The best New York City spots you can actually visit from Marvel movies and TV shows

Columbia University (Spider-Man)

Peter Parker is probably one of the most “New Yorker” heroes. Sure, the Defenders and Captain America is as New York as you can get, but Peter goes everywhere. From living in Queens to running around Manhattan to make money, Peter is constantly showing us new views of the city.

In Spider-Man, Peter and Harry Osborn attend Columbia University —  which is famous even outside of the Marvel world. Hopefully, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter will go there as well. (He’s still super young, so we’ll have to wait and see where he goes after Midtown High School).

Although, in the comics, Peter actually attends the fictional college, Empire State University — which was modeled after Columbia. All that being said, seeing actual Columbia University in the movie was great. Part of what makes the original Spider-Man trilogy so fun was that a lot of it was filmed in actual New York City.

Either way, how amazing is Peter Parker that he’s smart enough to go to Columbia?

What you can do:

• See buildings like Columbia’s library or Hamilton Hall (named after Alexander Hamilton, who attended the school when it was called King’s College).
• Grab a bite to eat a Tom’s Restaurant, the famous restaurant exterior used as the Monk’s Cafė in Seinfeld.
• Walk a few blocks south to see the grand Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine off of Morningside Park. It’s a cathedral that looks like it’s ripped right out of European history books.

Location: 116th St & Broadway, New York, NY

How to get there: Taking the 1 train to 116 Street – Columbia University will drop you right off on campus.

Cost: Free!