New York City is more than just a place; it’s a feeling. It has inspired dreams, hopes, and countless quotes. These words capture the essence of the city, from its towering skyscrapers to its bustling streets.
Whether you love or loathe it, New York leaves a lasting mark on everyone who visits. Here, we share some of the best quotes that encapsulate the spirit of the Big Apple.
Famous Quotes About NYC
“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
“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.”
“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.”
“New York is not a city, it’s a world.”
“I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline.”
“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
“The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.”
“In New York, you’re always looking for a job, a boyfriend, or an apartment.”
“I get out of the taxi and it’s probably the only city which in reality looks better than on the postcards, New York.”
“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.”
“New York is made up of millions of different people, and they all come here looking for something.”
“The city is like poetry; it compresses all life, all races and breeds, into a small island and adds music and the accompaniment of internal engines.”
“New York is the only real city-city.”
“When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing, like I’m in a movie.”
“New York City: where everyone is an artist and nobody practices their art.”
“I think of New York City lost in stars, forgotten as a blue sky waits to rise.”
“Make your mark in New York and you are a made man.”
“I wake up every morning and I say to myself, ‘Well, I’m still in New York. Thank you, God.”
“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.”
“In New York, you can be a new person every day.”
“New York’s such a wonderful city. Although I was at the library today. The guys are very rude. I said, ‘I’d like a card.’ He says, ‘You have to prove you’re a citizen of New York.’ So I stabbed him.”
“New York is the coolest city on the planet.”
“I want to be a part of it — New York, New York.”
“In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“The great thing about New York is the people. They’re real. They’re not necessarily nice, but they’re real.”
“New York is a city that grieves and never stops growing.”
“The city is not a concrete jungle. It is a human zoo.”
“New York had all the iridescence of the beginning of the world.”
“The flag of New York City should be someone with four bags opening a door with their shoulder.”
“New York is the place where dreams are painted in the skyline.”
“New York is not about just the buildings. It’s about the people.”
Celebrity Quotes About New York
“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
“I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline.”
“New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“I get out of the taxi and it’s probably the only city which in reality looks better than on the postcards, New York.”
“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”
“New York had all the iridescence of the beginning of the world.”
“Give me such shows — give me the streets of Manhattan!”
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.”
“New York is not a city, it’s a world.”
“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.”
“New York is a diamond iceberg floating in river water.”
“My favorite thing about New York is the people, because I think they’re misunderstood.”
“New York is the only real city-city.”
“I wake up every morning and think: This is my life. I can’t believe it. I’m in New York, living my dream.”
“To survive in New York, you need three things: a sense of humor, a sense of ambition, and a sense of adventure.”
“It’s pretty cliched, but Times Square is just incredible.”
“Once you have lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough.”
“New York is the biggest collection of villages in the world.”
“New York is made up of millions of different people, and they all come here looking for something.”
“Living in New York City gives people real incentives to want things that nobody else wants.”
“I think of how New York makes me smile like no place else. It’s the feeling of potential.”
“I love New York, even though it isn’t mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street or human life, that belongs to somebody else.”
“New York is awful, wonderful, and full of everything.”
“A hundred times I have thought New York is a catastrophe, and fifty times: It is a beautiful catastrophe.”
“New York, the nation’s thyroid gland.”
“The great city of New York wields enormous power in the world.”
“There’s something in the New York air that gets a hold of you.”
“New York is an ugly city, a dirty city… but there is a pulse to it that is unique. It’s a pulse of life interwoven with pride, passion, and drive.”
“The flag of New York City should be someone with four bags opening a door with their shoulder.”
“New York provides not only a continuing excitation but also a spectacle that is continuing.”
“I love New York City; I’ve got a gun.”
Quotes That Capture NYC’s Energy
“New York is not a city. It’s a world.”
“I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline.”
“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.”
“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.”
“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.”
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
“New York is not just a city; it’s an experience.”
“In New York, you’ve got to have all the luck.”
“New York is a city of daily miracles.”
“The only people who can afford to be artists in New York are rich.”
“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.”
“New York is the place where even the impossible seems possible.”
“If you want to become a real New Yorker, there are some simple rules you must learn. First, you must accept that snow is both beautiful and a total nightmare.”
“It’s a city where anything is possible, especially the impossible.”
“New York City is a great monument to the power of money and greed… a race for rent.”
“New York is a bit of a double-edged sword. You get so much out of it, but you also give so much to it.”
“The city is like poetry; it compresses all life, all races and breeds, into a small island and adds music and the accompaniment of internal engines.”
“New York had all the iridescence of the beginning of the world.”
“it’s the one city that stays with you. The city where your dreams took root and your future took shape.”
“In New York, they like winners. They don’t like second place.”
“New York doesn’t sleep. It hustles.”
“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”
“New York is a bit of a double-edged sword. You get so much out of it, but you also give so much to it.”
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
“The thing about New York is you always know something great is going to happen next.”
“New York City is a great monument to the power of money and greed… a race for rent.”
“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.”
“New York is the place where even the impossible seems possible.”
“I wake up every morning and remind myself, ‘There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be than in New York City.’”
“In New York, you’ve got to have all the luck.”
Inspirational New York Quotes
“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
“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.”
“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York.”
“New York is not a city, it’s a world.”
“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.”
“I love New York, even though it isn’t mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street.”
“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”
“New York is made up of millions of different people, and they all come here looking for something.”
“The streets of New York City are a labyrinth where dreams and reality cross paths.”
“Practically everybody in New York has half a mind to write a book, and does.”
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
“New York, the world’s most inspiringly chaotic melting pot.”
“A hundred times I have thought: New York is a catastrophe, and fifty times: It is a beautiful catastrophe.”
“New York is the place where the past, present, and future collide.”
“When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing, like I’m in a movie.”
“New York is not a city to get things done; it is a city to become who you are meant to be.”
“New York is a diamond iceberg floating in river water.”
“Quite simply, I was in love with New York. I do not mean ‘love’ in any colloquial way, I mean that I was in love with the city, the way you love the first person who ever touches you and you never love anyone quite that way again.”
“New York had all the iridescence of the beginning of the world.”
“In New York you’ve got to have all the luck.”
“New York is the place where you can find magic in the mundane.”
“It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.”
“I wake up every morning and I say to myself, ‘Well, I’m still in New York. Thank you, God.’”
“Make your mark in New York and you are a made man.”
“New York is the meeting point of the world.”
“To start with, when you accept the least, New York opens up its most magnificent secrets.”
“People go to LA to ‘find themselves,’ they come to New York to become someone new.”
“There’s nothing pure about New York; it’s an ugly beautiful world.”
“The city no matter how shiny and rich and wonderful it becomes, still strikes me as a place where you have to be a little bit crazy to live.”
“I go to Paris, I go to London, I go to Rome, and I always say, ‘There’s no place like New York. It’s the most exciting city in the world now.'”
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
“This is the city that taught me everything about life and dreams.”
To Wrap It Up
New York City has inspired countless words from writers, thinkers, and dreamers. These quotes capture the spirit, energy, and allure of the city that never sleeps. Whether it’s the soaring skyscrapers, bustling streets, or the blend of cultures, New York leaves a lasting impression on everyone who visits or lives there.
These quotes remind us of the unique charm and vibrant life that define New York. They highlight both its challenges and its wonders, making us appreciate the city even more. Next time you’re in New York or dreaming about it, think of these quotes and the timeless magic of the Big Apple.
