You Season 2 – IAMNOTASTALKER

June 22, 2020June 20, 2020

Forty’s House from “You”

Season 2 of You was pretty much a steady stream of stunning location after stunning location. Anavrin grocery store . . . the party house . . . Candace Stone’s (Ambyr Childers) Victorian rental – talk about real estate envy! One spot that eluded me for a while was the mid-century pad where Forty Quinn (James Scully) lived. The stunning residence only showed up in one episode, “P.I. Joe,” and the view of the exterior was brief at best. But one look at its sleek lines, wood façade, and decorative concrete screening, and I was completely taken! I knew at first glance the residence had to be located somewhere in the Hollywood Hills. Recalling that the Nichols Canyon neighborhood, specifically Nichols Canyon Road, boasts a plethora of handsome mid-century pads, I headed over there on Google Street View, plonked the little yellow man down at the top of the road, walked him south, and almost immediately found the right place at 3122 Nichols Canyon! I ran out to stalk it just a few days later.

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The spectacular dwelling was designed by Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A. for building contractor Jack M. Weisskopf in 1959. The architect constructed several homes for Weisskopf in the Hollywood Hills area.

The sleek property boasts 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2,510 square feet, a central atrium with cement pavers dotting a pond, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls, a master bath with a standalone tub (my dream amenity!), a double-sided rock fireplace, a 0.19-acre lot with a large deck, a pool, a spa, a fire pit, a bonus side yard, and a carport.

The residence has been remodeled a couple of times over the years, including in 1966 by architect Val Powelson. The result is a mid-century home that retains a slew of original detailing, but with a thoroughly updated kitchen and baths. You can check out some interior photos here. The place is an architectural masterpiece – a perfectly preserved 1950s time capsule. I half expected to see Frank Sinatra sipping a martini by the pool in the images!

The pad last sold in November 2018 for a whopping $3,180,000. Per Dwell, the seller was none other than Jamie Dornan, of 50 Shades fame! The real estate listing asserts, “Four bedrooms will accommodate all your envious friends who arrive but refuse to take the hint when it’s time for them to hit the road and leave you in peace in your amazing oasis,” which I think sums up the property perfectly!

In “P.I. Joe,” Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) heads to the house in order to ask Forty to help him piece together what happened during their drug-infused evening the night before.

The property’s actual interior also appeared in the scene . . .

. . . as did the backyard, as you can see in the screen captures as compared to the MLS images above and below.

Candance shows up at the house later in the episode to praise Forty on his recently-penned script. It is at this time that she opens his eyes to the possibility that Joe is a killer.

I would be surprised to learn that You is the only time the impressive home has appeared on the screen, but I was unable to dig up any other appearances.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Forty’s house from You is located at 3122 Nichols Canyon Road in Hollywood Hills West.

March 16, 2020March 14, 2020

Joe and Love’s New House from “You”

I apologize to those who don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook for not posting updates about my dad here. He was finally moved out of the ICU a couple of days ago, thank God, and is currently progressing in the right direction. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi and cell signal in the ICU were nil, to the point that I could not even use my cell phone as a hotspot, which explains my lack of new posts. Now that I can get online again, my blogging schedule should return to normal. And I figured what better spot to kick things off with than the house Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) moved into in the final episode of You’s second season, titled “Love, Actually.”

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One look at the place, with its traditional architecture, large set-back from the street and insane curb appeal, and I knew it was likely located in Cameron Woods, a highly photogenic neighborhood in Van Nuys that is used for filming all.the.time. Situated at the southern end of Orion Avenue, the charming two-block enclave is a latticework of picket-fenced suburban homes, each one seemingly prettier than the last. It’s like a studio backlot come to life! An address number of 6301 was visible on the curb in the episode, so I promptly headed over to 6301 Orion on Google Street View and, sure enough, there was Joe and Love’s new pad looking back at me!

In real life, the idyllic property, built in 1951 but recently remodeled, boasts 2,969 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, a kitchen with Caesarstone counters, a butler’s pantry, countless built-ins, a laundry room, multiple fireplaces, hardwood flooring and wainscoting throughout, a pool, a pond, a motor court, a cabana, gorgeous landscaping, and a 0.58-acre plot of land.

The stunning pad (you can check out interior photos of it here) last sold for $1,885,000 in January 2018.

It is not hard to see how the place came to be used on You. A quintessential slice of Americana, the home perfectly encapsulates the normalcy and traditionalism that Joe will never be able to subscribe to. No amount of white picket fencing or manicured shrubberies can tame his obsessive and murderous ways. Instead, the pad serves as a prison of his own making. As he says upon moving in, “Not every Siberia is cold. Some are 73 and sunny with eco-conscious landscaping.”

Though one of the series’ most notable locales, the residence only appears in a single segment – “Love, Actually’s” closing scene.

Along with the front exterior, the property’s backyard is also featured in the episode, as you can see in the screen capture as compared to the MLS image below.

Considering Cameron Woods’ prolific filming history, it should come as no surprise that Joe and Love’s house has popped up in other productions.

In 1984, it portrayed the home of Mother Blaisdel (Diana Douglas) in the Season 4 episodes of Dynasty titled “The Vigil” . . .

. . . and “The Voice Part 3.”

The pad’s interior also appeared in the episodes, but it looked very different at the time.

The Dixie Chicks race through the house Ferris-Bueller-style in their 1999 “Ready to Run” music video, which you can watch here.

More recently, the property was featured as the home of a man who falls off his roof while installing Christmas decorations in the Season 2 episode of 9-1-1 titled “Merry Ex-Mas,” which aired in 2018.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Joe and Love’s new house from the final episode of the second season of You is located at 6301 Orion Avenue in Van Nuys’ Cameron Woods neighborhood.

March 4, 2020March 3, 2020

The “You” Party House

The second season of You certainly did a stunning job of showcasing Los Angeles. From the fabulously chic Anavrin grocery store to the striking Victorian rented by Candace Stone (Ambyr Childers), the city has never looked better onscreen! One spot that majorly intrigued me was the pad where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) attempted to acquire $50,000 from a stranger named Rufus (Jeremy Kent Jackson), but instead found himself at “a party . . . at noon . . . on a Tuesday” in the episode titled “Just the Tip.” The ranch-style property boasted several unique design elements – namely a tree growing through its living room and a window looking into the backyard pool – that had me drooling. So I promptly set out to find it.

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A tree growing through the middle of a living room is certainly a rarity and I figured would likely be the key in helping me to pinpoint the locale. So I did a Google search for “house with tree growing through it” and “Los Angeles” and the first result kicked back was this CurbedLA feature titled “Burbank A-Frame With a Big Tree Growing Through It.” One look at the images linked told me it was the spot where Joe partied with Henderson (Chris D’Elia) and Delilah Alves (Carmela Zumbado) – and got mistaken for John Mayer. Said to be at 311 Heartwood in Van Nuys in the episode, the home can actually be found at 630 South Parish Place in Burbank’s Rancho Equestrian neighborhood.

Upon first approaching the pad, Joe says, “Hell – I’ve arrived. It’s called the San Fernando Valley, at the borders of which anyone with an architect’s degree is denied entry.” While most of Joe’s musings about Los Angeles rather comically ring true, I’ve gotta disagree with him on this one. The party house might indeed be in the San Fernando Valley, but it is quite extraordinary, architecturally speaking – though I will admit some aspects of its interior are a bit skeezy. (That orange shag carpeting and tiled bathtub?!? Shudder!)

But the rest of the place is pretty darn exceptional!

And it looks much the same in real life as it did on You, as evidenced by the screen captures and MLS images pictured above and below.

I was thrilled to see that the peek-a-boo window looking into the pool was a real element of the house!

Along with that pool window and the living room tree, the 1940 post-and-beam structure boasts 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3,420 square feet, floor-to-ceiling windows, a sunken den, countless mid-century details, a whopping 5 fireplaces (the one in the kitchen even has a BBQ!), cathedral ceilings, a master bedroom with a private patio, a pool with a waterfall, a hot tub, a garden, a 2-story guest house, a 0.31-acre lot, and a 2-stall horse barn with a tack room and office space.

Though it was on the market when I popped by (as indicated by the “For Sale” sign in the front yard), some lucky buyer has since snatched the place up. Per Redfin, it sold just last week for $2 million.

Considering its many architectural anomalies, I’d assume the house would be a location manager favorite, but I was unable to unearth any additional big or small screen cameos.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The party house from the “Just the Tip” episode of You is located at 630 South Parish Place in Burbank.

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020

Joe’s Apartment from the Second Season of “You”

The second season of You couldn’t have been more quintessentially L.A.! Nowhere is that more evident than in the apartment building that served as Joe Goldberg’s (Penn Badgley) new West Coast home. As a reader commented about the place to me last week on Facebook, “It seems like I’ve passed it 284739484 times in my travels.” I’m guessing that was by design. Producers likely picked the building based on its universal Los Angeles appeal. It literally looks like almost every other apartment complex in the city – and is exactly the sort of spot Joe would have selected in his attempt to blend in while hiding out in La La Land. Despite its ubiquitousness, though, thankfully the place was a cinch to track down!

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In the first episode of the season, titled “A Fresh Start,” an address number of “1830” was visible above the stairwell leading up to Joe’s apartment in several scenes. Being that much of the episode was shot in Los Feliz, I decided to start my search there and, voila, it wasn’t long before I found Joe’s new building at 1830 Winona Boulevard. I ran out to stalk it shortly thereafter.

Along with Anavrin, the Streamline Moderne complex was Season 2’s most prominent locale.

In real life, the 1953 building looks much the same as it did onscreen.

A few minor changes were made for the production, though, including the addition of a courtyard fountain . . .

. . . which, as you can see, is not a real element of the building.

Some fake drought-resistant foliage was also draped over the second-floor railings for the shoot.

Though my photos don’t show it well, nothing adorns the railings in actuality.

Addressed 1824 to 1834 Winona Boulevard, the complex is also quite a bit larger than it appeared on You, which only showcased its central courtyard area.

In real life, the property features covered parking, an onsite manager, and 25 units with hardwood flooring and crown moldings throughout.

The building also boasts some fabulous mid-century flourishes.

On You, Joe lived in the rear northernmost second-floor unit overlooking the courtyard.

That apartment is numbered 3 in real life.

I am fairly certain that only the exterior of Unit 3 was used in the filming and that the inside of Joe’s apartment was a set, though it does bear a resemblance to the interior of other units in the building, one of which you can see here. While Joe calls the place “Home, sweet prison,” it’s actually pretty darn nice – and so very L.A.! In fact, it is pretty much a carbon copy of the apartment the Grim Cheaper called home when we first met.

I believe the laundry room shown on the series also may have been a set, though, per this rental listing, the building does boast laundry facilities in real life.

The only substantial discrepancy between the real building and its onscreen counterpart is the fact that the house belonging to Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) isn’t situated directly behind it as is purported on the series. Love’s residence can instead be found a good three miles away at 3022 Windsor Avenue in Silver Lake. You can check out some photos of it here.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Joe’s apartment from Season 2 of You is located at 1830 Winona Boulevard in Los Feliz.

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020

Candace’s Rental from “You”

Though Anavrin was by far my favorite locale from the second season of the Netflix series You, I was also pretty darn smitten with the charming Victorian that Candace Stone (Ambyr Childers) rented during her stay in Los Angeles while posing as Amy Adam. I was struck by the picturesque property as soon as it came onscreen in episode 6, “Farewell, My Bunny,” and though its appearance was all-too-brief, it stuck with me. I set out to find it just as soon as the closing credits began to roll and, thankfully, it was not a long hunt. Global Film Locations pinpointed the home right where I thought it would be – in the heart of Angelino Heights, the Echo Park neighborhood that boasts the largest concentration of Victorian homes in Los Angeles. So I ran right out there while in the area a few weeks back. (I would be completely remiss if I did not note here that Ambyr Childers is the first wife of Randall Emmett, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent’s fiancé. Let that sink in for a minute!)

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Known as the Collins Residence in real life, the stunning Eastlake-style property was originally built in 1888 for Santa Fe Railroad agent Michael T. Collins.

Per Flickr member Michael Locke, the pad was initially located on Whittier Boulevard, but was moved to its current home at 890-892 West Kensington Road in 1987.

Despite that unique provenance and the fact that the place is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 266, I could find virtually no additional information about it online.

According to Redfin, the three-story residence boasts 1 bedroom (though I believe that to be incorrect), 2 baths, 2,272 square feet, and a 0.21-acre plot of land.

It is quite the quintessential historic Los Angeles home, so it is no surprise that it wound up as Candace’s rental on You.

In “Farewell, My Bunny,” Forty Quinn (James Scully) informs Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) that his ex, Candace, aka “Amy,” is leasing a home somewhere on Loma Vista Lane in Echo Park. Joe then searches the fictional “BnB” website for rentals on Loma Vista and comes across a listing for a “fully-furnished” “historic Victorian in Angelino Heights” with a private bathroom, balcony and “tee-pee access” (whatever that means).

Describing the pad as a “Gothic Barbie dreamhouse,” Joe surmises it must be the spot Candace leased.

He promptly breaks into the home later that night, toting a backpack filled with duct tape and rope, to presumably kill Candace. But the property’s owner, the Krav Maga-trained Superhost Rachel (Madeline Zima), thwarts his devious plan, knocking him out with a quick fist to the face and then hog-tieing him in her living room. In a thoroughly head-scratching move, though, she ultimately lets Joe go, believing his claim that Candace hired him to enact a “rape fantasy.”

I am fairly certain that the actual inside of the home was also utilized in the episode, though I could find no interior photographs with which to verify that.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Collins Residence, aka Candace’s rental from You, is located at 890-892 West Kensington Road in Echo Park. Several other homes in the neighborhood have also appeared onscreen – Jesse (John Stamos) and Becky’s (Lori Loughlin) honeymoon send-off from Full House can be found at 1320 Carroll Avenue, Oliver’s “San Francisco” house from A Lot Like Love is located at 1321 Carroll, the Sanders House at 1145 Carroll is where Ola Ray hid from zombies in Michael Jackson’s Thriller, 1329 Carroll portrayed the Halliwell sisters’ residence on Charmed, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) grew up at 1355 Carroll on Mad Men, and Holly’s (Amy Ryan) Nashua house from the “Employee Transfer” episode of The Office is at 1347 Kellam Avenue.

January 15, 2020January 16, 2020

Anavrin from “You”

I loved Season 1 of You, but Season 2 was even more gripping, engrossing and enjoyable! I think a large part of that had to do with Anavrin (pronounced “uh-nah-vrin”), the impossibly idyllic grocery store where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) landed a job in episode 1, “A Fresh Start,” and worked throughout. The charming market is Season 2’s central locale, one that I wanted to fully immerse myself in. The place is so inviting, in fact, that I was convinced it was purely the stuff of a production designer’s imagination, a picturesque set created inside of a vacant warehouse solely for the show. So I was shocked to learn via a Backstage article that filming had actually taken place at a real downtown L.A. grocery store named Urban Radish! To the top of my To-Stalk List the market went and I headed right on over there while in the area the first week of January.

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Opened in summer 2013, Urban Radish is the brainchild of business partners Carol Paxton and Keri Aivazis. Housed in a former glass factory in downtown’s Arts District, the whimsical 8,200-square-foot market was designed by Creative Space and Linear City Development. The transformation from former warehouse to upscale grocery store took nine months and $1.7 million to complete.

And it was worth every penny!

Along with the typical grocery store trappings, the specialty market boasts a gourmet deli, onsite butcher (who makes all sausage offerings in-house!), outdoor grill and patio, wine alcove, and espresso bar.

I can’t think of a prettier place to shop!

That produce section, amirite?

It isn’t very hard to see how the place came to be chosen for You.

Of the market, Joe, dripping with sarcasm, says, “In Los Angeles, grocery stores aren’t just the place you buy carrots. They’re a pristine, non-GMO Disneyland. And king among these is Anavrin. Come for the spring lettuce mix, stay for the perfect life that could be yours if you just spend enough and quit gluten, you f*cking *sshole! And yeah, obviously Anavrin is – wait for it – Nirvana spelled backwards.”

Joe might not have been able to hide his disdain for the shop, but I, understandably, fell in love with it upon sight.

Urban Radish was dressed pretty significantly for the You shoot. Per Google Street View imagery, the outside of the market was light gray up until March 2019, smack dab in the middle of the filming of the show’s second season. So it appears that the royal blue paint that now graces the exterior was a production decision that the owners chose to leave intact after the shoot wrapped. A pergola-shaded patio draped with flowers was also added to the premises . . .

. . . as was a florist stand. Sadly, both of those elements were dismantled when filming concluded.

Even without all the bells and whistles, though, Urban Radish is pretty darn special and entirely recognizable.

Though I would have loved to see it in its dressed state.

While Urban Radish’s exterior was used extensively throughout Season 2, the interior only appeared in “A Fresh Start.” It is in the market’s actual produce section that Joe orchestrates a meet-cute with Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). Love also shops there prior to making a meal for Joe later in the episode. As you can see in Yelp photos taken pre-2019, the shop’s signage was formerly very different, so it appears the chic reclaimed wood display boards that now adorn the walls were another production decision the owners chose to leave intact post-filming.

Urban Radish’s deli area also appeared in “A Fresh Start,” though it was modified a bit with the rear exit door and metal wall paneling covered over.

The bulk of the Anavrin scenes, though, were shot on a studio-built set. Yes, sadly, the magical light-filled new-age café, book alcove and kitchen, where most of the action took place, are not actual elements of Urban Radish.

While the market does have an open kitchen in real life, it is less central, situated off the wine aisle, and much smaller than its onscreen counterpart.

Considering its fabulously unique aesthetic, I am surprised that Urban Radish has not been featured in countless other productions, but I could find no record of any additional cinematic appearances.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Urban Radish, aka Anavrin from You, is located at 661 Imperial Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can visit the market’s official website here.

January 8, 2020December 31, 2019

Alex Theatre from “You”

The Grim Cheaper and I spent the days after Christmas in full vacation mode – sleeping in late, staying in our pajamas until all hours, and binging countless movies and TV shows, including the second season of Netflix’s You, which, I have to say, I enjoyed even more than the first. Well, up until the abysmal finale that is. The episode seemed to drag on forever and WTH was that ending, amirite? The rest of the episodes, though, were nothing if not engrossing! I especially loved that the production was relocated from New York to L.A. for Season 2. I was thrilled to recognize several spots that I’ve already blogged about including Home restaurant, where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) spied on Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) lunching with her friends in “Just the Tip,” and the now-defunct Daily Dose Café, where Joe escaped from Candace Stone (Ambyr Childers) in “A Fresh Start.” Another familiar spot featured was Alex Theatre, a historic Glendale venue that I stalked back in 2010 after it made an appearance on Glee, but somehow never blogged about. So here goes!

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Originally known as “Alexander Theatre,” the imposing arena was commissioned by West Coast Theatres chain owner C. L. Langley and named in honor of his son.

The Classic Revival-style property, which boasts Greek and Egyptian influences (and, in fact, with its large forecourt and columns reminds me quite a bit of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre), was designed by Arthur G. Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk. Opened in 1925, the site initially served as a vaudeville venue and movie house, but it wasn’t long before the nearby studios took notice and began utilizing the space for premieres and screenings.

The Alexander underwent an interesting facelift of sorts in 1940 thanks to architect S. Charles Lee, who was also responsible for the Los Angeles Theatre, Temple Israel of Hollywood, and the Max Factor Building. Though the structure’s original façade and forecourt were left intact during the reno . . .

. . . a 100-foot tower, large marquee and ticket booth, all Moderne in style, were installed in front of them, essentially blocking the initial architecture from view. The space was also redubbed the “Alex Theatre” at that time. Thankfully, the venue’s grand interior was largely untouched and looks just as beautiful today as it did when the site originally opened. Of its unique aesthetic, the Alex’s website states, “The auditorium was designed as an ‘atmospherium’ with an open-air illusion enhanced by the stage-set wall encircling the room, creating the feeling of being enclosed in an ancient garden. The Alex is one of the few atmospheric theatres constructed in Southern California and one of only a handful that still remain.” You can check out some photos of the interior here.

Unfortunately, the Alex suffered from a lack of patronage in the ‘80s and shut its doors. It was finally rescued in 1992 by the Glendale Redevelopment Agency, who poured $6.2 million into a massive revitalization project. It then re-opened to much fanfare on December 31st, 1993. Today, the 1,413-seat venue serves as a live performance space and is one of the area’s most popular spots for comedy shows, theatre events, and, of course, filming.

In the Season 2 episode of You titled “Have a Good Wellkend, Joe!”, Delilah Alves (Carmela Zumbado) confronts her younger sister, Ellie (Jenna Ortega), over some stolen photographs outside of the Alex.

You is hardly the only production to make use of the venue. Back in 1999, Mandy Moore shot her “Walk Me Home” music video at the site.

The pop star even sang a few vocals propped atop the Alex’s marquee, though I think those segments may have been lensed on a studio-built set replica.

Aaron Carter’s 2002 “Do You Remember” music video also took place at the venue.

In the Season 3 episode of Criminal Minds titled “3rd Life,” which aired in 2008, the Behavioral Analysis Unit investigated the case of two teens who went missing from the Alex.

The theatre popped up as the Buckeye Civic Auditorium, where the McKinley High glee club competed in the Western Ohio High School’s Show Choir Sectionals, in the Season 1 episode of Glee titled “Sectionals,” which aired in 2009.

Hugh Hefner (James Franco) hosted a screening of Deep Throat at the Alex in the 2013 biopic Lovelace.

Larry David (Larry David) and Jeff Greene’s (Jeff Garlin) Fatwa! musical is performed at the venue in the Season 9 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm titled “Fatwa!”, which aired in 2017.

And Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) attended Dick Casablancas’ (Ryan Hansen) movie premiere at the Alex in the Season 4 episode of Veronica Mars titled “Chino and the Man,” which aired in 2019.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Alex Theatre, from the “Have a Good Wellkend, Joe!” episode of You, is located at 216 North Brand Boulevard in Glendale. You can visit the venue’s official website here.