The Most Cinematic Places to Cry in New York — Tried, Tested, Peer-Reviewed
Irish visual designer moved to New York four years ago and can usually be found waxing lyrical about the upper west side.
Crying in public in New York is practically a rite of passage. The city moves fast, asks a lot, and rarely softens its edges for you – so sooner or later, everyone has a moment. It might hit you on a packed subway platform, mid-walk on a tree-lined block or halfway through a Sweetgreen lunch. The strange comfort of New York is that no one really blinks; there’s an unspoken understanding that whatever’s spilling over is just part of the deal. Do not engage.
After a fairly brutal year myself, I’ve inadvertently conducted the kind of field research rarely appreciated in its time. Consider this your unofficial guide to the most visually striking, emotionally cathartic places to fall apar
t in New York, with some tips along the way.
1. The Queensboro Bridge
Ideally, you will be in the backseat of an Uber, late at night, Manhattan glittering before you like nothing bad has ever happened to anyone. Your driver might gently ask if you want to put on some music, probably hoping it will help you stop crying and not realizing you will spend the next 30 minutes skipping through the entire discography of one Charlotte Aitchison. Vroom Vroom, indeed. The skyline, however, will look devastatingly beautiful – panoramic views of Manhattan, Roosevelt Island and the East River unfold before you as you ask if it’s ok if you wind down the window to puff on your vape. He will say it is ok. You will be ok, too.
2. The 10K Loop Around Central Park
Not recommended for beginners, casual joggers or the emotionally dehydrated. I ran my grief into the pavement day after day, often unsure whether I was losing water to sweat, tears or some new hybrid fluid future scientists will name after me. The best part? You’re moving fast enough that no one can tell you’re crying. To most passersby, you’re just…very committed to fitness.
Tip: For that peak cinema experience, swing by the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) Reservoir in mid-late April, which offers some of the city’s most breathtaking cherry blossoms. The West Side, particularly between 85th and 90th Street, features a stunning “tunnel” of vibrant, bubblegum-pink Kwanzan cherry trees.
3. The 2/3 Express Uptown
You’re on a packed train carriage, tears are just freely doing their thing, your reflection in the grubby window looks like the final shot of a Sundance film. Occasionally, another train will run perfectly parallel to yours, offering a fleeting glimpse into strangers’ lives – wordless proof that the world continues, even as yours falls apart. You’ll wonder if any of these people are doing even slightly better than you (unclear/probable). Nobody will attempt eye contact here. A blessing.
Tip: If you can pull yourself together, get off at 14th and walk up to the Hotel Chelsea on 24th and 7th. Infamous as a bohemian mecca during the 60s and 70s, the Lobby Bar is one of my favorite’s in the city and has the best dirty martini to boot.
4. A Picnic Blanket in Maria Hernandez Park
It’s a perfect mid-summer day. Seventy-two degrees. Soft breeze. You’re laughing with friends one minute, and the next your chin is quivering more than Clare Danes in…well, anything. Later, a friend will be sick into your tote bag. Turns out you weren’t the only disaster on the blanket that day. In time, your friend will wash this bag and attempt to return it. Do not accept it.
5. Fire Island Pines
If you’re going to cry, why not choose a location with manicured boardwalks and a color palette that flatters every emotion? Bonus points if your friend is en route to Lesbian Pride in Cherry Grove but abandons their plans to get you on the ferry back to the city because you are, very clearly, unfit for queer festivities. If Lorde releases a new album during this time period, it should not be your soundtrack home. Trust the research.
Tip: Before your dramatic exit, take a short boat ride or hike to The Sunken Forest, a 360-year-old maritime holly forest, offering a 1.5-mile easy loop trail via boardwalk, located just west of Sailors Haven.
6. The Corner of 5th Ave & 15th St
You’re on your way to grab coffee with a colleague. The sun is blazing, you have new sunglasses on. Steam is pumping up from the subway, yellow cabs are hurtling past, you can see Union Square directly from where you are as you wait for the lights to change. She asks how you’re doing; you answer with total silence as one single tear slides out from beneath your new frames. This is pure cinema. Oscar worthy. You will both pretend this moment never happened. Be Thankful.
7. Hudson River Greenway
The Hudson River Greenway offers 12 miles of traffic-free pathway stretching from Battery Park to Inwood Hill Park. An emotional guardrail running up the west side of the city. It’s ideal for long walks, cycling, running and – you guessed it – a good cry. The Hudson shifts with the seasons in a way that feels almost scripted: steel-grey and unforgiving in winter, shimmering under the summer sun and usually blushing pink at sunset year round. Whatever your mood, there’s a version of the river to complement it.
Tip: For a scene change worthy of a rom-com, slip off the path around 72nd Street and head to Cafe Luxembourg, a longtime Upper West Side staple with its own cinematic credentials (it was featured in When Harry Met Sally). Order the buffalo chicken dumplings, one of the city’s great comfort dishes (according to me). You’ll feel better (and be ready for your closeup) in no time.
Top Places not to cry in New York City
When your Bodega guy asks if you’re doing ok. He doesn’t mean it like that.
REI (too many people asking if they can help you find something)
When you’re about to place your bagel order at the counter – at least get the order out first.
Trader Joe’s (too many lights)
Let the tears fall,
Matthew Johnston
Principal Designer, Lonely Planet
crying reading this
Crying is so back