filming locations – Page 92

May 15, 2008February 13, 2009

The Peach Pit

Got a comment Tuesday night from Kevin who asked if I had a picture of the Peach Pit location from 90210. I briefly blogged about the Peach Pit on my first 90210 post a few months ago, but at the time I didn’t have a picture of the filming site. In reality, there were actually three different locations used as the Peach Pit during 90210’s ten year run. During the first season, two different storefronts were used. For the very first few episodes the exterior of an Apple Pan restaurant was shown as the Peach Pit. I found this location thanks to fellow stalker Mike over at MovieShotsLA. After only a few episodes, though, producers moved to a new exterior to film the Peach Pit. Unfortunately I have yet to find that location. 🙁

During the second season and throughout the rest of 90210 ‘s run, a Ruby’s Diner in Pasadena was used as the Peach Pit. Ruby’s is a 50’s style restaurant chain that can be found all over the Los Angeles area. The one in Pasadena was a favorite of mine when I first moved to LA. It wasn’t until my third or fourth time eating there that one of the waitresses told me it was the location of the Peach Pit. I about died! There I was eating at Brenda and Dylan’s favorite hang out and I didn’t even know it! 🙂

Sadly, Ruby’s closed its doors back in 2005 when it lost its lease. An Italian Restaurant took over after Ruby’s closed and painted the exterior of the building yellow. That restaurant also shut down and the space is currently vacant. The location is not very recognizable anymore as the 90210 gang’s hangout. The only thing that remains from the 90210 days are the Peach Pit’s exterior double doors.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Apple Pan Restaurant which was used as the Peach Pit in Season 1 is located at 10801 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. The Peach Pit from Seasons 2 through 10 can be found at 45 South Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena.

May 13, 2008February 13, 2009

24

Today while driving in Pasadena, I happened to pass by one of those yellow filming signs I am so fond of seeing, and it turns out that the TV show 24 was filming at Saint Luke’s Hospital. So I immediately parked my car and ran onto the set in the hopes of seeing Keifer Sutherland or one of the show’s other stars. Unfortunately I didn’t see anyone famous, but I did get to hang out for a bit and watch some of the filming. The scene being filmed showed a large tank full of Army men pulling up to the side of the hospital and all of the army men running out of the tank.

Saint Luke’s is actually a former hospital and is not currently in use. It closed its doors in 2002 and is now used strictly as a filming location. The fireman and security guard that I hung out with on the set today gave me a lot of history of the filming at St. Luke’s. Kill Bill, In Her Shoes, Rush Hour 3, Las Vegas, and Something’s Gotta Give were all filmed at the hospital. 24 films there almost every week, as does Desperate Housewives, which used the hospital for the scenes when Mike was in a coma, when Carlos’ mom was in a coma, and when Carlos went blind. Geez, is anybody ever healthy on that show?! 🙂

The fireman on duty also told me that he also worked during the filming of Something’s Gotta Give starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Keanu Reeves. Apparently the movie was being filmed during the Laker playoffs and everyday at precisely 4:30pm, Jack Nicholson would leave the set to head to Staples Center to watch the game. Like clockwork, no matter what was going on or how mad the director would get, Jack was out of there at 4:30pm. LOL I guess no one comes between Jack and his Lakers.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Saint Luke’s Hospital is located at 2632 East Washington Boulevard in Pasadena. Chances are if you drive by the hospital on a weekday, you will see film crews set up there. Pasadena film crews are notoriously friendly and will most likely fill you in on what is being filmed and even let you hang out and watch. 🙂

May 11, 2008February 13, 2009

Charlie’s Angels

$Charlie\'s Angels$ I must admit that I absolutely loved the first Charlie’s Angels movie, so when I found the location of the headquarters of Charles Townsend Investigations in my stalking tome last weekend, I just had to stalk it. This same location was used in both the filming of the Charlie’s Angels television show back in 1976 and the more recent first Charlie’s Angels movie in 2000. In the movie, Townsend Investigations is actually blown up by the evil Eric Knox, but for the big blow up scene, producers built a replica of the headquarters building on a studio soundstage.

Townsend Investigations looks much the same today as it did in 1976, except that now a Miele store occupies the space. Miele is a high end German appliance store.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Townsend Enterprises is located at 189 Robertson Boulevard, on the corner of Clifton Way and Robertson Boulevard, in Beverly Hills. A few blocks South of the Miele store is the chic, celeb favorite shopping district of Robertson Boulevard which is home to Kitson, Lisa Kline, the Ivy restaurant, and the MAC Pro Store. Robertson is a shopping haven for celebs and paparazzi can often be seen milling around outside of the many high-end stores located there.

May 7, 2008February 13, 2009

Greystone Mansion

While most mansions in Beverly Hills are well hidden from prying eyes thanks to tall gates and large trees, there is one that is open to the public on a regular basis and it’s called Greystone Mansion. The 46,000 square foot mansion was commissioned in 1928 by millionaire Edward L. Doheny as a gift to his son Edward “Ned” Doheny, Jr. Ned only lived in the home for four short months before he was found dead in his bedroom, along with his secretary Hugh Plunket, on February 16th, 1929.

There has been much speculation surrounding the deaths of Ned and Hugh – some believe it was a bizarre murder-suicide due to a lovers’ quarrel between the two, others believe Hugh asked Ned for a raise and became enraged when he was denied and subsequently shot Ned and then himself, and still others believe Hugh suffered from a psychological disorder and shot Edward during a mental breakdown. Whatever the case may be, after his death Edward’s widow continued to live in the mansion with their five children for the next 26 years until she sold it to a man named Henry Crown. Henry wanted to tear down the mansion, but the city of Beverly Hills stepped in and purchased Greystone from him in 1965, turning it into a public park several years later.

Greystone sits on over 16 acres and is an amazing piece of property. I highly recommend stalking it. Everyday from 10am to 5pm the public is given free reign to walk around the beautiful grounds and get an up close and personal view of the exterior of the mansion. On occasion, there are times when one can tour the inside of the mansion as well. Greystone has also been the filming location of hundreds upon hundreds of movie, TV, print, and commercial productions. Just to name a few – it was featured in Entourage as the location of Anna Faris’ photo shoot, it played Nicolas Cage’s home in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, it was the British Embassy and ball location in Jumpin’ Jack Flash with Whoopi Goldberg, it played a restaurant in The Holiday, and it was featured each week as Rory Gilmore’s school in Gilmore Girls. It also figures prominently in one of my favorite books The Prada Paradox by Julie Kenner.

While I was at Greystone this past weekend, a production crew was setting up for a film shoot (they wouldn’t say which film) and unfortunately much of the mansion was blocked off. But a very nice security guard happened to let me in to walk around and my boyfriend snapped a pic as I stalked behind the film crew’s signs. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Greystone Mansion is located at 905 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills. It is open everyday from 10am to 5pm. You can visit Greystone’s official website here.

April 21, 2008February 13, 2009

Cooking by JLo!

Two weeks ago, while in Pasadena, my boyfriend I happened to walk by Madre’s, the restaurant owned by Miss Jennifer Lopez. Madre’s, which opened up in 2002, serves up Latin food inspired by JLo’s grandmother’s recipes – food she ate when she was still just Jenny from the Block. When you step inside Madre’s, there is no denying that it is a JLo creation – it is very frilly, very girly, and very ornate. It definitely has its charm. Madre’s is also a frequent filming location, and was used in a recent episode of Desperate Housewives. It was the restaurant where Gaby had her first lunch with Mayor Victor Lang, whom she later marries.

My boyfriend and I ended up not eating at Madre’s, but ventured on down the street to Magnolia Lounge – an adorable little bar and restaurant that occupies a space that was a former speakeasy. The restaurant, which is pretty much hidden behind an antique store, was, according to Pasadena legend, the location of the San Gabriel Valley’s first speakeasy back in the Prohibition days. We spoke with the owner who said that when she was excavating the property before the restaurant opened, she found extremely old wine bottles in the cellar, which are now on display in the main dining area. Magnolia is a very cool little place, with a great center courtyard, and it was really fun sitting there sipping champagne, imagining how it looked back in the 20s.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Madre’s is located at 897 Granite Drive, just off of Lake Avenue, in the historic South Lake Avenue Business District in Pasadena. Magnolia Lounge is located just a block south at 492 S. Lake Avenue.

April 14, 2008November 8, 2010

The “You, Me and Dupree” House

A couple of years ago, long before I had a blog to write, I set out to find the You, Me and Dupree house. While I was a big fan of You, Me and Dupree, the real reason behind my mission actually had nothing to do with that movie. What I was actually hoping to find was Jenna Rink’s pink dream house from the final scene of 13 Going On 30, which according to the trivia section on IMDB, was the exact same house used in You, Me and Dupree.

Unfortunately, upon stalking the Dupree house, it became obvious that it was not the same location used in 13 Going On 30. Even so, the Dupree house is adorable and in a really cute neighborhood. It is also another fine example of that Craftsman architecture that filmmakers love so much. I must give props to Kerry, a fellow stalker, for getting the address of the Dupree house for me. I stalked this location so long ago (and failed to write down the address) that I couldn’t remember its exact location. Armed with only the picture I took of the house, which showed the house number, and knowing its general vicinity, she cyber-stalked the home and got the address for me! Thanks, Kerry! 🙂

Side note – I still have yet to find the 13 Going On 30 house – if anyone happens to know where it is – Help me! Please!! 🙂

UPDATE – Mike, from MovieShotsLA, found the 13 Going On 30 house for me a while back. You can read the post I wrote on it here and you can see interior pictures of the house here.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The You, Me and Dupree house can be found at 2406 Gramercy Park in the historic West Adams district of Los Angeles, not far from the location of the Numb3rs house. Even if you are not a fan of the film, I highly recommend stalking the house, as it is located on an adorable street in a neighborhood chock full of beautiful, historic homes. As always, take care not to disturb the residents.

March 20, 2008February 13, 2009

WAT

Got a call from a family friend’s daughter last night who told me that she was called into the Principal’s office yesterday and told that not only was the TV show Without a Trace being filmed at her high school the next day, but that they would actually be filming her very locker in the scene! She is going to have a famous locker!! So this morning I got up bright and early to cruise by La Salle High School in Pasadena to do a little stalking before work.

The production location was easy to locate from the large yellow “WAT” signs posted all over North-Eastern Pasadena this morning. When TV and movie productions film on location, bright yellow signs attached to light-posts and tree trunks are used to point cast and crew members in the direction of the filming area. These signs are painted with large black abbreviations identifying the production’s title. Seeing these yellow signs posted on various lampposts is a common occurrence when you live in Los Angeles – and a great tool for any stalker. Whenever I see these signs, I pull over and do a little stalking! Film crews are generally super friendly and will not only answer any questions about the production you may have, but most will let you hang out and watch the filming. While I didn’t spot any Without a Trace stars this morning, being there reminded me of a film set I stalked a few years back.

Way back in 2000, when I first moved to LA, my mom and I happened to drive by the movie The Man Who Wasn’t There being filmed in Pasadena. I, of course, made my mom stop the car and we got out to do some stalking. The movie starred Billy Bob Thornton, who at the time was married to Angelina Jolie. Billy Bob, Angelina, and her father Jon Voight were hanging out between takes when we arrived. Angelina was fresh off her Oscar win for Girl Interrupted and, being an actress, I just had to introduce myself to her. This was long before the little home-wrecker set her sights on Brad Pitt forcing me to forever boycott Team Jolie. I must say, though, that I was completely smitten with Angelina – she could not have been more kind or friendly! I spent about ten minutes talking to her about acting and her Oscar win and she seemed genuinely interested in talking with me. Too bad she had to go and ruin it all by messing with my girl Jen! 🙂

So, next time you happen to be driving in LA and you see a yellow sign with black letters, pull over and do some stalking! You never know who you might get to meet!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: La Salle High School is located at 3880 East Sierra Madre Blvd. in Pasadena. Look for the Without a Trace episode to air in about 6 weeks. The Crane house from The Man Who Wasn’t There is located at 850 N. Chester Avenue, in the Bungalow Heaven Landmark District of Pasadena – a small area of Pasadena chock full of beautiful, historic Craftsman style homes.

February 11, 2008February 13, 2009

Yamashiro Restaurant – Looking Down on All of Hollywood!

On Saturday, my boyfriend took me to dinner at a former Japanese palace called Yamashiro, located in Hollywood – 250 feet above Hollywood Boulevard, to be exact. The restaurant has the most amazing views of Hollywood and surrounding LA that I have ever seen and it was a pretty incredible place to spend an evening – and the food was absolutely yummy! And, need I mention, Yamashiro has also served as a backdrop for countless movie and TV productions. 🙂

Yamashiro, which means “Mountain Palace” in Japanese, was actually one of the very first Hollywood hot spots. Built in 1914, on over seven acres of land, as a private home to the Bernheimer Brothers, it was modeled after a palace located in the Yamashiro Mountains in Kyoto, Japan. After the death of one of the brothers in 1922, Yamashiro was sold and became home to celeb hot spot the “400 Club” – an exclusive hangout for the Hollywood Royalty of the 20’s and 30’s. Sadly, during WWII the property was destroyed by vandals due to anti-Japanese sentiment, and it fell into disarray. It later became a boys’ military school. The property remained in disrepair until it was purchased by Thomas O. Glover in 1948, who painstakingly returned Yamashiro to its original glory. The pagoda, located in Yamashiro’s garden area, is actually the oldest structure in California!

While you are there, be sure to walk through the gardens on the property and take a look at the exquisite inner courtyard inside the restaurant. If you visit Yamashiro at night, keep your eyes on the Capital Records Building – the light on the spire atop the building spells out the word “Hollywood” in old Morse Code – a little tidbit of Hollywood trivia that I didn’t know until last night. You learn something new everyday!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Yamashiro is located at the very top of Hollywood at 1999 N. Sycamore Street. If you go there for dinner be sure to try the Yamashiro Crispy Chicken and the Butter Lettuce Wraps – so yummy! Yamashiro would actually be the perfect place to have Valentine’s dinner – or a romantic Valentine’s drink! Besides being a great place to eat, Yamashiro has a vast filming history – including being featured in the movies Gone in 60 Seconds, Blind Date, Memoirs of a Geisha, and countless commercials and TV shows.

January 29, 2008February 13, 2009

Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!

Being that I am completely obsessed with Josh Duhamel, one of my favorite movies of all time is (don’t laugh!) Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! In all honesty, the only thing I don’t like about Win A Date is the ending – Kate Bosworth so should have chosen Josh over Topher! 🙂 Otherwise it is a classic!

Sadly, most of Win A Date was filmed out of stalking range in Frazier’s Bottom, West Virginia, but I was absolutely floored to learn from IMDB that one scene was filmed right here in L.A.- at a little restaurant called Rae’s. Not ten minutes after finding out, I dragged my ever-patient boyfriend to Rae’s for a little stalking. We even sat in the same booth used in the movie!

Rae’s was used as the diner where Tad takes Rosalie to lunch when he first shows up in Frazier’s Bottom.

Rae’s serves really GREAT food at even more amazing prices. My boyfriend and I both ordered full meals and our check was less than $10.00! Rae’s certainly was a find and we have returned there time and time again!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Rae’s Restaurant is located at 2901 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. They serve great comfort food at incredible prices! Make sure you bring cash, though, as Rae’s does not accept credit cards. Rae’s has been featured in many movies, including Bowfinger, Lords of Dogtown, Book of Love and True Romance.

January 23, 2008January 3, 2011

Casbah Cafe – The Coffee Shop from “A Lot Like Love”

After finding Amanda Peet’s apartment from A Lot Like Love, I just had to stalk the other locations featured in the movie. Much of the movie was filmed in Sunset Junction, a small community in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. When Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher first reconnect, on New Year’s Eve, they head out to Sunset Junction for dinner. While I am sad to say that I have yet to find the Chinese food restaurant where they eat their silent dinner (which, according to the director’s commentary on the DVD, is located somewhere in Pasadena), I did stalk most of the other locations.

Before dinner, Amanda Peet parks her stationwagon in the parking lot of a dry cleaners. You can see the words “Wash and Fold” painted on the brick wall in front of her car. This is also the spot where, after dinner, she changes into a party dress behind a dumpster.

Directly after dinner, Oscar and Emily walk to a cafe for some coffee. That spot is The Cashbah Cafe, located at the corner of Sunset and Hyperion. The Cashbah is a cute little bohemian coffee shop – and when I say little, I mean little! I am shocked they were able to film inside of it! They do make some good coffee, though!

The art gallery where Amanda Peet’s photographs are featured later in the movie, was in fact an empty store at the time of the filming. Today it is a really cool bartending shop called “The Barkeeper.” The laundermat, across from the art gallery, where Ashton waits for Amanda to show up is actually a laundermat in real life and is really located directly across the street from “The Barkeeper.”

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Sunset Junction is located in Silverlake, where Sunset Blvd. meets Santa Monica Blvd. Sunset Junction is a cute place to grab a cup of coffee and do some shopping on a Saturday afternoon. The Cashbah Cafe is located at 3900 W. Sunset Blvd., at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Hyperion Street. Sunset Laundry is located at 3812 W. Sunset. Amanda Peet’s art gallery, aka “The Barkeeper”, can be found at 3910 W. Sunset, where it is now “The Barkeeper”. If you visit the store, be sure to ask for Joe, “the Barkeeper” and owner of the shop – he could not be a nicer guy! He filled me in on all the scoop on filming in Sunset Junction.