The 25 Most Iconic New York Scenes in Movie History

Proof once and for all that NYC >Hollywood.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Filmmakers love using Manhattan's harried streets as the backdrop for their films. Maybe it's that every corner boasts a landmark, or that there are as many picturesque facades as there are trains leaving the station. Maybe it's that New Yorkers are unperturbed by film sets, rarely having the time or the interest to indulge in rubbernecking. 

Regardless, the city's visage appears in countless classics; it's as if the landmarks themselves lend to our considering a movie or scene iconic. Played over and over again throughout the decades, these images have buried themselves in our collective consciousness. Can we even separate the view of the Queensboro bridge from Woody Allen's ManhattanOr is the film itself part of what makes the view so arresting?

These are the scenes that inspire pilgrimages, and are to blame, at least partially, for inflating NYC's population to an all-time highThe 25 Most Iconic New York Scenes in Movie History.

RELATED: Cinematic Atlas: A Guide to Martin Scorsese's New York
RELATED: Cinematic Atlas: A Guide to Spike Lee's New York

25. Super Fly (1972)

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24. Wall Street (1987)

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23. The Warriors (1979)

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22. Miracle on 34th St. (1947)

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21. Shaft (1971)

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20. The Muppets Take Manhattan (1995)

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19. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

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18. Belly (1998)

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17. Saturday Night Fever (1977)

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16. Home Alone 2 (1992)

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15. Requiem For A Dream (2000)

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14. The Godfather Part II (1974)

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13. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

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12. Ghostbusters (1984)

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11. Carlito's Way (1993)

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10. Men In Black (1997)

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9. Do the Right Thing (1989)

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8. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

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7. Manhattan (1979)

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6. Taxi Driver (1976)

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5. Kids (1995)

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4. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

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3. Big (1988)

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2. The French Connection (1971)

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1. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

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