Seinfeld, Friends and Other NYC Misconceptions

Lets get this malarky out of the way quick and easy... NYC is not like Friends, it's not like Seinfeld and it's not like Friends With Benefits. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the average New York City apartment isn't as extravagant as Monica's and the average New Yorker doesn't own a car or drive to every destination like Jerry, George and Kramer! Geez, out of a cast of four, they have three of them zipping around New York City in cars, not to mention the supporting cast (Newman, Puddy and Uncle Leo, to name a few.). Talk about missing the boat. In fact, the Elaine character is the only one that even comes close to living like an actual New Yorker. She's a transplant from Maryland, she doesn't drive, takes public transportation, has a roommate (most seasons) and she dresses in business casual like most working class women in NYC. Jerry and George dress like they're living out on Long Island and Kramer... Well, Kramer dresses like that uncle you have who spends his daylight hours in a bar or at an OTB betting on longshots.

NYC is also very diverse, and I don't mean the token black or Indian cast member that graces the occasional episode of these shows. I mean diverse, as in rainbow of colors on any corner or in any subway car. 

Oh, and BTW, Nitz... "Central Perk" isn't real, and if it were, good luck ever getting a seat on the one couch they have. Better luck ever even finding an empty couch in a coffee shop that size - period! Funny how these foolios managed to find an empty couch in every episode.

Speaking of which... Friends was filmed in Hollywood, not in New York City, so all of those interior shots of Monica's fantasy apartment or anything else that was shot indoors was actually 3,000 miles away. You can, however, see some of the outdoor locations used on the show, including the exterior views of Monica's apartment in the Village if you're in town (pic to your left). The address is: 495 Grove St. There's also a tour you can take that will bring you there (among other outdoor locations), but you can't go in. Why would you want to anyway? It's not what you see on the show. FRIENDS & MORE TOUR