The 2001 Terry Zwigoff film “Ghost World” was shot in Southern California, despite the filmmaker’s best efforts to disguise that fact. The school seen during graduation at the beginning of the film is Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES).
LOCATION: 5931 W 18th St, Los Angeles, CA 90035
The home of Enid, played by Thora Birch, can be found in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 5660 Clemson St, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Later in the film, Enid has a yard sale out front. As she’s taking her items back inside, Rebecca, played by Scarlett Johansson, invites her out, but Enid declines.
Enid has lunch with Rebecca at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles. The location appears in a couple different scenes with the girls. The diner was a one-time staple of film, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Rules Of Attraction,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “The Heartbreak Kid” and many more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming (much like Johnie’s Coffee Shop in mid-town L.A.). Unless the building was being set up for a production, most of the time it was closed up and locked by a large metal door covering the front windows. So catching a glimpse of it was rare. It ceased to function as a filming location and was completely renovated in 2014. The interior of the property no longer bears any resemblance inside to how it appeared in so many films.
LOCATION: 1238 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (since closed and remodeled)
The convenience store where Josh, played by Brad Renfro, works can be found in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. The store has since closed.
LOCATION: 901 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Josh gives the girls a ride through San Pedro. Most of the businesses seen in the street shot are still the same.
LOCATION: Near S Gaffey St / W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90731
It is a challenge placing the location of the Wowsville 50s Diner, as very little is seen of the exterior and the interior suggests a different location. What is more identifiable is the outside area where Seymour, played by Steve Buscemi, nearly gets into an accident. This spot can be found in San Pedro.
LOCATION: Centre St / 5th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
While the green building behind Seymour has since been demolished, you can see the curvature of the road and the port in the background still matches. More details of the Northeast corner match up in old street and satellite views as well.
However, the area where the diner appears to be, from the perspective of the characters, would be the Southwest corner, which is now demolished and was a courthouse parking lot prior to that, suggesting the diner was a filmed at a different location.
This corner in Venice appears a couple times in the film, first when Enid and Rebecca discuss what Satanists do, then again near the end of the film, when Enid walks alone.
LOCATION: 2498 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Enid and Rebecca take an interest in Seymour and follow him to his home, which can be found just around the block from the location used as Enid’s home in the film.
LOCATION: 3449 Carmona Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Seymour holds a garage sale next to his apartment building, where Enid purchases a used LP.
The man waiting for the bus that never comes sits at a bench in front of this wall in San Pedro.
LOCATION: 406 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
The location is seen again at the end of the film.
The fictional Zine-O-Phobia shop can also be found in San Pedro.
LOCATION: 365 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Enid visits Seymour at an outpatient clinic. As she exits, Rebecca is sitting on a bench outside waiting for her. This location can be found in Santa Clarita, a bit of a distance from most of the other filming locations.
LOCATION: 22607 6th St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Enid walks alone past a Radio Shack store and looks across the street to see the man waiting for the bus that never comes. In reality, the two locations are nowhere near one another.
LOCATION: 5786 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038 (facing Arden Pl)
The final shot was filmed on the Sixth Street Viaduct in Downtown Los Angeles. The original bridge was demolished in 2016, due to a flaw in the original concrete used to build the bridge, which gave it a high likelihood of eventual collapse. A new bridge was built in its place and opened in 2022. The original bridge appeared in countless films, including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Drive,” “Repo Man,” “Grease,” “Blade,” “Swordfish,” “Double Dragon” and dozens more.
LOCATION: Sixth Street Viaduct, E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (rebuilt and remodeled)
Related articles: Bad Santa (2003)
