Map: What Would Game of Thrones New York City Look Like?

This Game of Thrones New York City map originally appeared on the now defunct UpOut.com. It was inspired by the brilliant Game of Thrones – San Francisco map created by Emma Gantz (illustrator of the icons), Kelly Anne Bonner, and Natalie Kelly. This version of the map was designed by Tandra Nguyen using Gantz’s icons (Nguyen made the Castle Black icon). The New York City descriptions were written by Jesse Russell with assistance from UpOut intern Nora Kistler. Bonner and Kelly wrote the Game of Thrones descriptions for the San Francisco map which Russell edited slightly for this Game of Thrones New York City version.

Disagree? Of course you do (please be gentle). This was a tough map to make because New York City is such an amazingly diverse region with shifting personalities. I’d love to read your interpretation of the ideal Game of Thrones New York City map!

What would a map of Game of Thrones New York City look like?
It might look a little bit like this.

Click the map to enlarge.

 

King’s Landing – Financial District

In Game of Thrones, King’s Landing is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms and home to royalty, common folk, and everyone in between. It is the seat of power in the land, but it also has a rapidly growing poor population.

The Financial District is, in many respects, the capital of the five boroughs. As the home of Wall Street, the stock exchange, and the Federal Reserve there’s a significant amount of power represented in the form of wealth and deal-making. City Hall and other government buildings rest on the edge of the FiDi. St. Paul’s Chapel and Trinity Church are historic reminders of the influence of religion. And, of course, the out of control rent in New York City as a whole is starting to reflect the social stratification we see in King’s Landing.

The Eyrie – Cloisters

High up in the mountains overlooking all of the surrounding land is the castle of House Arryn. The day-long trek up to the castle can be exhausting since you have to climb up a mountain on carved-out steps.

Located in Hudson Heights, the Cloisters are a trek from nearly anywhere in the five boroughs. Perched above Hudson Bay they are a way for New Yorkers to get out of the city (and feel like they’re leaving the city) without actually leaving the city.

The Vale – Central Park

The Vale is the area surrounded by the Mountains of the Moon. Like any valley region, it is very fertile and has a good amount of farmland.

Central Park is a verdant escape surrounded on all sides by the mountains of Manhattan’s skyscrapers.

Pkye – Coney Island

Pkye is the main island of the Iron Islands, which cannot grow substantial amounts of food and have little resources. Because of this, for hundreds of years the residents have raided the main land for any goods. The people of the Iron Islands are hard and mean, but who wouldn’t be when your home is a cold, wet, and rocky island?

Coney Island has a lot going for it when the weather is warm during the short summer, but once the weather turns cold it might as well as be Pyke.

Storm’s End – Staten Island

Storm’s End is the home of the Baratheons. This fortress is really, really strong, and its walls are protected by magic.

Staten Island, much like Storm’s End, is home to a strong and proud community. If you live on Staten Island, chances are high that you’re a New Yorker by birth. The Island is protected by the traffic nightmare that is I-278 with more relaxing access provided by the magical Staten Island Ferry.

Riverrun – Chelsea

Riverrun is technically the home of the Tullys, but it changed hands to the Freys. Then, the Blackfish took it back—and after that, Jaime Lannister took it back for the Freys. So Riverrun has changed hands a few times.

Chelsea is a constantly changing neighborhood. It’s been an industrial zone, a theater district, a working-class neighborhood, and, most recently, a burgeoning tech sector.

Highgarden – Prospect Park

Highgarden is the home of House Tyrell, which is most well-known for its lush, fertile lands and amazing gardens.

Brookyln’s second largest park is a bucolic escape from the grit and grime of the city. Much like Highgarden, Prospect Park is best known for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden which is filled with gardens within the garden.

Winterfell – Williamsburg

Let’s admit it, the Starks are the hipsters of Westeros. They’re so retro cool they still worship the old gods, they wear stylish winter coats year round, carry a constant air of existential dread, and love direwolves.

Williamsburg, where we love everything retro, wear Canada Goose Extreme Outwear even in the Spring, carry a constant air of existential dread, and love dogs.

The North – The Bronx

The North is a cold, cold place. Not everyone is willing to live there, let alone even travel there. In many ways, it is a landlocked island from the rest of Westeros keeping the traditions of the old ways alive.

As the northernmost borough and sitting on the river The Bronx can often be unseasonably cold even when the rest of New York City is baking. Plus, while the Bronx isn’t invulnerable to gentrification it has, for the most part, withstood it longer than Queens and Brooklyn. You can still travel to parts of The Bronx and feel like you’re in New York City circa-1980/1990.

The Dreadfort – Rikers Island

The Dreadfort is home to the Boltons and thus is a miserable place. If you are a captive of the Boltons, your chances of getting out of the Dreadfort are slim—they are known as the flayers, after all.

Honestly, it was a toss up between Rikers Island and Wall Street.

Sunspear/Dorne – The Village

Dorne and its capital, Sunspear, are mostly desert. The people of Dorne have very different traditions and ways from the rest of Westeros, since most of the inhabitants are descended from Rhoynar refugees. They are a very independent people, and they are very proud of their Dornish identity.

The Village has historically been the heart and soul of Manhattan’s counterculture. This is where diversity is embraced and individualism is valued.

Casterly Rock – Upper East Side

Casterly Rock is the home of the Lannisters, and it is a place that has become super wealthy from gold mines.

The Upper East Side has the highest concentration of wealth in Manhattan. Much like the Rock that the Lannisters call home, Trump Tower rises high above Fifth Avenue where from their Penthouse (when not in DC) the Trump family looks down on the city. It is one of many traits the ruling family of the United States shares with the Lannisters.

The Twins – Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges

The Twins are two towers that form the bridge over the Green Fork of the Trident River, connecting the North to the Riverlands. It is the only crossing of the Green Fork for miles, and avoiding the Twins means going many miles out of the way.

The Williamsburg and Brooklyn Bridges are sister entry ways into lower Manhattan and the primary way of entry for the weirdos who commute by car.

Beyond the Wall – New Jersey

North of the Wall is where the wildlings roam free from the rule of the Seven Kingdoms. It is colder than any place you have ever been, and the people are considered very rough and uncivilized by most in the Seven Kingdoms, but they’re in many ways the opposite. White Walkers aside, the wildings in many ways have it better than those on the other side of the wall.

Much like the wildlings, New Jerseyans across the river are the victims of stereotypes, but in reality, all they want is to have their state identity respected. In some ways, they’re free of many of the limitations of New Yorkers. For example, plentiful housing and lower rent.

The Arbor – Hudson Valley

The best wines in the Seven Kingdoms come from the Arbor, which is highly respected around the world. The Arbor is in a perfect location to grow grapes for wine.

The Hudson Valley is the home to some of the best wineries and distilleries in the Northeast.

Kingsroad – FDR Drive

The Kingsroad is the main highway connecting the Seven Kingdoms, running from King’s Landing in the south to Castle Black in the north.

FDR Drive is the main highway running the length of Manhattan.

Braavos – Harlem

Braavos is often covered in fog. In fact, it is so foggy that its location was kept a secret for many years. It has grown to become one of the most powerful Free Cities in Essos. The Braavosi are notoriously kind and great lovers of song. They are well-known for creating a form of sword fighting called “the Water Dance.”

Harlem, much like Braavos, is marked by a creative culture that thrives on the celebration of freedom. The region’s tie to song and dance is legendary.

Meereen – Hell’s Kitchen

Queen Daenerys rules her kingdom from the pyramids in Meereen. She has a lot of rebuilding to do after all of the damage the masters did to the city.

Hell’s Kitchen was once an area of New York known for rampant crime. It was greatly neglected by the city until recent years.  It has been rebuilding and is now once of the most sought after neighborhoods in Manhattan.

The Dothraki Sea – The High Line

The Dothraki Sea isn’t actually a body of water, but rather a sea of grass.

The High Line is not only known for being an elevated park but also for the beautiful Chelsea Grasslands.

Qarth – Tribeca

Qarth calls itself “The Greatest City That Ever Was or Will Be” because of the great wealth it has gotten from being a major trade city. Its massive walls protect it from any unwelcome outsiders.

Tribeca definitely considers itself the greatest neighborhood in New York City. It has a rich culture that often skews toward arts that appeal to the well-educated or the upper crust.

Harrenhall – Calvary Cemetery

Harrenhall is supposedly haunted because it was destroyed by dragons during Aegon’s conquest. It is a place no one has wanted, with the city of the dead residing in it.

With more than 3 million residents, Calvary Cemetery is the largest city of the dead in the United States.

Castle Black – Port Authority

 

Castle Black is home to the Night’s Watch, a military order dedicated to ensuring The Wall never falls. They also provide safe passage to anyone who wishes to pass beyond the wall.

The Port Authority is dedicated to ensuring New York’s complicated transit system never fails. The Authority’s main headquarters is located near the mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel which, technically, could be considered the gate of The Wall separating NYC and New Jersey.

Icons by Emma Gantz
Layout and Castle Black Icon by Tandra Nguyen
Check out our San Francisco Game of Thrones Map
Game of Thrones descriptions by Natalie Kelly, Kelly Anne Bonner, and Jesse Russell
New York City descriptions by Jesse Russell