TV Landmarks in New York

Earlier this summer my wife and I took a weekend get-away to New York City. It was the first time we had ever been in the city. It was quite overwhelming. It was also quite surreal. So much of American pop culture comes from here. I would venture a guess to say that over 50% of TV shows and movies are based here. I have a better perspective when I watch shows like Law and Order or Seinfeld now. I know how confusing the subway is when you are trying to figure out if you want the E train "uptown" or "downtown". I know the general geography of the area like how Manhattan has the Bronx to the north, Queens to the east and Brooklyn to the south. I know how valuable a parking space is in midtown. I even have a better understanding for New Jersey jokes. It was like I was in a fictional place. It was even more weird when I visited actual TV landmarks. Here are a few pictures I snapped:

Recognize this landmark? It is the shot the producers of Friends used for the apartment building of Monica, Rachel, Joey and Chandler. There isn't a coffee shop on the ground floor as depicted in the show. There is, however, a fancy restaurant. We were going to eat there, but it looks a little too pricey for our budget. We did however eat at this little Mexican restaurant around the corner. Another reality discrepancy is the apartment building is not located next to Central Park. It's quite aways away from it in lower Manhattan.

This is also from Friends. It is the building across the street from the gang's apartment building. This is the shot used for Ross's apartment when he moved in to "ugly naked guy's" place.

If you know me at all, you know I am a Seinfeld fanatic. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. This is obviously the actual coffee shop shot used in the show.

This is the inside of the place. It doesn't look anything like the show. It's tiny. There is a lot of Seinfeld memorabilia on the walls. The prices and food are nothing special. The place was packed though. If you go here, remember it's cash only.

It just wouldn't be right if we visited Monks... uh.. I mean Tom's Restaurant and not have a cup of coffee.