What's the Best New York Movie Ever?

It’s not “Annie Hall”. Let’s get that over with now. That’s not to say “Annie Hall” isn’t great. It’s a beautiful , funny, moving film that brings the City of the 70’s to life on screen. But Woody Allen, genius or not, is a lateral move from child molester so he gets the demotion.

However, more importantly, Annie Hall’s city is not my New York City. My New York City is the one from “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist”. That’s the city that I spent late nights and early mornings in during my young adulthood. And that film captured the city perfectly, like an old photograph that you forgot you took.

The film starts in Jersey (already won me over right there) where we meet broken-hearted Nick and lovelorn Norah. They meet in New York, at Arlene’s Grocery. Nick plays with his band on stage and Norah watches with her friend in the crowd. The club is like all New York clubs that are steadily going the way of CBGBs (which I actually saw a friend play at before they got booted). It’s dank, crowded and perfect for finding ‘the next big thing’.

So, after Nick exits the stage and literally bumps into Norah, they soon end up helping each other on a scavenger hunt around the city. First, to find Norah’s drunken friend who has wandered off and, second, to find the super-hip band, ‘Where’s Fluffy’, which they both love.

During their night, they stop in at Little Veska, an eastern European restaurant on East 1st St. And, lo and behold, I’ve been there! I immediately thought of the night that my friends and I stopped in at 4:00 in the morning after a Halloween party and saw comedian Godfrey walk out for some reason.

They hit other New York staples along the way such as the Bowery Ballroom and Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland Sound Studios.

It ends with the most beautiful shot I’ve ever seen. As Nick and Norah descend into Penn Station. The camera pans over and the city is just waking up. A handful of cabs and stock brokers briskly moving up the streets, bathed in the blue-gray light of dawn. I knew those days very well, trying to beat the sun home, and their brief appearance in the film brought me right back.

The only way it would have been better is if they hit Pommes Frites before they left.