New York City

New York is a Land Without Magic location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the first episode of the second season.

During the Curse
In Portland, Oregon, Neal reluctantly gives up on having a future with his girlfriend, Emma, after he is approached by August, who stresses the importance of a greater destiny Emma has to finish. He follows August's advice, and allows Emma to be arrested and sent to a jailhouse in Phoenix for stealing watches. He runs away to Canada, and then to New York City.

About eleven years later, Neal meets up with August, who has just arrived to New York from overseas. August states due to the fact he is turning back into wood, he must help convince Emma to break the curse so he himself can return to normal. Neal expresses doubt Emma would want to see him again after everything is done with, and is not pleased with the thought of his father regaining his memories and coming to look for him. Before heading off to Storybrooke where Emma is currently located, August promises to send him a postcard when the curse is broken.

Both remain unaware a stranger, Tamara, has been eavesdropping on their conversation from a few feet away, and watching their interaction through a compact mirror. She straightens herself up and deliberately walks into Neal as he is turning after August has left on his motorcycle. Her hot cup of coffee spills all over her front shirt, and she exclaims in feigned surprise at the mess. Neal apologizes, and gives her his scarf to help cover up the stains. She thanks him, and from the brief interaction they exchange numbers. Later, Tamara calls him back and they hit it off. They date, and eventually after an unknown period of time, become engaged.

After the Curse
The day after Emma breaks the curse, Neal walks home to his apartment and receives a postcard--per August's promise--from Storybrooke, Maine with just one word written on it: "Broken".

Mr. Gold, Emma and Henry exit a taxi onto the sidewalk of Manhattan to look for Mr. Gold's son, Baelfire. They arrive at an apartment complex that they were guided to by Mr. Gold's magic globe, which shows this place as Baelfire's current location. Upon entering the lobby, they try to look for the name "Baelfire" on the listed residents on the intercom call sheet, but Emma points out "Baelfire" would not work as an alias. She points to a nameless intercom panel that simply says it is for room "407". Mr. Gold thinks that it is just an empty apartment, but Emma reminds him that she is good at finding people who do not want to be found. She buzzes the room number, and claims to have a UPS package for "407". Scuffling is heard from above, and Emma realizes that "407" is running. When they rush outside, they see a man climbing down the fire escape and making his getaway in the opposite direction of the street. Mr. Gold pleas for Emma get Baelfire to talk to him as the favor she owes him. She takes off in hot pursuit of the man.

When Emma finally tackles the man to the ground, she recognizes him as her ex-boyfriend, Neal. Emma is shocked at his familiar face, while Neal seems excited and pleased to see her. She continually asks Neal if he is Mr. Gold's son, but once she uses the name "Rumplestiltskin" he realizes who she is referring to, and disdainfully speaks of having spent his whole life running from his father. Emma believes the both of them planned to trick her like this, and yells at Neal because she thinks it to be true. He denies it and leads her to nearby bar to discuss things.

Back by Neal's apartment, Mr. Gold and Henry await Emma's return. Mr. Gold buys Henry a hot dog and they discuss the current situation. Mr. Gold warily wonders whether Emma will be able to catch up with Baelfire, but Henry tells him about Emma's skills of finding those who do not want to be found. Henry thanks Mr. Gold both for buying him the hot dog and for bringing Emma to Storybrooke, so everything that's happened thus has been possible.

Meanwhile, Emma and Neal continue to discuss things at the bar. Neal explains to Emma what happened years ago when August pursued and convinced him to give up on her. August showed him a typewriter with the words, "I know you're Baelfire" on it. He also told him that Emma was destined to break a curse. Neal says they must have met because of fate, but she rejects the idea as nothing good came out of their relationship. Even so, Neal asks why she wears the key chain he gave her. She rips it off and hands it to him; icily stating it is a reminder to not trust anyone ever again. Emma tells him about the deal she made with Mr. Gold, and the possibly Neal could talk to his father. He wants nothing to do with Mr. Gold, and asks her to let him go. She agrees it might be best.

Henry and Mr. Gold return to the apartment lobby and continue to converse. Henry recalls the first time he met Emma, and believes Mr. Gold will have a similar experience with his son. He asks Mr. Gold if he can see the future as it says in the book. Mr. Gold tells him the future is not so easily read and is like a puzzle with missing pieces. Emma arrives back at the lobby and is apologetic that she let Baelfire get away. Frustrated, Mr. Gold does not want to give up and begins randomly buzzing each apartment intercom call button. The doors unlock for him and he proceeds to break into his son's apartment.

As they approach apartment 407, Emma continually warns Mr. Gold it is illegal for him to break in. He ignores her and searches the apartment for possible clues. Emma notices the dream catcher hanging on Neal's window, which she remembers him having from the years they spent together. Mr. Gold grows suspicious when he sees the way she is looking at the object. He asks her what she is keeping from him, and though she denies it, Mr. Gold begins to threaten the truth out of her. She sends Henry into the bathroom to keep him from hearing anymore. As Mr. Gold is getting increasingly violent in an effort to prob out an answer from Emma, Neal bursts in and shouts for him to stop.

Neal tells his father to leave his apartment, which does not work. Mr. Gold insists on talking with his son to no avail. When Neal calls Emma by her name, Mr. Gold suspects that they know each other. A fight seems imminent, but Henry reappears in the room, and wants to know what is going on. When he calls Emma "mom", Neal is in disbelief, and asks him is age. Emma tries to keep Henry from telling, but he does anyway. After Henry blurts out "eleven", Neal asks Emma if Henry is his son. Henry is shocked, but tells Neal the story Emma had told him about his dad being a firefighter who died valiantly. Emma had no choice but to admit to the truth; shocking Neal and upsetting Henry, who climbs out onto the fire escape. Before Emma walks out to Henry, she tells Mr. Gold and Neal to talk so she can fulfill her deal. Because he wants her to complete the deal, Neal allows his father to speak to him for three minutes.

Out on the fire escape, Emma tries to justify her lie. She did not want Henry to know his father was a thief and a liar, but he says he could have handled the truth. Emma is hurt when Henry accuses her of lying to him like Regina did. Eventually, she agrees to let Henry meet his father.

Inside Neal's apartment, Mr. Gold uses the three minutes given to him by Neal. He explains his actions and expresses remorse in the guilt and regret he feels everyday for the choices he made. After his three minutes are up, Neal tells his father he has faced abandonment every day since he let him go through the portal by himself, and that is the one memory which has been haunting him for years, so this time, he will be the one letting go of his father. Mr. Gold tries to plea for another chance, but Neal does not want to hear it.

Soon thereafter, Emma returns from the fire escape. She tells Neal that Henry wants to meet him. Neal confronts her for not telling him the truth, and Emma does not deny this; instead saying it is her right. Neal disagrees with her making such a decision without advising him. As he leaves to speak with Henry, Emma tells him not to break his heart like he broke hers. He says he will not be like his father and goes out to the fire escape. Henry introduces himself to his father, and Neal apologizes for it taking so long to meet him. Father and son look off into the sunset while inside the apartment, Mr. Gold watches on from the window.

Over a short period, Neal and Henry form a bond with each other. Neal takes him to his favorite pizza parlor, and also promises to visit a museum. They briefly enter the pizza parlor to grab a bite while Mr. Gold and Emma wait outside. After they come back out, Neal tries to be truthful with Emma something about his life, but he is interrupted. When they go back to Neal's apartment, Henry and Neal go upstairs to grab a camera while Mr. Gold and Emma wait in the lobby.

Hook unexpectedly darts into the lobby and stabs Mr. Gold in the heart with his hook. Before Hook can further his revenge, Emma hits him in the head with a trash can in the lobby. Henry runs down with Neal who recognizes Hook and tries to comfort his "papa". They realize the only way to save him by taking him back to Storybrooke where there is magic. They realize that Hook traveled to New York by sea on his ship. Neal tells Emma he learned to sail a ship in the land he stopped at on his way to this land. Hook is locked underneath the apartment complex and the four prepare to sail. Preparing for their trip, Neal walks over to his car, but is stopped by a woman. They hug, and Neal introduces her to Emma as Tamara, his fiancée.

Neal convinces Tamara to come to Storybrooke. Tamara goes to his apartment to collect some of her things so she can bring it along. Neal discovers Hook is now missing and on the loose.

Locations
For detailed location information, please see the list of New York City locations.

Trivia

 * According to show creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, the footage of Michael Raymond-James as Neal Cassidy in the opening scene of "Broken" was actually shot in New York City.
 * For "Manhattan" and "The Queen Is Dead", the streets of New York were filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where production for Once Upon a Time is based.
 * A building that closely resembles the Flatiron building can be seen in a number of scenes set in New York, suggesting that Neal lives in the region around Madison Square Park or in Chelsea.