New Yorkers yearn for the mythical City of New York, waxing nostalgia for the way the city was depicted  in old post cards, photographs, and artwork. These illustrations portray a city that could rival any utopia. However, it is important to remember that when Currier and Ives, Childe Hassam, Alfred Stieglitz, and many other artists portrayed the city, they did so with rose colored glasses. New York has always had its picturesque locations, and today places can become picturesque when viewed through the proper lens.
I searched for locations that were  reminiscent  of the mythical New York.  These sites, with the  assistance  of photoshop, show that while the mythical city as we imagine it never existed, remnants of the romantic New York of yesterday can still be found.
The main gate of Bellevue Hospital:
Ivy covered vase at Bellevue Hospital:
The George Washington Bridge and Henry Hudson Parkway:
The Washington Arch looking North: