Seinfeld’s New York
STOP 1 OF 10
Tom’s Restaurant
Uptown
A Greek diner on the corner of 112th Street. Its outside played Monk’s Café for most of the show’s run, with the “Tom’s” part of the sign cut out of frame; the booths were a set in Los Angeles.
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Seinfeld’s New York
Monk’s diner, Jerry’s street, the bagel shop, the Soup Nazi and the NBC pitch, from Morningside Heights to 59th Street.
10 placesA full dayRead the guide ↓
- 1. Tom’s RestaurantA Greek diner on the corner of 112th Street. Its outside played Monk’s Café for most of the show’s run, with the “Tom’s” part of the sign cut out of frame; the booths were a set in Los Angeles.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S5E22 “The Opposite” +1UptownFood & drink45 minutes with breakfast$10–20
2. H&H Bagels, Columbus AvenueH&H was Kramer’s old employer. The original shop at Broadway and 80th Street closed in 2011; this Columbus Avenue branch carries the name on the Upper West Side today.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S9E10 “The Strike”UptownFood & drink20 minutes$3–15
3. 129 West 81st Street (Jerry’s address)The address the show gives for Jerry’s building. The real block is a quiet row between Columbus and Amsterdam; the building you saw on TV was in Los Angeles.Seinfeld (1989–1998)UptownFrom outside10 minutesFree
4. American Museum of Natural HistoryEvery year the parade balloons are blown up on the streets beside the museum the night before Thanksgiving, and the show used that night for a party with a view.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S6E8 “The Mom & Pop Store”UptownPaid entry15 minutes outside, half a day insideFree outside; museum ticketed
5. Lincoln Center and the Revson FountainThe Metropolitan Opera House is the centrepiece of the Lincoln Center plaza, and the fountain in front is free to sit by.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S6E16 “The Beard”UptownFree to visit20 minutesFree on the plaza
6. The Original Soup Kitchen (Soup Nazi)Al Yeganeh’s Soup Kitchen International, the stand behind the Soup Nazi. It has closed and reopened more than once and trades now as The Original Soup Kitchen.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S7E6 “The Soup Nazi”MidtownFood & drink15 minutes$10–20
7. Manhattan PlazaTwo towers of subsidised flats for performers. Larry David lived across the hall from Kenny Kramer here, and that neighbour became Jerry’s neighbour on the show.Seinfeld (1989–1998)MidtownFrom outside10 minutesFree
8. New York Public Library, Fifth AvenueThe library with the lions on Fifth Avenue is the main branch the show had in mind when Jerry’s 1971 book came due.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S3E5 “The Library”MidtownFree to visit30 minutesFree
9. Top of the Rock30 Rockefeller Plaza is NBC’s home, the network that aired Seinfeld and the one Jerry and George pitch to on the show.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S4E3 “The Pitch” +1MidtownPaid entry20 minutes outside; 1 hour for the deck or studio tourFree outside; deck and NBC tour ticketed
10. The PlazaThe hotel at the corner of Central Park, a few minutes’ walk from 30 Rock, where Elaine borrows a publisher’s suite.Seinfeld (1989–1998) · S6E20 “The Doodle”MidtownFrom outside20 minutesFree to look
Watch before you go
Official clips and trailers from the studios’ own channels. They load only when you tap play.
The guide
How to do it: Seinfeld’s New York
Seinfeld lived on the Upper West Side, and the show’s New York is full of real places: a diner by Columbia, a bagel shop, the Met, the Plaza, the public library and NBC’s home at 30 Rock. None of the scenes were shot in them, but you can stand where the characters were supposed to be.
The route runs south from 112th Street to 59th Street. It is long, so ride the 1 train between the first stops and treat Midtown as a second half.
- The order to do it in
- Start at Tom’s Restaurant (110 St on the 1 train), ride down to 86 St for H&H Bagels and Jerry’s block, walk past the museum to Lincoln Center, then on to West 55th Street, Manhattan Plaza, the library, 30 Rock and the Plaza.
- When to go
- A weekday. Breakfast at Tom’s, bagels before the H&H lunch rush, soup in Midtown around noon.
- Getting there
- 1 train to Cathedral Pkwy–110 St to start; 1 train again from 110 St to 86 St. From Lincoln Center it is a 20-minute walk to West 55th Street.
- What to bring
- Cash for Tom’s, a MetroCard or contactless card for the subway, comfortable shoes.
- What it costs
- Free to walk; budget for a diner breakfast, a bagel and a soup.
Worth knowing
- Monk’s, Jerry’s apartment and the soup stand were all sets in Los Angeles. The places here are the real ones the show used or borrowed from.
- 129 West 81st Street is a private building. Look from the pavement and keep the doorway clear.
Researched and written by us from Wikipedia — The Soup Nazi, Wikipedia — The Original Soupman, The Original Soup Kitchen — official site, Wikipedia — Tom’s Restaurant, Wikipedia — The Opposite and Wikipedia — The Strike (Seinfeld), among others. Episodes checked against episode guides; places and access checked October 2026. Private homes are view-only from the street.