Steven Bauer

The 2000 Steven Soderbergh film “Traffic” depicts the international drug trade in the United States through three storylines. The production shot in quite a few different places, including Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington, D.C., El Paso, Texas, San Diego, California, Mexico City, Mexico and more.

In the film, Robert Wakefield, played by Michael Douglas, a is a conservative Ohio judge appointed to head the National Drug Control Policy. However, Wakefield faces a losing battle with his own daughter’s addiction problems. The Wakefield home can be found in Cincinnati, Ohio.

LOCATION: 1242 Edwards Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45208

The Ayala house, where Carlos Ayala, played by Steven Bauer, lives with his wife Helena, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, can be found in La Jolla, California. While the house itself was not modified for the film, the production changed property to appear to have a false front yard and entrance gate to the right. In reality, the home faces directly toward the street and there is no gate.

LOCATION: 7757 Whitefield Pl, La Jolla, CA 92037

Here is a view closer to what is seen in the film, with the road depicted as the home’s front yard and gated driveway. A wall was added to cover the fact that it was part of the road. In one scene, Helena approaches two DEA agents parked in a van, Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman), who are surveilling her home and offers them beverages.

Helena meets with Francisco Flores, played by Clifton Collins Jr., to arrange an assassination of a witness against her husband. The two meet inside the Botanical Building at Balboa Park in San Diego. At the time of our visit, the building was closed off for renovation, so we were unable to enter. The same building is briefly seen in “Citizen Kate.”

LOCATION: 1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

Francisco Flores attempts to assassinate Eduardo Ruiz, played by Miguel Ferrer, in a parking lot next to some municipal buildings in Downtown San Diego. The parking lot is located along Front St between W B St and W A St.

LOCATION: Near Front St / W B St, San Diego, CA 92101

Here is a view through the fence of the parking lot.

Unbeknownst to Francisco Flores, he himself is the target of a second assassin from the window of this building, facing W A St and overlooking the parking lot.

LOCATION: 1300 Front St, San Diego, CA 92101 (facing W A St)

The 1983 Brian De Palma film “Scarface,” starring Al Pacino, is set in the underworld of Miami, telling the story of the rise and fall of Tony Montana. While Miami was used for several locations, Los Angeles also stood in for the city for quite a bit of the film, due to the fact that the Miami Tourist Board declined the producers several filming requests, fearing the subject matter would deter tourism. Some later scenes in the film were also shot in New York.

When they first arrive in Miami by way of Cuba, Tony Montana, played by Pacino, stays in a detention center with his friend Manny Ribera, played by Steven Bauer. The detention center scenes were filmed under the I-10 Freeway, near the I-110 interchange in Los Angeles. In the film, Tony and Manny are mostly seen beneath the Eastbound lanes, near W 17th St and Georgia St. However, that area is within a fenced off, gated parking lot. The Westbound lanes on the opposite side, while not seen from that angle in the film, run over Venice Blvd and offer a bit easier photography and general view of the area. This area is located very close to the opening robbery scene from “Heat.”

LOCATION: Beneath I-10, near W 17th St & Georgia St, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (GPS coordinates: 34.037791, -118.273057)

As Tony and Manny arrive in Miami Beach for a drug deal, the pull up next to “The Carlyle.” The same hotel was famously featured in the film “The Birdcage,” as well as the TV shows “The Golden Palace” and “Miami Vice.”

LOCATION: 1250 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

On the same street is the location of the infamous hotel where Tony’s drug deal goes bad and one of his crew is killed with a chainsaw. The building has since been remodeled and is now a drug store. However, the facade out front, as well as the staircase, remain in tact.

LOCATION: 728 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

The drug deal takes place on the top floor.

This sign is posted at the front of the building to the right of the stairs, noting it as the filming location. There are also a few photos from the film inside, behind the cash registers.

Here is the area across the street where Manny waits.

The violence spills out onto the streets as Tony executes the man with the chainsaw in front of the hotel next door.

LOCATION: 720 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Tony meets with drug kingpin Alejandro Sosa at his home in Bolivia. The real location is actually in Montecito, California. The house sits far back from the road and is not visible from the street. This estate is located just minutes away from Tony’s mansion in the film.

LOCATION: 656 Park Ln, Montecito, CA 93108

Frank Lopez, played by Robert Loggia, owns this auto dealership, where he yells at Tony for making a deal without consulting him beforehand.

LOCATION: 8825 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

As he rises in power, a montage is shown of Tony expanding his empire. He and his crew deposit large amounts of money at this bank, located in Encino.

LOCATION: 16000 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436

Tony is shown emerging from this building, which has the name “Montana Management Co.” in the film. The building can be found in West Hollywood, California.

LOCATION: 8623 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

This building has the name “Montana Travel Co.” in the film. It is located directly across the street from the above location. Despite the addresses on Sunset Blvd, both buildings actually face Sunset Plaza Dr. This same area has also been featured in the films “Armed and Dangerous” and “Model Shop.”

LOCATION: 8619 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

In the same montage, Tony is seen opening a beauty salon for his sister Gina, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. This is again located next to the above two locations in West Hollywood, on the opposite side of the street on Sunset Blvd. All three locations are in very close proximity to one another.

LOCATION: 8648 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

The exterior used as Tony Montana’s house can be found in Montecito, California, near Santa Barbara. Tony marries Elvira, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, at the home, which added a second story facade for the production. Known as El Fureidis, the property sits far back from the road and is not visible from the street. Many Miami-based tour guides tell tourists the home is located in Miami, which is incorrect. El Fureidis hosts over 100 species of palm trees and is famous for being the source of the rare species of palm trees found in Disneyland’s Adventureland and Jungle Cruise ride. Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill are among the many famous guests said to have visited the estate.

LOCATION: 631 Parra Grande Ln, Montecito, CA 93108

Manny’s home can be found in the Mt Olympus neighborhood of Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 2271 Hercules Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Thanks to Phil Savenick for contributing a note on El Fureidis.

Related articles: Carrie (1976), Body Double (1984)

Film Oblivion

Movie and TV locations, points of interest.

Traffic (2000)

Scarface (1983)