Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Return to Article

NYC As Seen On TV: NYC Apartments

17 photos

<head><script charset="utf-8" src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/5033729.js" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript>t<a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5033729/">What TV show has the most fictional NYC apartment?</a><span style="font-size:9px;"><a href="http://polldaddy.com/features-surveys/">online surveys</a></span></noscript></head>

Gothamist


Carrie Bradshaw's apartment on Sex and the City (prior to moving in with Mr. Big) was on the Upper East Side, though the exterior was actually filmed at 66 Perry Street. The one-bedroom rent-controlled walk-up in a picturesque brownstone had a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom which were all fairly realistic in size. However, that closet was huge! In 2008, the NY Times pointed out that "the average rental for a one-bedroom apartment in a non-doorman building on the Upper East Side has jumped to $2,448 this year from $1,542 in 1998" (the year that Carrie was living in the apartment).More of her pad here.

Gothamist


The most famously infuriating fake apartment on television is probably Monica and Rachel's apartment on Friends. (The location, the giant living room, the balcony, the closet space, the square footage... all for practically no rent.) According to this Friends fansite, "Monica's grandmother is the official tenant and lived there before Monica. Although she died, no written record stating that Monica is the official owner is ever mentioned, implying that Monica sub-letted the apartment illegally (this also covers the fact that Monica could afford such an expensive apartment with her chef's salary)." Not to mention Rachel lived there while being a barista at the coffee shop.The apartment's address is fictional, located at 495 Grove Street—the exterior was shot at Bedford and Grove. Check out the rest of the Friends' apartments right here. And here's a blueprint for Monica's apartment.

Gothamist



What happens when you have two dads? You get to live in an amazing loft in Manhattan, complete with a crazy chair in the shape of a car. During the first season of My Two Dads, dads Michael and Joey argue over where their new family should live: Joey’s sprawling downtown loft or Michael’s uptown pad. Tough decisions.

Gothamist


Those kids on Felicity might just live in the most fictional New York ever. From the over-sized dorm rooms at NYU, to the downtown lofts with spiral staircases, to the giant Manhattan apartments with working fireplaces that you somehow afford off of a Dean & Deluca salary. Such real estate gold really ought to take the sting out of fighting with your hot boyfriend.

Gothamist


Paul and Jamie lived in a one-bedroom in Greenwich Village on the show Mad About You. According to this website, the building used for the exterior shots is at 5th Avenue and 12th Street, but the interior was shot in LA. The apartment could be realistic, but have you ever seen a living room big enough to hold two separate seating areas? Not to mention that bathroom is the size of some studio apartments we've seen.

Gothamist



From IMDB: "Kate McArdle (Susan Saint James) and Allie Lowell (Jane Curtin) were two divorced women with kids, who were friends from school. Kate was a struggling travel agent with her daughter Emma (Ari Meyers) and a ne'er do well actor as her former husband. Allie was a Connecticut Doctor's ex with two: Jennie (Allison Smith) and Chip (Freddie Koehler) and presumably a decent alimony settlement. In order to help each other out, they all lived together in a sprawling street level duplex apartment in Greenwich Village. Kate had a bedroom, Allie had a bedroom, Chip, the lone bit of male representation, had his room and the two girls shared a room." There are even fireplaces and and eat-in kitchen! So, what was the rent on this place in the 1980s? In the below episode, Kate and Allie contemplate becoming a lesbian couple so they can get the single-family rent of $648 a month (as two families, they say the rent would need $1,946.85).

Gothamist


We've never seen this show Castle, but those who have note that the characters have really hit the real estate jackpot. Richard Castle's apartment, with a huge sleek kitchen, looks likes it's been uprooted from Los Angeles... but otherwise it seems realistic—we suppose this is how large best-selling authors are livin'. Meanwhile, detective Kate Beckett moved in to a sweet loft, which looks more like it would belong to a bookish creative type than someone on the NYPD payroll, however, NYPD detectives make a top base salary of around $87,000—so we suppose she can afford the rent. Want an apartment like these two? Allegedly they used Time Out NY's listing section!

Gothamist


<p>We always appreciated that Jerry Seinfeld's apartment was decorated just like a jean and sneaker wearing guy would "decorate" it... but was his bachelor pad realistic to a comedian's apartment in the city? And how did Kramer ever afford to live there?! His address on the show was 129 West 81st Street, but the exterior was actually shot at... 757 New Hampshire Boulevard in Los Angeles! According to <a href="http://streeteasy.com/nyc/building/129-west-81-street-manhattan">StreetEasy</a>, the average rental is $1,624.</p><p>In the show, there is definitely a realistic and ongoing real estate conversation, like that time Jerry and George flipped for a much coveted apartment (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZOLs03vILs">video</a>).</p>

Gothamist


The Jeffersons moved on up to the East Side to a deluxe apartment in the sky... or to 185 East 85th Street (at 3rd Avenue), to be exact. The show was a spin-off of All in the Family, and the Jeffersons actually moved from a working-class neighborhood in Queens, next door to the Bunker's home. The family made their big move after opening Jefferson Cleaners, which they bought with a $3,200 (approximately $17,400 in 2011) insurance settlement from a car accident.Here's a look at George and Weezie's journey to their new home, in the season one opening credits.

Gothamist


<a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/03/02/blueprints.php#photo-3">The blueprint</a> for the Jefferson's apartment.

Gothamist


<a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/07/28/is_this_where_don_draper_lives.php">Don Draper</a>'s apartment, which he moved into after him and Betty split up, is at <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/07/28/is_this_where_don_draper_lives.php">104 Waverly Place</a>. It's been noted that early ‘60s rent there was probably a couple hundred a month, and currently a one-bedroom there sells for $769,000. The ad man could probably afford that, but is this thing true-to-size?<p>And what about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R8o3OrhxNI&feature=related">Midge's beatnick apartment</a>?</p>

Gothamist



We've already looked back at Lucy and Ricky Ricardo's Manhattan apartments—they had a couple, and one they signed a 99 year lease for! Take a look at them all, right here. And below, a classic clip of the gang redecorating the Mertzes' apartment.

Gothamist


The Diff'rent Stokes family lived in a building that, in real life, is located at the corner of Park Avenue and 79th Street. Allegedly the building "was only featured during the first season was because they never got permission from the building, let alone pay them. And there are no penthouses in the building." Here's a look at Arnold and Willis driving up to their new home in a creepy remix of the opening credits.

Gothamist


<p>Since we couldn't find any photos from the incredibly unrealistic apartment in <em>What I Like About You</em>, here's one from another show you have probably never seen: <em>Better With You</em> (which seems to have just ended its first season). <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/better-with-you/photo-details/better-with-firehouse/559308/568087">On the show</a>, "Mia and Casey go house hunting when they realize that Mia's apartment will be too small for them when the baby comes. But Casey's unusual taste in home selections concerns Mia, especially when he sets his sights on a dilapidated old firehouse." Fake real estate envy ensues! Above you can see the before and after.</p>

Gothamist


If you're going to be a struggling Kiwi musician and get dreamtime visits from David Bowie, you might as well live in Chinatown with your roommate and best friend Jemaine. The Flight of the Conchords' realistically tiny apartment (exterior filmed at 28 Henry Street) also featured drab furnishings and cozy afghans—plus landlord Eugene Mirman.

Gothamist


Barney, Robin, Ted, Marshall and Lily all have pretty sweet living spaces in Manhattan... even if the latter two did get suckered into moving to the hot new 'hood DoWiSeTrePla.

Gothamist


Back to article