New York City streets are alive with the sound of music. From the 1980 hit film, Fame.

Filmmakers love New York, and for good reason. Plotlines can jump from partying at the Odeon (Bright Lights Big City) to trampolining in a SoHo loft (Big) to commuting to a downtown office (Working Girl). Walking through Williamsburg, the West Village or Upper East Side, it’s not unusual to stumble upon camera crews and actor’s trailers. Every so often, you can even watch a movie scene unfold in real time, only to relive it on the big screen when it finally releases. The city’s frenetic energy enlivens films with the feeling that anything can happen. Here are 23 of our favorites, from old-time classics like West Side Story to Spike Lee’s iconic Do the Right Thing.

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