6. East 1st Street
The heart-wrenching final scene of the film takes place on East 1st Street. Nora and Arthur’s apartment is at 40 East 1st Street. Director Celine Song explained the gravity of this scene to audience members at a screening of the film at Angelika Film Center in Manhattan. Song shared that while shooting, she told her crew, “This street is where the movie lives or dies.” Song explained the long search for a city street that was at once mundane but also magical. The long tracking shot which follows Nora as she walks down the block was also logistically complicated to shoot, as the crew needed to ensure the street was clear of all cars so that they could lay down 150 feet of dolly track for the camera. The end result is a bittersweet nighttime scene where Nora walks home alone in the glow of the streetlights and the neon sign of a shuttered dry cleaner.
Next, check out 10 Iconic Film Locations in New York City and 10 Iconic Brooklyn Film Locations