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Old Town Bar from “Sex and the City”

My recent trip to New York was nothing short of epic and I somehow managed to stalk a good 100 locales while there. I cannot wait to blog about all of them! The spot I was most excited about visiting was one that had been perched at the top of my NYC To Stalk list for years, but that I had never actually made it to during any of my previous Big Apple vacays. I am talking about Old Town Bar, a historic Union Square-area watering hole that appeared in an early episode of fave show Sex and the City. Fate took hold during this trip, though, as one evening the Grim Cheaper, my friend Owen, from the When Write Is Wrong website, and I happened to randomly find ourselves just a few blocks from the tavern, which also goes by the name “Old Town Bar & Restaurant,” right around dinnertime, so we popped in for a bite to eat. The establishment turned out to be everything I hoped it would be – and more.

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Old Town Bar is the quintessential historic Manhattan watering hole. As author Jef Klein says in his book The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York, “A setting that calls to mind a Scott Joplin tune, the Old Town Bar & Restaurant is absolutely vintage, Gilded Age New York.”

The eatery was originally established in 1892 (yes, 1892!) as Viemeister’s, a German restaurant/bar.

At the time of its inception, the property’s lower level housed a tavern that was only accessible to men, while the second floor (pictured below) was comprised of a dining room that was open to men, women and children.

During the Prohibition years, the establishment operated as a speakeasy known as Craig’s Restaurant. According to The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York, some of the vintage booths still boasts seats that lift, “a “holdover from those days when customers needed a place to hide booze in a hurry.”

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the site was purchased by a man named Claus Lohden and rebranded “Old Town Bar.” Lohden and his children ran the place through 1985, at which time it was taken over by longtime employee Larry Meagher, who started working there in the ‘70s. By that point, the tavern had fallen into a bit of disrepair, so Larry began to restore it. Amazingly, and thanks in large part to his efforts, much of the original 1892 décor remains intact, including the 55-foot mahogany and marble bar, the 16-foot high tin ceilings (which according to The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York were “last painted white on Election Day 1952” and are “stained a dark brown, thanks to years of cigar and cigarette smoke”), chandeliers (once gas-powered that have since been converted to electric), intricate black and white tile flooring, and a 258-square-foot bevel edge plate mirror. Even the property’s dumbwaiters are historic – according to the Old Town Bar website, they are “New York’s oldest active restaurant conveyers.” The urinals are also noteworthy. They hail from 1910 and are the last Hinsdale urinals still in operation on the East Coast. A 100th birthday party was infamously held in their honor in 2010. Yes, Old Town Bar is a place that appreciates and celebrates its history.

Today, the site is run by Larry Meagher’s five children, who work painstakingly to ensure that the watering hole’s history is kept alive. (And yes, I’m really annoyed at the a**hat in the second picture below who ruined my photo.)

Old Town Bar has long been popular with the literary set and has counted such luminaries as Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt, poet Seamus Heaney, journalist Jim Dwyer, Payback author Thomas Kelly, novelist Nick Hornby, writer Nuala O’Faolain, dramatist Brian Friel, poet Billy Collins, screenwriter Budd Schulberg, and columnist Christopher Hitchens as patrons. Artist Andy Warhol was also known to frequent the site.

It’s not hard to see the appeal of the place – not only is the ambiance fabulous and oh-so “old New York,” but the food is excellent! Any restaurant that features chicken strips on the regular menu (not just the kids’) is my kind of spot!

Thanks to its old world aesthetic, location managers have long flocked to Old Town Bar. The sheer amount of productions it has appeared in is amazing! In fact, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started writing this post.

It is there that Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) – in an epic, slow-motion, heart-pounding moment – runs into Mr. Big (Chris Noth) for the first time since their break-up in the Season 2 episode of Sex and the City titled “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Even though the circumstances couldn’t be better for Carrie – she looks fabulous and has the “New Yankee” Joe (Mark Devine) on her arm – seeing Big causes her to break down.

I learned about Old Town Bar’s appearance in the episode thanks to the book Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell, in which co-executive producer John Melfi is quoted as saying, “On Sex and the City, we try to have a location make sense for the scenes. We’ll go to a historic location like the Old Town Bar, where Carrie went on a date with the Yankee, and we’ll be careful not to damage the mirrors or the booths because it’s a staple of New York and we want people to know that that’s a real bar. We’re really proud to be able to shoot in these places.”

Old Town Bar was also featured prominently in the opening credits of The David Letterman Show from 1982 to 1993. In the segment, the camera panned the front of the watering hole and then ventured inside and scanned the interior. Sorry for the craptastic screen captures below – the only clip of the credits available on YouTube is of low quality.

You can watch that clip by clicking below.

In the 1990 drama State of Grace, Frankie Flannery (Ed Harris) attempts to offload five cases of Bushmills to a unwilling bar owner at the watering hole.

That same year, Old Town Bar popped up in the drama Q & A as the spot where Asst. Dist. Atty. Aloysius ‘Al’ Francis Reilly (Timothy Hutton) met with Leo Bloomenfeld (Lee Richardson) for a corned beef lunch.

Old Town Bar was used in establishing shots of Riff’s Bar, Jamie Stemple Buchman (Helen Hunt) and Paul Buchman’s (Paul Reiser) regular hangout – where Ursula Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) haphazardly waited tables – on the ‘90s television series Mad About You.

Interior scenes that took place at Riff’s were obviously not filmed on site, but on a set located at The Culver Studios, where the series was lensed.

I was thrilled to spot a letter hanging on the wall at Old Town Bar from one of the Mad About You associate producers that detailed the first appearance of the property on the series.

The music video for House of Pain’s 1992 hit “Jump Around” was largely filmed at Old Town Bar.

You can watch that video by clicking below.

Portions of Madonna’s 1993 “Bad Girl” music video were also lensed at Old Town Bar.

You can watch the “Bad Girl” video by clicking below.

According to the Old Town Bar website, the watering hole also made an appearance in the 1994 comedy Bullets Over Broadway. I believe the scene shot on the premises is pictured below.

Though some elements don’t seem to correlate with the set-up of the actual bar, the paned glass panel pictured behind John Cusack and Dianne Wiest in the screen captures match what was shown on Sex and the City, as does the posted “MEN” sign and the coat hooks positioned next to it.

In 1997’s The Devil’s Own, Rory Devaney (Brad Pitt) meets up with Billy Burke (Treat Williams) at Old Town Bar.

The establishment masks as Rex’s, the restaurant where Alice (Chloe Sevigny), Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale), Des (Chris Eigeman) and Jimmy (Mackenzie Austin) go on a group date and discuss feminism, in 1998’s The Last Days of Disco.

In the 2000 drama Boiler Room, Chris Varick (Vin Diesel) and his co-workers get into a fight with some J.P. Morgan brokers at Old Town Bar.

In 2008, the exterior of the site popped up in a brief establishing shot in the drama Life in Flight, though interiors were filmed elsewhere.

Old Town Bar appeared twice in the Season 1 episode of Bored to Death titled “The Case of the Stolen Sperm,” which aired in 2009 – first in the scene in which Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) and George Christopher (Ted Danson) ran into reviewers Richard Antrem (Oliver Platt) and Louis Greene (John Hodgman), and later in the scene in which Richard challenged George to a boxing match.

Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Ben Donovan (David Call) celebrated Valentine’s Day at Old Town Bar in the Season 4 episode of Gossip Girl titled “It-Girl Happened One Night,” which aired in 2011.

In the Season 1 episode of Person of Interest titled “Matsya Nyaya,” which aired in 2012, John Reese (James Caviezel) and Joss Carter (Taraji P. Henson) had a heart-to-heart about trust – and saved one of their numbers – at Old Town Bar.

And the tavern was where Joey (Jamie Bell) proposed to Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) at the end of the 2012 thriller Man on a Ledge.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Old Town Bar, from the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” episode of Sex and the City, is located at 45 East 18th Street, near Union Square, in New York. You can visit the watering hole’s official website here.

May 2, 2016
The Filming Locations of “Dawson’s Creek”
Many, many moons ago, I began to compile what I call my “Stalking Bucket List” – a catalog of far-off filming locations that I would like to visit at some point during my lifetime. At the very top of that list is Wilmington, North Carolina, which masqueraded as the fictional “Capeside, Massachusetts” on one of my favorite television series of all time, Dawson’s Creek. Though the coming-of-age teen drama went off the air over a decade ago, I am still just as obsessed with it now as I was then. And while I have yet to make it to Wilmington, a fellow stalker/longtime reader named Toni Frazer has visited the coastal city several times over the years and was nice enough to write up her adventures to share on IAMNOTASTALKER. Thank you, Toni! Take it away!

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In high school, I used to escape to a little town in North Carolina called Wilmington.

Not literally…I lived in Australia; but every Thursday night Wilmington was shown as the location of Dawson’s Creek’s small Cape Cod town: Capeside, Massachusetts.

Wilmington (and its surrounds) has been used as a backdrop for many productions, most notably another teenaged focused show One Tree Hill and films like Domestic Disturbance, I Know What You Did Last Summer and A Walk to Remember.

Growing up, it was the ONE location I wanted to visit when I mentally planned my first overseas trip to the United States. When it finally happened in 2008, Wilmington was at the top of the list. I had to see it. I had to stand in front of Dawson’s house. I had to ‘enter’ Capeside (and by then, Tree Hill as well due to the current popularity of One Tree Hill which I loved just as much!)

I fell in love with Wilmington from that very first trip; and over the past decade I have managed to visit 3 times, seeing different locations every time I have done so (and returning to those I love, too). Things have changed over this time. Locations once there are no longer. Things don’t look how they did back on that first trip. But that’s ok. I just love being in this town any chance I get, whether I can see locations or not. It feels like home to me.

Here are 10 of my favourite locations over the 3 visits I have taken. I would include all of them, but there’s always time for other posts. I’ve placed these locations within the region of Wilmington they belong to so you can see which locations are where when you head there!

Maybe your favourite location made the cut?

Downtown Wilmington

Dawson Leery’s House – 6424 Head Road, Wilmington

On my very first trip to Wilmington in 2008, I trekked (as in walked for ages!) to Dawson’s house (pictured above) and it blew me away with how amazing the experience turned out. The house is not located right in the centre of town, so it isn’t easy to get there. It was closest to the mall more than anything, so I managed to get to that and then walked to the house as I was too scared to hire a car being only 22 and everything was the on the opposite side anyway. (These days, I love driving over there!)

Head Road residences fork off the street as you go along it, so you need to follow the fork to the right where Dawson’s and Jen’s houses are located. Mailboxes are near the road so it isn’t hard to find the right spot and the two houses are also located at the beginning of the road which helps.

Being a private residence, I arrived at the house and knocked on the door to ask if it was ok to take photos. But no one answered. Only planning on spending less than 10 minutes there, I had to risk the chance of trespassing because I had traveled too far to go back, and there is no actual fence on the property, so you literally can walk between the two houses and out to the creek from the driveway, just like in the show.

I will preface this by saying, I didn’t enter into Jen’s house (pictured below) whilst there, as it does have a fence and I am not sure the owner loves all the attention. But at least you can take a photo of it in any case.

Making my move, I walked to the back of the Leery house (which is actually the front on the show); and took some snaps. I saw Dawson’s famous window – the one Joey climbed into – and felt goose bumps immediately. Walking on the lawn and taking in the whole house as I stood on the dock that had also been used in the show many times (including that infamous crying face Dawson does when Joey chooses Pacey over him in Season 3); well, I cannot describe how it felt standing here. When you have watched the show as much as I have, every scene that played out there I could remember in that instant: the weddings, baby showers, elicit affairs being discovered…it was like walking through memory lane. Except, they weren’t my memories.

Everything looked exactly as it did on the show: the outdoor furniture, the creek, the house…which was all I wanted in seeing this spot. So many times, when tracking down a location, the owners have changed the façade or even re-modeled or painted the residence. Luckily for me, it was as if I was standing on a preserved set (which I was)…and seeing it all made it that much more amazing! I couldn’t believe I was actually standing right there!

I walked out onto the dock and took a few more photos, sitting on the edge just like Joey and Dawson did many a time. The creek is just beautiful! Anyone who has a house along there is just lucky. What a view!

As I went to leave, ecstatic with my experience, the owners did pull up and I found they were an older aged couple who had lived there for many years. The female owner invited me inside for a cold drink (as it was a very hot day), and I couldn’t pass up the chance to see what the real inside of the house looked like (plus I was thirsty).

The Leery house was beautiful and getting a tour from the owner was more than I ever could have wished for. Seeing the real interior was awesome. It was so different from the Leery’s interior, but similar too. Many marriage proposals happen out there on the dock, which the owner was telling me about; and as a lover of the show I can see why this would be the place to do it if you’re dating a real Dawson’s Creek fan. (Future husband -whoever you are…take note!) She told me about the filming that took place on their lawn and about meeting Goldie Hawn’s son, Oliver, who joined the show in Season 5 as Eddie – and how lovely he was.

Finally, we went out onto the covered-in porch area that was featured many times on the show. It was EXACTLY as it was back then, down to ‘The Leery’s’ house sign on the wall near the door. After filming of the series ended, the owners kept the furniture and outdoor setting the show provided and left it as it was – which explains why everything looked so familiar…and again was information that I would never have known! Standing on the porch remembering all the different scenes that took place there was amazing. There was a replica porch built (which was featured when Dawson took Joey onto the set of his show in the later years), which means not everything was filmed at the actual house for every scene.

I left the house by exiting from the porch just as I had seen the many characters do and I truly felt like I was in an episode of the show. It was just amazing standing there and a real dream come true. Being able to see this house in such detail only 5 years after the show ended is a moment I will never forget. Whether the house still has all these features, I don’t care. I got to see it all for myself and it’s all I need. I don’t think I will re-visit this location because nothing will beat that first visit, and I don’t want to ruin the memories that I have if it has changed. Maybe one day I will change my mind. But I doubt it.

*Please do respect the privacy of the owners. Whether or not the owners still feel comfortable having people visit their house, I do not know. My experience was definitely an exception to any I have read.

Capeside High School – University Of North Carolina at Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington

The one mistake Dawson’s Creek made in their locations was to use a university campus for their high school setting. Why? Because when the college years came along…they had to go to Duke to get the feel for college life. But, it did mean that high school life in Capeside was a dream. And walking around the UNCW Campus in Wilmington is a dream.

I have visited the campus on many occasions and standing on the courtyard lawn is just stunning for a location, whether it is associated with a television show or not.

Alderman Hall is the only building that was featured on the show, and when I was last there in 2012, the park bench that is situated at the entrance of Alderman Hall (on the right) had a plaque on it about the show, which I thought was very sweet for them to acknowledge.

The interior was not used obviously, but many scenes took place on the campus whether it was Joey and Dawson’s massive fight at the dance after Jack and Joey’s kiss is discovered; or Pacey talking to Kristy Livingston for the first time thanks to Andie (even if he had to fake a “heart stripe”), or the high school graduation on the great lawn. So much happened right there, it is a Dawson’s Creek-lover’s delight.

Alderman Hall is located right off the roundabout on Wagoner Drive, so it is quite easy to find once you enter the campus. If you look at Alderman Hall on Google Maps, it actually has a tag saying ‘Capeside High School’ on it, which is pretty funny too.

Historic Wilmington

Market Street/Water Street/ Cape Fear Riverwalk

Market Street and Water Street are well-known locations from Dawson’s Creek. Numerous scenes were filmed there and along the adjoining Riverwalk. When I first arrived in Wilmington, I literally felt déjà vu unlike any other moment in my life.

I mean, I walked along the roads and recognized places that I had never seen in person before. I actually felt like I was walking in a dream. That I was in a place that felt like home – because it was. I knew it so well. It was extremely surreal.

Market Street runs vertical towards the Cape Fear Riverwalk, whilst Water Street runs along the Cape Fear River and intersects with Market Street. The minute you visit these streets, you will recognize them immediately.

Locations which are found here include:
- In Season 1, the bus shelter where Joey and Dawson buy tickets so that they can head to the prison to see her dad, and the street where Pacey almost gets run over by Jen’s NYC boyfriend, Billy.
- The art gallery that Joey and Jack visited in Season 2 and where Pacey picked up Andie and Jack for the Prom, which is actually the Alton Lennon Federal Building.
- The many walk-and-talk scenes, whether it was Season 1 when Dawson and Joey shopped for an anniversary gift for Mitch and Gail, Season 2 when Dawson attempted to shoplift with Jen, or when Dawson, Mitch and Tamara Jacobs met on the street. This was right where it all happened.
- Scenes from Season 3’s boat race regatta when Pacey and Dawson dueled it out for Joey were also filmed here. Honestly, it is endless.
No matter where you walk around here, you will feel like you’re in Capeside. That is a fact.

Two cool locations that also need to be checked out here are two of the restaurants that were featured on the show: Leery’s Fresh Fish and Pacey’s Restaurant in the last ever episode.

Leery’s Fresh Fish has changed owners over the years and is currently the Kabob & Grill Downtown, which specializes in Indian cuisine. The interior still looks exactly the same as it did during the filming of the show, and fans are proudly invited inside for a meal so they can enjoy seeing it!

The location of this restaurant is 5 South Water Street, Wilmington.

Pacey’s restaurant is on the Riverwalk, at a place called Elijah’s. It is one of the popular restaurants in the historic area of Wilmington, with gorgeous views of the Cape Fear River alongside it.

The location of this restaurant is 2 Ann Street, Wilmington.

“The Rialto” Movie Theatre – Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, 310 Chestnut Street, Wilmington

Thalian Hall opened in 1858 and is one of the United States’ oldest theatres. It is a stunning place, whether you like the show or just history itself and is well worth the visit. Upon my first visit to Wilmington in 2008, I knew I had to see this location no matter what. Not only was it a huge part of my favourite episode (the pilot), but it was also used in other key moments in the series as well, which made me want to see it that much more.

Thalian Hall was the location of the Capeside cinema named “The Rialto.” The 3 scenes here that were featured on the show were more than memorable.

In Season 1’s pilot episode, Dawson takes the gang to the movies so that he can have a semi-quasi-date with Jen. Dragging Pacey and Joey along to take the pressure off, he instead finds Pacey is too interested in flirting with his new English teacher, Ms. Jacobs, and Joey is too love struck for Dawson to be spectator to his advances towards Jen. It ends in disaster and verbal and physical punches are thrown in more ways than one in the lobby.

In Season 2, however, Dawson and Joey have their first date at the Rialto. Things don’t go well, though, with Jen crashing their date and that lone yellow flower left on Joey’s seat is one of the show’s saddest moments. An honorable mention must also go to Grams who tells Jen that she came to the cinema for the Rialto’s final night (before its makeover) to be with her recently passed love.

Finally, in Season 3, Joey is the one crashing dates, as she tries to save Andie from her sleazy boss after he takes her here on a date.

The main stage and lobby of Thalian Hall were used in these episodes which means lovers of the show can truly reminisce about these particular scenes.

Sitting in Thalian Hall is a must for all fans of the show. They do hold events there and also offer tours Monday-Friday for $10 per person.

Hell’s Kitchen – 118 Princess Street, Wilmington

During the college years of Dawson’s Creek, Joey worked in a bar. This bar, much to the delight of fans, remains open and is still a bar today…and still named Hell’s Kitchen.

Hell’s Kitchen is just how it was in the show, which makes eating a meal or having a drink here that much more enjoyable. You can pretend you’ve got Eddie behind the bar, Joey waiting tables…it’s a real-life set right here. How amazing that we still get to enjoy it?

Joey’s Wall – Southern Side of City Limits Saloon, 28 South Front Street, Wilmington (across from The Reel Café)

Unfortunately, this is one location that is no longer around. Back in 2008, it was though. So luckily for me, I was able to see it for myself and stand in front of it just like Joey did in the show. Standing there was a dream come true. Of all the locations I have seen from the show, this was the most thrilling to see, because of what it represented: true love.

Although there were no words painted on it, and no one asking me to stay…a girl can still dream right?

The area itself was used as a vacant lot for many years following its use on the show. But, over the proceeding years, they did begin to build on it; last I saw it was a seating area for a restaurant. It looks nice, but alas; no wall. If you make the trek to this location, use your imagination and you’ll still see it.

Editor’s Note – Sadly, an outdoor seating area is now situated in front of Joey’s wall. You can check out comparison Google Street View images of the wall from 2008 and 2012 below.

The good news is that, despite the seating area, the top portion of the wall is still visible. This is especially good news for me because out of all the locations featured on Dawson’s Creek over the years, Joey’s wall is the one I want to see the most.

Wrightsville Beach Area

Airlie Gardens – “The Ruins,” 300 Airlie Road, Wilmington

Ever since the first season of Dawson’s Creek, with episode 3’s “The Kiss”, I dreamt of seeing this location.

The Airlie Gardens were used many times throughout the show’s run. The most notable episode was when Dawson took Jen to “The Ruins”, a private residence, to film the closing scene of his horror film. But instead, he ended up accidently filming Pacey and his English teacher, Ms. Jacobs, doing the deed.

It all worked out for Dawson though, as he finally got his first kiss.

Other scenes that were filmed here include when Dawson and Joey went to The Ruins to make out after getting a sex-ed talk from Mitch and Gail. Airlie Gardens have also been featured in other productions , too.

The location of The Ruins can be found in Airlie Gardens’ Pergola Garden. Staff will be happy to assist and direct you to this area with a map of the grounds. It really is a stunning place, even if the show hadn’t filmed here, I’d still want to see it.

Airlie Gardens is open every day from March 21st-December 31st; and Tuesday-Sunday from January to mid-March. Tickets are $9.

Dockside Restaurant – “The Icehouse,” 1308 Airlie Road, Wilmington

There were 2 locations used as The Icehouse, the restaurant Joey’s sister, Bessie, owned. One was located in Historic Wilmington on the Cape Fear River, but the show was no longer able to shoot there after Season 2, which is most probably why producers decided to write a storyline in which The Icehouse burned down in the episode titled “Parental Discretion Advised.”

Starting in early Season 2, the Dockside Restaurant was used as The Icehouse. Scene filmed there include when Abby and Jen met Vincent, their older seafaring man, and the time Devon, the actress playing ‘Joey’ in Dawson’s film, mirrors her as she waits on her table and ultimately freaks her out.

You can definitely tell scenes in which Dockside was used because the restaurant actually sits on the water in the marina, unlike the other location that faced the Cape Fear River. But best of all, you can eat at Dockside and enjoy being on the set of Dawson’s Creek. People actually park their boats to eat here too. Pretty cool huh?

The Roadside Bend – Airlie Road, Wilmington

Airlie Road also has 3 key scenes from the show that are a must for any fan to remember.

Coming onto Airlie Road from Eastwood Road, just past Dockside Restaurant, there is a clear bend in the street up ahead. For all of the Pacey and Joey lovers out there, right before this bend is the very location of the kiss that changed the show.

The second scene worth remembering was when Joey was pulled over by Deputy Doug for going too slow, all because he wants to inform her that Pacey is leaving for the summer.

The third scene that was filmed here involved the death of Mitch Leery in Season 5. This was the spot where his car accident occurred. In later episodes, this was the place Pacey took Dawson to deal with his father’s death to help him move on.

This is the one location any true fan must see. I actually had goose bumps standing here and remembering those scenes.

Southport – The Marina, Yacht Basin Drive and West Brunswick Street

Southport is a famous place. Home to I Know What You Did Last Summer and Nicholas Sparks’ Safe Haven to name just a few. Dawson’s Creek really made use of Southport as a location over the years.

The key location here was the Marina that sits right on Yacht Basin Drive and West Brunswick Street. The most famous episode took place in this spot, Season 3’s “The Longest Day” – you know, the episode that repeats over and over as Pacey and Joey’s affair is finally discovered by Dawson?

In the episode, Pacey finishes his boat and the gang celebrates by christening it at the dock. As the episode repeats over and over, the marina is featured numerous times.

This location plays a large part in other Season 3 episodes, as well. One of the first scenes of the season starts right here, as Joey works at her job at Logan’s Marina…which Dawson ends up crashing Mitch’s boat into after an afternoon with Eve.

And it is at the marina that Joey finally professes her love for Pacey with her “I think I’m in love with you” speech in the Season 3 finale, which ends with the two sailing off into the sunset. Funnily enough, the real location that sits on the marina is called Potter’s Seafood. Go figure.

Standing here is a true moment and one I was so happy to find. You will also notice that West Brunswick Street was also used in quite a few scenes – in Season 1 when Billy comes to town and speaks to Dawson about Jen and in Season 3’s “The Longest Day” when Joey confides to Jen about her relationship with Pacey.

There are many locations in Southport that were also used in the credits over the years, from the swings they all sit on, to Pacey standing on his anchor. Many other scenes from the series were shot there, as well, primarily from Seasons 1, 2 and 3, which I could discuss all day.

Southport is well worth a stop.

BONUS LOCATIONS: Pacey’s Boat – Screen Gems Studio – 1223 North 23rd Street, Wilmington/Dawson’s Windows – The Children’s Museum of Wilmington – 116 Orange Street, Wilmington

Two ‘locations’ I have been lucky enough to see were Pacey’s boat and the windows from Dawson’s bedroom; yes the windows Joey climbed through herself!

These were both seen in 2008 & 2011, so whether they are still something one can see now is another story.

Firstly, Pacey’s boat, aka the ‘True Love,’ was at Screen Gems Studios, where the Dawson’s Creek set could be found. They used to do studio tours, however during the visits I took, I was only able to see things from One Tree Hill, but that was still pretty awesome.

The ‘True Love’ was sitting in the backlot, though, and since it had been 8 years since the show ended, most people walked past it without even knowing what it was. The tour guide did explain that the boat had been auctioned and never picked up when we asked if it was Pacey’s boat. How is this even possible?? They no longer offer tours at Screen Gems, but when they did, tours were offered every weekend at 12pm for $10, should they resume it.

As for Dawson’s windows, they were and still are located at The Children’s Museum of Wilmington. At one point, Joey’s dorm room from Seasons 5 and 6 was also there, but I never saw it. The windows are a little weird, though, as they are closed shut and fixed into the wall. So it is a little odd to see a wall with huge windows, but for a fan and knowing what these windows represent? Well, it is just priceless!

These locations are really just the beginning. There is so much to see and experience in Wilmington from the show and other productions, too; it really is a TV show lover’s paradise.

If you’d like to see more filming locations from these shows and others, check out my website Enchanted Serendipity. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Editor’s Note – Big THANK YOU to Toni for this fabulous Dawson’s Creek write-up. Reading it only has me wanting to visit Wilmington more than I already did!
April 29, 2016
Smart Set Beauty Salon and Shopping Center from “The Brady Bunch”

While I originally intended to be filling this week with locales from my recent New York trip, I had a family emergency that landed me out of state since Monday. At this point, I’m not sure when I will be returning home, so posts might be on the light side in the coming days and weeks. Thankfully, though, my friend Michael, the fellow stalker who gifted us with the two fabulous Brady Bunch write-ups about The Golden Spoon Café and the Downtown Christmas Shopping District, has swooped in and saved the day by penning yet another guest post about yet another BB location. Thank you, Michael! So without further ado . . .

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In the final episode of The Brady Bunch, “The Hair-Brained Scheme,” Bobby, in the midst of a get-rich-quick venture, convinces Greg to tame his mane (in preparation for graduation) with some reasonably priced Neat & Natural Hair Tonic. Not unsurprisingly, the hair product turned plot-device quickly transforms Greg’s hair into something resembling a wig you might find in Harpo Marx’s hatbox. Eveready for a comedic crisis, Carol whisks Greg off to her beauty parlor (that specializes in groovy lady-mullets, no doubt) for a quick dye job. Lucky are we—the filming-location-loving audience—that their visit to the beauty shop is prefaced by two sequential establishing shots, providing us with a couple distinct looks at the location. First we are shown a wide shot of an outdoor shopping center, complete with a packed parking lot and a beauty shop nestled among a strip of storefronts.

After the commercial break we are treated to a close-up of the building as the camera pans up from the parking lot across much of the signage displayed along the facade.

The interior scenes with the actors were, as usual, filmed in a Paramount soundstage, but the clips of the exterior were filmed away from the studio. And with all the visible store names, I figured that it wouldn’t be difficult to pinpoint where the establishing shots were filmed. Famous last words.

First I concentrated on the wide shot. The larger storefront on the left had a row of shopping carts outside suggesting that perhaps a grocery store was nearby. Christmas trees with the words “Holiday Greetings” were tacked onto the light posts. And, although blurry, I could make out the name of the beauty parlor: Smart Set Beauty Salon. Unfortunately, my perfunctory web search for Smart Set was to no effect, and without a grocery store name it was time to look a little closer.

The next thing I noticed was the unique roofline on the building. It reminded me of the double-sloped mansard roof on the marina boathouse in my hometown, so I started thinking of water-side cities. And that maybe those decorations on the light posts weren’t Christmas trees at all; suddenly those trees were looking a lot more like sail boats. I then tried to make out the names of the other businesses. First was The Mariner Barber Shop (which worked with the marina-style roof), a barely legible ice cream shop, and the ridiculously named Posh Pourri. It was clear as (a sunshine) day that such a unique name was my best bet to zero in on the shopping center.

Researching Posh Pourri, I first came across an expired trademark that had been registered in Marina del Rey and an article about the actor Herb Rudley. Rudley, along with his wife and a business partner, opened Posh Pourri in Marina del Rey in late 1967. He mentions in the article that they also considered the name “Port Pourri,” but ended up going with his wife’s suggestion since they hoped to provide a “potpourri of elegance.” I may never forgive him for not choosing “Port Pourri”—I love a pun.

Unfortunately, neither the article nor trademark application listed an address for the gift shop. But, by looking at the history of Marina del Rey—a charming seaside community in the west side of Los Angeles—and the layouts of the malls in the area, I was pretty sure it was located in a shopping center that was originally known as Marina Waterside. Unfortunately, the center—now known simply as Waterside—has been remodeled twice since it opened in 1967, first in 1990 and again in 2005. To make matters worse, I couldn’t initially find any photos from its original look, and only a couple from the first renovation.

Present-day aerial photography then came to the rescue. Looking at a bird’s-eye view of Waterside showed that new facades on the front of the building had replaced the original roof style, however on the backside of the building the roof was left partially intact and it matched the style seen in the Brady clip.

Nearly positive I’d found the right spot, I still wanted more evidence linking Posh Pourri to Waterside, so off to my trusty library I went. A quick look in the US Shopping Center Directory from 1974 confirmed my suspicions. Not only was Posh Pourri listed, but so was Carol and Greg’s Smart Set Beauty Salon, Mariner Barber Shop, Brookdale Ice Cream, Suds ’N Duds Laundromat, Bon Marche Shirt Laundry, and Boy’s Market. Finally, proof that Carol was heading out of the Valley in order to maintain her far out ‘do.

In December, I found myself in Marina del Rey and had to see the shopping center in person. Although it’s been significantly remodeled, and is filled with new businesses, it’s still easy to picture how the current-day layout translates to the Brady clips.

I took a walk around the back of the complex and was happily surprised that a little bit of the old mansard roof was poking just far enough up for me to still see.

The mall was last remodeled in 2005 by developer Caruso Affiliated who is better known for creating The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles.

Although I’m always disappointed when renovations have significantly changed the look of a filming location, I’m afraid it was a necessity in this situation. The shopping complex’s 1990 remodel looked terribly dated and I can’t imagine that the facility would be thriving as successfully today (or even still exist) without some redevelopment over the past 49 years.

So there you have it. Smart Set Beauty Salon may be long gone, however a Dry Bar now sits near the old Posh Pourri location. So, should you ever end up suffering the effects of Neat and Natural Hair Tonic, they might not be able to do anything about your sherbet-colored hair, but a least they’ll be able to smooth it out for you.

Thanks once again to Lindsay for providing me a platform to prattle on about a 40-something year old Brady location. (Editor’s Note – Big THANK YOU to you, Michael, for another fabulously and meticulously researched post! )

Stalk It: Waterside Shopping Center, aka Marina Waterside Shopping Center aka Carol Brady’s Smart Set Salon is located at 4700 Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey.

April 22, 2016
New Discover Los Angeles Post – About Famous L.A. Theatres

Be sure to check out my latest post for Discover Los Angeles, about the city’s many lavish theatres and their roles onscreen.

April 20, 2016
My Latest Interview – with “The Nowman Show”

The Grim Cheaper and I are back from our whirlwind trip to NYC, which was an absolute blast! I have countless Big Apple locations to post in the coming weeks, as well as a slew of L.A. locales. Today, though, I wanted to share my latest interview with The Nowman Show, which you can watch by clicking above. I hope you enjoy it!

April 18, 2016
A New York State of Mind . . .

The Grim Cheaper and I are heading to New York for the week and I could NOT be more excited! Manhattan is pretty much my favorite place in the world and not only has it been almost seven years since our last visit, but we are also meeting up with some of our closest friends (Owen, from the When Write Is Wrong blog, and Kim, Katie and Lavonna, whom I have talked about many times on my site) while there, so I have a feeling the trip is going to be epic! You can follow along with us on our adventures via my Instagram and Snapchat (@iamnotastalker9), though I have to admit that I do not post on Snapchat all that often. Because of our jaunt, I will be taking this week off from blogging, but will be back next week with a slew of New York locales.

April 11, 2016
Sara’s House from “Grandfathered”

I always find it amusing when the exterior of a home is changed between a television show’s pilot and its subsequent episodes (which happens often, as I have mentioned numerous times on this site), but the interior is kept the same. Such was the case with the ranch-style residence where Sara (Paget Brewster, who I just realized played Kathy on Friends!) lives on Grandfathered. While watching the pilot, I recognized the dwelling used as Sara’s immediately as I had stalked and blogged about it way back in 2009. (More on that in a minute.) By the time episode two aired, a different house was being used for exterior shots, but the interior remained largely unchanged. Such is Hollywood, I guess.

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In Grandfathered’s pilot, Sara is shown to live in a charming double-peaked-roof home which I recognized on sight as the same dwelling where Wendy (Courteney Cox) lived in the 2008 comedy Bedtime Stories. You can read a post I wrote about the house here.

In the episode, Jimmy (John Stamos) heads to the home to confront Sara about the fact that she never told him she had his baby 26 years prior. While there, he says “I’m standing here on a porch in East Bumpkinville.” Sara corrects him by stating, “Pasadena,” to which he replies, “Oh, this is Pasadena?” The house is actually located in South Pasadena, though, at 800 Adelaine Avenue.

In real life, the adorable property, which was built in 1925, boasts 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,165 square feet of living space, and a 0.23-acre plot of land.

For one of the scenes in Bedtime Stories, some fake diagonal parking space lines were painted onto the street in front of the home.

Those lines were still visible, albeit faintly, when I stalked the place in 2009.

And they are apparently still visible today! I was absolutely floored to see them when Jimmy parked his car in front of the house in Grandfathered!

The actual interior of the home also appeared in Bedtime Stories.

And it was utilized in the Grandfathered pilot, as well. Then, once the series got picked up, that interior was re-created on a soundstage at CBS Studio Center in Studio City where the show is lensed.

Though some minor changes were made, for the most part the set looks very much like the actual house. Which is amusing because . . .

. . . by Grandfathered’s second episode, titled “Dad Face,” a different property, one located at 12660 Kling Street in Studio City, was being used for exterior shots. I am guessing the move was made due to the fact that the new residence is much closer to CBS Studio Center than the South Pasadena pad and therefore much easier for the cast and crew to travel to for shoots.

With its peaked roof and light green coloring, the Kling Street house does bear some resemblance to the Adelaine Avenue home.

In real life, the 1939 property boasts 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2,183 square feet, and a 0.20-acre plot of land.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Sara’s house from Grandfathered is located at 12660 Kling Street in Studio City. The home used in the pilot episode can be found at 800 Adelaine Avenue in South Pasadena.

April 8, 2016
New “L.A.” Mag Post – A Round-Up of Locales from “The People v. O.J. Simpson”

Be sure to check out my latest Los Angeles magazine article about the many locations featured in The People v. O.J. Simpson. You can read it here.

April 6, 2016
Jimmy’s Restaurant from “Grandfathered”

The Grim Cheaper and I were inundated with new shows we love during the Fall 2015 television season. Virtually every single one we sampled became must-see TV for us, including Blind Spot, Limitless, The Grinder, Quantico, The Family (which technically didn’t start until early 2016), Oil (really bummed that one was cancelled), Wicked City (ditto on the cancellation), Rosewood, and Lucifer. Considering we already had a fairly long list of can’t-miss shows, our DVR is now on overload. Though we have yet to see every episode, we also have a soft spot for the FOX comedy Grandfathered. I was especially thrilled while watching the pilot to spot Hatfield’s from Chef pop up as the interior of Jimmy’s, the restaurant owned by Jimmy Martino (John Stamos) on the series. I immediately started searching for the eatery used in exterior shots of Jimmy’s and fairly quickly found it – Faith & Flower at 705 West 9th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Though I added the info to my Hatfield’s post to reflect the new information shortly after the pilot aired in September, I did not make it out to stalk Faith & Flower until recently.

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Faith & Flower is located on the ground level of the Watermarke Tower. The luxury 214-unit apartment building was originally built in 2009 and was set to be a condominium complex, but its developer, Meruelo Maddux, declared bankruptcy shortly before construction was completed and the site remained vacant for a time.

In April 2010, the 35-story, 254,000-square-foot property was purchased by Watermarke Properties for a whopping $110 million and transformed into an upscale apartment complex.

Watermarke is considered one of downtown’s most luxurious apartment buildings and boasts amenities that seemingly never end, including a 20-seat theatre, a private wine cellar and tasting room, a spin room, two gyms, a yoga studio, a game room, a dog run, a basement lounge complete with a pool table and flat screen TVs that most residents refer to as a “nightclub,” a 75-foot infinity pool, a hot tub, two conference rooms, gardens, a ping pong room, BBQs, and a 24-hour concierge. Thrown in 24-hour room service and I’d be set!

In July 2012, a massive 7,000-square-foot, 200-seat eatery named Towne Food & Drink opened on the bottom floor of the building. Prior to Towne setting up shop, Watermarke’s ground level looked quite a bit different, as you can see in the Google Street View image from May 2011 pictured below as compared to my photograph. Restaurateur Armen Shirvanian spent $4 million building the space out. Of the exterior patio area he said, “We poured that terrace. There was nothing there. We built what we think is a European-style terrace that’s really inviting.” Sadly, despite the no-expense-spared construction, Towne Food & Drink shut its doors in March 2013, after only a scant eight months in operation.

Faith & Flower opened in the space, which sits at the intersection of West 9th and South Flower streets, in March 2014. The eatery’s name is derived from the fact that Flower Street was originally known as “Faith Street”.

Faith & Flower was designed with Old Hollywood in mind and features large booths, Chesterfield sofas, translucent curtains, and mid-century modern chandeliers. One of Bob Hope’s former dressing room doors is even on display.

On Grandfathered, the exterior of Faith & Flower is used in establishing shots of Jimmy’s restaurant.

Some on location filming has also taken place at the restaurant. In the pilot episode, Jimmy runs out of Faith & Flower, makes a left onto Flower Street, and then heads north while rushing his sick granddaughter to the hospital.

Interestingly, there is another exterior that is occasionally (and rather haphazardly) used in establishing shots of Jimmy’s. In fact, sometimes both exteriors appear interchangeably in the same episode!

That exterior is located on the CBS Studio Center lot, where Grandfathered is lensed. It is the eastern side of Building 2.

Fellow stalker Richard was nice enough to share a photograph he took of Building 2 while on a visit to CBS Studio Center. As you can see, the area where Jimmy’s restaurant was built is a carport in real life. The structure actually once served as offices for Mark VII Limited, the production company belonging to actor Jack Webb. According to Richard, Webb transformed the top level into an apartment, complete with a kitchen, sound studio, and air conditioning. In fact, it was the first spot on the lot to have AC capabilities. Big THANK YOU to Richard for this!

As I mentioned earlier, Hatfield’s was used as the interior of Jimmy’s restaurant in the pilot.

Once the series got picked up, that interior was re-created (with some changes) on a soundstage at CBS Studio Center.

The Watermarke Tower is also where Jimmy lives on Grandfathered.

The interior of one of the building’s actual units was utilized in the pilot episode.

As was the case with Hatfield’s, that interior was then re-created on a soundstage once Grandfathered was picked up.

The Tower has appeared onscreen in several other productions. Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) lived in one the Watermarke’s units the 2013 movie Her.

That same year, Towne Food & Drink was featured in the Season 5 episode of Castle titled “The Squab and the Quail” as the spot where Arthur Felder (Robert Craighead) was poisoned.

The building has been used twice – for virtually the very same date – on The Bachelor. It first popped up in the Season 15 episode titled “Week 4: Radio Show Date” during Bachelor Brad Womack’s one-on-one with Michelle Money. The two flew via helicopter to the Watermarke and then proceeded to rappel down it to the pool area where they ate a romantic dinner. In the Season 18 episode titled “Week 2: Book Cover Photo Shoot,” Bachelor Sean Lowe and Sarah Herron flew via – you guessed it – helicopter to the Watermarke and then – yep! – proceeded to rappel down it to the pool area where they drank champagne. Unfortunately, The Bachelor is not available to stream anywhere so I could not make screen captures of the episodes for this post. The building also apparently appeared several times on America’s Next Top Model, but again, the episodes weren’t available for streaming.

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 exterior of Jimmy’s restaurant from Grandfathered is the exterior of Faith & Flower, which is located at 705 West 9th Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can visit the eatery’s official website here. The interior of Jimmy’s is a set based upon the interior of the former Hatfield’s restaurant, which was located at 6703 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.

April 4, 2016
My Latest Mike the Fanboy Article – About Sur Restaurant

Be sure to check out my latest article for Mike the Fanboy, about my best advice for having a Vanderpump Rules experience. You can read it here.

April 1, 2016