  The famed subway grate where Marilyn Monroe’s dress flew up in the movie The Seven Year Itch can be found at Lexington Ave. and 52nd St. (PHOTO: Marie-Joelle Parent, Sun Media)
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NEW YORK - The movie industry has had a 70-year love affair with New York City, resulting in films like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Taxi Driver, Rush Hour, Annie Hall, Wall Street and now, Sex and the City. In honour of that story, here's a guide to visiting the Big Apple as seen through the lens of some of the world's favourite films.
New York is a gold mine for movie buffs and some set locations have become pilgrimage sites for die-hard fans. That's the case for Katz's, the famous deli on the Lower East Side, as well as the Tribeca firehouse featured in Ghostbusters.
The New York film industry took off in the 1960s after Mayor John Lindsay created what is now called the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOFTB), an institution designed to make life easier for film producers. The idea worked, and the number of New York productions jumped from 11 to 25 in its first year.
Today, on average about 200 films are made in New York every year. After a huge fall in 2001, the industry peaked in 2005 when 31,570 production days were logged and the MOFTB was handing out about 100 permits a day.
Over the last three years, however, the pace of filming has slowed down again. New York is losing its productions. The $192.5 million "Made in NY" incentive fund, offering tax credits to film productions, is already out of money for the year. There was an outcry in the industry when the news broke this summer.
There are still currently about a dozen movies being filmed, including Sex and the City 2 and Wall Street 2.
-The New York entertainment industry employs 100,000 people and generates $5 billion in revenue annually.
-The 1933 film King Kong was the first big production filmed in New York.
-The Will Smith movie, I am Legend, holds the record for biggest New York movie production to date. Filming lasted nine months and employed 1,200 people.
Check out Marie-Joelle's Big Apple blog!
