You probably already know: between New York City and TV shows, it’s a huge love story! How many of us have fallen in love with NYC during a scene filmed in Central Park or on 5th Avenue? On my side, I fell in love with this city a long time before to go there. These films and TV series really influenced me and made me want to go to NYC…
Today, we are going to talk about the most iconic series of all times: Friends ! Although it has been over for many years now, many of us still want to see the unforgettable building where Rachel, Monica, Joey and Chandler lived in the show. If you too don’t want to miss it during your stay in NYC, follow the guide 🙂
☞ You might be interested in: 20+ best New York attractions (you really shouldn’t miss)
Friends: From the studio to New York City
As everybody knows, the show is supposed to take place in New York City. But it was actually shot in studio in Los Angeles. So, no need to look for the famous Central Perk in the streets of New York: the coffee shop only existed in the Warner Bros. studios! The same goes for the fountain that appears in the opening credits of the series: the scene was shot in the studios.
Images of the city are therefore added in post-production in order to place the story and the characters in the New York environment. Season after season, we discovered a beautiful, typical New York City building that was supposed to be the place where Monica, Rachel, Chandler and Joey lived. This time, this building does exist and I’ll explain to you below how to find it in New York 🙂
Friends building location in New York City
Over the years, the place has become a real place of homage for the nostalgic fans of the show. Almost 20 years have passed since the end of Friends, but it’s still impressive to see the number of people who still gather in front of this iconic building!
So, what is the address of the Friends apartment building in New York City? It’s time to discover it!
➜ You will find it at the corner of Grove Street and Bedford Street, in West Village (Manhattan), a few blocks away from the Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment!
It’s very easy to recognize it because the facade has absolutely not changed since the end of the serie. For the anecdote, you should know that behind the red frontage of the ground floor, there is a very nice Italian restaurant (called The Little Owl) which proposes a very accessible menu for lunch or brunch (more expensive for dinner).
Why was this building chosen for the series? One of the producers simply explained afterwards that it was one of the buildings where he had lived as a child.
Continue the adventure with the “Friends Experience” attraction in New York
And the Friends craze is still far from dying out in New York! Since a few years, an exhibition is even dedicated to the series under the name of “Friends Experience”.
At first, it was supposed to be a temporary exhibition, open only for a few months in 2019. And then, due to its huge success, the exhibition simply became a permanent exhibition and now a full-fledged attraction to be scheduled during your stay in NYC if you are a fan of the series!
Friends Experience is located in the Flatiron district, just a few blocks from the famous Flatiron building. Inside, you can discover the sets of the Central Perk, Rachel and Monica’s apartment and Chandler and Joey’s apartment. We also find other emblematic objects of the series as the famous cab of Phoebe or the Ross’s sofa stuck in the staircase. PIVOT!
⚠️ Good to know: If you want to visit the Friends Experience during your stay, it is recommended to book tickets well in advance as the attraction is literally overwhelmed. The cheapest tickets are sold out very quickly! Tickets can be booked directly here (with the possibility to book up to 2 months in advance).
See the full article about the Friends Experience
Friends building location on the map
To help you easily find the Friends building on the streets of New York:
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That’s it! If you still have questions, feel free to ask in the comments 🙂
