About

This website represents a partial account of my personal project of seeking out New York City filming locations, which began in early 2016. Some of the locations listed here were already identified on other websites, such as On the Set of New York, The Movie District and IMDB, but many of the locations were found through original research (conducted by myself and my research-partner, Jeff Blakeslee) and don’t appear on any other websites.

In this project, I’ve been mostly focusing on the locations of older films — films that were made in the 1980s or earlier. However, I will include a few modern films, particularly if they represent some creative art direction or embrace unique NYC locations.

As I continue to identify and catalogue movie locations, I can feel the hands of time quickly tightening its grip, discovering that many of these modest buildings and structures are being torn down and replaced with gigantic luxury condos and impersonal, revenue-making skyscrapers. Some have disappeared only a few months after posting photos on this website.

While New York City has always been the center of progress and modernization, it’s also been known to show reverence and respect for its past. But in the last five or ten years, it feels as though things have sped up dramatically. This constant push to exploit NYC’s highly-profitable real estate market seems to have superseded the need to preserve buildings and businesses that have historical significance. While the New York Landmark Society has been instrumental in the fight to protect many incredible structures, it has always been an uphill battle.

Let’s face it, money talks and bullshit walks.

I always feel joy when I discover that an old movie landmark has survived the wrecking ball over the years, and that’s why I will always continue with this project. However, it’s always with a little trepidation, knowing that at any moment, a beloved filming location could be wiped off the face of the earth. But I guess that’s the same chance we all take every day.

 

– Mark E. Phillips