it is not a NYC-“themed” song at all lmao but this is a recent one, i was at a protest in the city and afterward someone brought a boombox to a park and started an impromptu dance party and this was the song playing when i came across it. everyone was singing along and dancing together even with their signs, it was super cute :) i love this place
songs that remind me of the city when i was younger - juicy by the notorious big, kids by mgmt, go outside by cults, young folks by peter bjorn and john, the adults are talking by the strokes, crazy in love by beyonce, girl on fire and no one by alicia keys, paper planes by m.i.a., daylight by matt and kim, take me anywhere by tegan and sara, a-punk by vampire weekend, fluorescent adolescent by arctic monkeys, also a bunch of christmas songs lol :)
also there’s the generic classics - new york, new york by sinatra (NYE!), empire state of mind by alicia keys, silver bells by dean martin, new york i love you but you’re bringing me down by lcd soundsystem (i actually didn’t hear this one until last year!!) and no sleep til brooklyn by the beastie boys. brooklyn bridge to chorus by the strokes, brooklyn baby by lana del rey and also 212 by azealia banks lol (i don’t know if it’s as common knowledge? but 212 was the original area code for nyc - “i was in the 212, on the uptown A [train]”)