The Filming Locations of Annie Hall, Part 2 – New York, You’ve Changed
“New York, You’ve Changed” is a Scouting NY feature in which the New York depicted in classic movies is compared with the city of today, a full shot-by-shot dissection to see what once was and what has changed. This is Part 2 of our look at Annie Hall – Click here for Part 1!
Continuing where we left off, Alvy goes to watch Annie sing (badly) in an unidentified Village night club. Reader Eatquestnyc speculates it might have been Reno Sweeney’s at 126 West 13th Street, where Diane Keaton used to sing on amateur nights…but it remains a mystery.
Afterward, Alvy consoles Annie as they walk down a Village street. I have to give full credit to reader Richard B. for picking this one out, as I would have NEVER gotten it: Greenwich Avenue, south side, between Sixth Ave and 10th Street. Fantastic work, Richard!
The couple start off walking past a corner bar and fine art store, which today have become Gran Trattoria and a dry cleaners…
They then pass a clothing store called Tiberius Fashions (the Eureka clue for Richard who recalled walking past it in the 1970s). Today, it’s a restaurant:
They pass another art store, which is now a shop selling fire/police souvenirs:
Next up is an interestingly lit restaurant, now Niu, a noodle place:
Another couple of stores, today Mr. Joseph’s Hairstylists and a shoe repair shop:
Finally, the big first kiss between Alvy and Annie Hall happens in front of this clothing store…which is actually still a clothing store! Zachary’s Smile at 9 Greenwich Ave:
Alvy then takes Annie to a deli, where she famously orders “pastrami on white bread with mayonnaise.” It blows my mind that there isn’t some once-amazing-turned-touristy deli somewhere hawking itself as this Annie Hall location, which suggests it’s probably out of business. But who knows? Scouting NY readers have suggested everything from the Waverly Place Diner to Carnegie Deli, but nothing seems to fit:
We later find Alvy buying Annie some books on death. Where’s the bookstore? Thanks to Scouting NY readers – especially Jack W., who has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of defunct bookstores – it appears they’re at the long gone Doubleday store at 724 Fifth Avenue between 56th & 57th Streets.
Confirmation actually comes from another movie: The Boys in the Band, where Doubleday makes a cameo within the first five minutes (thanks for the tip, Martin!). Definitely seems to have the same design, from the lighting to the bookcases:
Go there for a book today, and you’ll be out of luck – it’s a Prada:
Later, Annie and Alvy sit on a bench making fun of New Yorkers in Central Park. Recognize this one? It’s the Central Park Zoo!
The sea lions definitely have better digs today…
…versus this old cement structure. Also, too bad we no longer have those two really neat cages, which I imagine held birds. But one element that remains?
This pair of eagle statues (there are eight in total), which came from a 1912 bridge that went over Shore Road from First Avenue in Brooklyn. The eagles found their way to Central Park in 1941 after the bridge was demolished:
Want to make fun of New Yorkers on the same bench as Alvy and Annie? It’s the one to the right of the arched window:
Later, Alvy and Annie walk down to the South Street Seaport and kiss with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background:
Not too hard to find this one – just go to the northern most edge of Pier 17:
Interestingly enough, while the northern views are still mostly the same…
The seaport has changed quite a lot. You can see a pair of ships behind Alvy and Annie:
Today? Pier 17, with an outdoor craft beer lounge complete with sand:
A little later on, Alvy recalls having an interview to write comedy for a TV show host. Dead giveaway to this office? The Canadian Club dry sign out his window…
…which was a Times Square fixture for years:
Alvy goes to visit Annie’s parents in a house that could be absolutely anywhere (I’m guessing this was shot somewhere in Westchester). Let me know if it rings a bell!
A harrowing ride home with an incredibly young Christopher Walken takes them down this non-descript street:
And then, the fighting begins – right on Washington Square North:
Built in the 1830-40s, this row of Greek Revival townhouses was built for New York’s elite. The big clue as to exactly which buildings they’re walking past?
This pair of lions…
…which are is still in place over 30 years later!
After a mini-break-up, Annie takes off in a cab, leaving Alvy to query everyone on the street for advice. This was shot on West 4th Street between MacDougal & Sixth Avenue:
“Large vibrating egg”:
“I’m very shallow and empty, and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.” “And I’m exactly the same way.” Great to see how the trees have grown:
The scene culminates with Alvy talking to a horse about falling for the Wicked Queen in Snow White:
Alvy, Annie and Rob make an excursion to Alvy’s childhood home at Coney Island, driving out via the Belt Parkway (the umpteenth example of the movie going out of its way to have proper geography):
We then get the briefest of brief shots of Alvy and Annie going in what I think is supposed to be the apartment they now share. Someone out there has to recognize this:
After a trip to California (to be someday covered by sister site Scouting LA), Alvy and Annie officially break up – and Alvy quickly finds himself regretting the decision as he comes out of a movie theater, identified by alert Scouting NY reader Ruben I. as The Paris right next to the Plaza Hotel:
After a failed attempt at a new relationship, Alvy takes a forlorn walk down by the South Street Seaport on what I believe was Pier 15. Amazing how the Brooklyn Heights skyline has barely changed:
Alvy’s final attempt to save his relationship with Annie ends in disaster, and it looks like they’re done for good. In the final narration, Alvy reveals he ran into Annie one more time – dragging her new boyfriend to see The Sorrow and the Pity (“which I counted as a personal triumph”). The scene was staged at the Thalia Theater…
…which is still the Thalia today…sort of. The original theater, an art deco cinema dating to 1931, was torn down in 1987 and replaced with the current apartment building/Symphony Space complex, despite promises to preserve it.
Alvy and Annie meet for lunch some time later and reminisce about old times.
Today, the space is is an extension of PJ Clarke’s – not sure what it was back in 1976:
The final shot of the film shows Annie and Alvy parting ways at the corner of 63rd Street & Columbus:
Alvy watches her go…and Annie never looks back:
I mentioned at the beginning of the piece that Annie Hall is the movie that almost wasn’t. Originally called Anhedonia, it was a completely different film, focusing entirely on Alvy, with the Annie Hall portion only making up about a 1/3rd of it. It was only in the editing stage that it was decided the Annie relationship should be the crux of the film, and it was completely reworked.
I’ve always wondered if Allen is uncomfortable with the fact that Annie Hall is widely considered his masterpiece, since the film could almost be looked at as an accident, certainly achieving nothing of his original intentions.
I really, really hope this isn’t the case – I think a major reason Annie Hall is so successful is because of how utterly free it feels. All the rigidity and formulaic nature of three act structures and character arcs and so on is basically out the window because it was never there to begin with, and the film feels completely organic as it delves into one of the most beautiful romances ever committed to celluloid.
Part of this sense of reality comes from Allen’s treatment of New York City as a living, breathing character. The geography is respected, the locations are authentic, and its inhabitants are not just extras but actual residents, to be approached and and queried as Alvy sees fit.
It’s as real a city as Alvy and Annie’s relationship.
Lah-di-dah.
-SCOUT
The location now housing P.J. Clarke’s was originally O’Neal’s Balloon. I believe the name was originally supposed to be O’Neal’s Saloon, but the antiquated laws of the time forbade the use of the word “saloon” in signage.
That’s exactly right, Bill. I used to eat there with my family all the time when I was young, and I always loved that story.
Yes, definitely O’Neal’s Balloon. And kids always left the restaurant with a psychedelic-looking round balloon attached to a plastic stick.
As I remember it, the sign was even misspelled as “Baloon,” to drive home the point.
I’m really glad my “Boys in the Band” tip helped settle the question of what bookstore that is! I get the feeling that the Doubleday bookstore was a big deal in the 1970s. It came up twice in the 1970 movies I was watching for my blog (link above) covering all #1 movies since 1970. The bookstore was featured in The Boys in the Band, and it was also in The Owl and the Pussycat.
Thank you! I had no idea so many shots were shot in my Village hood. Just a wonderful time travel…and sad at what we’ve lost in a City that used to be the center of the universe…
There’s a store on upper Broadway called La-di-da. I sometimes wonder if it got its name from this film. Incidentally it’s next-door to a shop called Westside Judaica. How’s that for retail serendipity?
Could the deli just be a movie set, then? Or did Allen always film on location?
Thanks, btw. This was all lovely and educational to see.
Alvy and Annie going in what I think is supposed to be the apartment they now share… is on 70th between Park and Lexington, north side. Coincidentally the block where Allen lives now!
I’m no expert on Manhattan delis, but I could have sworn that they are eating at the Stage Deli.
I think you’re right about the deli scene. I think Stage was the only one that had tables directly across from the meat counter. Although it closed in 2012, they still have a website with this picture from the 1930s. Looks very much like the same table from Annie Hall.
http://www.stagedeli.com/gallery/History/thumbnails/1937_OriginalStageDeli.gif
“Today, the space is is an extension of PJ Clarke’s – not sure what it was back in 1976.” – ScoutingNY.
It was O’Neal’s Saloon:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/22/978300/-Memories-of-an-Artistic-Watering-Hole
My 1st posting here but I thoroughly eat it all up..I drove a cab in NYC from 1975 to 1981 and paid to see Annie Hall at least 5 times, in the days before videos and DVDs..I actually had Diane Keaton as a fare in 1978 from 72nd & Madison to 64th & 2nd–2 blocks from the old Beekman..She was dating Warren Beatty at the time..And as a previous poster said, it was indeed O’Neals Balloon, owned by actor Patrick O’Neal, a Peter Lawford look-alike if ever there was one. At the time PJ Clarkes’ only location was at 55th &3rd…..Great site you have here, I shall comment further. Thanx for all the work you have done.
@Jimmy-bee: Many thanks for sharing, this is evocative stuff. Would love to hear more. In fact that would make a pretty good book: memories of NY cab drivers re. movies made in NY.
Another great investigative piece. I’ve never been a huge Woody Allen fan, but this will have me doing a rewatch of Annie Hall.
One note: in the shot of Mr. Joseph’s Hairstylists and the shoe repair shop, those current businesses actually feel more authentic to the time period of the film than the storefronts shown in the film.
The deli looks very much like a little deli behind the Park Helmsley hotel. If you go out the 58th street entrance (in the back) it is to the left. I have no idea what it is called.
Great detective work, thanks! O’Neal’s Baloon it was, as others have pointed out. Slight chance the deli could have been Katz’s, looking toward the counter. The Paris was known to be Woody’s favorite movie theater at the time. The Thalia and the Elgin (at 8th Avenue and 18th Street) were my two movie Meccas for a long time.
Thank you for doing this, and for all the work it took. Love it. There’s something so cool about the same place shown over time. These are even better for those who love the movie and NYC.
Thank you, beautiful post! I’ve been in NY just once, but thanks to Woody’s movies (and Martin’s, of course) it’s like we all know it perfectly.
Bye,
Alberto
I don’t pay an inordinate amount of attention at Stage (I live around the corner and don’t eat there, I only take out) but I don’t think it’s Stage, though the seating with the short wall next to it and the counter in the background does match the look.
I’m assuming it’s one of the better known Deli’s here though. It isn’t Katz’s is it?
Great post. I’m glad I came across this site the other day.
The diner reminds me of Cozy Soup & Burger on Broadway before they renovated. I’m not sure if that place was around in Annie Hall days (I never delved into their history, just their fries), but it has the same set up with the divider/tables in the middle and a counter along the wall.
Cozy Soup and Burger opened in the early 80s, so it could not have been in the film.
However, there were many diners downtown…The Chariot, The Star, 3 Z’s, Waverly Diner, Spurs, etc that could have been the location.
Hard to tell from just that particular screengrab, and I don’t feel like grabbing the DVD, but I wonder if it’s not the Washington Square Diner. I’m pretty sure it’s old enough to have been around in slightly dingier times, though if it is the same place they’ve redone the wall behind the food prep area with tiles and modernized the dividing wall somewhat (but the cheap wood remains beneath the new molding). Most convincingly, the geography is perfect since it’s at 4th and 6th, so Alvy would have taken her there after walking south past the clothing stores on Greenwich.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/washington-square-diner/photo_gallery2.html
google has a 360 panorama view too
https://www.google.com/maps?layer=c&z=17&sll=40.731539,-74.000655&cid=-4002519183093524335&panoid=jmR7-H-eTjFr1Ju6Tt1sgg&cbp=13,201.02981398338022,,0,0&q=washington+square+diner+nyc&sa=X&ei=6E44ULy5MpS10QH4jYGACQ&ved=0CIUBENoUKAAwAw
Annie Hall is incredibly evocative for me, it was made at the same time my late husband and I were dating in New York City, at many of the same sites as Annie and Alvy, with much of the same angst and drama too, unfortunately. lol It makes me so nostalgic for the young people we were.
We saw many movies at the Paris theater. (Although when I was 16, while watching King Lear with Paul Scofield there, I was molested by the man sitting next to me. I was so well brought up (much eye rolling here) that when I felt his hand in my lap, I apologized before leaping out of my seat and moving to another one. lol) Did anyone else notice the same extra is in the Paris theater scene as the “I’m shallow…” shot in the Village? Woody has the same outfit on in both shots, too, only in the theater shot he’s added a sweater. In both scenes the extra is wearing a floral skirt and a blouse with some bizarre attachments to the sleeves.
This might be a really dumb thing to even suggest, but I am going to anyway. This is a relatively recent movie, has anyone simply asked one of the participants where certain things were filmed, such as where does Annie sing in the nightclub? (Although I think she is very competent, not bad at all!) Most of the main actors are still with us, I’m sure a lot of the crew must be too. Does anyone have a connection they can ask? Although that does take the fun of the quest out of it at least it would give an answer.
Thanks for all your hard work, Scout. Great job, as always.
I just spotted a very decent view of that O’Neals’ Baloon corner place by going through the movies listed on this very site. It’s in Ghostbusters, when Peter and Dana meet at the Lincoln Center, you actually have that shot on the Ghostbusters page 2. The pic you posted is too small but look at the DVD (or even a somewhat cheaper) version of the movie and letters O’Neals’ Baloon are clearly readable.
Thanks for the site, by the way, great info.
The outside shot of Annie’s parents home was shot in Englewood, NJ
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Having been born and raised in Coney Island, I well remember the Thunderbolt and the house beneath. Have even ridden on it may times before its destruction. My mother told me that my grandmother chased Woody off of the porch of our house sometime in the 1970’s. I presume he was scouting locations as we lived only 2 blocks from the Boardwalk and the roller coaster!
It’s also worth mentioning that the tall gal who was Alvi’s date outside the Thalia cinema is a very young Sigourney Weaver – much taller than Alvi
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Could the deli be Barney Greengrass?
‘We then get the briefest of brief shots of Alvy and Annie going in what I think is supposed to be the apartment they now share. Someone out there has to recognise this’
Yes…it’s East 70th (between Lexington & Third)
Great find, Peter. Yes, the apartment is at 131 e 70th street; the entrance is next door to Corrado Bread & Pastry. It’s a charming little building complex.
What was described in the above as “Gran Trattoria” was actually “Grano Trattoria” which closed in April 2015.
Tiberius Fashions is now Quality Eats.
In the Central Park Zoo scene Woody laughs and says the man he is looking at won the Truman Capote lookalike award. That was actually Truman Capote.