Guide to 53 essential L.A. filming locations - Los Angeles Times
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A collage of famous filming locations in Los Angeles
Being in L.A. can sometimes feel like living in the movies.
(Illustration by Tanya Cooper / For The Times (Photos: Dania Maxwell; Brian van der Brug; Jason Armond; Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times; Buyenlarge; Ian West; Mario Tama / Getty; Guruxox; Pixaby))

53 essential L.A. filming locations: How many have you visited?

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Whenever Helen Ramirez has family visiting from Guatemala, she asks them to watch “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and the “Back to the Future” series before they come.

She and Liz Highstrete are the chair and vice-chair of the L.A. Conservancy volunteer committee that created several self-guided walking tours of filming locations throughout Los Angeles during the pandemic.

“My cousins were huge, huge ‘Back to the Future’ fans, so when I took them to the Gamble House, they were like, ‘Oh my God, this house is real,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘Yes. Yes, it is.’”

Then she takes them to the tunnel in Griffith Park where the “Back to the Future Part II” chase scene was filmed. The tunnel is also the location of the entrance to Toontown in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

In this week’s edition of The Times’ guide to Hollywood careers, we’re delving into the world of locations. What’s it like to be a location scout? What do you do if you want your own home to be a filming location?

“Successful filming should be a win-win,” said veteran location scout Lori Balton. “The production gets an evocative location, with depth and nuance, and the site gets a location fee.”

In the case of historic properties, this fee often goes to support the maintenance of the location, she said.

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Highstrete pointed to L.A.-set films like 1955’s “Rebel Without a Cause” and 1997’s “L.A. Confidential” that showcase numerous unique locations throughout the city. There are also newer films like 2009’s “(500) Days of Summer,” 2016’s “La La Land” and 2019’s “Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood” — that are also love letters to L.A.

These memorable Hollywood backdrops are often easy to visit. We gathered a list of some of Los Angeles’ memorable filming locations, including some recommendations from Ramirez, Highstrete and Balton. Which ones have you been to? Are there others you recommend? Email us at [email protected] to let us know.

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Gamble House
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

The Gamble House

Pasadena Historical Landmark
The Gamble House served as Doc Brown’s mansion from the “Back to the Future” films. It’s open for tours every day except Monday and Wednesday (reservations recommended).

If you really want to sink into “Back to the Future” locations, head down to Bushnell Avenue in South Pasadena. That’s where you’ll find the homes of George McFly (1711 Bushnell), Lorraine Baines (1727 Bushnell) and bully Biff Tannen (1809 Bushnell). The street’s homes have also been seen in “Teen Wolf,” “Old School” and the TV series “thirtysomething,” among multiple other productions.
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A look at the steep Music Box Steps
(Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

'Music Box' steps

Silver Lake Historical Landmark
The Silver Lake staircase is famous for its role in the 1932 Laurel and Hardy film “The Music Box,” where the comedy duo try and fail to carry a piano up a long flight of stairs. Across the street, conveniently, is Laurel and Hardy Park.
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A blue, two-story house with a brick walkway in front of it.
(Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times)

'Halloween' house

South Pasadena Historical Landmark
The boyhood home of serial killer Michael Myers from the 1978 horror classic “Halloween” may be the oldest wood-frame home in South Pasadena. After the film was shot, the house was moved to this spot by its owner to save it from being demolished.
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A boy on a bike with a small alien in his basket flying, silhouetted against the moon in the 1982 movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."
(Universal Pictures/Photofest)

The flying bikes street

Historical Landmark
Starting just north of Tulsa Street, White Oak Avenue is where Elliott (Henry Thomas), E.T. and their friends ride their bikes into the air in “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial.”
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Exterior of the Frolic Room on Hollywood Boulevard
(Mario Tama / Getty Images)

The Frolic Room

Hollywood Bar
The dive bar next to the Pantages Theatre has been operating since the 1930s, and it’s been featured in such films as “The Black Dahlia,” “L.A. Confidential” and “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.”
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South Seas apartment complex

Reseda Apartments
This apartment complex from 1984’s “Karate Kid” is where Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) lived. Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) return decades later in the reboot, “Cobra Kai.”
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Marquee of a theater
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Theatre

Downtown L.A. Theater
This lavishly appointed French Baroque-style showplace, built in 1931, has reclaimed some of its former glory in film, most notably “The Prestige” and “Man on the Moon.” It’s also the backdrop of the BTS “Black Swan” music video.
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Pee-wee's house

South Pasadena Historical Landmark
Pee-wee Herman etched this location into cinematic history with the unforgettable “I know you are, but what am I?” debate in the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”
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group of high schoolers sitting around a table
(CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images)

Occidental College

Eagle Rock College or University
Occidental College was the site of many memorable “Clueless” moments at Bronson Alcott High School, from the walkway where Cher first says “As if!” after pushing away an overzealous admirer, as well as many of the set-up scenes between Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn) and Miss Geist (Twink Caplan).
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Many people seated in chairs on the front lawn of a house
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Heritage Square Museum

Historical Landmark
This site “is a living, open air museum of Los Angeles at the end of the 19th century,” said veteran location scout Lori Balton. It’s been used for such films as “Saving Mr. Banks” and “Legally Blonde.” Guided tours are available on weekends.
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A silk floss tree in bloom at Los Angeles County Arboretum
(Frank McDonough / L.A. County Arboretum)

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Arcadia Arboretum
The grounds of the arboretum have been used for countless film shoots, from “Tarzan” flicks in the 1930s to “Bridesmaids.” The most recognizable feature, though, may be its Queen Anne Cottage, which had regular screen time on “Fantasy Island” (the original, not the remake).

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outside of a stately building
Pico House
(Carol M. Highsmith / Buyenlarge / Getty Images)

Pico House

Historical Landmark
Built by Pío Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California, this was the first hotel in L.A. with electricity and running water. “The inner courtyard is evocative of another time, its patina and light taking you back in time to sultry, steamy locales,” veteran location scout Lori Balton said. The TV series “The Mentalist” used it as the headquarters of the show’s California Bureau of Investigation.
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People stand inside the blue-tinted and darkened interior of Boardner's.
The interior of Boardner’s.
(Jessica Benda/Los Angeles Times)

Boardner's

Hollywood Nightclub
Boardner’s and its curvy bar in Hollywood has been typecast as a Hollywood bar in such films as “L.A. Confidential” and “Ed Wood.”
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Giant castle-like house
Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed Ennis House sits on a Los Feliz hilltop.
(Los Angeles Times)

Ennis House

Los Feliz Historical Landmark
The Los Feliz residence, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, boasts more than 80 film appearances. It’s known as the “Blade Runner” house, antagonist Terry Silver’s mansion in “Karate Kid III,” and Angel, Spike and Drusilla’s lair from the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
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'Back to the Future' neighborhood

California Historical Landmark
If you want to sink into “Back to the Future” locations, this street is where you’ll find the homes of George McFly (1711 Bushnell), Lorraine Baines (1727 Bushnell) and bully Biff Tannen (1809 Bushnell). Its homes have also been seen in “Teen Wolf,” “Old School” and the TV series “thirtysomething,” among multiple other productions.

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The band Mr. Dyer's Daughters performs on stage at Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth in 1997.
(Jill Connelly / Los Angeles Times)

The Cowboy Palace Saloon

Chatsworth Nightclub
This live country music and line dancing venue is where Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) performs for the first time in “La Bamba.”

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Books floor to ceiling at the Larry Edmunds Bookshop
Larry Edmunds Bookshop in Hollywood on Jan. 26, 2011.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Larry Edmunds Bookshop

Hollywood Bookstore
This venerable bookstore, founded in 1938, specializes in books about film and the entertainment industry. It makes a cameo in famed cinema nerd Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.”
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Red-tinted interior of Formosa Cafe
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Formosa Cafe

Restaurant
This Chinese restaurant and cocktail bar’s red-tinged antique furnishings have found screen time in several films, including “L.A. Confidential” and “Beverly Hills Cop II.”
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inside of a nice restaurant
(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

Musso and Frank Grill

Hollywood Restaurant
The restaurant and popular filming location has been featured in many movies and TV shows, including “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,” “Ed Wood,” “Mad Men,” “Greenberg,” “Bosch” and “Little Things.” In 2019, it was the first restaurant to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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A girl surfs near the Santa Monica Pier.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Historical Landmark
This collection of arcades and carnival rides suspended above the Pacific Ocean had not-so-flattering roles in “Blood Beach,” “Dark Ride” and “Sharknado,” plus a considerably less bloody cameo in “Forrest Gump.”
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Cars drive past Los Angeles City Hall.
(Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

Los Angeles City Hall

Historical Landmark
L.A. City Hall is a popular spot for film shoots. Mayor Eric Garcetti told The Times in 2017 that “there’s hardly a week that goes by when there isn’t filming there.” The 1950s “Adventures of Superman” used City Hall as its Daily Planet building. More recently, it’s popped up in shows like “How to Get Away With Murder” and “Scandal.”
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A security guard stands at the front entrance of a train station
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Union Station

Train station
L.A.’s bustling transportation hub has been featured in numerous films, including “Blade Runner,” “Pearl Harbor” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” It’s also the stand-in for a Chicago train station in 1950’s “Union Station.” The L.A. Conservancy has a weekly Saturday morning Union Station walking tour to learn about the backstory of the railway station and about the films shot there.
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The Hollywood sign
(Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

Hollywood sign

Hollywood Hills Historical Landmark
Sometimes when the iconic Hollywood sign shows up onscreen, it’s to establish that the story takes place in Los Angeles. Other times — in disaster movies like “Independence Day” and “San Andreas” — it’s demolished to represent the destruction of the entire city or state. Most recently, it was seen in “Elvis,” with Elvis (Austin Butler) sitting on top of the sign, contemplating his career.
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outside of a nice hotel
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Beverly Wilshire

Beverly Hills Hotel
The exterior of the Beverly Wilshire hotel will look familiar to “Pretty Woman” fans — even though the interior scenes were shot elsewhere. The luxury hotel even offers a “Pretty Woman experience” for those who have a few hundred thousand dollars to spare. Films like “Sex and the City” and “Valentine’s Day” have also been shot there.
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Outside a victorian building
(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Castle Green

Pasadena Historical Landmark
The historic venue built during the Victorian era prides itself as being a film-friendly location. It’s been featured in movies like “The Sting,” “The Last Samurai,” and “Thank You for Smoking.”
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Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cole slaw at Astro diner.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Astro Family Restaurant

Silver Lake Restaurant
Yet another classic Southern California diner, the Astro’s wraparound counter and two-tone naugahyde booths have been featured in a number of films and TV shows, including “Mad Men” and “Sons of Anarchy.”

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Chinatown intersection

Chinatown Historical Landmark
This is the site in the Roman Polanski film “Chinatown” where Walsh (Joe Mantell) delivers the iconic line to Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
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busy street outside the Wiltern theater
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The Wiltern

Koreatown Theater
The Art Deco concert venue often shows up onscreen: for example, in the beginning scenes of “Purple Rain,” and in “Lethal Weapon,” where Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Danny Glover (Roger Murtaugh) grab hot dogs.
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Exterior of Cole's in downtown L.A.
You’ve probably seen Cole’s in TV shows like “Mad Men” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.”
(Con Keyes / Los Angeles Times)

Cole’s French Dip

Downtown L.A. Restaurant
Complete with a speakeasy in the back, this ground-level bar/restaurant claims to be the first in Los Angeles to serve a French dip sandwich. But the filmmakers behind such titles as “Mad Men” and “The Lincoln Lawyer” didn’t go there for the food; they went for the early 20th century vibe (and furnishings).
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An exterior view from Pershing Square of the Millennium Biltmore hotel
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Downtown L.A. Hotel
The Biltmore lobby is where the Ghostbusters trap the ghost Slimer. The hotel is a popular filming location that has also been seen in films including “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Cruel Intentions,” “Pretty in Pink” and “True Lies.”
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A nighttime view of the Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles in the background.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Griffith Observatory

Historical Landmark
This L.A. landmark has held starring roles again and again, from “Rebel Without a Cause” to more recent fare, such as “The Terminator” and “La La Land.”

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Torrance High School

Torrance High school
Torrance High has been used as the high school setting in numerous films – notably for ‘90s kids, where Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook) and Zach (Freddie Prinze Jr.) fall for each other in “She’s All That.”
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Puente Hills Mall

Industry Shopping mall
The mall itself has been overshadowed in celluloid by its parking lot, which took a star turn in “Back to the Future” as the runway for Dr. Brown’s time-traveling De Lorean.
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The Blue Room

Burbank Restaurant
Burbank’s oldest bar, named for its blue-hued interior, plays a key role in the mind-bending thriller “Memento” and has a cameo in “Heat.”

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People enter a theater under its marquee
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The Palace Theatre

Downtown L.A. Theater
One of several faded gems on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, the 111-year-old Palace has such distinctive features as an Italianate lobby and theater, New York-style fire escapes, a cage elevator and period offices, said veteran location scout Lori Balton. Its stage appeared in “Dream Girls,” and the theater’s upstairs area was filmed in “Coyote Ugly.”
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Outside of an old theater at nighttime
(Apple)

The Tower Theatre

Downtown L.A. Theater
This Renaissance Revival-style gem from 1927 has an interior modeled after the Paris Opera House, according to the L.A. Conservancy. In addition to appearing in such films as “The Mambo Kings” and “Mulholland Drive,” it now welcomes shoppers as an Apple store.
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The intricate interior of the Bradbury Building
(Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

Bradbury Building

Downtown L.A. Historical Landmark
The striking interior of the 129-year-old Bradbury Building will be instantly recognizable to anyone who’s seen “Blade Runner,” even without the rain and moody lighting.
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Cicada Restaurant and Lounge

Downtown L.A. Restaurant
Set in downtown’s Art Deco-period Oviatt Building, the Cicada Restaurant has the heightened retro feel that’s catnip to filmmakers. You may have seen it in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and “Bruce Almighty,” among other films.
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Porte cochere at Greystone Mansion.
(Iris Schneider / Los Angeles Times)

Greystone Mansion and Gardens

Beverly Hills Historical Landmark
Also known as the Doheny Mansion, Greystone Mansion and Gardens has been a stand-in for over-the-top wealth in many movies, including “There Will Be Blood” and “The Big Lebowski.”

The grounds are open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the real draw is the mansion’s interior, which allows self-guided tours of the first floor and the newly restored theater the first weekend of each month.

The house has been featured occasionally in designer show houses, but no amount of Gustavian furniture, flamboyant wallpaper or Tony Duquette-inspired decor can mask the dark history that permeates the 55-room estate — namely the Feb. 16, 1929, deaths of oil heir and homeowner Ned Doheny and his secretary, Hugh Plunkett. Authorities ruled that a deranged Plunkett shot his employer and then killed himself, but the crime remains a source of speculation.

Tickets: $8 for Beverly Hills residents, $10 nonresidents, for the self-guided tour and must be purchased in advance.
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outside of a large office building
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Fox Plaza

Century City Historical Landmark
The office tower in Century City may be better known by many as Nakatomi Plaza — the building where workers were taken hostage on Christmas Eve in “Die Hard.”
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Dustin Hoffman and the stockinged leg of actress Anne Bancroft in a scene from the 1967 film "The Graduate."
The bricks out front were white when “The Graduate” was filmed in the 1960s.
(Associated Press)

Mrs. Robinson’s house

Beverly Hills Historical Landmark
This two-story red brick front home is where Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) seduces a young Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) in “The Graduate,” though back when it was filmed in the ‘60s, the bricks were white.
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The marquee of the Aero Theatre.
(Kendra Frankle / For The Times)

The Aero Theatre

Santa Monica Movie Theater
It’s a neighborhood theater. Ideally, you’d walk there. Parking can be a pain, though regulars know how to navigate the permit-zoned streets to find a spot. Rounding the corner onto Santa Monica’s Montana Avenue in the evening and seeing the Aero’s familiar marquee — the neon, when lit, turns pale green and pink — is always a thrill, no matter how many times you’ve been there. The American Cinematheque‘s programming is a mix of revivals and retrospectives, with a few first-run special evenings with filmmakers mixed in as well. It’s on the Westside, so you never know who you might see. Robert Redford came here as a kid. Donnie Darko took a date there once. It’s been around for 83 years and, with a little luck, will live to be a centenarian. Oh, and the popcorn’s pretty damn good too.
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Rae's Restaurant

Diner
Hollywood loves throwback diners like this one, with its broad swaths of color laid out by the swivel chairs at the counter and the plush booths along the windows. It’s been featured in “True Romance” and “Lords of Dogtown,” among other films.

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Hinano Cafe

Venice Restaurant
This funky beachfront eatery embodies the California surfer aesthetic. It’s also where Jane Fonda’s reporter met Jack Lemmon’s whistleblower in “The China Syndrome.”
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Venice High graduates and staffers take pictures in 2020
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Venice High School

Mar Vista High school
One of the first shots in “Grease” shows the Myrna Loy statue at Venice High School, which was used as the Rydell High School location of the 1978 musical.

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Judy's house from "Rebel Without a Cause"

View Park-Windsor Hills Historical Landmark
The alleyway near this Spanish-style home is where Jim Stark (James Dean) first greets Judy (Natalie Wood) in “Rebel Without a Cause.”
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Cathy's Corner

Griffith Park Historical Landmark
One of the many charming moments in “La La Land” is when Mia and Seb wander along Mt. Hollywood Dr. to Cathy’s Corner, which offers a fabulous view of Los Angeles (but no lamp posts — those were added by the film crew).
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John Marshall High School

Los Feliz High school
This L.A. high school was the location of many classic high school-set films, including “Pretty in Pink,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Grosse Pointe Blank.”
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Dresden Restaurant

Los Feliz Restaurant
This Loz Feliz nightspot was home to famed husband-and-wife lounge act Marty and Elayne until Marty Roberts’ death this year. The pair and the restaurant where they held court for almost 40 years can be seen in “Swingers,” a 1996 comedy about the sorts of Hollywood wanne-bes who frequent places like the Dresden.
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Vehicles drive near a shop with a giant donut on top
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Randy's Donuts

Inglewood Restaurant
The unmistakable giant donut sign atop Randy’s Donuts has a cameo role in “Iron Man 2.
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Starkman Building

Downtown L.A. Historical Landmark
Fans of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” will recognize the Starkman Building as Paddy’s Pub, the Irish bar owned by the show’s main characters, known as “The Gang.” It’s supposed to be in South Philadelphia, but the building is in downtown Los Angeles.

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A man and a woman lean against a bartop and smile
(Chuck Zlotnick / Fox Searchlight Pictures)

'(500) Days of Summer' bench

Downtown L.A. Historical Landmark
The “(500) Days of Summer” bench on Angel’s Knoll — Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s) favorite spot in L.A. and the site of many memorable moments of his evolving relationship with Summer (Zooey Deschanel) — was closed off in 2013, so you can no longer sit on it. But you can still see it through a chain link fence.
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Jerry Seinfeld's New York apartment building

Koreatown Apartments
The New York apartment complex where Jerry (Seinfeld), Kramer (Michael Richards) and Newman (Wayne Knight) lived in “Seinfeld,” is in Los Angeles — in Koreatown. The 404 by L.A. Times recently made a video about how “Seinfeld lied to us.”
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