As I am off to New York in just over a week, it’s becoming quite hard to concentrate and think of anything else. NYC is my second home and I have a tendency to well up when the plane starts to land, and that famous skyline comes into view. So I thought I’d share with you my favourite all time movies set in that magical city. Not only are these films based in Manhattan, but the city is like a character, one so enigmatic and all-consuming, it almost makes you feel as though your there.

 New York, I Love You

Of course this movie makes the list, as the film itself encapsulates this blog post entirely. Made up of entwined short-films directed by the likes of Joshua Marston, Mira Nair and Natalie Portman, who also wrote and acted in some of its segments. With its all-star cast of actors such as Bradley Cooper, Rachel Bilson, Hayden Christensen and Shia Labeouf to name a few, there is a story that touches every heart, some much more gripping than others. The tale with Labeouf is definitely my favourite haunting moment of the whole thing. If I’m every feeling second-home sick, I put this on and it feels that void. Slightly.

Annie Hall

There’s no way you can talk about New York films and not discuss Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. It’s one of my favourite all time movies. So sharply neurotic, you can argue it’s Allen at his best. Plus with all the androgynistic fashion whats not to love. Dianne Keaton is such a babe. It was this film that made me want a Volkswagen Beetle as my first car, however I settled with a Mini instead.

New York Minute

The last of the Mary-Kate and Ashley movies, its definitely a classic. Two twins, that couldn’t be further from each other personality wise, running around New York trying to escape a truant officer as well as a chinese mob, what’s not to like. Oh and don’t forget the cameo from Simple Plan (oh that’s embarrassing). Mary-Kate’s grunge style here influenced most of my teen years. The baggy jeans, rock tee layering and red hat, oh yeah I wore that outfit many a time.

Breakfast At Tiffany’s

This film needs no explanation.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

This is one of those silly teenage flicks, but it still holds a special spot in this list due to its story. When a group of kids finish high school one Friday night, they head into the city in search of their favourite band, they go all over, to every cool venue NYC has to offer. Caroline the drunk friend, who never sober’s up, is amazing; “I was kidnapped by a bunch of guys, saying they wanted to go balls deep. Yeah, not fun!” Adapted from the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, it stars Micheal Cera and Kat Dennings. If you haven’t seen it, you really should.

Factory Girl

I discovered this film in my first year of University, and I can’t say it didn’t influence my style for the next year. It was this film that made me fall in love with Sienna Miller, her portrayal of Edie is amazing. Edie Sedgewick was one of Andy Warhol’s muses and the first New York ‘It’ girl. She epitomised the phrase ‘poor little rich girl’ as she was troubled to say the least. I have a thing for a damsel in distress, and this movie is right up there with Girl, Interrupted and Gia.

Rent

The first time I went to visit my uncle in New York by myself I was 16, and he decided to take me to the theatre to see Rent. As soon as the lights went down and the band began to play, I knew the song, although I didn’t know how. To this day I still don’t know how I was singing along to songs I had never heard before. It wasn’t long after that I had tears in my eyes too. When the film came out, I was so excited. Made up of six of the original cast from the Broadway musical, this is a New York classic. I can’t even count how many times me and my brother have sung along to each note. The film is directed by Chris Columbus, and the play was written by Jonathan Larson, based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Boheme.  The sad truth is that Larson, never got to see his creation in practice, as he died just before opening night.

What are your favourite New York Movies?