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Monrovia High School from “A Cinderella Story”

My taste in movies is about as mature and refined as my palate, which favors chicken strips and ranch dressing above all else. Case in point – I am obsessed with the 2004 tween romance A Cinderella Story. Chad Michael Murray? Hilary Duff on roller skates? A high school love story? A pink ‘50s diner? Yes, yes, yes and yes! I’ve written posts on several of the film’s locations over the years (you can read them here, here and here), but somehow forgot to dedicate one to Monrovia High School, which portrayed North Valley High (home of the Fighting Frogs!) and which I visited way back in 2013. I figure the time to rectify that is now!

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Designed by architect Austin Whittlesey, working under John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley, construction on Monrovia High School began in January 1928.

Completed early the following year, the Spanish Colonial Revival-style building, which features Palladian elements, cost $600,000 to erect.

Numerous expansions have taken place in the years since, the most recent from 2009 to 2011.

That project, which totaled a whopping $60 million, included the addition of a 2-story science building, a 30,000-square-foot gym complete with a weight room, and a new football stadium and surrounding track.

Thankfully, all of the additions were designed with the school’s original architecture in mind, ultimately creating a cohesive, striking and picturesque property.

Not only is the school itself beautiful, but the grounds are absolutely bucolic. I was just a wee bit obsessed with the massive tree pictured below.

I mean, just look at it!

Considering its handsome façade, it is no surprise that the place wound up onscreen. In A Cinderella Story, Monrovia High was used extensively. Areas of the school featured include the front exterior;

interior hallways;

the baseball field;

the pool;

the football field (which was, sadly, redone during the 2009 expansion);

and the main quad (it also looks a bit different post-expansion) . . .

. . . where the pep rally took place.

The quad is the spot I was most interested in seeing during my stalk, namely the “Friendship Circle” planter where Sam and Austin regularly sat throughout the movie.

Unfortunately, we stopped by on a Saturday, when Monrovia High was closed, so I wasn’t able to poke around. I was thrilled to see, though, that the quad area is visible through the front gates.

The gates even afford a small glimpse of the planter!

A Cinderella Story is hardly the only production to feature Monrovia High.

Skip Lewis (Chad Lowe) and Ken (Charlie Sheen) go to school there in the 1984 made-for-television movie Silence of the Heart.

In 1985, Monrovia High played itself in another made-for-TV film, Between the Darkness and the Dawn.

The production, which journalist John J. O’Connor deemed “a candidate for the worst television movie of the year,” gave audiences a glimpse at what the interior of the school looked like at the time.

Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz) enrolls in Monrovia High at the end of the 1985 drama Mask.

Monrovia High (along with Walter Reed Middle School from License to Drive) appears as Garden City High in the 1988 horror film 976-EVIL.

Brad Kimble (Will Friedle), Leah Jones (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Brooke Kingsley (Marley Shelton) attend Monrovia High School in the 1997 comedy Trojan War.

The school (along with several others, including Torrance High) was also used to portray John Hughes High School in 2001’s Not Another Teen Movie.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Monrovia High School, aka North Valley High from A Cinderella Story, is located at 845 West Colorado Boulevard in Monrovia.

May 20, 2019
Fog City Diner from “So I Married an Axe Murderer”

I abhor change, as longtime readers of this site well know. So I was devastated to learn that Fog City Diner, the landmark eatery in my hometown of San Francisco, had undergone a major revamp and reopened as the simpler, sleeker and far more modern “Fog City.” The shiny chrome train-like structure situated on Battery Street at The Embarcadero had been a staple of the city’s skyline for decades and a harkening back to my childhood every time I passed by. I was informed of the unseemly renovation while visiting my friend Nat, who lives in the area, in February 2015. Despite my sadness over the matter, since the restaurant’s former iteration made an appearance in the the 1993 comedy So I Married an Axe Murderer, we decided to head over there for some brunch/stalking my last day in town.

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Fog City Diner was originally established in June 1985 by restaurateurs Bill Higgins, Bill Upson and Cindy Pawlcyn, of Napa’s Mustards Grill fame. Designed by Pat Kuleto, the unique space bore the look and feel of a streamlined 1930s diner, but a very high class one, with the reimagined comfort food offerings to match. Just steps from the waterfront, the site where the eye-catching eatery was erected was originally home to a train engine repair facility. It became a coffee shop named Harbor Cafeteria, which catered to soldiers and sailors, in 1958. After going through several different restaurant incarnations, including Mildred Pierce and Battery Point, in the years that followed, it was eventually transformed into the gleaming chrome fixture that instantly became a San Francisco icon. You can check out some images of what it looked like here and here.

Sadly, in 2013 Higgins and Upson (Pawlcyn had long since dropped out) decided to give the restaurant a complete overhaul. It shuttered in March of that year and then re-opened six months later as Fog City. During the renovation, the historic and well-loved site was taken down to its studs and then rebuilt by architect Michael Guthrie. The new design, which sort of retains its diner shape, boasts a large central bar, seating for 160 patrons, an exhibition kitchen with a wood-fired oven and seven-foot grill, and views of the San Francisco Bay. Though pretty, all of the elements that made the place so unique have disappeared. Gone are the dark leather train-car-like booths, checkered tilework, handsome wood detailing, and fabulous chrome siding.

The revamped site looks like a normal, everyday restaurant, both inside and out.

When I visited Fog City for the first time as a kid, I remember being absolutely mesmerized. I truly felt as if I had entered an antique train car and was dining atop the rails. It was a magical experience – one that did not wane, even as I continued to frequent the eatery as a teen and adult. Sadly, the redesign just does not compare to the Fog City of old. You can check out what the interior formerly looked like here and here.

Thankfully, I can at least report that the food is still as good as ever.

In So I Married an Axe Murderer, Charlie Mackenzie (Mike Myers) takes Harriet Michaels (Nancy Travis) on a rather awkward double date with his friends Tony Giardino (Anthony LaPaglia) and Susan (Debi Mazar) at Fog City Diner.

The film gives audiences a fabulous glimpse of what the exterior . . .

. . . and interior of the restaurant looked like pre-remodel.

As you can see in the screen capture as compared to the photograph below, though the footprint of the structure remains the same, its aesthetic is a far cry from what it used to be.

Fog City Diner was the also site of a famous Visa commercial from 1990 (well, it was at least famous to us San Franciscans), which you can watch here.

And it was satirized as the Fog City Dumpster, a restaurant run by a group of bears, in Farley, the popular San Francisco Chronicle comic strip that ran from 1975 to 2007.

Fog City Diner was supposedly featured in an episode of Nash Bridges, as well, but I am unsure of which episode. If anyone happens to know, please fill me in!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Fog City, aka the former Fog City Diner from So I Married an Axe Murderer, is located at 1300 Battery Street in San Francisco. You can visit the restaurant’s official website here.

May 17, 2019
The King Edward Hotel from “In Time”

I am a sucker for a grand staircase! My affinity likely stems from the movie Titanic, which I was obsessed with back in the day. Whatever the impetus, I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Case in point – while researching the Surfridge neighborhood for this 2013 post, I was led to a page on the Seeing Stars website detailing the filming locations of the 2011 sci-fi flick In Time. As soon as my eyes hit the image posted of the King Edward Hotel and its grand lobby staircase, I was transfixed. The historic downtown L.A. lodging went right to the top of my To-Stalk List and when I ventured out there shortly thereafter, fate stepped in. Though not open to the public at the time, a security guard happened to be standing by the front door and upon explaining that I was interested in seeing the space because of its In Time cameo, he welcomed me right in! Getting to pose for a photo on the staircase I had become so enamored with almost overwhelmed me with excitement. Though I sat on blogging about the hotel for years, when I learned that it sold recently and was undergoing a renovation, I decided it was high time to finally do so.

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The Beaux Arts-style King Edward Hotel, designed by architects John Parkinson and George Edwin Bergstrom, opened its doors in 1906.

Billed as an upscale “modern” lodging, at its outset the property featured a gleaming marble lobby, mosaic tile flooring, fire-proof construction, and a telephone and hot and cold water in every room. There was also a bar situated on the 6-story building’s lower level for those guests wishing to imbibe. A watering hole still sits in the same corner spot today. Currently known as King Eddy Saloon, legend has it that the space was home to a piano store that served as a gateway to a hidden basement bar during the Prohibition years.

At some point, the hotel and surrounding neighborhood began to fall upon hard times. The King Edward eventually transitioned into SRO housing and for many years sat largely vacant. It was during that time that I stopped by. Though no longer upscale by any means, the building’s elegance still managed to shine through. And its lighting was like nothing I had ever encountered! The lobby’s ethereal glow (which per the Esotouric tour company is caused by an abundance of magnesium on the windows) was absolutely magical, making the space and all who entered appear frozen in a past era. The effect is evidenced in all of the interior photos I took that day. (I promise, no filters were used on them!)

In 2018, the King Edward was purchased by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and is currently being refurbished, its 150 units transformed into affordable housing for the city’s homeless. Hopefully, the lobby will be largely left as is, not only for future Angelinos to appreciate, but so that it can continue to be utilized as a filming location.

In In Time, the King Edward portrays The Century hotel where Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) and Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) attempt to hide from the Timekeeper.

The film does a masterful job of showcasing the site’s lobby and its gorgeous staircase.

I am unsure if the room where Will and Sylvia stay is an actual space at the King Edward, is located elsewhere, or was a set. Whatever the case, it is pretty spectacular. That ceiling!

In Time is hardly the only production to feature the King Edward. The 1972 horror/comedy Private Parts is largely set at the hotel.

Informant Ralph Macafee (Dan Hedaya) is put up at the King Edward in the Season 1 episode of Hill Street Blues titled “Fecund Hand Rose,” which aired in 1981.

Det. Sgt. Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) meets his new partner, Det. Sgt. Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer), outside of the King Edward in the pilot episode of Hunter, which aired in 1984.

That same year, Lee Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner) and Amanda King (Kate Jackson) check out a murder scene at the hotel in the Season 1 episode of Scarecrow and Mrs. King titled “Remembrance of Things Past.”

The exterior of the King Edward appeared in establishing shots of the hotel where Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering) and Janet Sosna (Lindsay Price) hunted for ghosts in the Season 9 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 titled “Confession,” which aired in 1998. All actual filming took place at the Ambassador Hotel, though.

The hotel’s exterior was also used in an establishing shot of the lodging where Clay (Victor Browne) stayed in the Season 1 episode of Charmed titled “Feats of Clay,” which aired in 1999.

The King Edward masks as the supposed New York hotel where Emil Slovak (Karel Roden) and Oleg Razgul (Oleg Taktarov) stay at the beginning of the 2001 drama 15 Minutes. Only the exterior is shown, though. I am fairly certain the men’s actual room was just a set.

Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) and Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) spot a suspect outside of the King Edward in the Season 2 episode of Southland titled “Phase Three,” which aired in 2010.

In the Season 2 episode of Ray Donovan titled “Rodef,” which aired in 2014, the King Edward portrays the SRO where Mickey Donovan (Jon Voight) is staying, which gets blown up.

Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) visits her brother, Hal LeSueur (Raymond J. Barry), at the hotel in the Season 1 episode of Feud: Bette and Joan titled “Hagsploitation,” which aired in 2017.

Det. Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) also lived at the King Edward on the television series Baretta, which ran from 1975 through 1978, but unfortunately I could not find any episodes of it available for streaming to make screen captures.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The King Edward Hotel, from In Time, is located at 121 East 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles.

May 15, 2019
The Western Union Office from “The Sting”

History in Los Angeles hides in the most unsuspecting of places. Back in 2013, I stalked a small edifice at 118 Winston Street in downtown L.A. that portrayed a Western Union office in the 1973 caper classic The Sting. I learned of the non-descript property via The Movie Tourist Blog and was thrilled at the fact that virtually none of it had changed since its cameo more than four decades prior. I had no idea until sitting down to write this post, though, the many stories the building had to tell.

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Built in 1887, 118 Winston Street sits on the northern edge of Skid Row on a tiny five-block road that current occupants Stephen and Jodi Zeigler note “has always been a gritty little stretch of urban real estate.” The couple moved into the building in 2008 and opened These Days LA, an art gallery/boutique/publishing office, on its second floor in 2014. Los Angeles natives and aficionados both, the duo comprehensively chronicle the colorful provenance of their home/workplace in a two-part write-up on their blog, Communiqué. You can check out it out here and here. TL;DR? The CliffsNotes version is below.

Initially owned by music dealer A. G. Gardner, in its early days the building operated as a piano store on its street level and transient lodging on its second and third. Per newspapers ads I was able to dig up, the highly esteemed A. G. Gardner Piano House appears to have remained on the premises through 1907, with the Catholic Knights of America fraternal order utilizing it as a hall after that. Its function in the time that followed was a bit less – ahem – holy. At some point, the property began serving as a brothel, or “disorderly house” as periodicals of the day referred to it. Known as The Yale, the site was shut down in 1911 and its proprietor sentenced to 180 days in jail. From an upscale piano shop to a religious hall to a den of inequity – all in the space of four years. Talk about a whirlwind! If those walls could only talk. And there’s more!

In the 1930s, the Communist organizations International Labor Defense and the Young Pioneers of America moved in. Following that, 118 Winston served as several different rescue missions, including Sister Sylvia’s Soul Patrol run by Sister Sylvia Cresswell, aka the “Angel of Skid Row.’ The building was eventually condemned by the city before being transformed into a labor hall/workers’ dormitory. Then, in 1975, it was acquired by Baba Cooper who established a treatment center for Native Americans known as the United American Indian Involvement (UAII) on the premises. I am unsure of the structure’s occupants in between UAII’s departure in 1999 and the Zeiglers’ arrival nine years later. But whatever its function, 118 Winston has remained an onscreen stalwart all along the way.

The alley that runs adjacent to the building, which looks like it’s straight out of a studio backlot, is also a frequent film star with an interesting history. Named Werdin Place in real life, the stretch is more commonly known to locals as “Indian Alley” thanks to the fact that it became something of a haven for impoverished Native Americans during the ‘80s thanks to its proximity to UAII.

Once an intensely harsh, bleak and gloomy spot (as you can see in images here and here), the alley is now a virtual outdoor art gallery. Deemed “one of the most famous unofficial public spaces in the country” by On the Rez author Ian Frazier, the site is known for the vibrant murals, sketches and sculptures that line it, all of which honor its Native American legacy. The colorful works were actually initiated by Zeigler, who has since become the unofficial steward of the neighborhood. Per a 2014 Los Angeles Times article, Stephen “cleaned the streets when no one else would, wrote positive messages on the walls, and painted the street poles gold. Curiosity about his home’s past has turned him into a sort of historian-in-residence.” A man after my own heart!

The dynamic edginess of both 118 Winston and Indian Alley caught the attention of location scouts early on.

The building’s best-known appearance is in The Sting in which it portrays the downtown Chicago Western Union office that Kid Twist (Harold Gould) and J.J. Singleton (Ray Walston) pretend to paint as part of the set-up to the con on Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Though Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) refers to its location as “110 South Wabash” in the movie, the site’s actual address number of 118 is clearly visible above the front doors throughout the scene.

When the flick was shot in 1973, the property was operating as A-Rent-A-Man labor hall. Amazingly, despite the countless changes in occupancy and the passage of over forty years, it still looks much as it did in The Sting. Yes, the entrance is now gated, the façade painted black and the windows altered, but all in all it is still entirely recognizable.

I am fairly certain that only the building’s exterior appeared in The Sting and that the interior of the Western Union office was just a set.

118 Winston and Indian Alley briefly appear at the beginning of the Season 2 episode of McCloud titled “Encounter with Aries,” which aired in 1971.

In the Season 1 episode of Kojak titled “Requiem for a Cop”, which aired in 1973, a policeman chases a suspect into Indian Alley and is subsequently killed.

The following year, the locale masked as St. Matthew Mission in the Season 4 episode of Columbo titled “Negative Reaction.”

I believe the building’s real life interior also appeared in the episode.

Detective Ken ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (David Soul) gives a vagrant named Lijah (Douglas Fowley) a dollar outside of 118 Winston in the 1975 Starsky & Hutch pilot.

Later in the episode, Hutch and his partner, Det. Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser), race down Indian Alley while chasing a suspect.

118 Winston also pops up in the Season 2 episode of Starsky & Hutch titled “The Psychic,” which aired in 1977. It it outside of the building that Starsky shoots at a kidnapper’s car causing it to explode.

Mike Roark (Rick Springfield) gets pulled over in Indian Alley in the Season 2 episode of The Incredible Hulk titled “The Disciple,” which aired in 1979.

In the Season 4 episode of Quincy M.E. titled “Dark Angel,” which aired in 1979, an arrest goes wrong and a suspect dies outside of 118 Winston.

Kelly Garrett (Jacklyn Smith) and Jake Barnett (Norman Alden) drive out of Indian Alley and past 118 Winston in the Season 5 episode of Charlie’s Angels titled “Taxi Angels,” which aired in 1981.

Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) and Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) give a homeless man a ticket outside of the building in the Season 2 episode of Southland titled “Phase Three,” which aired in 2010.

118 Winston served double duty in the Season 1 episode of Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. titled “Tupac Amaru Shakur,” which aired in 2018. The building’s front exterior first popped up as the nightclub owned by Eric ‘Zip’ Martin (Garland Whitt), where Keefe D (Lahmard Tate) is sent to try to get information.

Later in the episode, the third floor fire escape area masked as the East Harlem apartment where young Tupac (Christian Isaiah) lived.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to The Movie Tourist for finding this location!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Western Union office from The Sting is located at 118 Winston Street in downtown Los Angeles.

May 10, 2019
Disney’s Grand Central Air Terminal

I am one of the few people lamenting the upcoming opening of Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Though renderings certainly look cool (it is Disney, after all!), I fear the massive crowds the new 14-acre land is expected to draw are going to ruin the park. The Happiest Place on Earth is crowded enough! The powers that be majorly blundered on this one, IMHO. Galaxy’s Edge should have been its own park, a la California Adventure, leaving DL a separate entity for purists like myself. One thing The Walt Disney Company did get right recently? The restoration of Glendale’s historic Grand Central Air Terminal. The former airport/prolific film star, now part of Imagineering’s Grand Central Creative Campus, had been sitting boarded-up and vacant for years, as I chronicled in both a 2012 blog post and a 2015 Los Angeles magazine article. When my friend/fellow stalker John informed me that it was finally ready for its close-up once again following a painstaking renovation, I knew I had to get back out there to document its new look.

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Though I covered the history of Grand Central Air Terminal in both my previous articles, I figured a recap was in order here. The land where GCAT is now situated was originally part of what was to be Glendale Municipal Airport, a plan that never really, ahem, got off the ground. In 1928, investors bought the site (which at the time basically consisted of a hangar and a 1,200-foot runway that private pilots had been using since 1923) and began a major overhaul to transform it into a modern commercial airport.

Architect Henry L. Gogerty was brought in to design the main terminal building. His creation combined Spanish Colonial Revival, Art Deco and Zigzag Moderne styles.

The interior boasted such modern amenities as a coffee shop, a checkroom, a spacious waiting area, and, after Prohibition ended, a bar. You can check out what the inside looked like in these historic images, though I am unsure of when exactly they were taken.

Grand Central Air Terminal opened to the public on February 22nd, 1929 and quickly cemented itself as Los Angeles’ main airport. Its tenure didn’t last long, though.

During WWII, the site was transformed into a military base and its runway extended to accommodate large P-38 fighters. The move would have been crucial to GCAT’s survival, but when the war ended, the city demanded the runway be returned to its previous length, which was too short for modern jets, essentially rendering the facility obsolete. Commercial air travel migrated to the larger Hollywood Burbank Airport and Los Angeles International Airport and GCAT was finally shuttered in 1959. Its runway was subsequently removed, as were several ancillary buildings, but the terminal was left intact and transformed into offices. Walt Disney Imagineering leased much of the space in 1961 before purchasing it in its entirety in 1997. Following the acquisition, plans were announced to redevelop the former airport into a 125-acre creative campus featuring 3.6-million-square-feet of offices, production space, and soundstages. Local citizens balked at the idea, though, and plans were stalled, leaving the once grand terminal building boarded-up and vacant. I visited the locale in May 2012 and found it looking like this.

In 2013, the city finally approved a new renovation plan and Disney got to work. The revamped Grand Central Air Terminal, which consists of a visitor center, event space and offices, was completed in late 2015. As you can see, the finished product is phenomenal! What a difference!

Unfortunately, the property is not open to the public, but tours are offered monthly. You can find out more information on visiting GCAT here and you can check out some post-renovation interior photos on the Disney Tourist Blog here.

Considering its proximity to Tinseltown and its gorgeous architecture, it is no surprise that location scouts came a-knocking on Grand Central’s doors from the beginning. The place was such an onscreen stalwart in the ‘30s and ‘40s, in fact, that for those partial to Old Hollywood, it should be deemed a must-see.

Grand Central Air Terminal pops up at the beginning of the 1933 drama Air Hostess.

Thomas (Walter Johnson) and Shirley Blake (Shirley Temple) pick Adele Martin (Judith Allen) up there in 1934’s Bright Eyes. (Off subject, but could Shirley Temple have been more of a doll?!? Talk about adorable!)

Rosero (Luis Alberni) lands at GCAT, said to be in Texas, in the 1936 comedy Hats Off.

Ronny Bowers (Dick Powell) also lands there in 1937’s Hollywood Hotel.

That same year, GCAT portrayed the Le Bourget Airport in Stolen Holiday.

Thanks to fellow stalker Constant who commented on my 2012 post, I learned that the terminal also appeared in the 1939 thriller Five Came Back.

I am unsure if the interior shown in the movie was Grand Central’s actual interior or a set, but portions of it do seem to match these images.

GCAT very briefly masked as Transatlantic Airway’s London Terminal in 1943’s Sherlock Holmes in Washington.

Grand Central has appeared in more recent productions, as well. In the 1985 comedy My Science Project, it portrayed the Carson Police Department.

That same year, in arguably its most famous role, the terminal popped up as the Texas bus station where Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) ran into Simone (Diane Salinger), who was finally on her way to Paris, in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

GCAT also played a bus station in the Season 6 episode of Simon & Simon titled “Ancient Echoes,” which aired in 1987.

And in 2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, the terminal served as the inspiration for Genovia International Airport, which was actually just a backdrop. For whatever reason, the orientation of the building was flipped for the scene. You can check out a photo that shows a matching (but non-flipped) angle of Grand Central for comparison here.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker John for letting me know the renovation of this location was complete!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Disney’s Grand Central Air Terminal is located at 1310 Air Way in Glendale. You can find out more information about tours of the property here.

May 3, 2019
Dale’s Party House from “St. Elmo’s Fire”

If stalking is my number one love, organizing ranks a close second. This weekend, I went full-on Monica Geller with all of my filming location spreadsheets and it. was. glorious. Not only did the process give me hours upon hours of enjoyment, but it made me realize how many sites remain sitting in my backlog waiting to be blogged about, the vast majority from my 2016 trips to New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. In the interest of purging, so to speak, I thought I’d dedicate today’s post to one of them – the Georgetown residence where Kirby Keger (Emilio Estevez) follows his crush, Dale Biberman (Andie MacDowell), to a party in the 1985 classic St. Elmo’s Fire.

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Very little of the home is actually shown in the movie, though the scene shot there is pretty darn memorable (“I’m obsessed, thank you very much!”). In fact, the view below is the only real glimpse we get of the place.

I learned about the pad (along with Third Edition bar, another St. Elmo’s Fire locale that I blogged about on Friday) thanks to my friend Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, who emailed me a long list of D.C.-area stalking sites just prior to my trip. At the time, I had yet to see the film and, when I finally sat down to do so recently, I was left wondering how on earth Owen had managed to find the place when so little of it was visible – not to mention how on earth I was going to verify its cameo in a post. It was not until re-watching the segment while simultaneously poking around Street View that I was able to corroborate things thanks to the unusual property situated across the street, which can be seen behind Kirby at one point.

In real life, Dale’s party house, which is largely hidden from view thanks to the surrounding foliage, boasts 9 bedrooms, 8 full baths, 3 half baths, 6,372 square feet, 3 stories, a formal living room, a banquet-sized dining room, a breakfast room, a library, a gym, a parlor, hardwood flooring throughout, an elevator (!), a fully-finished basement with a wine cellar, a 2-bedroom staff apartment, a walled garden, terraces, a veranda, a pool, and parking for 6 cars.

The 1875 property last sold in January 2018 for a whopping $7.37 million.

Thanks to the real estate listing photos posted online – which you can see here and here (and you can take a virtual tour here) – I was able to ascertain that the interior of the home was also used in St. Elmo’s Fire. Though very little of it can actually be seen and what is seen is blurred due to Kirby’s movements, the party house’s general layout matches what is shown in the MLS images.

Certain architectural details match, as well, namely the large pocket doors leading from the living room to the dining room.

I so love that there is a piano on display in the same exact spot as in the movie!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, for telling me about this location!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The house where Kirby follows Dale to a party in St. Elmo’s Fire is located at 3053 P Street NW in Georgetown.

May 1, 2019
Third Edition from “St. Elmo’s Fire”

A couple of weeks ago, Rob Lowe posted an Instagram selfie taken in Georgetown with the caption “Return to the scene of the crime. #StElmosFire,” and I was instantly reminded that I had stalked some locations from the seminal 1985 drama while back east in April 2016. I learned about the locales thanks to my buddy Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, who emailed me a virtual catalog of D.C.-area filming sites prior to my trip. One of the spots listed was Georgetown’s former Third Edition restaurant (now El Centro D.F.) at 1218 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, the exterior of which he noted had appeared in the flick. I had yet to see St. Elmo’s Fire at the time, but was familiar enough with it to know that much of the action takes place at a bar. I assumed that bar was Third Edition – and many online sources backed up that notion. When I finally sat down to view the film last week, though, I was shocked to see that Third Edition was only briefly featured and that St. Elmo’s Bar, where Billy Hicks (Lowe) and his fellow Brat Packers regularly hung out, was nothing more than a backlot façade. Reports of which backlot in particular varied and I figured, since there was so much confusion surrounding the subject, it was high time to step in and settle the matter of the St. Elmo’s Fire bar once and for all.

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Just to be clear – Owen never stated that Third Edition was the main bar from the movie – that assumption fell on me and was then verified – incorrectly – by a few sources online. The list Owen sent me prior to my trip contained numerous addresses of sites and corresponding descriptions of their onscreen roles, and his notation about Third Edition was entirely correct – while not the gang’s main hangout, its exterior did appear in St. Elmo’s Fire. Twice, in fact. The restaurant first pops up in the film’s opening montage in which shots of Georgetown are splashed across the screen. That’s it on the very left of the still below. (My corresponding photo is a bit off from the angle shown in the movie.)

Third Edition is then featured again in a later segment in which Jules (Demi Moore) picks up Billy and Alec Newbary (Judd Nelson) to go for a ride in her Jeep with the rest of the gang.

I find it amazing that despite the fact that the brick is now painted over and there has been a change of occupant, the place is still recognizable from its cameo 35 years ago! Even the menu display case, albeit a different one, is still affixed to the exterior of the restaurant in the exact same spot!

Third Edition was a Georgetown staple for more than four decades, running from 1969 through 2013. You can see what it looked like when it was still in operation here.

The three-story casual eatery/bar served comfort food and libations and was popular among locals and tourists alike. Much like St. Elmo’s Bar in the movie, it was also a haven for college students and featured multiple drink stations, a dance floor, DJs spinning music nightly, and an outdoor tiki lounge. As one Yelper reported, “It reminded me of a college fraternity party with random girls dancing on top of a platform and guys trying to dance with them,” which might as well be a description of Billy and Jules’ regular hangout.

When Third Edition moved out in January 2013, Mexican restaurant El Centro D.F. (the D.F. stands for “Distrito Federal,” meaning “federal district”) moved in. It remains in operation today.

St. Elmo’s Bar, on the other hand, was entirely movie magic. Both the interior and exterior were nothing more than studio-built sets – the former constructed inside of a soundstage at (I believe) Warner Bros. Studio, which was then The Burbank Studios, in Burbank . . .

. . . and the latter, as I came to discover, on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood.

An entire half-block section of Universal’s New York Street area, in fact, was made over to resemble Georgetown for the shoot and, when production wrapped, was left intact for future filmings, becoming known as “Georgetown Avenue.”

The St. Elmo’s Bar façade, as well as the rest of the block, popped up several times throughout the movie . . .

. . . and was also featured on the poster.

Sadly, Georgetown Avenue was severely damaged in the fire that ravaged Universal’s backlot in November 1990. Though it was subsequently restored, it was again destroyed in the studio’s 2008 blaze and was not rebuilt. You can check out a map of where it used to be situated, in the upper left portion of New York Street, here. Because it no longer exists, and hasn’t existed in its St. Elmo’s Fire-state since the 1990 fire, figuring out if filming took place there, as several online sources claimed, proved difficult. Thanks to The Studio Tour website and its catalog of historic photos of the lot, though, as well as a 1989 episode of Quantum Leap that filmed near Georgetown Avenue, I was able to do so by pinpointing a few identifiers. As you can see in the still from the movie below, St. Elmo’s Bar sat on a small street that dead-ended at the façade of a large brick townhome. I found that same very façade pictured in this 1984 aerial of New York Street featured on The Studio Tour! Visible in the mid/lower left section of the aerial, the structure boasts three stories, a porticoed front door, and sculpted lips in between levels – all of which match what appeared in St. Elmo’s Fire. The window layout is also identical.

Next to the façade in the 1984 aerial is a stretch of brownstones. Such was the case with the movie façade, as well. You can see those brownstones and a portion of the brick townhome (it’s on the extreme left) in this 1984 photograph, also featured on The Studio Tour.

I was thrilled to discover that the brick townhouse is also partially visible in the Season 1 episode of Quantum Leap titled “Double Identity,” which was filmed at Universal in 1989.

Though shown from the opposite angle and dressed quite differently, the corner store situated across from the brownstones in St. Elmo’s Fire can be seen in Quantum Leap, as well.

When Georgetown Avenue was rebuilt after the 1990 fire, it looked significantly different, as you can see in this image which matches the angle of the screen capture below. Though the townhouse façade was re-created as well as the brownstones next to it, numerous changes were made.

Here’s another shot showing the rebuilt Georgetown Avenue along with a corresponding screen capture below. Why the street was not once again re-created after the 2008 fire, I am unsure, but I am guessing it is because not many productions are set in Georgetown. The studio likely figured it could get a lot more mileage out of a New York scape and, as such, did away with the D.C. set.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, for telling me about this location!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: El Centro D.F., aka Third Edition from St. Elmo’s Fire, is located at 1218 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in Georgetown. St. Elmo’s Bar from the movie was a façade that once stood on Georgetown Avenue in the New York Street portion of the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City. Unfortunately, that area of the lot was damaged in both the 1990 and 2008 fires and no longer stands.

April 26, 2019
Coachella 2019

Longtime readers of this site know that my musical tastes do not run the gamut. As I’ve said many times, if it is not sung by Britney Spears, Michael Bublé or Michael Jackson, or was produced in any decade other than the ‘80s, odds are I don’t know it. But when I was offered the chance to go to Coachella this past weekend (thanks to Amazon Locker!), I jumped at it. While I would never consider myself a “festival” person, I figured seeing the spectacle of the whole thing would be a huge thrill – not to mention the fact that three days of mandatory glitter and flower-crown-wear is pretty much my dream come true! I enlisted my mom to be my plus-one (she was more excited than I was!) and last Friday afternoon the two of us headed out to the Empire Polo Club in Indio for Day 1 of Weekend 2 of the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. While not really a filming location (though a scene from A Star Is Born was shot on the festival grounds in between Weekends 1 and 2 in 2017), I figured detailing our experience would make for a good blog post. So here goes . . .

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My mom and I decided early on that we only wanted to be at Coachella during daylight hours, when the crowds would be less intense. Those words must have the eyes of any music lover reading this post bulging right out of their head. Yes, I know – all the good bands play at night. We weren’t there for the music, though. Because our main goal was to see the grounds, enjoy the scenery, eat some festival food, and do a lot of people-watching, our scheduling worked perfectly.

I can’t express how nice it was to be able to walk the venue easily, avoid lines, and get to experience all that was offered at a calm pace.

Upon walking through the entrance gates, we were greeted by the famous Coachella Ferris wheel and, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, I knew I was not in Kansas anymore.

The venue is massive, whimsical, vibrant, splashy, and oh-so-picturesque.

It is not hard to see why the festival is a mecca for Instagrammers.

The backdrop is pretty darn spectacular no matter which direction you turn.

There’s just something about that combo of blue skies, palm trees, dramatic mountains, and colorful works of art.

My mom and I ended up only going to the festival on Friday and Sunday because the temps on Saturday ran too high. (That’s Day 3 – Day 2 for us – below.)

But over those two days, I took almost 500 pictures!

Needless to say I was just slightly enamored with the grounds. The views alone are worth the price of admission!

It’s no wonder the place is selfie Ground Zero.

The unique art installations, which reminded me quite a bit of Desert X, only added to the spirited aura.

Dedo Vabo’s H.I.P.O Hazardus Interstellar Perfessional Operations (pictured above and below), which featured a live element involving actors dressed as hippos (natch), was definitely the oddest of all the works.

And Colossal Cacti (which stretched up to fifty-two-feet tall) the most colorful.

Other installations included Mismo . . .

. . . Brighter in the Dark – an interactive sight and sound experience . . .

. . . and, of course, Spectra, a seven-story rainbow tower that debuted at the 2018 festival and wound up being left on the premises for good.

My mom and I were told the NEWSUBSTANCE-designed structure was a must-see.

And though it is very cool from the outside . . .

. . . and the inside does provide some fabulous vistas . . .

. . . and views of the concert grounds (not to mention stellar air conditioning), I can’t say it is really worth waiting in the long lines required to enter.

Also on display this year was Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella stage, now aptly named Pyramid.

The piece served as the central backdrop during her groundbreaking performance, which you can see in its entirety in the new Netflix documentary Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé.

Overview Effect was by far my favorite work on display, though.

Initially installed at the 2014 festival, the seventy-foot-tall animatronic astronaut moved throughout the festival grounds, hovering above concert-goers.

I literally could have followed him around all day!

He even had Coachella wristbands!

By the end of the weekend, he had picked up various other accountremants, as well, and, like most festival-goers, was looking a bit worse for wear.

Truth be told, everything at Coachella is artistic – right down to the food stands!

And yes, there is coffee – but it doesn’t come cheap!

This cost me $9!

The stages themselves (there are eight total) are like works of art, too.

The main stage, aka “Coachella Stage,” is pictured below.

And that’s the “Outdoor Theatre.”

My mom asked me at one point why there was so much open space around each venue. It wasn’t obvious at first, but it’s for the crowds – which is actually a bit terrifying.

Imagine this entire venue filled with people.

Or this one. Actually, you don’t need to imagine it – here’s a pic.

I am pretty sure I wouldn’t enjoy that. But being at Coachella during the day when crowds were light was a dream.

Things were just starting to get busy as we made our way to the exit both nights, which suited us just fine.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend and I am so thankful for the experience! Until next time, Coachella!

And thank you, Amazon Locker!

Until next time, Happy Stalking

April 24, 2019
The Cohen Mansion from “The O.C.”

Fire has ravaged far too many landmarks as of late – Paramount Ranch, Casey’s home from Scream 2, and now, Notre Dame Cathedral! The latter, at least, fared better than the Malibu estate that portrayed the Cohen residence on fave show The O.C., which was completely destroyed by the Woolsey Fire last November. I was alerted to the sad loss by a fellow stalker named Steve and was shocked at the news, especially considering I was fortunate enough to visit the home several years back thanks to a very lucky twist of fate – one that I can still hardly believe occurred. While eating lunch with the Grim Cheaper and my friend Erika (you may remember her from this post) at the Malibu Country Mart in September 2011, I happened to bring up my love for the Fox series. The friendly couple at the adjacent table overheard and broke into our conversation to inform us that they owned the Cohen house! Absolutely flabbergasted, I peppered them with questions and then the unimaginable happened – after chatting for a bit, they asked if we wanted to come over to see the pad in person! I don’t even think I answered in the affirmative before making a Lindsay-shaped hole in the door on my way out to the car. The rest of our afternoon was like a dream, which made the recent loss of the property all the more heartbreaking. Though I detailed the experience in a 2015 column for Los Angeles magazine, since the locale is no longer, I figured an update was due.

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The Cohen residence is actually a mash-up of two different dwellings, both situated in a small gated community of four properties off the Pacific Coast Highway. Most recognizable is the large two-story home at 6205 Ocean Breeze Drive which appeared in exterior and establishing shots.

Only the front of the 6-bedroom, 7-bath, 6,376-square-foot manse appeared on the series. [I absolutely love that there was a Range Rover just like Sandy’s (Peter Gallagher) parked in the driveway when we visited!]

A one-story home three doors down at 6210 Ocean Breeze Drive was utilized in The O.C.’s pilot for the interior and backyard scenes. Once the show got picked up, a set modeled after that residence was constructed at Manhattan Beach Studios (now MBS Media Campus). Why the two different locales, you ask? Producers loved the look of the inside and backyard of 6210, but ultimately wanted the Cohen family to reside in a two-level home. So they featured the front of 6205 and the interior and rear of 6210. It is the 6210 house that we were invited to tour. That’s it below.

The inaugural episode made significant use of the opulent pad. For me, the most recognizable spot was the kitchen. (That’s Erika pictured with me below. We are just a little bit thrilled to be standing in the famous Cohen kitchen!)

Stepping into it felt like walking right into my TV screen. I half expected Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) to come waltzing out to grab his morning cereal.

Because the set re-creation of the kitchen (which was used in all episodes following the pilot) was such a near replica to that of the actual home, being there was both incredible and surreal. As our new friends pointed out to us, a few portions of the kitchen were changed when the set was built. One of the main alterations was the tilework behind the stove. At the actual residence, there was a large painted piece on the wall behind the range, which was visible in the pilot. (I hate that the past tense is now required when speaking about the house. I still can’t believe it is gone.)

For the set, that painted piece was swapped out with a more simple backsplash.

The color of the island countertop was changed, as well, and the sink situated there moved to the opposite side. The Cohens were also given a stainless steel dishwasher. Other than those elements, though, it was a pretty spot-on re-creation.

The nook off the kitchen, which became the Cohens’ main dining spot in later episodes, also appeared in the pilot. Producers even chose to leave the owners’ real life hutch and decor intact for the shoot!

When the set (top image below) was built, that area was changed fairly significantly – but more on that in a minute.

The family room at the real house was situated off of the kitchen. It was there that Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) played video games with Ryan in the pilot.

For the set, though, the family room was moved adjacent to the kitchen nook, creating one big, long, open space. And the fireplace was also done away with.

Seeing the nook closed off in real life was utterly jarring!

The residence’s formal living room, which was connected to the family room in real life, was also re-created in another spot on set – just off the Cohens’ kitchen.

One of the home’s bedrooms was utilized as Seth’s room in the pilot, as well.

It, too, was then re-created on the studio set.

Even the pad’s main hallway was re-built in exacting detail!

Amazingly (and as most O.C. fans already know), the most famous element of the Cohen home, the pool house, was never an actual part of the property. It was constructed, fully-functional (meaning both the interior and exterior could be used for filming), in the yard of 6210 for the pilot and then was disassembled and subsequently rebuilt as part of the set when the series got picked up. There I am in the photo below standing at the edge of where it was situated in the inaugural episode. “Utterly jarring” is, again, the only way I can describe how odd the backyard looked without it.

The pool and spa of 6210 were also re-created on set . . .

. . . as was the rest of the backyard . . .

. . . including the BBQ island.

The Cohens’ backyard was actually quite a bit smaller than the real one.

And, because the soundstage floor could not be dug into to install the pool on set, it was actually built above ground. Hence the steps leading up to it on the show. In actuality, the home’s backyard was all one level.

Other than those alterations, though, it was such a dutiful re-creation that standing in the backyard of 6210 felt like being in an episode of the show.

I was pinching myself the entire time!

Tragically, all that is left of the house now is the backyard and pool, as you can see in the aerial view below which Steve got from an insurance website that provided real-time imagery of areas ravaged by the Woolsey Fire. (That website is no longer active, so I can’t link to it.)

The home used for front shots of the Cohen pad, fortunately, still stands, as does the property where Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) lived on the series, which is located next door at 6201 Ocean Breeze Drive.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Steve for letting me know about this home’s sad fate.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The exterior of the Cohen mansion from The O.C. can be found at 6205 Ocean Breeze Drive in Malibu. The home used for interiors and backyard scenes in the pilot was just down the street at 6210 Ocean Breeze, but was, sadly, destroyed in the Woolsey Fire. Marissa Cooper’s house is on the same block at 6201 Ocean Breeze.

April 19, 2019
The Complete Guide to the Season 1 Filming Locations of “Big Little Lies”

As longtime readers know, I watch a LOT of TV. Only a handful of shows have ever become full-fledged obsessions, though, Beverly Hills, 90210, The Hills, and Big Littles Lies among them. The second season of the latter will finally be debuting in June and I am beyond excited! I cannot wait to revisit the women of Monterey! Can we just fast-forward to summer already? To stave off my anticipation, I recently did some more digging into locations from the show’s inaugural season and figured I should update my 2017 round-up of spots featured on the series accordingly. So here goes! As was the case with that post, because I have not visited the majority of these sites in person, I am relying on screen captures instead of photos for imagery. And be forewarned – there are spoilers galore ahead! If you haven’t seen Big Little Lies and are planning to, I’d hold off on scrolling any further.

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1. Madeline’s House (30760 Broad Beach Road, Malibu) – Easily my favorite locale of the entire series, the Cape Cod-style pad where Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and husband Ed (Adam Scott) live can be found in Malibu. The beachfront property, which serves as a vacation rental IRL, is no stranger to the screen boasting countless cameos in such productions as Models Inc., Diagnosis Murder, and Hannah Montana. You can read a more in-depth post on it here.

Interestingly, a different spot was utilized as the front of Madeline’s home in a few episodes. And that pad can actually be found in Monterey. It’s at 2830 14th Avenue in Carmel-By-The-Sea.

2. Renata’s House (27326 Winding Way, Malibu) – Renata (Laura Dern) and Gordon Klein’s (Jeffrey Nordling) massive modern home can also be found in The ‘Bu. And it’s an oft-filmed spot, as well, with roles in everything from 90210 to Brothers & Sisters to Revenge.

3. Jane’s House (161 North Chester Avenue, Pasadena) – The modest cottage where Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) resides with son Ziggy (Iain Armitage), which I wrote about here, can be found on a sleepy, tree-lined street in Pasadena.

4. Bonnie’s House (636 Crater Camp Drive, Calabasas) – The bucolic bohemian bungalow belonging to Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz) and her husband, Nathan (James Tupper), sits tucked away in a wooded area of Calabasas.

5. Celeste’s House (40 Yankee Point Drive, Carmel) – Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) and husband Perry’s (Alexander Skarsgård) stunning cliffside estate, another of my favorites from the series, is the sole residence that can actually be found on the Central Coast (not counting the front of Madeline’s). Only the exterior (both front and back) and lower floor of the property appeared on Big Little Lies. All of the other portions of the Wright home were studio-built sets.

6. Otter Bay Elementary School (Kenter Canyon Elementary School, 645 North Kenter Avenue, Brentwood) – Otter Bay, the elementary school attended by all of the children on the series, is actually Kenter Canyon Elementary in Brentwood. The site’s exterior and interior, including the principal’s office, library and auditorium, appear on the show.

7. Blue Blues Restaurant (The Culver Studios, 9336 Washington Boulevard, Culver City) – Though the actual Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey (101 Washington Street) is shown as the ladies walk up to Blue Blues, their regular hangout owned by Tom (Joseph Cross), in “Somebody’s Dead” . . .

. . . . the actual café can’t be found there. As I covered in this post, the coffee shop was just a set built entirely inside of a soundstage at The Culver Studios, where the series is lensed. Fans can still get their Blue Blues fix by visiting Paluca Trattoria (6D Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey), which served as the inspiration for the bayside eatery.

The pathway leading to Old Fisherman’s Wharf is also where Jane and the girls run in “Once Bitten” . . .

. . . and the adjacent parking lot is where Madeline and Joseph Bachman (Santiago Cabrera) get into an accident in the same episode.

The same parking lot is also where Joseph confronts and kisses Madeline in “Push Comes to Shove.”

8. Side Door Café (Happy Trails Garden, 207 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena) – Side Door, the ladies’ other regular hangout, is an actual restaurant. Or, at least, it was. Pasadena’s Happy Trails Garden, which was very reminiscent of Carmel’s popular Hog’s Breath Inn, shuttered much to my dismay in 2018 and now sits vacant. The bucolic site, which was outfitted with a plethora of firepits for the shoot and is said to have been modeled after Monterey’s Restaurant 1833, popped up three times on the series – once in “Serious Mothering” and twice in “Push Comes to Shove.” You can read my 2017 post on it here.

9. Madeline’s Fall (Intersection of Esplanade Street and Ocean View Drive, Pacific Grove) – The spot where Madeline “rolls her ankle” in “Somebody’s Dead,” thereby setting off the entire storyline, can be found on Ocean View Drive in Pacific Grove. A stop sign was installed for the scene just north of where Madeline falls, at the intersection of Ocean View Drive and the north end of Esplanade Street. In real life there is a parking sign standing in that spot.

10. Liberation Yoga (124 South La Brea Avenue, Hancock Park) – The yoga studio that Bonnie owns, which pops up in both “Everybody’s Dead” and “Push Comes to Shove,” is actually Liberation Yoga in Hancock Park.

11. Wanderlust Hollywood (1357 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood) – The above is not to be confused with the other yoga studio shown on the series. In “Serious Mothering,” Madeline and Celeste run into Bonnie and Nathan while taking a class at Wanderlust Hollywood.

12. Lovers Point Park & Beach (631 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove) – The popular shoreline retreat Lovers Point makes several appearances in Big Little Lies. In “Serious Mothering,” Nathan and Ed have a rather terse tête-à-tête in the park area situated above the beach.

Jane and Ziggy visit Lovers Point in both “Living the Dream” and “Push Come to Shove.”

And it is at Lovers Point that Jane tells Celeste that her son Max (Nicholas Crovetti) is the one who has been bullying Amabella Klein (Ivy George) in “You Get What You Need.”

13. Gordon Klein’s Office (1999 AOS, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Century City) – In “Living the Dream,” Renata heads to Century City office building 1999 AOS for a mid-day visit with her husband. Only the exterior and lobby of the property were utilized for the scene, though.

Gordon’s actual office can be found on the 26th floor of nearby Century Park Plaza (1801 Century Park East, Century City).

14. Monterey Bay High School (Ulysses S. Grant High School, 13000 Oxnard Street, Van Nuys) – Screen favorite Grant High School in Van Nuys portrays Monterey Bay High, the school attended by Madeline’s eldest daughter, Abigail Carlson (Kathryn Newton), which pops up in “Living the Dream.” Areas used in the episode include the principal’s office, a hallway and the main quad. You may recognize Grant from its myriad of cameos in such productions as Saved by the Bell, Clueless, The Office, Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” music video, and Crazy. Stupid. Love. You can check out an in-depth post I wrote about the place for Los Angeles magazine here.

15. Studio City Recreation Center (12621 Rye Street, Studio City) – In “Living the Dream,” Ziggy hits a home run during his first Tee-ball game at Studio City Recreation Center, aka Beeman Park. The site is also very briefly featured via flashback in “Push Comes to Shove.” You can check out an in-depth post I wrote about the park, detailing its appearances in Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Scrubs and Role Models, here.

16. Colton Hall Museum (570 Pacific Street, Monterey) – Another Central Coast location, Colton Hall Museum masks as Monterey City Hall, where Celeste acts as Madeline’s lawyer in “Push Comes to Shove.”

The interior of the museum, which you can see a photo of here, was also used in the episode.

17. Bixby Creek Bridge (CA-1, Big Sur) – In “Once Bitten,” Madeline has a bad dream that takes place at Bixby Bridge, the same span shown in the series’ opening credits. The picturesque structure, one of the most photographed bridges in California, can be found in Big Sur, about twenty miles south of Monterey.

18. Saxon Baker’s Interior Design Office (1035 East Green Street, Pasadena) – In “Once Bitten,” Jane heads to a supposed San Louis Obispo interior design office to confront her possible rapist, Saxon Baker (Stephen Graybill). In reality, filming took place at a quaint brick building on Green Street in Pasadena where Albert Einstein once worked.

19. Celeste and Perry’s Therapist’s Office (130 Fountain Avenue, Pacific Grove) – Perry and Celeste start seeing marriage counselor Dr. Amanda Reisman (Robin Weigert) in “Living the Dream,” but the exterior of her charming office, another of the show’s Monterey locales, isn’t shown until “Once Bitten.”

20. Cypress Community Hospital (Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, 23625 Holzman Highway, Monterey) – After their car accident in “Once Bitten,” Madeline and Joseph are taken to “Cypress Community Hospital,” which is actually the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Only the exterior of the facility was featured on the series.

I believe that interiors were shot at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital (333 North Prairie Avenue, Inglewood), which was, sadly, razed in late 2017.

21. Monterey Regional Airport (200 Fred Kane Drive, Monterey) – This spot, where Celeste and her boys surprise Perry when he returns home from a business trip in “Once Bitten,” plays itself.

The airport’s interior appeared in the scene, as well.

22. Celeste’s New Apartment (1 Surf Way, Monterey) – In “Burning Love,” Celeste attempts to break away from Perry by renting an oceanside apartment. Her new place is another of the series’ Monterey locations. Known as Ocean Harbor House in real life, the picturesque complex, which is made up of condos, sits overlooking Del Monte Beach.

23. Madeline’s Community Theatre/Trivia Night Costume Gala – Barnsdall Art Park (4800 Hollywood Boulevard, East Hollywood) – Easily the series’ most memorable locale, Barnsdall Art Park serves as two notable spots on Big Little Lies. In virtually every episode it pops up as the community theatre where Madeline works. The constantly broken stairs she is regularly forced to walk up can be found on the eastern side of the park, adjacent to the Junior Art Center.

The theatre itself is a mash-up of two Barnsdall spots – interiors were shot at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre (which you can see photos of here) . . .

. . . while exteriors were filmed at the adjacent Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Most notably, though, Barnsdall Art Park is where the Audrey and Elvis Trivia Night costume gala is held in “You Get What You Need.”

The community theatre’s broken stairs are the very same ones that figure so heavily in the episode’s climax.

Barnsdall also appears in Big Little Lie’s opening credits. You can read an in-depth post on the park here.

24. Mountain View Cemetery (2400 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Altadena) – Toward the end of “You Get What You Need,” Perry is laid to rest at one of L.A.’s most oft-used locations, Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, which has appeared in everything from The Office to Seinfeld to A Lot Like Love. You can read a post I wrote on it here.

25. Garrapata State Park Beach (CA-1, Carmel-By-The-Sea) – The series comes to an end with the women and their children frolicking on the picturesque beach at Garrapata State Park (which is also where Jane, Celeste and Madeline run in “Once Bitten”). The scene was such a perfect closing to the show, I am almost fearful to have the story opened up again for Season 2. Though I truly can’t wait to revisit the women of Monterey, in some ways I would like to just be able to picture them forever standing together on that beach, bittersweetly frozen in time.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

April 15, 2019