40 Places In New York Where You're Most Likely To Spot Celebrities

New York City is home to bright lights, iconic tourist destinations, professionals pursuing the dream and those who've already achieved it. Like Los Angeles, a lot of movie stars, TV actors, singers and athletes live here — but with more than 8 million inhabitants, how are you supposed to find any?

We did a little digging on social media and other parts of the web to see where the stars are eating, drinking and hanging out. Please remember: If you see someone famous at any of the following locations, be respectful. Celebrities are human too, and as opposed to celebrity-obsessed Los Angeles, bothering a famous person you encounter in New York is considered quite a faux pas. So get ready for prime people-watching at these 40 places in New York where you're most likely to spot celebrities.

Tons of celebrities live in New York (or at least maintain a residence here) and others are constantly traveling in from other cities. At any given time, you might find yourself in line for TSA behind Kristen Bell, Victoria Beckham, Selena Gomez or virtually any other celebrity with a means to fly in or out of JFK or LaGuardia airports in Queens.

It's practically guaranteed that celebrities are sitting courtside at every Nets game. Famous figures photographed at Brooklyn's Barclays Center include CC Sabathia, Aaron Judge, 50 Cent, Amy Schumer, Floyd Mayweather, French Montana, Ja Rule, Vinny Guadagnino, Naomi Campbell, Emily Rajatkowski and many more.

Pastis is an iconic Parisian-style bistro in the Meatpacking District that we named one of the best restaurants of 2019. Prior to its multi-year closure in 2014, Martha Stewart and Anna Wintour were regulars. Sarah Jessica Parker had her baby shower there and Liv Tyler married Royston Langdon with Kate Hudson, Stella McCartney and David Bowie in attendance. Other notable VIP guests, past and present (the restaurant reopened in a new location in the summer of 2019) include Cyndi Lauper, Monica Lewinsky, Madonna, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Lindsay Lohan, Jack Nicholson, Jake Gyllenhaal and on, and on.

If you want to see celebrities on stage, there are always a handful performing in Broadway plays. Others have taken their seats in the audience at various shows, including Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Kacey Musgraves, Joshua Jackson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Uma Thurman, Phylicia Rashad, Alanis Morissette, Hugh Jackman, Carrie Underwood and more.

Lucali, located in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens neighborhood, serves some of the best pizza in America. The wait can sometimes last for hours, but this restaurant is worth waiting in line for. Besides, if you show up before 5 p.m. you can add your name to the list and go have a drink. Famous patrons include Jay-Z and Beyonce, David Beckham, Liv Tyler and John Legend.

Lots of stars live and hang out in the Central Park area including Antonio Banderas (who recently listed his home for $7.4 million), Trey Anastasio, Al Sharpton, Tony Danza, Bobby Flay, Anne Hathaway, Regis Philbin, Yoko Ono, Gayle King, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Strahan, Madonna and Jordan Peele. While you certainly shouldn't stalk their buildings, you could happen upon any of these people on a Sunday stroll along the reservoir.

Polo Bar is another highly exclusive reservation-only restaurant that's more or less impossible to get into. You can't even pop into the bar for a drink because it's reserved for dinner guests only. The Ralph Lauren-owned Midtown eatery often serves people of importance and the menu even alludes to it by asking guests to respect the privacy of others and limit photography to their own party. Meghan Markle, Hillary Clinton, Andy Cohen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Carol Burnett, Julie Andrews, Kristin Chenoweth, and Bernadette Peters are among the stars who've dined here.

The Rainbow Room is a swanky restaurant and event space with the highest outdoor terrace bar in all of New York City, offering sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. The space, located on the 65th floor of 30 Rock, has hosted The Rolling Stones, Zendaya, Ashley Graham, Lady Gaga, Kaia Gerber, Ansel Elgort, Paul McCartney, ASAP Ferg, and more.

Joanne Trattoria is an Italian restaurant owned by Lady Gaga's parents, Joe and Cynthia Germanotta. The Upper West Side eatery is named in memory of Joe's sister, Joanne, who passed away from lupus when she was just 19 (Lady Gaga later released the album "Joanne" in 2016). Most menu items are Germanotta family favorites, including Joanne's seafood mac and cheese and Papa G's chicken. Lady Gaga even once served guests at her parents' restaurant. It's unlikely that would ever happen again, but you never know.

There are more than 20 major film festivals that take place in New York City, including the Tribeca Film Festival, the Brooklyn Film Festival and the New York City International Film Festival. Filmmakers and actors often attend the screenings and post-movie discussions, many of which are ticketed events. Even if you don't get in, you could see the stars walking the red carpet before and after the big premiere.

Robert De Niro also co-owns Nobu in Tribeca with acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The ultra-luxe Japanese restaurant has locations worldwide that serve high-quality sushi to Hollywood elite and their bodyguards, socialites and other people who have the money to spend an average of $120 on a meal pre-tax without alcohol. Bigger bills ring in around $1,000 a head. Famous names on the reservation list include Drake, Madonna, Martha Stewart and the Kardashians.

Coppelia is a cozy Cuban diner in Chelsea. It's open 24/7, but if you go early in the morning, you might catch Rihanna having breakfast. Rumor has it, the singer and fashion designer comes here often and orders the lomo saltado, Peruvian-style stir-fry with beef short ribs, red onions, tomato, light soy, ginger and sambal over rice.

Momofuku Noodle Bar is owned by David Chang, who currently stars in "Ugly Delicious" and "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner" on Netflix. The restaurant is widely known for ramen and caviar-topped fried chicken. Chrissy Teigen is a known Momofuku regular.

Park Side is in Queens, which is a little far out compared to the other restaurants on this list. Nonetheless, the traditional Italian fare has attracted the likes of Selena Gomez, Fat Joe, Ray Romano, Bobby Flay, Adam Sandler, Robinson Cano and more.

Minetta Tavern opened in Greenwich Village in 1937 and quickly became a happening place with star-studded regulars like Ernest Hemingway, e.e. Cummings and more. After a thorough renovation and rechristening from famed restaurateur Keith McNally, Brooke Shields, Jerry Seinfeld, Naomi Watts, Tori Spelling, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have been spotted at this Parisian-style steakhouse. If you make a reservation here, you might not see anyone in the main dining area. Most high-profile people are seated in the back room.

Morandi is an Italian restaurant in the West Village — and it's always packed. Andy Cohen has been here and it comes highly recommended by Giada de Laurentiis, who loves the pasta, meatballs and arancini di riso. Other celebrity patrons include Amal and George Clooney and Cameron Diaz.

Carbone is an upscale Italian-American restaurant with a tiled floor inspired by "The Godfather." Gwyneth Paltrow calls it "1950s meets hipster chic" and says the food is rich and luscious. Taylor Swift threw Lorde a birthday party here (Karlie Kloss, Aziz Ansari and Lena Dunham were in attendance), and Kim Kardashian once sipped tea at a corner table with Serena Williams.

The Gansevoort is a luxury hotel in the Meatpacking District. The ultra-sleek property has 186 trendy guest rooms including a penthouse suite, plus a rooftop pool and bar (dubbed B on Top) that offers incredible 360-degree views of the New York City skyline. Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera, the Kardashians, Sofia Vergara, Zoe Saldana, and Rihanna have checked in here.

The Standard is a boutique hotel in the Meatpacking District, and the fabulous lounge on the 18th floor — the Top of the Standard, which is better known as the Boom Boom Room — is a popular after-party hangout with floor to ceiling windows and panoramic views. Zac Efron, Rihanna, Jeff Gordon, Cameron Diaz, Aaron Rodgers, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Priyanka Chopra, Eddie Redmayne, James Corden, Kerry Washington, Brie Larson, Roger Federer and Elle Fanning are among the elite who've partied here.

Delmonico's is one of the oldest restaurants in New York City and the alleged first fine dining restaurant in the country. The high-end Financial District steakhouse is also the rumored birthplace of popular dishes eggs Benedict and baked Alaska, and the first U.S. restaurant to let women dine without the company of a man. Through the years, Whoopi Goldberg, Alton Brown, Luke Evans, Dakota Fanning, Rick Ross and Sean Penn have eaten here (and way back in the day, Mark Twain and Diamond Jim Brady were regulars). Happy celeb spotting