Seinfeld is one of those TV shows that has become part of our culture. Not many shows can claim they have added words and phrases to our every day language. It is nearly impossible to find a time of day when some channel isn’t still showing Seinfeld reruns.
CBS Studio Center
The Seinfeld pilot was filmed at Red Studios in Hollywood. Once the show was picked up for a 1st season, the production of the show moved to CBS Studio Center (now known as Radford Studio Center) in Studio City. The first three seasons were filmed on a smaller stage, before moving to a large stage for the remainder of production.
Seinfeld featured a lot of shots taking place along the streets of New York. However the show never actually filmed in NYC. CBS had a small New York Street backlot which was used for numerous episodes. During the show’s run, a larger street was constructed to accommodate the various scenes filmed. Between small cosmetic changes and a variety of camera angles, most viewers didn’t catch on that it was always the same street.
This street still exists at the Radford Studios, and has been used for a number of productions over the years. The street can also be seen on the ABC show, American Housewife.
CBS Radford also has a small residential street, which includes a small green area, which was often used on Seinfeld for scenes in Central Park. It’s not a big lot, but with some added trees and benches, it can look just like a park.
Jerry’s Apartment
While many believe the apartment used for establishing shots is located in New York City, but it’s actually located in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. The little rhombus-shaped attachments between each floor are not just for decoration. They are actually earthquake reinforcements. Jerry’s window is located on the left of the building, on the 4th floor. It is now partially covered by the large tree out front.
Paramount Studio
As the NYC street at CBS Radford is quite small, scenes were sometimes filmed at other Hollywood studios. One well known episode that was partially filmed at Paramount is the Rye Bread episode. The show included a scene where Kramer takes Susan’s parents for a ride on a horse and carriage (RUSTY!!!). Meanwhile George tries to raise a loaf of rye bread up to the 3rd floor using a fishing line.
Warner Bros. Studios
In the series finale, the episode begins with the gang witnessing a mugging in a small town. Nothing at CBS Radford fit the needs for these scenes, so the production moved to Warner Bros. and their Midwestern Square. The storefronts and the gazebo made the perfect setting for this scene.
Santa Monica Pier
In the episode The Engagement, we see George on a pier, contemplating his future. Not wanting to travel all the way to New York to film this scene, the production instead headed over to Santa Monica pier. This pier, with it’s restaurants and attractions, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in LA.
Trip to Los Angeles
In the episodes The Keys and The Trip Parts 1 and 2 featured Jerry and George going to Los Angeles to find Kramer, who has moved there. This gave the show the change to use some more LA locations.
Radford Studio Center
After he gets kicked out of a film studio, Kramer drives his car off the lot, crashing through a security gate. This was filmed at the entrance to CBS Studio Center (now known as Radford Studio Center). As mentioned above, this is the actual studio where Seinfeld was filmed.
Telephone Booth
There is a scene where Jerry and George pull over to use a pay phone These scenes were filmed right outside CBS Studio Center, along Ventura Place.
Moment’s later, when Jerry and George are getting a ride in a cop car, they see a man breaking into a car. The police pull over to confront the criminal. These scenes were actually filmed along the exact same stretch of Ventura Place.
Kramer’s Hotel
For establishing shots of the hotel Kramer stays at, the producers used the Las Palmas Hotel. This small hotel is located just off Hollywood Boulevard, and is most well known for appearing at the end of Pretty Woman.
Venice Beach
We catch a brief glimpse of Kramer going roller skating along Venice Beach’s Boardwalk. This area is well known for it’s eclectic shops, and is popular for biking, skateboarding, and roller skating. This area is seen in a number of movies, including Barbie and Lords of Dogtown.
Insomnia Cafe
When Kramer runs into Fred Savage (famous for The Wonder Years and The Wizard) he is at the Sherman Oaks location of Insomnia Cafe. This location, and it’s sister store in Los Angeles, were actually the inspiration for Central Perk on Friends. While I didn’t get to visit these locations while they were open, you can check out more info at IAMNOTASTALKER.
New York City
While the show was never filmed in New York, the show often used establishing shots of buildings in the city. They also mentioned a number of locations, even if no shot actually appeared in the episode.
Tom’s Restaurant
The most famous location is Tom’s Restaurant at 2880 Broadway, in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan. The exterior of this location was used to establish shots for Monk’s Restaurant, the diner featured in almost every episode. “TOM’S” on the sign TOM’S RESTAURANT is always cropped out of the shot to show only the word RESTAURANT. The sign hasn’t changed since the show was filmed, making it a very popular spot for fans of the show. I did have the chance to eat at the diner. While the inside doesn’t resemble the set at all, the food was good and the prices were decent. I’d recommend grabbing lunch if you can, just to say you’ve eaten there.
J Peterman Catalogue Building
The building used for establishing shots of the J Peterman Catalogue is located at 1325 Avenue of the Americas in midtown Manhattan.
The Soup Nazi
Another very popular spot is Soup Kitchen International. This shop and it’s owner, Al Yeganeh, were the inspiration for the Soup Nazi episode. The shop is located at 259-A 55th Street in midtown Manhattan. The shop itself was not featured in the episode, as a set on the CBS backlot was used. However, due to the fame of the episode, it is a very popular spot for fans of the show.
The Nexus of the Universe
In the 9th season episode “The Maid”, Kramer gets lost and finds himself at the intersection of 1st Avenue and 1st Street. He calls Jerry for help, and describes the area as The Nexus of the Universe, unable to understand how a street can intersect itself.
This is a real intersection in Manhattan, and even has a bar known as The Nexus Lounge on the corner.
Lincoln Center
In The Beard, Elaine goes to see Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House. This theatre is part of the Lincoln Center performing arts complex.
The New York Public Library
In the third season, Jerry is told he borrowed Tropic of Cancer in 1971 and never returned it. He goes down to the library to clear it up. We see an establishing shot of the New York Public Library’s main branch on 5th Avenue. This building is well known for the two lion statues that flank it’s main entrance. The library was seen in both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Hook and Ladder 8
In The Secret Code, Kramer brings a helpful map to his local fire station. For the establishing shot, they used Hook and Ladder 8, an NYFD station located at 14 North Moore Street. This is undoubtedly the most famous of NYFD locations, as it was used as the firehouse in the Ghostbusters franchise.
Radio City Music Hall
In The Summer of George, Kramer volunteers to be a seat filler at the 1997 Tony Awards. The award ceremony is shown to be taking place at Radio City Music Hall, one of New York City’s most famous venues.
Numerous other spots in NYC have been used for establishing shots in various episodes. While I won’t detail the ones I haven’t visited here, there are a number of fan sites that have meticulously tracked down these locations. I encourage you to check them out.
