15 Best TV Shows Set In New York City, Ranked

The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. The Concrete Jungle. 

New York City doesn't have the glitz and glam of Hollywood, the beautiful iconography of Paris, or the excitement around every corner like Tokyo, but it's nevertheless a melting pot of the entire world resting on one tiny island off the East Coast of America. Given its reputation, it's no wonder New York City has become such an iconic setting in film and TV. 

So much of New York City's cultural image has been shaped by films like "Midnight Cowboy," "When Harry Met Sally...," and "Spider-Man." The same can be said for television, from the best sitcoms of all time to underrated gems of the streaming era. These 15 shows aren't just great because of their stories and characters, but because of how much they utilize New York City and the surrounding areas as a character. Whether it's the rhythm of daily life, the clash of neighborhoods, or the sheer scale of the city, each series taps into something uniquely New York that just wouldn't feel the same if it were set anywhere else.

Few shows have been more influential for an entire generation of women than "Sex and the City." The series premiered in 1998 and ran for six seasons, though at times its depiction of life in New York City feels more like fantasy than reality. The show follows four women and their experiences with dating: hardworking and driven Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), type A and traditional Charlotte (Kristin Davis), sensible and level-headed Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and outgoing and sexually open Samantha (Kim Cattrall). 

Carrie's role as narrator, documenting her romantic life via a newspaper column, frames her not only as a model single woman in New York City but also as one whose experiences inform New York City's social hierarchy altogether. While the show remains highly acclaimed, "Sex and the City" has also seen its share of detractors, from complaints about its lack of diversity (especially for New York) to arguments that its depiction of women is more regressive than its popularity would suggest. 

How many other television shows have had a real apartment building in New York City marked on Apple Maps? "Friends" premiered in 1994 and ran for 10 seasons, but with over 200 episodes, it's rare that television audiences will ever grow tired of watching reruns. "Fiends" follows six friends living in New York City: high-maintenance Monica (Courteney Cox), sarcastic Chandler (Matthew Perry), fashionable Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), awkward Ross (David Schwimmer), eccentric Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and womanizing Joey (Matt LeBlanc). 

Though the cast had many follow-up TV series trying to recapture the magic of "Friends," their performances as these lovable characters remain career highs. Criticisms of poorly aged jokes aside, it's hard to find anyone who can't find at least something to love about every episode of "Friends." There are too many iconic moments to name: Joey wearing Chandler's clothes, Rachel's pranks with Ben, Ross' lunch being eaten, Phoebe's rendition of "Smelly Cat," and so many more. Sure, "Friends" is imperfect, but so is living in New York City with your friends. 

Who would've thought one of the best comedy trios of the 2020s would be Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez? "Only Murders in the Building" began in 2021, following three true crime fanatics teaming up to solve a series of murders in the Arconia, a luxury apartment building in the Upper West Side. Steve Martin plays Charles-Haden Savage, a former TV detective whose career has stagnated. Martin Short plays Oliver Putnam, a former Broadway director with as many name-drops as he has enemies in show business. Last but certainly not least, Selena Gomez plays Mabel Mora, whose own past reveals a lot of hidden secrets about the Arconia and its various guests and potential murderers. 

Across its five seasons, "Only Murders" has proven to be a love letter to different facets of New York City, from musical theater to underground crime syndicates. Already renewed for season 6, "Only Murders in the Building" has proven its worth as one of the new must-see shows set in New York City. 

In CBS's "How I Met Your Mother," Josh Radnor stars as Ted Mosby, a down-on-his-luck architect in New York City who, 25 years later, regales his children with the story of — you guessed it — how he met their mother. The mystery of who the mother is lingers over the show for nine seasons, but it's the rest of the cast that turned it into appointment viewing. Neil Patrick Harris, of course, stands out as Barney Stinson, the womanizer of the group who turns hookups into a sport. There's also Cobie Smulders as Ted's on-again, off-again girlfriend Robin; Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel as Lily and Marshall, the series' best couple; and, in the final season, Cristin Milioti as the titular mother. 

The finale of "How I Met Your Mother" has inspired tons of controversy, but only because the entire show preceding it was an idyllic look at not just what it's like to have friends in New York City, but also to go through difficult phases of life, such as dealing with grief and moving through breakups. And for that, we'll always appreciate the show for what it was. 

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" holds a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers, like a 99-cent slice of pizza or a pigeon in the park. The original "Law & Order" series premiered on NBC in 1990, and nine years later was spun off with "SVU," following the New York City detectives tasked with handling sensitive cases involving sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence. Mariska Hargitay stars as Olivia Benson, a former victim herself, with Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler, her desensitized partner. 

As of 2026, "Law & Order: SVU" has aired for 27 seasons, with more than 500 episodes. Obviously, a show that's been on the air for nearly 30 years has its ups and downs in terms of quality, but the fact that it's been so consistent means that out of every "Law & Order" series or spin-off, "Special Victims Unit" is clearly the best. Not only are the characters stronger, but the subject matter gives each case a weight and meaning you don't often see in cop shows, especially now that the market is oversaturated. 

The CW wouldn't be the network it is today without "Gossip Girl," which premiered in 2007. The series stars Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, a Manhattan socialite whose divisive life and romantic pursuits become fodder for an anonymous online blog (the titular Gossip Girl, voiced by Kristen Bell). Though the New York City depicted in "Gossip Girl" is far different from the one most people experience while living paycheck to paycheck, the series still drew huge ratings throughout its six-season run. 

While the novels by Cecily von Ziegesar were banned from public school libraries for their use of language, the show itself was far less graphic or crude than what you'll see on HBO or Showtime. It's the series that turned Lively into a fashion icon, and was even praised by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for its impact on the city's economy. Sure, it presented a version of New York that's more stylish than it is in real life... but in a way, New York kind of became Serena van der Woodsen's New York in response. 

Marvel Comics has always found ways to entrench its superheroes in real-life locations. However, few characters feel more inseparable from their city than Daredevil, the blind lawyer-turned-vigilante whose street-level conflicts in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood put him at odds with crime bosses, violent criminals, and of course, the justice system. Netflix's "Daredevil," a spin-off of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, adapts this story with the tone it so desperately needs. 

With much of Murdock's journey focused on his rivalry with Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, the inclusion of characters like Jon Bernthal's Punisher makes "Daredevil" feel more mature than its theatrical MCU counterparts. The supporting figures of Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson also provide a stability and comfort that help ground this comic book adaptation. The more recent Disney+ saga "Daredevil: Born Again" is a worthy successor series, too, proving that superhero stories don't need to be fantastical for them to be truly captivating. 

Although "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" commits the cardinal sin of being shot in Los Angeles, it's still deeply indebted to New York City's culture in its portrayal of the NYPD and the people they're meant to protect. Andy Samberg stars as Jake Peralta, a childish but brilliant detective in the NYPD's 99th precinct, who butts heads with new captain Raymond Holt (played by the late Andre Braugher), Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), and fellow detectives Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), and Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). 

Compared to similar single-camera sitcoms from the same team like "Parks & Recreation" or "The Office," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is at its best when it caters to its cast's strengths. Some of the best cold opens in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" allow Samberg to be his goofiest self, and the performances of cast members like Braugher, Beatriz, and Crews often help address the elephant in the room as the show aired amid real-life police brutality and controversies. It's rare to find a show that covers touchy subject matter but is still so much fun to watch. 

The 2014 film "What We Do in the Shadows" is not remotely a New York movie; it follows a group of vampire roommates living in Wellington, New Zealand. However, its FX television adaptation made the wise choice to place its wacky vampiric characters in a shared home on Staten Island. Those characters include the overly polite Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), promiscuous Laszlo Cravenworth (Matt Berry), petty Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), who are all tended to by Nandor's long-suffering familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). 

Though most of "What We Do in the Shadows" takes place in a version of New York City populated by monsters that come out when the sun goes down, it feels like an accurate depiction of the weirdos you'd run into exploring Manhattan's nightlife scene. It finished its sixth and final season in 2024, putting an end to a sitcom that wasn't just one of a kind, but of a completely different species. 

Hulu's "High Fidelity" deserved a much better fate than being canceled after only one season, especially given how strong that season was. Zoë Kravitz stars in this television adaptation of the 2000 film starring Jon Cusack, which moves its setting from Chicago to New York City. Kravitz plays Rob, a record store worker who processes the end of a long-term relationship and explores the dating scene in modern-day Manhattan.

Like some of the other best shows on this list, "High Fidelity" isn't just a charmingly lo-fi take on heartbreak but also a love letter to living in New York City. It also cleverly incorporates both the past and present of New York's music scene, with cameos including Debbie Harry from Blondie and Jack Antonoff from Bleachers. Mostly, however, the show is a platform for Kravitz's whirlwind performance, which grounds the series even as she breaks the fourth wall to describe her past relationships, her often misguided decision-making, and her particular taste in music and playlists. 

It's somewhat hard to believe that "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is the first period piece that's made this list, especially given how many great shows explore not only New York City's present but also its rich past. However, it's hard to do it better than this show, in which Rachel Brosnahan dazzles as the titular 1950s housewife-turned-stand-up comic, who is mentored by a short-tempered club manager (Alex Borstein) after a drunken onstage rant about her husband leaving her. 

Though the show stumbles in quality during the middle of its run, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" sticks the landing with a satisfying series finale and final season. However, that five-season run is filled with gorgeous depictions of New York City iconography, from the Arch at Washington Square Park to the below-ground restaurants of Chinatown. Few shows have captured the glitz and glamor of the Upper West Side as perfectly as the alleyways and side streets of the Lower East Side, which are often ignored. 

"Succession" is one of the best shows in recent memory, quickly becoming appointment viewing on HBO during its short but memorable four-season run from 2018 to 2023. The show follows the Roys, the wealthy owners of media company Waystar RoyCo: belittling patriarch Logan (Brian Cox), eldest child Connor (Alan Ruck), prodigal son Kendall (Jeremy Strong), ambitious daughter Siobhan (Sarah Snook), and misfit son Roman (Kieran Culkin). Also circling the family's fortune are Siobhan's partner Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), and company counsel Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron). 

Though "Succession" spans the globe in its scale, most of the action takes place in the family's home in New York City. Often, this version of New York City is quite different from the one most people experience, with the family's upper-class status taking them to skyscrapers in the Financial District and penthouses near Central Park. However, these sights are only the backdrop to some of the best drama in television history, making it feel more like a Shakespearean kingdom than a city anyone actually lives in. 

Lena Dunham's HBO series "Girls" has drawn all-too-obvious comparisons to predecessors like "Sex and the City," but what's so great about the show is how it eschews an idyllic depiction of New York City in favor of something more recognizable to its residents. The show follows four friends(?) living in Brooklyn: aspiring writer Hannah (Dunham), pretentious musician Marnie (Allison Williams), type A college student Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), and wild card Jessa (Jemima Kirke). The show also features the men coming in and out of their lives, such as Hannah's boyfriend Adam (Adam Driver), ex-boyfriend Elijah (Andrew Rannells), Marnie's musical partner Desi (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and local coffee shop worker Ray (Alex Kaporvsky). 

Though "Girls" is arguably at its best exploring bottle episode-like adventures of its central lonely girl Hannah, it's such an accurate snapshot of what an average life in Brooklyn looks and, more importantly, feels like for directionless 20-somethings. It's sharply satirical about modern life, brutally funny as it is heartbreaking, and most of all, incredibly unapologetic about how cringe it is to just be yourself. 

"Saturday Night Live" is synonymous with New York City, so it's no surprise that one of the best shows set there lampoons its behind-the-scenes world down to the exact building it's shot in. "30 Rock" is the brainchild of former "SNL" head writer and cast member Tina Fey and her writing partner Robert Carlock, following a female-led sketch show at NBC that's disrupted by a conservative new head of programming (Alec Baldwin) and an unpredictable new lead (Tracy Morgan). 

While "30 Rock" feels at times prophetic towards the current state of entertainment with its satirical fake TV shows and movies, the show's absurdist take on New York City culture is usually more realistic than if this show were a documentary. It also features plenty of New York icons as cameos, including Michael Bloomberg, Robert De Niro, Jerry Seinfeld, and even the Beastie Boys. The first episode alone opens with Fey's Liz Lemon confronting people waiting in line for a street hot dog. What's more perfectly New York than that? 

Simply put, what show is more New York than "Seinfeld"? The sitcom is the brainchild of two New York City natives: Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, who came together in 1989 to turn their meaningless conversations into some of the best television to ever air on NBC. Co-starring alongside Seinfeld, who plays a fictionalized version of himself as a stand-up in the city, is Jason Alexander as David's stand-in, George Costanza. There's also, of course, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Seinfeld's ex, Elaine Benes, and Michael Richards as his eclectic neighbor, Cosmo Kramer. 

Some of the best episodes of "Seinfeld" feel more influential towards New York City culture than vice versa, including "The Soup Nazi," "The Chinese Restaurant," "The Marine Biologist," yada yada yada. Ultimately, the reason the show resonates so well with all audiences, but especially those in the tri-state area, is that it feels all too familiar to what a day in New York City is like. Yes, you might bump into someone you know on the street and have an interaction that frustrates you. Yes, you might have conversations with friends at a diner in which you tell them to "Shut up!!" out of disbelief. And yes, you might know someone's father who has invented a made-up holiday to combat the commercialization of Christmas.