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Classic New York Movies

Classic New York Movies: Love and Lunch in "Manhattan"

January 17, 2008 at 1:00 PM | 0 Comments

Those are the famed opening credits to "Manhattan," Woody Allen's 1979 love letter to his home city. Allen is known for using distinct New York City iconography in his movies, which makes him the perfect director to kick off our Classic New York Movies series.

Allen plays Isaac, an Upper East Sider who becomes caught between three women: His lesbian ex-wife (Meryl Streep), who's writing a tell-all book about their relationship; Tracy, a 17-year-old high school student (Mariel Hemingway) and a '70s version of "Gossip Girl"; and his best friend's mistress, Mary (Diane Keaton). Isaac woos Tracy guiltily in SoHo, away from her family, but when she announces she's going to study abroad, he starts making time for Mary under the guise of giving his married friend a cover story.

Unfortunately, the bench where Isaac and Mary sat overlooking the 59th Street Bridge (in the movie's most famous scene) is as long gone as Isaac's $700-per-month Upper East Side apartment, but the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art's Sculpture Garden, where their flirtations begin, still have plenty of benches.

Love New York? Love classic movies? Your favorite could be next! Let us know what movies you'd like to see in our series, and visit our Classic New York Movies Map to create your own movie moments.