Are you looking for some inspiring words about the Big Apple? From past and present, famous and unknown alike, we've compiled a list of 111 quotes about New York that capture the spirit of New York City.
You will find quotes from authors, celebrities, and everyday New Yorkers that you can use for your Instagram captions or just to be inspired by this amazing city. We'll explore its vibrant culture, iconic landmarks, and diverse population through these quotes.
Whether you're a native New Yorker like me or just enjoy visiting this amazing city – get ready to be inspired! Discover why so many people love New York with our collection of 111 best quotes about the Big Apple.
111 Quotes about New York
The Best Quotes About New York City
1. “One belongs to New York instantly. One belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” – Tom Wolfe
2. “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” – Frank Sinatra
3. “It is a remarkable city… I have always felt at home here, like nowhere else on the face of this earth.” – Pablo Picasso
4. “The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” – John Updike
5. “New York City is the great stone desert of ambition where all are horizontal, and none stand out above the crowd but by virtue of money or genius or crime.” – Benjamin Disraeli
6. “In New York, you've got to have all the luck.” – Charles Bukowski
7. “In New York, no one notices anything different about you unless it's spectacularly good-looking or bad looking” – Harper Lee
8. “I don't care what's written about me so long as it isn't true” ― Dorothy Parker
9. “Give me such shows — give me the streets of Manhattan!” – Walt Whitman
10. “New York is an ugly city, a dirty city. Its climate is a scandal, its politics are used to frighten children, its traffic is madness, and its competition is murderous. 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
11. “The New York spirit? It's the feeling of being in it, part of it.” – E.B White
12. “New York is an exciting town where something is happening all the time, most unsolved.” – Johnny Carson
13. “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
14. “The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” – John Updike
15. “New York is the only city in the world where you can get run down on the sidewalk by a pedestrian.” – Russell Baker
16. “The New York I know still exists if you know where to look for it. It doesn't exist in Midtown; it doesn't exist above 14th Street. But go to some of the outer boroughs and away from Manhattan, and you will find it.” – Lou Reed
17. “There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” – Simone Beauvoir
18. “In New York, life was created with no limits in mind, so people just do whatever they want to do.” – Michael Hutchence
19. “New York is an ugly city, a dirty city. Its climate is a scandal, its politics are used to frighten children, its traffic is madness, and its competition is murderous. 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
20. “If I can make it there/I'm gonna make it anywhere/It's up to you New Yooooork/New Yooooork.” – Frank Sinatra
21. “New York City was my school; it taught me how to hustle and survive.” – Nas
Famous Quotes About New York City
22. “New York is a diamond iceberg floating in river water.” – Truman Capote
23. “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
24. “One belongs to New York instantly. One belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” – Tom Wolfe
25. “What other culture could have produced someone like Hemingway and not seen the joke?” – Gore Vidal
26. “New York is the only city in the world where you can get run down on the sidewalk by a pedestrian.” – Russell Baker
27. “The New York I know still exists if you know where to look for it. It doesn't exist in Midtown; it doesn't exist above 14th Street Street. But go to some of the outer boroughs and away from Manhattan, and you will find it.” – Lou Reed
28. “I really believe people who live here have made an unconscious pact never to mention how amazing it is here unless they've been away for a long time.” – Amy Sedaris
29. “You haven't seen a city until you've seen New York at night.” – Edward Steichen
30. “The city is not a concrete jungle; it is a human zoo.” – Desmond Morris
31. “New York to me means money and success and ambition, but on the other hand, you have poverty, crime, and misery that exist within the same place.” – Alicia Keys
32. “I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline.” – Ayn Rand
33. “Be positive, be passionate, and always keep moving forward! That's what I learned growing up in New York City.” – Jennifer Lopez
34. “I am the type of person who can find joy and beauty in even the darkest corners of New York City.” – Cyndi Lauper
35. “New York is so intensely itself that it doesn't need to be described.” – Anne Hathaway
36. “The thing I love about New York is that everything is possible there.” – Jennifer Lopez
37. “If you want to experience true diversity, come to New York City; it truly has something for everyone!” – Jay-Z
38. “In New York, life was created with no limits in mind, so people just do whatever they want to do.” – Michael Hutchence
39. “New York has a way of making you feel like you belong there, even if you don't have money or a place to stay. The city is so alive and vibrant that it just brings out the best in people.” – Taylor Swift
40. “There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” – Simone Beauvoir
41. “The only true New Yorkers are the ones who were born here. The rest of us are just tourists with too much luggage.” – Ellen Kushner
42. “In New York, it's all about attitude—get what you want by not being afraid to ask for it .” – Naomi Campbell
43. “New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.” – Djuna Barnes
44. “I think in some ways I still feel like I'm from New York even though I don't live there anymore. It's such an integral part of who I am, and it will always be home to me. – Lea Michele
45. “Living in New York City has taught me that anything is possible — if you set your mind to it, work hard and go for it!” – Katie Holmes
46. “In New York, you've got to have all the luck; otherwise, you'll never make it.” – Diane von Furstenberg
47. “New York is the only city in the world where you can get literally anything you want at any hour of the day or night.” – Julianne Moore
48. “I think New York is one of those cities that can offer something for everyone—it really doesn't matter who you are or what your interests are.” – Beyoncé
49. “What I like about New York is that everything is super fast-paced, and there's always something new happening every minute of every day.” – Lady Gaga
Short New York Quotes for Instagram
50. “The city that never sleeps.”
51. “I <3 NY.”
52. “Living the New York dream.”
53. “Making magic happen in NYC.”
54. “Unlock your own Big Apple adventure.”
55. “In a city with too many dreams, I'm chasing mine!”
56. “My kind of town – NYC.”
57. “Live The Life You Love In The City That You Love.”
Interesting New York City Quotes
58. “New York City is the great American exception: a city that is strange and beautiful, complex and disturbing, inspiring and infuriating all at once.” –Luc Sante
59. “One belongs to New York instantly; one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” – Tom Wolfe
60. “In New York, you've got to have all the luck; otherwise, you'll never make it.” – Diane von Furstenberg
61. “If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere! It's up to you – New York!” – Frank Sinatra
62. “The city is like a great work of art. It changes minute to minute.” – Robert De Niro
63. “New York is an ugly city, a dirty city. Its climate is a scandal, its politics are used to frighten children, its traffic is madness, and its competition is murderous. 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
64. “When I arrived in New York City at the age of 22, I was told not to smile or make eye contact with strangers on the StreetStreet…but now it's all different! People here live without limits – anything can happen!” – Eva Longoria
Funny Quotes about New York City
65. “New York City is a great monument to the power of money and greed… a race for rent.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
66. “In New York, every time I coughed, it cost me $100.” – Henny Youngman
67. “When people go to work in New York, they don't turn on their computers; they turn ON THEMSELVES!” – Tina Fey
68. “I love New York… even if it doesn't love me back.” – Billy Joel
69. “You can always find your way home in New York: just look up at the subway signs or walk east toward the water until you hit an ocean view.” – Sarah Jessica Parker
70. “If you're bored in Manhattan, it's your own fault” – Dorothy Parker
71. “I left my heart in New York City, but somebody stole that shit!” – Jay Z
Famous New York Quotes
72. “I think if you live in a black-and-white world, you're gonna live a black-and-white life. I prefer to make my own pigment of reality.” – Jay Z
73. “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.” – F Scott Fitzgerald
74. “New York is an ugly city, a dirty city… But there is one thing about it: once you have lived here and it has become your home, no place else is good enough.” – John Steinbeck
75. “This city isn't just a place — it's a feeling.” – Taylor Swift
76. “It is the greatest city in the world!”
77. “New York has a way of making you feel like no place else, and I love that. It's where I discovered me, who I was and what I wanted to be.” – Alicia Keys
78. “New York City is the most exciting city in the world — there's just so much energy here.” – Gwyneth Paltrow
79. “Living in New York City gives people a sense of freedom like nowhere else on earth.” – Bryant Gumbel
80. “I don't think any of us can really understand what New York means until we've left it for the last time.” – Truman Capote
81. “The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” – John Updike
82. “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” – Ernest Hemingway
83. “I love New York City; I've got a gun” – Woody Allen
84. “New York is an ugly city, a dirty city…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
85. “Some people say New York's the biggest small town around. I disagree — there's nothing small about it.” – Ricky Gervais
86. “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.” – F Scott Fitzgerald
87. “New York City is a great monument to the power of money and greed… a race for rent.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Quotes about Daily Life in NY
88. “I'm a New Yorker, and I live in the moment. Life is happening right now, and sometimes it's overwhelming, but you have to take it one day at a time.” – Sarah Jessica Parker
89. “The city pulses with an energy that makes anything seem possible—it's what makes New York so attractive to dreamers like me.” – Meg Cabot
90. “New Yorkers have such an appetite for life that they'll jaywalk across six lanes of traffic for a great cup of coffee or just about anything else.” – Melissa Manchester
91. “New York City is where dreams come true…if you don't mind having them crushed.” – Jay McInerney
92. “This city is alive in ways that no other place I've ever seen can match. Each little neighborhood has a distinct personality.” – Joe Quirk
93. “You can only be young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely, and that's what New York offers you.” – Otto von Bismarck
94. “New York City is the ultimate melting pot where creativity fuses with commerce to produce an extraordinary social experiment unlike any other in the world.” – Fraser Pacheco-Trevor
95. “New York is such an exciting city, with so many things happening all at once; it's like a million fireflies, all blinking at the same time.” – Quvenzhané Wallis
96. “New York is a great monument to the power of money and greed…a race for rent.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
97. “There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” – Simone de Beauvoir
98. “The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” – John Updike
99. “When it comes to diversity, vitality, and sheer spectacle, there's no place like New York City!” − Jim Bishop
New York Song Quotes
100. “I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps and find I'm the king of the hill, top of the heap.” – Frank Sinatra
101. “Start spreading the news. I'm leaving today…If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.” – Frank Sinatra
102. “These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you” – Alicia Keys
103. “New York is an ugly city, but there's nothing else like it in the world” – Lou Reed
104. “Oh, New York, New York…The concrete jungle where dreams are made of” – Jay Z
105. “Sometimes I feel so lonely and misunderstood…but then I come to New York, and it's like I was born here” – Lady Gaga
106. “I'm gonna wake up in the city that doesn't sleep, to find I'm the king of the hill, top of the heap” – Jay Z & Alicia Keys
107. “Welcome to New York! It's been waiting for you!” Taylor Swift
108. “New York is a place where anything can happen, but it mostly doesn't” -Jules Feiffer
109. “This city never sleeps better slip me an Ambien” – A$AP Rocky
110. “Living in the moment, it's all we got now… New York is a city that never stops moving” – Childish Gambino
111. “Never forget where you came from and be proud of who you are” – Nas
The Best Quotes about New York
From F. Scott Fitzgerald's romantic musings to Jay McInerney’s cynical wit, these 111 quotes about New York City capture the spirit of this amazing city and its people in all their complexity.
Quotes from past and present, famous and unknown alike, have illuminated what is special about life in New York – its vibrant culture, iconic landmarks, diverse population and unique energy that makes anything seem possible.
Whether you're a born-and-bred local or someone who dreams of visiting one day soon, we hope these quotes will inspire your own appreciation for the Big Apple!
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