflies, bats, lizards, and a 3-D relief of a dinosaur to greet me as I walk towards the American Museum of Natural History. Since the movie Night at the Museum was released, I half expect to see the exhibits come to life. Unfortunately, I have not been lucky enough to see that yet.

If I decide not to go to the Museum of Natural History, this stop is still perfect to get off at to walk through Central Park. I usually walk along a path that generally guides me east to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). In the park, the area between the Great Lawn, Shakespeare Garden and the Ramble is my favorite. If I walk with the Turtle Pond on my right, I can see the stone Belvedere Castle overlooking the pond and green lawn. Though, if I go off course and meander a bit south, the Bethesda Fountain eventually comes into view and makes me want to break out into song. For reference, check out the scene in Enchanted where Giselle (Amy Adams) sings to Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and starts a flash mob in that area. You may start singing by the fountain too after you watch it.

If I keep on my usual path, I will see Cleopatra’s Needle poke out above the trees with the Met in the background. Rounding the corner of the museum, I will see the main entrance with its large set of stairs in front. But before I enter the museum, I take a mental note that these steps were used in the movie Hitch. Specifically the part where Hitch (Will Smith) and Albert (Kevin James) meet to discuss Albert’s love life and the desire to fight for the girl… right after Albert spills mustard onto himself from a hotdog and a soda can explodes. My personal suggestion, avoid the hotdog stands and grab a snack with a view inside.

Now inside the museum, I prefer to walk towards the Temple of Dendur in the Egyptian section on the first floor. Whenever I visited the Met’s Egyptian collection when I was younger, I was determined to examine every sarcophagus, shabti, and amulet on display, as well as sketch hieroglyphics to try and decipher their meanings because I loved the movies The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. However, as I walk into this spacious room housing the Temple of Dendur, I am reminded of the comedic scene between Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) in When Harry Met Sally, and the gorgeous party Marisa (Jennifer Lopez) and Christopher (Ralph Fiennes) attend in Maid in Manhattan. After walking around the temple and artifacts for a bit, I begin my own movie montage meandering the museum. From the Egyptian section, I would typically cross through to the American Wing for the Tiffany Windows, then a left through the Armoury collection to the Medieval section. From medieval windows and sometimes the angel covered Christmas tree, I will head upstairs to look at some Impressionist and Baroque pieces.

Once I get a bit of museum fatigue, it is time to head back outside. For some reason as I am writing this, I think about visiting the Met in the winter, and when I re-enter the outdoors at this time of year, I feel the chilly wind welcoming and ushering me to the next stop. For me, the next stop would be Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At Rockefeller Center, during the winter time, I will watch ice skaters below the Christmas tree and look at the bronze Prometheus sculpture. If I turn 180 degrees, I will see the Saks Fifth Avenue light display and Christmas windows. The Christmas window walk begins yet another montage of passing by many stores presenting creative and innovative holiday displays. For example, starting at the Saks Fifth Avenue, if I keep walking down 6th Avenue towards Macy’s Christmas windows, all of the fanfare and shopping is like the shopping scene with Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) and Nanny (Julie Andrews) in Eloise at Christmastime, or the busyness and excitement Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) has when exploring the city the first time in the movie Elf.

Buddy the Elf reminds me that nearby Macy’s is the Empire State Building. I usually do not go inside, but I love to take pictures of the building either during the day or at night. Though, at night it is beautiful with all of the lights. The view of the Empire State Building at night reminds me how great it is to utilise this icon in movies such as at the end of Sleepless in Seattle.

At this point, if I have done a day in Manhattan, and I covered the aforementioned route, I would either be thankful I wore good walking shoes, or dying from wearing even medium heels on the streets. Preferably, I would not want to wear heels like the girls supporting Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) do in The Devil Wears Prada while in Manhattan. My suggestion, make sure your shoes are made for lots of walking when in the city. They can be cute, but your feet will thank you later if you do not torture yourself in heels.

Now, I am sorry for the big hop, but let me take you all the way to the southern tip of Manhattan to see the Statue of Liberty. Instead of taking jet skis and falling into the water like Hitch and Sara (Eva Mendes) do in Hitch, I prefer to take the normal method of visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; by boat. Now, nothing crazy will happen at the Statue of Liberty like in the X-Men movies. Though, if something did happen in the past, perhaps my memory was erased by a Statue of Liberty sized neutralizer, just like in Men in Black II. Regardless, if I have the time, I enjoy walking though both Liberty and Ellis Island to explore their respective histories. They are quite fascinating and the Statue of Liberty and the Main Building on Ellis Island are stunning pieces of sculpture and architecture.

Lastly, returning to the shores of Manhattan, I will probably get hungry for food. Looking along the piers for a snack, with the boats bobbing and New Jersey in the distance, I cannot help but think of one thing… Tom Hank’s line as Joe Fox in You’ve Got Mail: “Hello, New Jersey!” To be honest, I will say this line on any bridge I cross going into New Jersey every time.

In all fairness, I know that there is much more of Manhattan to explore. For example, there is the beautiful Grand Central Station, the ever bright Times Square, all of the bridges in and out of Manhattan, and so many vibrant neighborhoods to experience. Also, there are at least a hundred more movies and tv shows that take place in this borough, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the Spider-Man trilogy, Friends, The Day After Tomorrow, West Side Story, Two Weeks Notice, Beastly, and The Avengers to name a few. With this blog, I hope this gives you a taste of what to explore in Manhattan based on your movie interests, and the feeling that in this city, you are the star of your life’s movie.

Until next time.

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If you are interested in some art inspired by Manhattan, I created some bookmarks of the city’s skyline on my Etsy page. In addition, for your next visit to Manhattan, feel free to check out my post on my Buy Me a Coffee page for food recommendations in the city.

For any questions you may have about Manhattan, head over to my Instagram or Buy Me a Coffee page to share your inquiry. I will respond to these questions in my next blog.