At this time of year, many like to curl up and put on a romantic comedy, with or without a partner. A significant number are set in New York City and beloved by viewers all over the world, but appreciated in a whole new way by locals who laugh, cry, marvel at familiar locations, and wonder how some of these characters can afford their apartments. We look at listings near some of the most iconic romantic comedies of the past few decades.
In this article:
Between the Brooklyn streetscapes and a critical scene at the Metropolitan Opera House, 1987 romantic comedy Moonstruck is as much a love letter to New York City as a romance between Cher and Nicholas Cage's characters. Comedian Amy Schumer has snapped up the Brooklyn Heights townhouse that served as the exteriors of the Castorini family home, but the neighborhood is rich in beautiful brownstones.
Lincoln Towers, #9M (The Agency Brokerage)
152 Willow Street, #House (Leslie J Garfield & Co Inc)
38 Monroe Place, #TH (Leslie J Garfield & Co Inc)
When Coming to America came out in 1987, the premise of the hit comedy was that the regally named but rundown borough of Queens would be the ideal place for a prince to find a suitable bride. Decades later, when a sequel was released, the few scenes in New York were filled with jokes about the neighborhood's gentrification.
QNS44, #3F (Modern Spaces)
Arris Lofts, #422
$1,798,000 (-4.8%)
Long Island City | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,574 ft2
Arris Lofts, #422 (Nest Seekers LLC)
Skyline Tower, #PH101 (Nest Seekers LLC)
In the years of debate on whether a man and woman can truly be friends without the complications of a romantic relationship, the titular characters of this 1989 hit keep running into each other all over New York City. Key scenes take place in Washington Square Park and on the Upper West Side, but the most famous takes place at Katz's Delicatessen, where there is now a sign over the table from the movie (pictured above).
196 Orchard Street, #5B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
One Avenue B, #5E (Compass)
50 Clinton Street, #1A (Compass)
In 1998, five years after Sleepless in Seattle was released, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan teamed up for another romantic comedy. But while only one scene of Sleepless in Seattle took place in New York, almost the entirety of You've Got Mail takes place on the Upper West Side in such a love letter to the neighborhood that some listings tout their proximity to movie locations.
The Manchester, #11A (Compass)
61 West 68th Street, #5PARLOR (Corcoran Group)
The Ansonia, #1041 (Sothebys International Realty)
At the beginning of this early 2000s romantic comedy, two characters meet at Bloomingdale's and spend the day on New York's Upper East Side, including Serendipity 3 and Wollman Rink in Central Park, before going their separate ways. But will fate bring them back together again?
Le Domaine, #11/12D (Corcoran Group)
201 East 62nd Street, #18A (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
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200 East 59th Street, #16A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
In this contemporary Cinderella story set in 2002, a Senatorial candidate finds love with a maid at the luxury hotel where he was staying. These days, it's likely that the hero wouldn't have just been a guest in the hotel, but kept a pied-a-terre there – a number of the city's top hotels include residential units for sale.
The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria, #3407
$2,850,000
Midtown East | Condominium | 1 Bedroom, 1.5 Baths | 808 ft2
The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria, #3407 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New York, NoMad, #PH42D
$7,850,000 (+9%)
Chelsea | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,848 ft2
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New York, NoMad, #PH42D (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Pierre, #2704 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Early in this 2004 romantic comedy, a 13-year-old girl's birthday wish comes true to the extent that she wakes up 30 years old with a dream job in Manhattan. It comes as a shock to her, but the idea of waking up with an apartment on the Greenwich Village Gold Coast sounds like a dream come true to real estate aficionados!
Devonshire House, #11D
$3,300,000
Greenwich Village | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths | 1,093 ft2
Devonshire House, #11D (Sothebys International Realty)
200 Mercer Street, #2E
$3,800,000
Greenwich Village | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,230 ft2
200 Mercer Street, #2E (Compass)
1 Fifth Avenue, #25FL (Ann Weintraub Ltd)
Throughout this 2005 romantic comedy, the titular "date doctor" sends his clients to cultural and nightlife hot spots all over New York City. But when it's time for him to make his own declaration of love, he chooses a more low-key location - the Soho block where his paramour lives.
Greenwich West, #9D (Corcoran Group)
14 Wooster Street, #2 (Corcoran Group)
42 Crosby Street, #5N (Corcoran Group)
At the beginning of this 2007 movie, New York City is described as "a place where there are no happily ever afters." And yet, that's exactly where the main character finds in this live-action city following an exile from her animated kingdom. Eagle-eyed viewers have noted that some scenes were shot at The Paterno, an Upper West Side cooperative designed by Schwartz & Gross.
Majestic Towers, #3A (Compass)
54 Riverside Drive, #2B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
670 West End Avenue, #15F
$4,250,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
670 West End Avenue, #15F (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
In this 2018 addition to the romantic comedy canon, and the list's only one released on Netflix instead of in theaters, two overworked assistants fall in love while conspiring to bring their bosses together. As a result of their workaholic ways, much of the movie's action takes place around the office, where Bank of America Tower was used for exterior shots.
The Wheeler Building, #6E (Level Group Inc)
11 West 30th Street, #13FL (Compass)
The Bryant, #25B (Corcoran Group)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Content Specialist
Michelle Mazzarella
Michelle is a contributing writer and editor for real estate news in New York City