It's a little bit ironic that one of the most famous spots in a city best known for its skyscrapers is a park, but New York City's Central Park is truly outstanding. It's 843 acres of peaceful, relaxing greenery, a much-needed escape from the hustle and bustle of New York. Since it's so famous (and beautiful), of course it's made its way into quite a few movies set in the Big Apple.
The Plaza: Take your pick of famous movies that have filmed here-- from classics like The Great Gatsby and Funny Girl, to Almost Famous and Crocodile Dundee... or my personal favorite, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (even though there is no way in hell they'd ever let a 9-year-old check in and stay there alone, no matter how clever he may be). KEVIIIIIIIN!
Central Park Carousel: The famous Central Park Merry-Go-Round has made an appearance in The Producers. And, even though this article isn't about books, and there should never, ever be a movie version of this masterpiece, but I can't not mention it: it's also the carousel from Catcher in the Rye. I know, I'm such a phony.
Sheep Meadow: This grassy field is a great place to find some green space in the concrete jungle of the city. It was used as a filming location in Wall Street, The Manchurian Candidate and, interestingly enough, it's the supposed location of Woody Allen's Antz. Even when he's making an animated movie about bugs, he still manages to incorporate New York City in.
Mall and Literary Walk : The wide path lined by majestic trees is just too pretty to not include in movies. Big Daddy, Kramer vs. Kramer and Maid in Manhattan all feature this lovely walk-- just watch out for sticks while rollerskating.
The Bandshell: This Central Park icon was originally built in 1862, but it has taken its place in history as the location for a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech, a eulogy for John Lennon (hence the 'Imagine' mosaic) and as a filming location for Breakfast at Tiffany's (where Paul learns about Holly/Lula Mae's past) and Hair.
Tavern On The Green: This is where we learn that Bud Fox has been wearing a wire after confronting Gordon Gekko in Central Park in the movie Wall Street. It's also been seen in Arthur, Ghostbusters, andThe Flintstones... and prior to its closing and reopening, they used to display topiaries trimmed by Johnny Depp's character in Edward Scissorhands.
Bethesda Terrace: This ornate area of Central Park pops up in The Avengers, Disney's Enchanted, and The Out of Towners (although The Out of Towners features quite a bit of Central Park, seeing as George and Gwen spend the night there and all).
The Loeb Boathouse In Central Park: This boathouse's restaurant was a filming location for When Harry Met Sally, when we find out that Sally has broken up with Joe, paving the way for her to reconnect with Harry. It's also been in Sex and the City and Little Manhattan.
Cherry Hill: The best time to see the cherry trees in the park is when they bloom in the spring! They're the backdrop for scenes in Big Daddy, Cruel Intentions and Little Manhattan.
