100 Famous New York Quotes

With over 8.5 million residents, New York City is one of the most populous cities in the world. It’s also one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse, with over 100 languages spoken here. As you can imagine, this city has a lot of personality!

In honor of this amazing city, we’ve collected some of the best and most famous quotes about New York City. From presidents and painters to poets and playwrights, New York City has inspired many different perspectives on life. So take a few moments to enjoy these insightful words about the city that never sleeps.

New York Quotes

1. “New York is not a city. It’s a world.” – Iman
2. “New York to me means the world.” – Donna Karan
3. “New York is a sucked orange.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. “This isn’t a fairytale. It’s New York City.” – Alex Flinn
5. “New York has romanced me unlike anything else.” – Blake Lively
6. “When you leave New York you ain’t going anywhere.” – Jimmy Breslin
7. “Things always change and New York teaches you that.” – Richard Hell
8. “If London is a watercolor, New York is an oil painting.” – Peter Shaffer
9. “I’m in a New York state of mind.” – Billy Joel, ‘New York State of Mind’
10. “You haven’t lived until you died in New York City.” – Alexander Woollcott
11. “If a man can live in Manhattan, he can live anywhere.” – Arthur C. Clarke
12. Is it beauty and genius they want to see? Do they seek a sense of the sublime?
13. “One can’t paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt.” – Georgia O’Keefe
14. “Manhattan is an accumulation of possible disasters that never happen.” – Ed Koch
15. “Here we are Marv. New York City, the land of opportunity.” – Harry, Home Alone 2
16. “Times Square can’t shine as bright as you.” – Plain White T’s, ‘Hey There Delilah’
17. These quotes about New York are either pretty famous or were said by someone famous.
18. “New York is appalling, fantastically charmless and elaborately dire.” – Henry James
19. “There is nothing prettier than a city at 5 AM with its empty streets and cold wind.”
20. “I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.” – Frank Sinatra, ‘New York, New York’
21. “There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” – Simone de Beauvoir
22. “Welcome to New York, it’s been waiting for you.” — Taylor Swift, ‘Welcome to New York’
23. “People never forget two things: their first love and their first day in New York City.”
24. “The only people who can afford to be artists in New York are rich.” – Sophie, Frances Ha
25. “Pull up the shades so I can see New York. I don’t want to go home in the dark.” – O. Henry
26. “Practically everybody in New York has half a mind to write a book–and does.” – Groucho Marx
27. “People go to LA to “find themselves”, they come to New York to become someone new.” – Lindsey Kelk
28. “I love New York City…you’re never alone but you’re always on your own.” – Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl
29. “On a New York subway you get fined for spitting, but you can throw up for nothing.” – Lewis Grizzard
30. “There is a time of year in New York when, even before the first leaf falls, you feel the seasons click.”
31. “I’m staying! You hear that, New York? THE FROG IS STAYING!” – Kermit the Frog, The Muppets Take Manhattan
32. “There is more sophistication and less sense in New York than anywhere else on the globe.” – Elbert Hubbard
33. “The flag of New York City should be someone with four bags opening a door with their shoulder.” – Alex Baze
34. “One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to its as much as five minutes as in five years.” – Tom Wolfe
35. “Cities have sexes: London is a man, Paris a woman, and New York a well-adjusted transsexual.” – Angela Carter
36. “And I always heard people in New York never get to know their neighbors.” – Paul Varjak, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
37. “When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing, like I’m in a movie.” – Ryan Adams
38. “Yet, as only New Yorkers know, if you can get through the twilight, you’ll live through the night.” – Dorothy Parker
39. “As for New York City, it is a place apart. There is not its match in any other country in the world.” – Pearl S. Buck
40. “New Yorkers are born all over the country, and then they come to New York City and it hits them: oh, that’s who I am.”
41. “When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.” – Fran Lebowitz
42. “It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.” – Agatha Christie
43. “The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” – John Updike
44. “A hundred times I have thought: New York is a catastrophe, and fifty times: it’s a beautiful catastrophe.” – Le Corbusier
45. “I moved to New York City for my health. I’m paranoid and it was the only place where my fears were justified.” – Anita Weiss
46. “New York is the only city in the world where you can get deliberately run down on the sidewalk by a pedestrian.” – Russell Baker
47. “If a newspaper prints a sex crime, it’s smut, but when The New York Times prints it, it’s a sociological study.” – Adolph S. Ochs
48. “When I first moved to New York, I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I just felt it fed me more.” – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
49. “In Boston, they ask, how much does he know? In New York, how much is he worth? In Philadelphia, who were his parents?” – Mark Twain
50. “I get out of the taxi and it’s probably the only city which in reality looks better than on the postcards, New York.” – Milos Forman
51. “There is no question that there is an unseen world. The problem is, how far is it from midtown and how late is it open?” – Woody Allen
52. “The diversity, the food, the culture, the constant change–New York City is truly one of the most inspiring places on the planet.” – XXMK
53. “But there is one thing about it – once you have lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough.” – John Steinbeck
54. “I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline. Particularly when one can’t see the details. Just the shapes.
55. “You can try to change New York, but it’s like Jay-Z says: ‘Concrete bunghole where dreams are made up. There’s nothing you can do.’” – Liz Lemon
56. “More than anything else New York is a city of superlatives, a place where the best, the brightest, the biggest is the norm.” – Marilyn J. Appleberg
57. “I knew I couldn’t live in America and I wasn’t ready to move to Europe so I moved to an island off the coast of America – New York City.” – Spalding Gray
58. “If you’re greedy for life, that’s what New York is all about. If you’re trying to get as much as you can every day, this city is the place to be.” – Pam Nelson
59. “Now you’re in New York, These streets will make you feel brand new, Big lights will inspire you, Hear it for New York.” – Alicia Keys and JAY-Z, ‘Empire State of Mind’
60. “You can do what you like, sir, but I’ll tell you this. New York is the true capital of America. Every New Yorker knows it, and by God, we always shall.” – Edward Rutherfurd
61. “The city hums with possibility. There’s a certain electricity in the air that you don’t find anywhere else. Whether you want adventure or relaxation, there’s something for everyone. And if it doesn’t exist yet, you can always create it!” – Unknown
62. “For me, New York is the capital of the world and there is no other place like it. It’s a great city to live in, work in and explore. There is so much to do and see, you almost forget why you even came here!” – Unknown
63. “The city is an expression of its people, from the bright lights and tall buildings to the parks and hidden alleyways. Every person has a story – their own journey that has brought them here. And in this city, those stories are endlessly intertwined.” – Lady Gaga
64. “The city is an ever-evolving organism, full of energy and life. You can feel the buzzing anticipation in the air as you walk down the street – there’s always something new around every corner.” – Unknown
65. “New York isn’t just a city, it’s an experience. It’s unique and ever-changing, with something new to explore every day. It’s a place where dreams come true and possibilities are endless.” – Unknown
66. “When I think of New York, I think of endless possibilities. Anything can happen here; it’s the city that never sleeps because no one wants to miss out on what could be coming next.” – Nora Ephron
67. “New York City is where you go to make your dreams come true. It’s a place filled with endless possibilities, a never-ending energy, and a spirit that will always keep you up all night.” – Unknown
68. “New York is a city of dreams and ambition, where anything can happen if you put your mind to it. Whatever you want in life, New York has something to offer–whether it’s art, culture, business or just a good time.” – Unknown
69. “New York City is a place of limitless possibilities and endless opportunities. No matter what you dream, you can make it happen here. New York is the city that never sleeps – it’s always alive with inspiration.” – Unknown
70. “New York City is a place of energy, of life and love. It’s a place where dreams come true and anything can happen. It’s a place of opportunity and inspiration, but also of hard work and determination.” – Unknown
71. “The thing about New York is that it’s a city like no other. It has its own rhythm and its own soul, which you can feel when you walk the streets or watch people rush by on the subway. It’s a city that never stops, and it will always have something new to offer.” – Unknown
72. “New York City is a place of possibility. There’s something for everyone here, no matter who you are or what you’re looking for. It’s a place where dreams come true, but also a place of hard work and determination.” – Unknown
74. “New York is a place where the rich walk, the poor drive Cadillac’s, and the beggars die of malnutrition with thousands of dollars hidden in their mattresses.” – Duke Ellington
75. “It is a fact of big cities that one girl’s darkest how is always another’s moment of shining triumph, and New York is the biggest and cruelest city of them all.” – Anna Godbersen
76. “London is satisfied, Paris is resigned, but New York is always hopeful. Always it believes that something good is about to come off, and it must hurry to meet it.” – Dorothy Parker
77. “I love New York, even though it isn’t mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street or a house, something, anyway, that belongs to me because I belong to it.” – Truman Capote
78. “New York is a different country. Maybe it ought to have a separate government. Everybody thinks differently, they just don’t know what the hell the rest of the United States is.” – Henry Ford
79. “I love New York. You can pop out of the Underworld in Central Park, hail a taxi, head down Fifth Avenue with a giant hellhound loping behind you, and nobody even looks at you funny.” – Rick Riordan
80. “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
81. “I don’t like Los Angeles. The people are awful and terribly shallow, and everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to play the game. I’m from New York. I will kill to get what I need.” – Lady Gaga
82. “If you want to become a real New Yorker, there’s only one rule: You have to believe New York is, has been, and always will be the greatest city on earth. The center of the universe.” – Ellen R. Shapiro
83. “Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now! History is happening in Manhattan and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world!” – Hamilton Cast, ‘The Schuyler Sisters’
84. “I regret profoundly that I was not an American and not born in Greenwich Village. It might be dying, and there might be a lot of dirt in the air you breathe, but this is where it’s happening.” – John Lennon
85. “I look out the window and I see the lights and the skyline and the people on the street rushing around looking for action, love, and the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookie, and my heart does a little dance.” – Nora Ephron
86. “When it’s 100 degrees in New York, it’s 72 in Los Angeles. When it’s 30 degrees in New York, in Los Angeles it’s still 72. However, there are 6 million interesting people in New York, and only 72 in Los Angeles.” – Neil Simon
87. “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.” – Joe Fox, You’ve Got Mail
88. “Let them come to New York, stand on the shore of the Hudson, look and kneel. When I see the city from my window – no, I don’t feel how small I am – but I feel that if a war came to threaten this, I would throw myself into space, over the city, and protect these buildings with my body.” – Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead
89. “New York City is the most fatally fascinating thing in America. She sits like a great witch at the gate of the country, showing her alluring white face and hiding her crooked hands and feet under the folds of her wide garments–constantly enticing thousands from far within, and tempting those who come from across the seas to go no farther. And all these become the victims of her caprice. Some she at once crushes beneath her cruel feet; others she condemns to a fate like that of galley slaves; a few she favors and fondles, riding them high on the bubbles of fortune; then with a sudden breath she blows the bubbles out and laughs mockingly as she watches them fall.” – James Weldon Johnson
90. “Of course, in Los Angeles, everything is based on driving, even the killings. In New York, most people don’t have cars, so if you want to kill a person, you have to take the subway to their house. And sometimes on the way, the train is delayed and you get impatient, so you have to kill someone on the subway. That’s why there are so many subway murders; no one has a car.” – George Carlin
91. “New York is a place of ambition, of striving for something greater. No matter what you want in life, you can make it happen here. It’s a city that never sleeps because everyone is working to make their dreams come true.” – Unknown
92. “New York City is a place where anything is possible. It’s a city of energy and opportunity, where people come to chase their dreams and make them reality. No matter what you want out of life, New York has something for you.” – Unknown
93. “New York City is a place of possibility, but also hard work and determination. No matter what your dreams are, you can make them come true here. It’s a place of energy, of life and love, but also of hard work and dedication.” – Unknown
94. “New York City is a place like no other. It’s alive with energy and possibility, yet deeply rooted in history and culture. No matter who you are or where you come from, you can make your dreams come true here.” – Unknown
95. “New York City is a place of endless possibilities. It’s the city that never sleeps because everyone is busy making their dreams come true. There’s something for everyone here and no matter what you want out of life, New York has something to offer.” – Unknown
96. “The beauty of New York City is that it’s always changing. It’s full of life, energy and possibility, with something new around every corner. No matter what you want out of life, you can find it here.” – Unknown
97. “No matter where you come from or what your dreams are, New York City has something to offer. It’s a place where anything is possible and no dream is too big. The city that never sleeps – it’s full of life, energy, and possibility.” – Unknown
98. “New York City is a place of opportunity and potential. It’s alive with creativity, ambition and the drive to make something of yourself. No matter what you want out of life, New York has something for you.” – Unknown
99. “New York City is a place of endless possibility and potential. It’s the city that never sleeps because everyone is working hard and striving for something greater. Whatever your dreams are, you can make them come true here.” – Unknown
100. “New York City is a place of limitless opportunity and potential. It’s alive with energy, ambition and creativity and no matter what you want out of life, there’s something for everyone here.” – Unknown

Wrapping Up

New York City is a place of limitless potential and opportunity. There’s something for everyone here, no matter what you dream about or where you come from. With energy and ambition, hard work and dedication, anything is possible in New York City. So take a bite out of the Big Apple and make your dreams come true!