A city the size of New York was bound to have many ghosts and legends.

The Algonquin Hotel is haunted by the the spectre of the brilliant, but troubled poet and critic, Dorothy Parker. The hotel was often used by members of the Round Table, that association for influential young men, and the ghosts of some of them have been seen, especially in the areas where people dine, drink or congregate, by both guests and employees of the Algonquin. Guests have also reported unexplained singing in the elevator and other uncanny occurrences.

The Chelsea Hotel, also known as the Hotel Chelsea, is noted for being haunted by the ghosts of some of the many celebrities who have stayed there. They include the spirits of the playwright Eugene O'Neill, the poet Dylan Thomas, the novelist Thomas Wolfe and the punk rock star Sid Vicious. The Chelsea Hotel is the subject of a song by Leonard Cohen. He passed away in 2016 but to my knowledge at the time I am writing, he does not haunt the Chelsea Hotel himself (yet).

The sinister reputation of the Dakota Apartments soared when exterior shots of the building were used in the classic horror movie Rosemary's Baby. However, its distinguished history and guests have made it a genuinely haunted place. The Dakota was built by Edward Clark and his spectral self is sometimes seen in the building. Other ghosts of the Dakota Apartments include a little boy and a little girl, both dressed in Edwardian clothes. They are not usually seen together, so they may or may not be connected. The phantoms of a crying woman and a young man are also sometimes seen but may also be unconnected. The most famous ghost is surely that of former Beatle John Lennon, who lived in the Dakota Apartments and was gunned down in the archway of the building.

The house at 14 West 10th Street in Manhattan is allegedly haunted by an amazing twenty-two ghosts. One of the phantoms is that of the great nineteenth century novelist and world traveller, Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens).

It has been claimed that the sewers of New York City are infested by alligators. They are supposedly the descendants of pet baby alligators that were flushed down toilets and others released into the sewers when they became too large to be cute. However, most people now regard the stories as an urban legend.

Pirate treasure is said to be buried on New York harbour's Liberty Island. It may have been buried there by the privateer and executed pirate Captain Kidd. Beware, however, as it is guarded by a fire breathing devil.

The alleged numerous and spectacular supernatural phenomena associated with 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville on Long Island, have been immortalised in Hollywood movies such as The Amityville Horror. Remember, however, that it is a private dwelling, so if you must take a look, do not loiter and respect the privacy of the current residents. In any case, although a polygraph test cleared George Lutz of lying, some aspects of the movie and Jay Anson's book were certainly invented. Residents who have lived in the house after the Lutz family appear not to have had any problems caused by paranormal phenomena.

In 2008, a weird and unidentified carcass quickly named the Montauk monster was found on the beach of Montauk, Long Island. Some people, however, think that it was the rotting and bald carcass of a raccoon.

In Long Island Sound are the Devil's Stepping Stones. According to legend, Satan used them to escape from Native American warriors.

Click here for Other New York State Ghosts and Legends.