The Amazon Prime original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is back for its third season! The show began in New York City in 1958, and is part Mad Men-esque in its mid-century setting, part La La Landin its theatricality – minus the singing, though it often feels like song and dance might break out any minute. These elements combined may seem cringeworthy, even to us period drama obsessed folks here, but the superb acting and comedic timing of the cast, led by Rachel Brosnahan of House of Cards, Tony Shalhoub of Monk fame, and Luke Kirby of Rectify, along with the spunky writing of Amy Sherman-Palladino, make this show a sleeper hit. In fact, it was one of Amazon’s most highly-reviewed pilot episodes (with a customer rating of 4.9), when it premiered in March 2017. The full first three seasons are now available on Amazon.
The premise: Upper West Side housewife Miram “Midge” Maisel, of an esteemed Jewish family, seems to have it all – a successful husband, a great apartment, two kids. Her husband Joel has taken on what Midge thinks is a hobby – doing standup comedy at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village but it turns out he’s been straight up stealing routines from famous comedians. This leads to a comedy of errors, whereupon Midge drunkenly takes the stage showcasing her natural talent.
In the second season, Midge’s mother Rose has hightailed it to Paris to rediscover herself, while Midge is working as a telephone operator at B. Altman’s department store and honing her skills in her burgeoning comedy career. Midge gets her own romantic arc, while vacationing in the Borscht Belt in the Catskills, but ultimately decides to give up the hunky surgeon, Benjmain. In the third season, Midge and Susie go on tour with singer Shy Baldwin, with an opening scene at a USO show. Expect the usual hijinks!
Here are the film locations seen in all three seasons (starting with the latest!)
Season 3
1. The Stage Deli
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
We’re back inside the Stage Deli! Midge calls up Lawyer Fred from the USO show to get updates on his assistance negotiating Midge’s contract for the tour with Shy Baldwin. The scenes from the last three seasons were shot inside Artie’s Delicatessen, a former retro Upper West Side deli that closed in April of 2017. Filmed after the closing, the interior was made extra retro for the shoot. It appears that for subsequent seasons, the deli was recreated as a set.
If you visited the exhibition Making Maisel Marvelous at The Paley Center for Media this past summer, you would have been able to sit at one of those booths and had waitress Verla get your order. Or if you checked out the Carnegie Deli popup restaurant that arrived in Nolita timed with the second season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a lot of the design inspiration including the booth seats, the red chairs, and tiling, came from this set. Artie’s was opened in 1999 at 2290 Broadway by Artie Cutler, who also ran the chain of Ollie’s Chinese restaurants and Carmine’s, the Italian restaurant.
2. Joel’s New Club
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Joel’s father gives him a tip for a potential club spot, but fails to mention that it’s in Chinatown. Joel and Mrs. Moskowitz head to 227 Bayard Street, an address that doesn’t exist in real life because the Bayard Street gets cut off due to the courthouses downtown. The basement space, replete with Chinese decor as one would see in the movies, is a set, since Chinese restaurants never look like this in real life (as so well demonstrated by Scouting NY back in 2013).
Joel takes it and on a second visit, discovers a door next to the stage that leads down to a gambling den. He then meets a woman named Mei….
3. The Jail
The last time we saw this jail in the fictional 8th Precinct in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is when Midge and Lenny Bruce have their first encounter in the pilot of the first season. It’s actually filmed at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center on the Lower East Side, in the former P.S. 160 school.
It has several theaters, exhibition galleries, and incredibly, a witch school. The organization focuses on serving the Spanish-speaking community on the Lower East Side.
4. Rose and Abe’s Apartment
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
Rose and Abe live at 404 Riverside Drive, a fancy apartment known as The Strathmore at 113th Street built in 1909 with an original floor plan that had two 10-room apartments on each floor. The entrance marquee, originally in glass but since replaced, is French-inspired, and has vintage lamps alongside. The interior is recreated on a set nearly exactly as the apartments are inside, but the exterior is filmed at The Strathmore.
In the third season, the couple is grappling with Abe’s decision to quit his job at Columbia University and his plans to move out of the apartment he feels is too extravagant.
5. Las Vegas
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If you’re wondering how 1960s Las Vegas was recreated for this season of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, look no further than New York City. That’s right, a portion of Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn was transformed into the Las Vegas streetscape. The scene where the band is drag racing looks to be filmed here as well.
If you haven’t been to Floyd Bennett Field yet, it’s worth a visit with historic airplane hangars, abandoned buildings, and even a place restoring World War II-era planes. The field was home to the take off and landings of aviations greats, including Howard Hughes, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart. Today is is a National Park Service site. The interior of the fictional Phoenicia casino was filmed in Woodhaven Manor, a former movie Loew’s Willard Theater turned catering hall/event space in Queens.
6. Forest Hills
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Faced with losing the their apartment and no good housing prospects, Rose and Abe (plus Zelda) move in with the parents of Joel Maisel. They’ve just moved to a vary large house on one of the private streets off Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens. The stay proves pretty untenable, as you’ll see!
7. Hotel Fontainebleu
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The Mrs. Maisel/Shy Baldwin Tour continues to Miami, where Midge and Susie stay at the real Hotel Fontainebleu. Susie is decidedly not relaxed, even sitting by the pool. Midge attempts to teach Susie how to swim, to humorous effect.
The hotel, which was renovated in 2008, has been show in many films, including the James Bond film Goldfinger, The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston, Scarface and The Sopranos. When Midge arrives, she imagines herself descending the grand staircase, which she gets to play out.
8. The Barrymore Theatre
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Susie is managing Sophie Lennon now and manages to get her a starring role in a production of Miss Julie (a play by August Strindberg which in real life was made into a movie most recently with Colin Farrell and Jessica Chastain). The show is going to take place at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, located at 243 West 47th Street in the Theatre District.
The usual highjinks occur with anything connected to Sophie Lennon. A lot of the time, Susie is managing things from Florida, where Midge is on tour, so we see the cast and crew calling Susie trying to figure out how to deal with Sophie. In the show we see the exterior and interior of the theater, and finally even get to see how the performance went when Susie and Midge attend the opening night performance.
9. Abe’s Classroom at Columbia University
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Midge’s father Abe used to teach mathematics at Columbia University, with students who would follow him at the drop of a hat. After quitting last season, he returns to his old classroom where the students are clearly still petrified of him. The exterior shots of Columbia University are not filmed there, but the classroom we saw in previous seasons. It’s located in 309 Havemeyer Hall at Columbia University.
This is considered one of the most filmed classrooms because it has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including the Spiderman films and Kinsey. It fits 330 students and has the cool moveable chalkboards.
10. Metropolitan Life Building
While Shy Baldwin is taking a break from tour for exhaustion, Midge and Susie hit up the radio airwaves recording commercicals and live bits for money. One of the studios they film in supposedly located in the Metropolitan Life North Building, right on Madison Square Park. Midge and Susie are seen jumping into cabs right on the street with the products they’ve been paid with for the commercials.
If you visit this building in person, don’t forget to check out the beautiful skybridge that connects the Met North Building and the tower next door.
11. NYC Subway
Susie decides that taking cabs eats too much into the money they’re making on the radio spots, so they take the subway. The teal interiors of the vintage subway car match perfectly with the Pursettes and Midge’s coat. Based on the signs, they are on what is now the F line, which makes stops at Houston-2nd Avenue and Forest Hills, Queens.
Filming of vintage trains, of which many are on display in the New York Transit Museum, are done in conjunction with the MTA. This specific train appears to be the type of Bluebirds that were used for the World’s Fair train (or a classic Redbird given a full makeover for this shooting). Though the Bluebirds are already light blue on the outside, for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, it looks like a teal paintjob and teal upholstered seats were added.
12. Ludlow Blunt Barbershop
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
Susie and Reggie hang out with the rest of Shy’s crew at a barbershop, listening to a boxing match over the radio. This scene is filmed in Ludlow Blunt barbershop, located in Williamsburg. Though it’s not one of the original old-school vintage barbershops in New York City, it has the look down pat and has also been seen in Billions.
13. La Bonbonnierre
In a flashback between today and before, Midge and Joel are at lunch in La Bonbonniere, an old school luncheonette in Greenwich Village. In the flashback, they’re talking about potentially having kids and Midge drops that she’s actually pregnant at the last second. In present-day, they’re arguing about where to send their son Ethan to school and what they can afford.
14. Garment District
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A great scene, where the set completely takes over an entire street, as Midge makes her way to Moishe’s garment shop, is actually filmed on West 19th Street where Bed Bath & Beyond is. Cars are running, garment racks are everywhere, and Midge weaves her way through the busy street.
15. The Apollo
Midge is beyond excited to be opening up for Shy Baldwin at The Apollo, the legendary theater in Harlem. She gets unnerved by the comments of Moms Mabley’s manager, who claims Midge took Mabley’s spot on tour. Midge gets advice from Reggie, who doesn’t know just how well she knows Shy’s secrets, and while the set goes well for the audience, not so much for Midge’s future with Shy on tour. We’ll see how Midge and Susie rebound for next season!
Season 2
1. Old Town Bar
Joel, Midge’s estranged husband and his friend Archie, commiserate at Old Town Bar at 45 E. 18th Street, one of the oldest bars in New York City. It’s Joel’s favorite spot, where those close to him know they can call and find him there. In season 1, Joel’s secretary/paramour Penny Pann calls, in season two it’s his mom.
Old Town Bar opened in 1892 as Viemeister’s. Like many of the other bars on this list, it survived Prohibition by becoming a speakeasy under the name Craig’s Restaurant. The mahogany wood and marble bar, 55 feet long, tiled floor, wooden booths (where alcohol was stored in a compartment underneath the seats during Prohibition), vintage cash registers, and historic mirrors, make Old Town Bar a popular film location in New York City for period pieces.
2. The Gaslight Cafe
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
The Gaslight Cafe was a real location – a coffeehouse and music venue that hosted the likes of Bob Dylan, beat poets like Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix and many more. It was open at 116 Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village between 1958 and 1971. The famous venue has been shown in Mad Men and Inside Llewyn Davis.
Portions of the montage in the first season where Midge and Joel are in the cab going through Greenwich Village are filmed along St. Mark’s Place in Alphabet City, where you can see spots like the Yaffa Cafe and the bar St. Dymphna. The exit of the Gaslight Cafe is also filmed along St. Mark’s Place across from the Yaffa Cafe. The interior is a set filmed at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
3. B. Altman’s on 5th Avenue
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The film location for the exterior of B. Altman, the department store Midge goes to work for at the makeup counter in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is at 365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street. Though the landmarked building today is the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, it was built as a B. Altman department store. The specific entrance the show films at is along 34th Street, You can see the grand awning and the set designers built custom windows to be fitted onto the facade to look like department store windows. The interior of the store is a set built within a former bank in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that is now the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center.
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
Another B. Altman location was at 629 6th Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets along Ladies Mile. The store today is the Container Store.
4. Chez Paul
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
In Paris, Rose agrees to a dinner (at the appropriate Parisian time of 9 PM) with Midge and Abe. They dine at Chez Paul, a real restaurant at 13 rue de Charonne near the Bastille Opera House in the 11th arrondissement. It’s also down the street from a fabulous and hidden artist enclave, appropriate given Rose’s latest Bohemian phase. The scene is filmed in the actual interior of the restaurant, notable for the yellow walls and eclectic art. We’ve dined there – it’s great!
5. The Rockaways
Susie, Nicky and Frank head to the Rockaways to Susie’s house by taking the IND Rockaway subway line (now the A train). The Rockaways is a slip of land in southern Queens, and Susie says she lives on Broad Channel avenue. The actual filming location of her house is at 4 Beach 85th Street, on a house that sits on a pier just off Beach Channel Avenue. Nicky says he lives in the Rockaways too, on Seagull, to which Susie responds, “Woah, you’re in the fancy section.”
6. Madame Arthur Cabaret
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Midge wanders through the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris and comes across Madame Arthur Cabaret, a transvestite cabaret show. Unsurprisingly, Midge accidentally ends up on stage, as she’s trying to fix the dress of one of the singers, and then is amazed to discover the singer was a “he!” She then embarks on a stand up set, with an American woman who lives in France translating for the crowd.
The Madame Arthur Cabaret is a real venue located at 75 bis rue de Martyrs, and is named after the song Madame Arthur by Du Baiser au Portier from the late 19th century.
7. Musee Rodin
Later, Midge’s mother Rose goes to an art class at the Rodin Museum, located in the Hôtel Biron, a gorgeous Hotel Particulier near the Invalides. They see the sculptures in both the interior of the museum and in the courtyard. Rose then comes across two nuns and schoolchildren looking just like a scene from Madeline.
The dancing scene along the Seine River at the end of the montage in episode two of season two takes place just behind Nôtre Dame cathedral.
8. The Music Inn
The Music Inn is another real location, looking as quirky as it probably did in Greenwich Village in the ’50s. The store is located at 169 West 4th Street and opened in 1958, the year the show is set. The interior has instruments hanging from the ceiling and rows of records, and does have a lower level (now filled with percussion instruments). The location is shown in the first and second seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and the store cat appears in both! In the second season, Susie overhears the unofficial record of Midge the first night she did standup at The Gaslight and erupts in anger against the owners.
The scenes inside the Stage Deli where Midge meets Herb Smith, who “writes” her bad set jokes and the William Morris agent were filmed inside Artie’s Delicatessen, a former retro Upper West Side deli that closed in April of 2017. Filmed after the closing, the interior was made extra retro for the shoot. If you’ve visited the Carnegie Deli popup restaurant that arrived in Nolita timed with the second season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a lot of the design inspiration including the booth seats, the red chairs, and tiling, came from this set. Artie’s was opened in 1999 at 2290 Broadway by Artie Cutler, who also ran the chain of Ollie’s Chinese restaurants and Carmine’s, the Italian restaurant.
Joel takes his parents to get a line of credit at a bank run by a friend of Archie’s. Joel spends much of the episode locating money his mom has stashed all over their apartment, factory, and even in Midge’s parents’ apartment, using a “treasure map.” Joel’s father likens the banking hall to the Vatican. The bank scene is filmed in the banking halls of the Dime Savings Bank in Downtown Brooklyn, which is undergoing conversion into a new residential development that will be the tallest in Brooklyn, and one of the very tallest in the city.
Miriam’s family, with Joel visiting on occasion from Manhattan, head to the Catskills’ Borscht Belt, a major holiday destination for New York area Jews from the 1920s to 60s. The scenes are filmed at Scott’s Family Resort, renamed in the show as the Steiner Mountain Resort, located in Deposit, NY on Oquaga Lake. The Scott’s Family Resort has been in operation since 1873 and the family, which still runs it, has an illustrious history in show business.
Some of the famous Borscht Belt resorts mentioned in the show include Grossinger’s Resort (now abandoned) and the Concord, which was demolished (although this author spent a few days there in her high school years and can attest how large the dining room was, as referenced in the show).
12. McSorley’s
Midge and her new beau Benjamin, whom she met in the Catskills, go to an art opening and then get a drink at McSorley’s, one of the oldest taverns in New York City. It’s a who’s who inside, with artists Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell, and activistJane Jacobs (who had an appearance in season one). Artist Declan Howell is also present, played by actor Rufus Sewell. In one shot, you get a clear view of the wishbones on the chandeliers, left over from each local East Village boy who did not make it back from World War I.
Although the scene is shot at the real McSorley’s, the show refers to the bar as Cedar Tavern. The real McSorley’s was closed to women until 1970.
13. Holland Tunnel
Midge and Susie head back from a rather disastrous tour and get stuck in traffic in the Holland Tunnel (times have certainly not changed). We love this scene because you actually see in operation one of the catwalk cop cars speeding away on the lefthand side of the shot. You also see the border tiles between New York and New Jersey in this shot.
Season 1:
1. Kettle of Fish Bar
Photo courtesy Amazon Prime Video
The original Kettle of Fish Bar was located next door to the Gaslight Cafe. Bob Dylan hung out here along with other musicians between sets at the Gaslight Cafe. Gaslight employee, Susie Myerson (played by Alex Borstein) takes Midge to this bar after she bails her out of jail.
The Kettle Fish still exists but has moved locations several times. It is currently located at 59 Christopher Street.
2. Midge and Joel’s Apartment
Photo courtesy Amazon Prime Video
Midge and Joel live at 404 Riverside Drive, a fancy apartment known as The Strathmore at 113th Street built in 1909 with an original floor plan that had two 10-room apartments on each floor. The entrance marquee, originally in glass but since replaced, is French-inspired, and has vintage lamps alongside. The interior is filmed on a set, but the exterior is filmed at The Strathmore. The show also filmed in nearby Riverside Park.
3. 299 Park Avenue
Joel is a vice president at Tri-Borough Plastics, which has sales offices on Park Avenue. It’s not too clear what he does exactly and he doesn’t seem to be too into it at any rate. When he calls Midge from the office, she asks him “How’s work?” and he answers, “I believe something got sold today.” That evening, Midge heads to his office, the exterior which is shot at 299 Park Avenue, the office of investment bank, UBS in real life today, between 48th and 49th streets. They head out the revolving front doors and get into a vintage yellow checker cab.
In the background of the shot, we see the backside of Grand Central Terminal and 230 Park Avenue, the Helmsley Building. Discerning Untapped Cities reader Michael Kane has pointed out that 299 Park Avenue was not actually built when the show was set, but instead, was constructed starting in 1962 and opened in 1964.
4. Horseshoe Bar
Midge walks happily down the street when she realizes that she indeed has some comedic chops, and heads into the subway. The bar behind is 7B, also known as the Horseshoe Bar located in Alphabet City, also seen in shows like Jessica Jones. The subway station entrance doesn’t really exist here though, one of the entrances to nowhere that are added when television and movies shoot in New York City.
Midge then gets on a vintage subway car, likely one that is on display at the New York Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn.
Photo courtesy Amazon Prime Video
5. The Most Filmed Classroom: Columbia University
Photo courtesy Amazon Prime Video
Midge’s father Abe (Tony Shalhoub) teaches mathematics. You probably recognize this classroom in 309 Havemeyer Hall at Columbia University, because it has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including the Spiderman films and Kinsey. The large stadium seating classroom is supposedly the most filmed classroom, fits 330 students and has the cool moveable chalkboards.
6. The Friars Club
The Friars Club, where Susie goes to find comedy talent manager Harry Drake is a real private club in New York City, located at 57 East 55th Street. The club is known for its celebrity toasts and roasts, which were aired on Comedy Central between 1998 and 2002. The building the club is located was not built for the club originally, but as the mansion of an investment banker. For historical accuracy, the club would have indeed been located in this location, having moved here in 1957.
7. Village Vanguard
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Midge goes to see Lenny Bruce open for a jazz band at the Village Vanguard, a venue founded in 1934 and located at 178 7th Avenue South since 1935. Originally known primarily for folk music, poetry readings and stand-up comedy, the Village Vanguard began to focus on jazz starting in 1957.
8. Washington Square Park
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Midge ends up in a rally in Washington Square Park organized by none other than Jane Jacobs, protesting Robert Moses and his plan to build a highway through the park. Midge has no idea who Jane Jacobs is but quickly decides she supports the cause. Jacobs calls her onto the stage to “share her story.” Revel in the historically accurate posters in the crowds during this scene. Moses would lose the fight.
9. Old Town Bar
Joel’s favorite watering hole is the Old Town Bar, where Penny Pann learns she can call when she needs to locate where he is at night. This tavern, located at 45 East 18th Street, is a film location favorite, with mahogany bar and seats, tin ceiling and dumbwaiter still preserved. A bar has been operating here since 1892.
10. National Arts Club
Joel decides its time for his parents to meet Penny Pann and they head to dinner. The scene is filmed inside the National Arts Club on Gramercy Park where lunch is still served on the weekdays to members and members of sister clubs, like the Salmagundi Club. The club is in the former Samuel Tilden mansion and has a stunning stained glass ceiling and wood bar.
11. York Barbershop
Susie once again tracks down Harry Drake, this time in an old-school barbershop. The scene is filmed at York Barbershop on the Upper East Side at 981 Lexington Avenue. York Barbershop opened in 1928 and retains the period detail from the wood paneled walls, vintage lamps, and checkered floor.
12. East Midwood Jewish Center
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The synagogue shown in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel where the Midge’s parents attend is actually located in East Midwood, Brooklyn. The East Midwood Jewish Center, located at 1625 Ocean Avenue, was built in 1929 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Given that the family lives on the Upper West Side, it is unlikely they would attend this actual synagogue.
13. Prospect Park Carousel
Midge and Imogene co-host a birthday party for their kids at the Prospect Park Carousel, a ride that was constructed in 1912 by famed carousel designer Charles Carmel. The carousel has 53 horses, along with other creatures including dragon chariots, a lion and giraffe. Midge talks to Joel on the ride suggesting that they move forward with their divorce.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
Photo courtesy Amazon Prime Video
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
Photo courtesy Amazon Studios
