The Empire State Building - No film focusing on New York is complete without a gratuitous bit of footage shot from atop this perch. Occasionally they even show some of the building, although no film features it quite as prominently as the two renditions of "King Kong."
Central Park - From the dancers on Bethesda Fountain in "Hair" to the leisurely strolls through the park in "When Harry Met Sally," to the car/subway chase in "Die Hard With a Vengance," the park has been featured prominently in many a motion picture. Unfortunately, the film that had the most impact on the location, didn't even shoot there. The park is still recovering from hosting the premiere of Disney's Pocahontas last summer, an event which was followed immediately by a Papal mass, which reaked a certain amount of havoc on the Great Lawn.
The Subway - New York's (sometimes) favorite mode of transportation has been featured as everything from a background to an integral part of an action movie. In fact, there are enough requests to film in the subway that the Transit Authority has one abandoned station which is now used just about solely for movie locations. Perhaps the best instance of a subway as an action setting is in "The French Connection" in which there is a car chasing an elevated train.
The Statue of Liberty - Which is kind of ironic, since many New Yorkers simply avoid going there.
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