It’s been too long since I have been able to visit the Big Apple and I miss it. NYC will always be my favorite city in the world. There is no place in the world like it. I dream about visiting again soon.
While I’m not sure when I will be able to go to New York again, it remains close to my heart. When things are looking down, I try to focus on the positive. I’ve been thinking about my favorite places in NYC and the memories I have with all the people I love there.
During this difficult time, I thought I could pay tribute to the Big Apple by sharing some New York City jigsaw puzzles. I think putting together a jigsaw puzzle of New York might provide the at-home therapy we all could use. You can daydream about your next trip to NYC while you put together the pieces.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information.
Contents
- Why Jigsaw Puzzles?
- The Best NYC Jigsaw Puzzles
- Times Square New York Puzzle
- New York Skyline Jigsaw Puzzle
- Brooklyn Bridge
- DUMBO View of the Manhattan Bridge Puzzle
- Broadway Playbill Puzzle
- Yankee Stadium Puzzle
- Autumn in Central Park Puzzle
- Rockefeller Center at Christmas Puzzle
- NYC Starry Night Puzzle
- New York City Transit MTA Subway Map Puzzle
- 3D Puzzles Newyork Cityline Building Model Kit
- Online NYC Jigsaw Puzzle
- Make Your Own New York City Puzzle
- Tips for Putting Together Jigsaw Puzzles
- Puzzles of New York
Why Jigsaw Puzzles?
I have enjoyed putting together jigsaw puzzles since I was a child. It’s a fun family-friendly activity and when finished this is a pretty picture to show for your hard work. We would glue together some of my favorite puzzles so that I could save them.
In addition to being fun and entertaining, jigsaw puzzles can provide other mental benefits. It’s a form of meditation and can help relieve stress. These puzzles can help improve your short-term memory and visual-spatial reasoning.
The Best NYC Jigsaw Puzzles
Times Square New York Puzzle
Times Square, aka the crossroads of the world, is one of those places that you must visit when in NYC for the first time. If you haven’t been to New York yet, you have probably seen Times Square on television on New Year’s Eve. It is where the famous ball drops to mark the start of the new year. This puzzle captures the neon lights of the Big Apple perfectly and it even glows in the dark. It has 1000 pieces and the finished puzzle will be 27 inches x 19 inches.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
New York Skyline Jigsaw Puzzle
This puzzle is made from an aerial photograph taken at sunset but it reminds me of the view from Top of the Rock looking downtown. The Empire State Building, one of the most romantic places in NYC, rises above all the rest of Midtown and you can see the Freedom Tower in the background. There are 500 pieces and it will be 20.5 inches by 15 inches when complete.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
Brooklyn Bridge
One of my favorite walks in NYC is over the Brooklyn Bridge. When the Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883, it was the first fixed crossing of the East River and the longest suspension bridge in the world. The views of Manhattan, the East River, and Brooklyn are spectacular and this puzzle captures it perfectly. It has 1000 pieces and when finished the puzzle measures 20 inches x 30 inches.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
Note: When you do walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, be sure to grab some pizza at Juliana’s. It’s one of my favorite things to do in NYC in spring.
DUMBO View of the Manhattan Bridge Puzzle
This is probably one of the most popular Instagram shots of NYC. A photo from the intersection of Washington Street and Water Street in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn that captures a view of the Manhattan Bridge. Look closely and you can see the Empire State Building through the arches of the bridge. This puzzle has 1000 pieces and the finished size 19.5 inches x 27.5 inches.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
Broadway Playbill Puzzle
This one is perfect for theater-lovers like me. I have collected playbills from the Broadway shows I have seen. This puzzle is a good substitute and will take up less storage space. It’s a 1000-piece puzzle that features some of Broadway’s biggest hits like Cats, Kinky Boots, and more! The finished puzzle is 19 inches x 26 inches.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
When you plan your trip to NYC, be sure to check out my tips for getting cheap Broadway tickets.
Yankee Stadium Puzzle
Even if you are not a Yankees fan, going to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium should be on your bucket list. I can’t count how many games I went to during the years I lived in NYC. It was one of my favorite things to do with out-of-town guests. We would make sure to allow time for a few drinks at Stan’s before the first pitch. First-timers to Yankee Stadium should also visit Monument Park and the New York Yankee Museum.
This puzzle depicts the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. It has 1000 pieces and will measure 13 inches x 39 inches when put together. Yankee fans may want to frame it to hang on the wall.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
Mets fans might prefer this puzzle.
Autumn in Central Park Puzzle
Central Park is my favorite place in New York City and I think it is at its best when the leaves change color in the fall. This puzzle shows the Mall with all its American Elm trees at peak color. The Central Park Mall runs through the middle of the Park from 66th to 72nd street and leads to Bethesda Terrace and the Central Park Lake.
With all the leaves, this is a more challenging puzzle. It has 1000 pieces and will be 20 inches x 30 inches when complete.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
Rockefeller Center at Christmas Puzzle
Christmas time in NYC is special. It’s fun to check out the department store holiday windows which are different each year. I also enjoyed making a trip out to the Dyker Heights neighborhood for some of the most over-the-top Christmas decorations around. Of course, you can’t come to NYC during the holiday season and not see the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree!
This puzzle replicates an illustration by Randy Wollenmann that shows the famous tree and ice skating rink. It has 1000 pieces and measures 30 inches x 24 inches when completed. Each piece is typically around 1 inch x 1 ¼ inches.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
NYC Starry Night Puzzle
This puzzle turns the NYC skyline into Van Gogh’s Starry Night-like painting. It is fitting since the artwork is on display at MOMA in Midtown. While the painting style is a bit abstract, it is still easy to identify the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and One World Trade Center. There are 1000 pieces and the finished product will be 20 inches x 30 inches.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
New York City Transit MTA Subway Map Puzzle
The Subway is the best way to get around New York City so most people that have visited will be familiar with this subway map. If you’re not familiar with it and plan on going to NYC, putting together this puzzle is a good way to learn.
It’s only 1000 pieces and includes a poster-sized map to make it easier to put together. The finished puzzle will be 27 inches x 19 inches and it is recommended for ages 7 and up.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
3D Puzzles Newyork Cityline Building Model Kit
If you are looking for something a bit different, why not try a 3D puzzle. These are not necessarily more difficult than the standard 2D puzzles because they have fewer pieces. No glue or special tools are needed.
This 3D puzzle features both classic and modern NYC icons, specifically the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, 1 World Trade Center, and Oculus. The puzzle pieces are all numbered so anyone aged 8 or older can put it together. If you want to make it more challenging ignore the numbers and try to figure out how the pieces connect on your own. Once complete you will have three-dimensional models to remind you of New York City.
Check the price and read more reviews on Amazon here.
Online NYC Jigsaw Puzzle
Another alternative is to put together a New York jigsaw puzzle online. While it’s not quite the same as having a physical jigsaw puzzle, it is free and can be fun. You can try these here.
Make Your Own New York City Puzzle
If you’ve taken a photo of NYC (or any photo really), you can have it made into a puzzle. The image can be portrait or landscape orientation. What a fun way to remember some of your favorite NYC spots or memories. This could also be a great gift idea as it can be personalized for the recipient.
Don’t fret if you don’t have your own NYC photo. Next time you are in NYC, you should consider a photo tour. You get a skilled photographer that knows the best photo spots in NYC. Since it’s a private tour, you can tailor the itinerary to your interests. It will be a fun time and you can use the photos to make your own personalized NYC puzzle.
**If you use the code TTTNYC, you can get $10 off any tour with NYC Photo Journeys.
JIGSAW2ORDER uses professional quality photo lab equipment to enlarge the digital image (jpg) and create a 1000 piece (or less if you prefer) puzzle. The final puzzle will be 20 inches x 28 inches and each piece size averages around 0.8 inches. It comes in a flip-top puzzle box with the image displayed on top.
Another option for a personalized puzzle of NYC is PuzzleUp. Their wooden puzzles are round so the shapes of the pieces are different than the typical puzzle. Get more information here.
If you are still searching for something to buy someone that loves New York, check out our list of experience gifts in NYC.
Tips for Putting Together Jigsaw Puzzles
As I mentioned, I have been putting together jigsaw puzzles for some time, so I thought it might be helpful if I passed on a few of the techniques that I learned over the years:
- It takes time to put these puzzles together. That’s ok, it will feel like a big achievement when you are finished.
- Have space to leave the puzzle when it is in progress. If you have to move the puzzle it increases the risk that pieces get lost or some might fall apart. If you don’t have a table that it can stay on, consider getting a Jigroll or putting it together on an appropriately sized cardboard or poster board and then it is easier to move when needed.
- Be sure to keep small pieces out of the reach of young children.
- Sort the pieces. Pick out all the pieces with a straight edge (i.e edge pieces) and work on putting together the border first. Then focus on other sections of the puzzle that are recognizable. Save the sky or other areas of solid colors for last.
- When it gets difficult, trial and error might be the best option. Try each piece to see if it fits. Sometimes the piece falls in place when you least expect it.
- If you want to glue the puzzle together to save it, then be sure to glue both the front and the back. Use a paintbrush to get the glue into all the cracks and allow extra time to dry. You can find puzzle glue here.
Puzzles of New York
There are plenty of NYC puzzles available and with the option to make your own, you could stay entertained for hours!
Which New York City puzzle do you want to try next?
-Anisa
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Last Updated on November 1, 2022