New York has captured the imaginations of many people and innovators in the world. Because of this many of the area’s landmarks and historical sites have become immortalized on film among these places, some have been more notorious in our minds and hearts. Here is a list of some of these top ‘sets’ of New York.

Queensboro Bridge
The Queensboro Bridge set the stage as a set in various films and movies in its lifetime. This doesn’t count the TV scenes shot on or from it and its place in literature and song. Its construction started in 1902 and was completed in 1908. It was nearly 30 years before the movie cameras were shooting it in the motion pictures, but since then it has been seen in movies such as, No Man of Her Own, Manhattan, Escape from New York, and recently in The Dark Knight Rises.

Times Square
Times Square has fueled the imagination of film goers for years with movies such as I am Legend, Knowing, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, New Year's Eve, and the Avengers all having shot scenes on or about this set. This square came to be known as Times Square on April 8, 1904 when it was decided the subway should connect here.

New York Public Library
The New York Public Library started in 1848 when John Jacob Astor left 400,000 in his will for the creation of a public library. In as early as 1933 it caught the director Lloyd Bacon’s imagination and his film 42nd street was filmed there. Since then many films have been filmed in and around it immortalize this place in our minds as long as the movies exist.

Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village has been a part of New York culture and heart for so long no one can imagine it ever being anything else. And is one of the areas used as filming locations for many movies and TV series in New York. It started in film in the late 1940’s and has starred in movies like the 1971 movie Shaft.

Bay Ridge
Sitting in the southwest corner of Brooklyn, Bay Ridge has been around since the 1930’s. Parts of it have appeared in films like White Irish Drinkers, Saturday Night Fever, Spider-Man 2 and What Happens in Vegas. Some iconic characters in TV and film have called this area home, and this beautiful area has even made appearances on reality TV. We can also note that the modern award winning straight to DVD films from the Futurama series are set in this corner of Brooklyn.

Battery Park
Battery Park has been around since the 17th century and in film since 1913 when the silent film Traffic in Souls shot several scenes from there. Since then it has been a set for many movies like Whatever Works, Men in Black 3, Desperately Seeking Susan, and Sorcerer’s Apprentice in 2010.

Bed-Stuy
Bed-Stuy is another section of Brooklyn that has made its way into being a stage and set for filming. Films like Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, Clockers, Summer of Sam, and The French Connection has called this area a set from which they filmed entertainment for the masses. But where this place has truly been immortalized is in song as many artists have made reference to it in their lyrics.

Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle was completed in 1905 and been in film since at least 1984 when the Ghostbusters watched the state puff marshmallow man come up its street. Other movies using it as scenery include Columbus Circle, It Should Happen to You, The Devil Wears Prada, Eyes of Laura Mars, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Taxi Driver, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Enchanted, I Am Legend, Cloverfield, The Other Guys, and Tower Heist to name a few.

Brill Building
The Brill Building was built in 1931 under the name Alan E. Lefcourt Building. The movie Sweet Smell of Success, made in 1957 was one of the first to be filmed on this site since then several movies have used this building to set a scene like another film Grace of My Heart in 1996.

Coney Island
Coney Island has been a classic area and must visit place in New York for years. And the film industry is not unlike those of us it caters to and has made use of it in many films and TV shows. Not the least of these being Love Never Dies, Penguins of Madagascar, He Got Game, The Warriors, Two Weeks’ Notice, and Uptown Girls to name a few.