Some people visit New York to see Times Square, others want to hang out in Brooklyn. Seinfeld fans want to visit New York to get a glimpse of the lives of Seinfeld, Elaine, George and Kramer and to feel for a little bit like they are part of the TV ensemble. With that goal in mind, we have created a list of the best places to visit for true Seinfeld fans in New York.
Have a coffee at Tom’s Restaurant (Monk’s Café)
Visit Tom’s Restaurant in Manhattan, which served as the iconic façade of Monk’s Café in Seinfeld. Take a picture outside and grab a meal at this real-life diner. Tom’s restaurant is not only famous, because of Seinfeld. It is also known that senator John McCain has frequented the restaurant whenever he visited his daughter Meghan, who was then a student at Columbia university. Even Barack Obama ate at Tom’s restaurant while himself being a student at Columbia.
Take a New York TV Show & Movie Tour
Guided Seinfeld-themed tours of New York City are unfortunately no longer available. Instead you can take the “New York City TV Show and Movie” tour, in which a guide (who is often a local actor) will take you to New York’s most famous filming locations. The landmarks you will see have been featured on ‘Friends’, ‘Seinfeld’, ‘Spiderman’ and ‘Girls’. You will also get inside trivia about New York and behind the scenes information. Tickets start at €56 per person.
Enjoy a soup at “The Original Soup Kitchen”
The Original Soupman was a restaurant on West 55th Street known for its strict handling of customers, which inspired the “Soup Nazi” on Seinfeld. In 2004 the restaurant closed with its windows soaped over. On its place today stands “The Original Soup Kitchen” and although the staff may not be as unfriendly as the original “Soup Nazi”, it still delivers you with an authentic Seinfeld experience – definitely a more pleasant one. Order the Lobster bisque or the potato and bacon soup.
Visit The Comic Strip Live
The Comic Strip Live is a stand-up comedy club in New York. This is where the Seinfeld cast have trained their comedic skills before becoming famous. Since tickets are relatively cheap (tickets are $25 per person), you should catch a show one evening. Shows are available 7 nights a week at 8pm and 10:15pm. Make sure to arrive half an hour early, otherwise your seat might be given away. Who knows, maybe you will be watching the next Seinfeld in the making?
Kramer’s Reality Tour
Larry David lived across the hall of stand-up comedian Kenny Kramer, who served as his inspiration for the character of Cosmo Kramer. Today, you can join ‘Kramer’s Reality Tour’, where you will meet the real Kenny Kramer and listen to him talk about being Larry David’s neighbour and share some Seinfeld trivia. Afterwards, you can join him on a tour across New York City to all the important Seinfeld landmarks such as the “Soup Nazi” place and “Tom’s restaurant”.
Celebrate Festivus
Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December, 23 as a playful consumer resistance to Christmas. It was created by Daniel O’Keefe, but became popular in 1997 after being celebrated on the Seinfeld episode ‘The Strike’, which O’Keefes’ son Dan co-wrote. Bring your non-festive aluminium festivus pole and celebrate festivus by practicing the ‘airing of grievances’ and the ‘feats of strength’ alongside Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine.
Have pizza at Ray’s famous original pizza
It was featured on the Seinfeld episode ‘The Maid’ in a conversation between Kramer and Jerry in which Kramer tried to explain to Jerry where he is. ‘I’m looking at Ray’s pizza. You know where that is?’, Kramer asks. ‘Is it famous Ray’s?’, Jerry asks. ‘No, it’s just original.’, Kramer answers. While all Ray’s pizza claim to be the original, the actual original can be found on the corner of 11th street and 6th Avenue. As of 2023 it seems to have closed though. You can still make a visit to the other Ray’s – just famous- pizza.
If you want to make the most out of your upcoming New York City trip, check out our amazing ‘New York City 4 day itinerary’.
If you’re like us, you’re not only big fans of Seinfeld, but also big fans of ‘Friends’, so don’t miss our Friends Guide for New York City.