Brooklyn

Requiem For A Dream (2000)

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The 2000 Darren Aronofsky film “Requiem for a Dream” was shot around Brooklyn, New York, with Coney Island serving as the primary backdrop of the film. This apartment building served as the home of Sara Goldfarb, played by Ellen Burstyn.

LOCATION: 3152 Brighton 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11235

Early in the film, Sara’s son Harry, played by Jared Leto, takes her television to a pawn shop. Harry is seen walking with Tyrone, played by Marlon Wayans, down the Coney Island Beach Boardwalk.

LOCATION: Near 602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224 (GPS coordinates: 40°34’24.0″N, 73°58’39.3″W)

They walk past the former Thunderbolt roller coaster in Luna Park, Coney Island. The original wooden roller coaster seen in the film ran from 1925 to 1982, until it was demolished in 2000 shortly after filming took place. A new steel rollercoaster, still using the Thunderbolt name, opened in 2014.

LOCATION: Near Bowery St & W 15th St, Brooklyn, NY 11224 (since remodeled)

The store of Mr. Rabinowitz, played by Mark Margolis, has since been demolished. A different building now stands in it’s place. This is what the area looks like now.

LOCATION: Near 825 Surf Ave STE 2, Brooklyn, NY 11224 (now demolished)

Harry and Tyrone sit at Pete’s Clam Stop, where Harry has a fantasy about taking a cop’s gun.

LOCATION: 1320 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224

Harry has another fantasy about Marion, played by Jennifer Connelly, standing at the end of a pier, looking out toward the water. This scene was filmed at Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier. After the pier suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, it was remodeled, with steel rails and a raised viewing platform added, making its present appearance different from what was seen in the film.

LOCATION: Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier, Riegelmann Boardwalk, Brooklyn, NY 11224

Near the end of the film, Sara’s friends visit her at a hospital, where they are shocked at her appeared. They sit on a bench crying at 3197 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235. There is no bench at the actual location.

Joker (2019)

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The 2019 Todd Phillips film “Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, was filmed in New York and New Jersey. The most famous location from the film likewise emerged as one of the most popular filming locations of recent years, which is of course the stairs where Joker dances. The stairs, previously known as the Shakespeare Avenue Stairs, or alternatively as the Gauson Stairs, connect Shakespeare Ave and Anderson Ave at West 167th St. The stairs were also featured prominently on the film’s poster image and are now most commonly known as the Joker Stairs.

LOCATION: Between 1161 Shakespeare Ave and 1150 Anderson Ave, The Bronx, NY 10452 (GPS coordinates: 40°50’09.3″N, 73°55’26.2″W)

Here is the area where Joker dances. Originally director Todd Phillips was inspired by a flight of stairs seen in the Ridley Scott film “American Gangster,” but upon scouting realized that area had since changed and no longer matched the aesthetic they were looking for in this film. Instead, other stairs around The Bronx were scouted and ultimately the right look was found.

Here is another view of the section of stairs he dances on.

Here is a view from the top of the stairs. Normally the stairs are not only heavily used by local residents, but it is also a highly popular tourist destination. We found a few minutes when the stairs were totally empty, but soon after, the place was crowded full of tourists.

The stairs are seen multiple times in the film. This view is seen early on as Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) walks to the top of the steps on his way home. The large, modern building in the background was replaced via visual effects with a an older, urban backdrop for the film.

Arthur’s apartment can be found at the top of the stairs, but it’s not the entrance closest to the top, right beside the market. It is instead the next entrance down, which is very similar looking, leading many to mix the locations up. Perhaps the easiest method to identify the correct, screen used entrance is to look for the two large poles to the left.

LOCATION: 1140 Anderson Ave, The Bronx, NY 10452

Arthur has a face to face encounter with Bruce Wayne at the Wayne Manor, which was filmed at the Webb Institute Livingston Library.

LOCATION: 298 Crescent Beach Rd, Glen Cove, NY 11542 (GPS coordinates: 40°53’00.4″N, 73°38’35.5″W)

The Arkham State Hospital building was filmed in Brooklyn near the intersection of 1st Ave / 58th St. Some visual effects were once again employed to make the building to the left taller and add Arkham State Hospital signage above the arches.

LOCATION: 80 58th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220

Do The Right Thing (1989)

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Spike Lee’s seminal 1989 film “Do the Right Thing” was shot on a single block of Brooklyn, New York in the summer of 1988. You can walk Stuyvesant Ave today, between Lexington Ave and Quincy St and see all of the locations within minutes. Mister Señor Love Daddy, played by Samuel L. Jackson, works as a DJ for We Love Radio at this building, which has since been remodeled a bit.

LOCATION: 174 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

The Yes Jesus Baptist Church, while not immediately obvious, was filmed at this building. A facade was built around the first level to make it appear as a church. The upper levels, however, still match up to what was seen in the film.

LOCATION: 184 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Sal’s Pizzeria, the central location of the film, was a set built on an empty piece of land. The set was removed after filming and is currently a parking lot. It stood at the corner of Lexington Ave and Stuyvesant Ave.

LOCATION: Lexington Ave / Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Here’s a couple more views of where the Pizzeria set stood.

This mural was seen in the film on the opposite side of Lexington Ave, in the background of many shots of Sal’s. A newer building now obscures the view, but the mural was repainted on the wall next to the parking lot where the set stood.

Directly across the street from Sal’s on Stuyvesant Ave is where the Korean fruit and vegetable store stood. Like Sal’s, this too was a set, which was taken down after filming and is currently a strip of empty land.

This mural paying tribute to the film is painted on the wall where the fruit and vegetable stand stood.

Here is the home where Mookie, played by Spike Lee, lived. It has since been updated a bit.

LOCATION: 173 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Here is the location where Radio Raheem, played by Bill Nunn, gives his famous love and hate speech. He is standing in front of Mookie’s home, located on the opposite side of the block from Sal’s, next to Quincy St.

Here is another view of where Radio Raheem gave his speech.

LOCATION: Stuyvesant Ave / Quincy St, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Here is the home where Mother Sister, played by Ruby Dee, lived. Mother Sister sat in the window next to the door on the right, although this home has likewise been updated a bit since filming.

LOCATION: 167 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Cee, played by Martin Lawrence, hangs out with his friends on the front steps of this home.

LOCATION: 165 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Directly in front of the same location, this fire hydrant was also used in the film, when they spray the man driving through the street.

The three older corner men sit in front of this building throughout the film, which was painted red specifically for the film.

LOCATION: 691 Lexington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Here’s a closer look at where the men sat. Some of the windows were also covered for the film.

The block has been named “Do the Right Thing Way” in honor of the film. This sign can be found at Lexington Ave and Stuyvesant Ave, in front of where the the Korean fruit and vegetable store stood.

Although some of the buildings have been updated and some of the sets are gone, you undoubtedly feel like you’ve walked into the same world the characters lived when standing on Do The Right Thing Way in Brooklyn. It is an important place not only in cinema, but in culture and we highly recommend a visit.