Friday Wrap-Up: Still Eating Brains?, Some Young Guy, and More
Friday’s finally here, and it’s time for another wrap-up of various odds and ends from a week in scouting. First, […]
The Most Impressive-Looking Sex Shop in Manhattan
It’s one of those archetypal New York scenes: a squat, three-story building dwarfed on all sides by towering skyscrapers, the
The Cutest Little House in Brooklyn
Just wanted to share a building with you that really made my day while out scouting recently. I was searching
A Closer Look at the Chanin Building
Chances are, when looking at the Chanin Building at the corner of 42nd and Lex… (picture credits: Emilio Guerra) …You’ve
Manhattan’s East 20th Street Beach
It might come as a surprise, but Manhattan has beaches. Yes, they’re small, often submerged at high tide, and you’d
The Rooftop Cruise Ship…Wait, What?
There really isn’t any better way to describe it: look at the building on Water Street between Beekman & Peck
The Death of Theatre Alley
Nothing annoys me more than scouting New York for an Ext. Dank Alley scene. For some reason (probably because of
A Bit of the Southwest on 53rd Street
In keeping with yesterday’s theme of streets in New York that have an other-worldly feel to them, I have to
Walking The Streets of Europe in Manhattan
I love streets in New York that make you feel as far from the city as possible. Obvious examples include
Someone Planted a Bicycle Garden in Queens!
Note: this has since been removed. I was driving along Vernon Blvd in Queens when I spotted something you don’t
The 1920s Movie Theater Hidden In A Rite Aid
Don’t let the squat little Rite Aid storefront on Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint fool you… It has a big history.
Where Racquetballs Go To Die
I’ve been scouting warehouse rooftops in Brooklyn on the East River recently. Though this one in Greenpoint has a pretty
A Rainbow at 22 Stories Up
I’ve been scouting midtown office spaces recently, many of which have had some pretty great views of the city like
Brooklyn’s Mansion on the East River
I was walking down Hudson Ave today in Brooklyn’s Vinegar Hill neighborhood when I realized I’d never taken any of
Did Scouting NY Readers Help A Guy Get Engaged?
A few weeks ago, I ran a post about a guy who emailed me for help in finding a unique
Latest NYC Graffiti Helps You Take Good Pictures!
There’s a pretty great photo op of the Empire State Building at 33rd & Park – at least, when New
What’s Going On With This Red Mini-Van?
I was shooting some buildings around Madison Ave in the 20’s Tuesday (just before the snowpocalypse of 2010 hit) when
Treasures on the East 25th Street Courthouse
One of my favorite buildings in Manhattan is the marble courthouse on 25th & Madison, home to the Appellate Division
Times Square Recycle Billboard Made From Recyclables
Note: This is long gone. I was scouting near Times Square on Friday when I noticed this neat new billboard
Where Should This Reader Propose To His Girlfriend?
Quick note: A reader wrote me asking for a good place to propose to his girlfriend. Rather than limit it
Abandoned on East 43rd Street
Each time I walk down East 43rd Street, I expect it to have been torn down: A beautiful Italianate marble
Chelsea Birds Are Watching You
Wanted to share some really neat details I noticed while scouting in Chelsea the other day. This building, at the
The Legend of the Metrocard Bike
When I saw it today at 59th and 8th, I didn’t realize I had come across a legend. At the
Masked Vigilante on 42nd Street
In these troubling times, it is refreshing to know that somewhere in the Socony-Mobil building… …Perched high above 42nd Street…
The Case of the Missing Church Half
Walking west on 12th Street from 3rd Ave, you probably wouldn’t give it a second glance: a stone church located
The Tiniest Church in Manhattan
Just a cute bit I noticed while walking down Great Jones Street today… On the firehouse, I saw something peeking
Forgotten Ruins in Dobbs Ferry
At first glance, it would be hard to figure out what this bland modern nursing home… …has to do with
The Mysterious Stonehenge on West 22nd Street
I was walking north of 21st Street on Tenth Avenue when I noticed something odd… …A pair of stones, each
Scouting Disney World
This photo is driving me bonkers – what intersection is this? I’ve lived near madison square park for 4 years
The Scouting NY Tourist Guide To The Big Apple
Dear Scout – Love your site! I’ll be visiting Manhattan for the first time in a few weeks, but I’ll
The Annunciator Box
A few weeks ago, I was working on a shoot in an amazing 100+ year-old mansion in Long Island. In
Local & Interstate Moving & Storage
I was scouting recently in northern Long Island and happened to drive by this old moving/storage company garage… I love
Bad News on the BQE
One of the more tedious aspects of film locations work is writing up directions to set. You have to do
LEGOizing NY
Almost a year ago, I wrote a post about my favorite building in midtown, this chopped-in-half brownstone at 19 W
Stumbling On A Prohibition-Era Bowling Alley Speak-Easy
I received a very unexpected email last week asking if I’d like to check out a hidden prohibition-era bowling alley in
45 Years Late to the World’s Fair
By the time I got there, it was gone. The World’s Fair, you ask? Nope. I am referring to something
The Abandoned Farm Cemetery in Queens
Staring down 54th Street from 31st Ave in Woodside, Queens, a street lined with boxy brick apartments and a scant
The Hidden Cemetery on Second Avenue
I must have walked past the entrance to Marble Cemetery on Second Ave (btw. 2nd & 3rd Sts.) countless times
A Closer Look at the PS 110 Owls
A few weeks ago, I wrote about PS 110, an elementary school located just south of the Williamsburg Bridge… …whose
Halloween in NY: Bleecker Street
Halloween is the only time of the year that I actually pay attention to store window displays, and I’m always
The Film Locations of Rosemary’s Baby
“New York, You’ve Changed” is a new Scouting NY feature in which the New York depicted in movies is compared
The Film Locations of Taxi Driver (Part 3)
Just finding us? Start with Part 1 of our Taxi Driver examination to avoid confusion! Continuing along where we last
The Film Locations of Taxi Driver (Part 2)
Today, we delve into Part 2 of our Taxi Driver coverage (Part 1 is here). When we last left off,
The Film Locations of Taxi Driver
If locations were billed alongside actors, Robert DeNiro would share co-starring credits on Taxi Driver with New York City.
The White Mana Diner
Recently, I’ve been scouting New York looking for Detroit (don’t ask), a search that ultimately led to me to northern
The Owls of PS 110
Next time you’re heading over the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn, either driving or on the pedestrian walkway, be sure to
The Film Locations of Ghostbusters (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of our look at Ghostbusters – Click here for Part 1! With this article, we’re completing
The Film Locations of Ghostbusters (Part 1) (NY, You’ve Changed)
Though there are many movies I’m excited to cover for “New York, You’ve Changed,” I had no choice but to
The Unbelievable Buried Town on Governors Island
Note: This does not exist anymore! Read the comments for more information! Do not go out to Governors Island looking
Long Island’s Empty Jail
Whenever a film or TV show needs to film in a prison location, the go-to place to scout is a
Forgotten Shipwrecks & Beachside Graves
Today, some friends and I decided to hike out to Long Point beach – essentially, the very last tip of
Searching For The Lost Grave of Thomas Ridley
While in Cape Cod, I’ve explored a bunch of ancient graveyards, and am always intrigued by their distinctly Cape-ish history:
The Abandoned Bates Motel of Cape Cod
Truro, Massachusetts, is the first town south of Provincetown (for those of you unfamiliar with Massachusetts geography, Provincetown is located
An Encounter With Nature
I was biking on one of the great bike paths along Cape Cod when, out of nowhere, a cute brown
I Should Really Be Driving This Car
I’m speechless… I wish I could say that this is the new “SCOUTING NY” official website car, but it’s not.
The Strange Main Street USA on Roosevelt Island
Did you ever play with the Fisher Price Little People when you were a kid? Or Lego village sets? Did
They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To
It’s amazing what you find still working in old houses in New York City. It blows my mind that this
The Singing Statues at St. John The Divine
In the south-western corner on the St John The Divine property is Synod Hall, a large indoor space available for
Strangeness Afoot in Old Trinity Cemetery
I was scouting the Old Trinity Cemetery when a guy walked up to me and asked if I had seen
The Old Kitchen at Sea View Hospital
Sea View Hospital is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever scouted in New York, and I’m writing this
The Sign-Eating Tree of Richmond Hill
I was scouting in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens today when I saw this tree that appears to be
The Tower of Terror on West 11th Street
When I turned the corner onto West 11th Street and saw the Palazzo Chupi for the first time… …I have
Telephone Exchanges and the Oldest Number in NYC
In the 1930’s and 1940’s, as telephone numbers began to increase in digits, “telephone exchanges” were introduced to make it
Leaving NY: Newark’s Little Red Diner
Note: I think this might be gone. Unless you need to be somewhere on time, I find that getting lost
Who is the TelePrompTer?
I was walking around Morningside Heights the other day when I passed by this interesting courtyard at 521 West 111th
Decapitation at the Ziegfeld
If you go to the brownstone at 52 East 80th Street between Madison & Park… …you’ll see the decapitated limestone
The Last Phone Booth In New York City
There are only four outdoor phone booths left in Manhattan – and they’re all on West End Avenue. That’s it:
The Hungry Gargoyles of 110th Street
One of my favorite buildings in Morningside Heights is the Britannia at 527 West 110th Street. The building, built in
Frenchie’s Gym – Not Your Local Crunch
Hidden on the second floor of this building adjacent to the JMZ elevated train line in South Williamsburg is Frenchie’s
Remnants of the Old W-burg Shopping Districts
I love seeing these signs gracing lamp poles in the North Williamsburg area because, to my understanding, they were put
Studebaker of Bedford Avenue
I was driving down Bedford Ave around the Crown Heights area in Brooklyn when I passed this great neo-Gothic building
Oldsmobile of Flatbush
I love traveling down Flatbush Ave past Prospect Park because there’s so much history to find hidden on every block.
A Visit To Sleepy Hollow
“The sequestered situation of this church seems always to have made it a favorite haunt of troubled spirits…To look upon
What Happened To This Williamsburg Cemetery?
The two square blocks bordered by Union and Lorimer Aves. and Devoe and Powers Sts. in Williamsburg are as pleasant
Bedford and Driggs, or Fourth and Fifth Aves?
I love Forgotten NY’s Street Necrology section, in which they pour over old city maps to find streets and roads
Sleeping in Soho
Two lethargic Golden Retrievers pass the day away in Soho. Doesn’t it look like a mirror image? Another view: If
The Hidden Owl at Columbia University
One of the most beautiful and pleasant places in the city is the campus of Columbia University. It is simply
The Servant’s Entrance
Quick one for today: I was eating lunch in my car at 113th & Riverside when I noticed an interesting
The Staircase Animals of Bethesda Terrace
For those that have never been, Bethesda Terrace in the middle of Central Park is one of the most beautiful
Gridlock Busters
I was waiting forever in heavy traffic on Norfolk Street to turn onto the Williamsburg Bridge when I noticed this
Biking on the Bruckner (!!!)
This post will probably only amaze New Yorkers, or really, New Yorkers who drive. But anyone with a car that
The Graham Home For Old Ladies
One of my favorite buildings in Brooklyn can be found at 320 Washington Ave in the Clinton Hill area. Set
Across The Street From The Chrysler Building
I came out of the Chrysler Building yesterday and noticed a number of people staring at the ugly, uninteresting glass-curtain
Remnents of Kleindeutschland (Little Germany)
If you live in New York, you’ve probably passed by these two beautiful buildings on 2nd Ave at 9th Street
Staying Together on Division
Sorry in advance for the cuteness factor, but I couldn’t resist taking pictures of these two stray cats down on
The Abandoned Boyce Thompson Institute
I recently posted about scouting Alder Manor, a dilapidated yet beautiful abandoned mansion in Yonkers. The manor was owned by
The Psychedelic Bus Dog
I frequently drive past this parking lot at Kent and Broadway in Williamsburg. Whenever I pass, I notice the psychedelic
Remnants Of The Old Grand Central Cab Stop
I recently scouted a great parking garage on 44th between Vanderbilt and Madison. It’s right next to Grand Central Station,
An Abandoned Country Estate in Yonkers
TO CONTACT ALDER MANOR ABOUT FILMING, PHOTO SHOOTS, WEDDINGS, OR ANY OTHER RENTAL PURPOSE, EMAIL joan@theplantmanor.com. PLEASE BE SURE TO
The Masked Lady of Broadway
If you look above the doorway of the Trinity Building at 111 Broadway… You’ll see this row of faces staring
Who Is The Man In Orange?
I was walking around Battery Park today when I saw The Man In Orange: Look closely – not only orange
The Remains of a 1920s Cruise Ship Office At One Broadway
You never really think of Broadway having a beginning or ending. It’s the oldest north-south thoroughfare in NYC, and is
Lost At Sea
One of my favorite public art pieces in New York City is probably familiar to anyone who has ever waited
A Skull & Dagger in Barcelona
READ BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN!!!: I went to Spain last summer shortly after finishing a huge stressful film job and had
Everyone Should Decorate Their Office Like This
Thanks to anyone who called the Mayor’s Office. We’ll see what happens…I’ve been really busy on set recently, but I’ll
The Stationery Sign on Broadway
Note: I think this is now gone. You’ve probably seen this sign a million times. It’s on Broadway, just north
RIP: Fulton Fish Market
In November ’05, Manhattan’s historic Fulton Fish Market left its home at the South Street Seaport for new pastures in
Evil Jesters on West End Ave
I really dig the motif on this building, The Umbria, at 82nd St and West End Ave… …which I choose
Over The Door
As you can tell from the recent posts, I’ve been spending a lot of time around the West 70’s recently.