The 30 Most Unique Backdrops For Photos And Film in New York City

Take a photo, it'll last longer!

by larissahayden

30 Places

New York, New York

Goldbar

A hip bar decorated with walls of golden skulls.

Laetitia Barbier

Added by Laetitia Barbier

New York, New York

Houston Bowery Art Wall

This wall on a street corner in Lower Manhattan has been a blank canvas for a rotation of renowned artists since the 1980s.

lampbane

Added by lampbane

New York, New York

Bemelmans Bar

The walls are decorated with whimsical murals painted by the creator of the Madeline franchise.

Added by yayanzhang

New York, New York

Dream House

La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's "Dream House" will immerse you in an ever changing world of sound and light.

seanmattison

Added by seanmattison

New York, New York

Obscura Antiques and Oddities

Tucked in the back of this amazing antique store is an important piece of medical history.

Dylan

New York, New York

Explorers Club Headquarters

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

New York, New York

5 Beekman Street

This beautiful building in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District was empty for decades.

bboas

Staten Island, New York

Kreischer Mansion

This empty Victorian manse on Staten Island is said to be haunted but is actually a real life crime scene.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Staten Island, New York

The New York City Farm Colony

The haunting, dilapidated remains of a former poorhouse on Staten Island's Greenbelt.

Hannah Frishberg

Added by Hannah Frishberg

Queens, New York

Surreal Elevator

Nondescript elevator doors open to reveal a stunning, surreal world.

Gerard Nolan

Added by Gerard Nolan

New York, New York

New York Federal Gold Vault

More gold than anywhere else, ever.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

New York, New York

Graffiti Hall of Fame

For over 30 years the walls of this Harlem schoolyard have been a gallery of street art by "Kings and better."

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

New York, New York

Babycastles

A DIY art gallery/music venue/lecture hall dedicated to video game culture.

lampbane

Added by lampbane

New York, New York

Angel Orensanz Foundation

The oldest surviving synagogue in New York City is now a soaring art space.

Allison

Added by Allison

New York, New York

Radio City Music Hall's Secret Apartment

Built as a gift to the hottest tastemaker of the time, these hidden quarters remain an Art Deco showpiece.

Luke J Spencer

Added by Luke J Spencer

Brooklyn, New York

Gowanus Batcave

Abandoned power station once home to a squatter community, now being developed into an arts center.

Hannah Frishberg

Added by Hannah Frishberg

Brooklyn, New York

Wyckoff Street Mosaic

Detailed facade of a brownstone in Boerum Hill.

aboychuk

Added by aboychuk

Brooklyn, New York

House of Wax

Tucked in a nondescript downtown Brooklyn mall is a bar containing a remarkable turn of the century anatomical wax collection last seen in 1920s Berlin.

Added by anastatia

New York, New York

Albertine

Though its celestial ceiling is impressive, the true star is the vast collection of French books.

Added by yayanzhang

Brooklyn, New York

Deno's Wonder Wheel

One of the most enjoyable bits of history at Coney Island and “the most romantic ride in the world.”

New York, New York

The Players

A posh members-only club with a literally dramatic history.

meganmichelle

Added by meganmichelle

Brooklyn, New York

Coney Art Walls

This outdoor gallery of graffiti-covered walls pays homage to the past, present, and possible future of street art.

New York, New York

Onieals Grand Street Bar

A prohibition era watering hole for the police.

Oliver Hong

Added by Oliver Hong

Brooklyn, New York

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

Three stories above you, your salad is being grown.

New York, New York

Trinity Place Bank Vault Bar

This lower Manhattan bar is set up in an old bank vault that rests beneath a skyscraper that hides even more historic splendor.

Luke J Spencer

Added by Luke J Spencer

Brooklyn, New York

Red Hook Grain Terminal

The most unloved grain elevator in Brooklyn was a “Magnificent Mistake.”

Hannah Frishberg

Added by Hannah Frishberg

New York, New York

The Jane Hotel

This historic building housed the surviving crew members of the Titanic, who were left destitute after the wreck.

George Geary

Added by George Geary

Bronx, New York

Hart Island

The loneliest island in New York.

Oliver Hong

Added by Oliver Hong

Bronx, New York

Bronx Zoo Bug Carousel

The first and only carousel with a lineup entirely of insects.

daviddoochin

Added by daviddoochin

Queens, New York

Calvary Cemetery

Holding the most bodies of any cemetery in the United States.

Allison

Added by Allison