Los Angeles has always been known as the hub of the film industry, the sunny hotspot where beautiful actors and eccentric directors convene to make movie magic. But, as we enter what many are calling the Golden Age of Television, the film industry’s small-screen competitors have finally reached an equal level of glamor and prestige. Big-budget cable networks and new-age streaming services are churning out TV shows filmed in LA with the powerful storylines and character development once reserved for feature films.
Since many viewers are more likely to stay in and binge-watch a series than make the trek to a local theater, we’ve compiled a list of locales that are featured in your favorite Netflix TV shows based and filmed in LA.
Want to know where to find the best views of LA? Check out our guide for sweeping panoramas and TV-worthy vistas!
Flaked — Venice
Will Arnett, creator and star of Netflix’s “Flaked,” has called Venice home since 2000, and he’s even described his show as a love letter to the beachside community. The dark comedy focuses on a cadre of typical Venetian residents, including a recovering alcoholic (Chip) who is portrayed by Arnett himself. Its bright and calming cinematography sheds a light on the beautiful scenery around town, so if you walk about, you’re bound to recognize some of the many houses and storefronts used in the show. But whatever you do, be sure to hit the Venice canals, the serene stretch near where Chip’s charming bungalow is located.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — West Covina
While most of Rachel Bloom’s musical comedy on the CW is filmed on a Hollywood sound stage, many of the pilot’s scenes were shot on location in *singing voice* West Coviiiiiiina, Califoooornia! Rebecca Bunch’s famous opening number, in which she decides to leave her law office in New York and travel to West Covina in search of her middle-school sweetheart, was filmed outside the Edwards Cinema at an outdoor shopping mall known as The Lakes at West Covina. And that baseball-themed bar called Home Base? It’s a real place! In actuality, it’s a sports complex named Big League Dreams, located on West Covina’s South Azusa Avenue. Blaam!
Arrested Development — Marina del Rey
“There’s always money in the banana stand.” Fans of the cult-hit comedy know this line well, and they know that it has a couple different interpretations. The iconic Bluth Family Frozen Banana Stand was situated on the fictional Oceanside Wharf — but in real life, it can be found at Marina del Rey’s Fisherman’s Village. When you visit, you probably won’t be able to enjoy an original Bluth banana, but you will recognize the Lighthouse Fountain and Grill, in front of which the banana stand was located. If you’re lucky, the boat used for George’s retirement party in the pilot episode might even be parked in the adjacent bay!
Lady Dynamite — Highland Park
Fans of Maria Bamford’s offbeat, semi-autobiographical comedy won’t find many actual filming locations to explore — she recreated most of her Highland Park neighborhood in a Hollywood studio and shot the Duluth scenes in the Twin Cities. However, if you stop in Café de Leche in the historic northeast LA neighborhood, you might recognize the interior. The coffee shop played host to the scenes in which Maria hangs out with friends Dagmar and Larissa — not to mention, it’s where she scores a date with Dean Cain’s boyish Graham.
New Girl — Arts District
“New Girl,” as with most sitcoms, films mostly in studio — so you’ll have to settle mainly for exterior shots. Make your way to the Arts District, specifically 837 Traction Avenue, to lay your eyes on the loft where (“Who’s that girl, it’s … ”) Jess and the boys live. If you want a more immersive experience, head to the Prince Bar in Koreatown — the very watering hole where Nick tends bar. Fans of “Mad Men” will also recognize the interior’s red leather booths from the drama’s second episode.
American Horror Story: Murder House — Arlington Heights
Before it delved into the complicated worlds of hellacious cults, metafictional documentaries, vampire-ridden hotels, and twisted freak shows, Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology offered a simple, run-of-the-mill, haunted house story. Okay, even back then it was still pretty complicated. But whether that first season left you pleasantly horrified or horribly befuddled, you can actually visit the real-life murder house at 1120 Westchester Place where it was shot. The six-bedroom mansion was built by LA architect Alfred Rosenheim in 1908 as his own residence, and still stands as a creepy monument today.
Love — Echo Park
If you’re planning an extended stay in LA, and/or if you’re a fan of Judd Apatow, consider staying at the Oakwood Apartments. The massive, furnished complex in Toluca Hills has a particular reputation in town, having housed famous child stars, such as Hilary Duff and Shia LaBeouf, when they first made their way to Hollywood. It also serves as a main filming location for Apatow’s dramedy, “Love.” The fictional Springwood Apartments, where Paul Rust’s Gus resides, are actually the Oakwood. Fans of the series can also check out the nearby Magic Castle, which is just as fancy and exclusive as it’s depicted to be in the show.
Chuck — The Valley
This hilarious and engaging spy-comedy is set, memorably, in Burbank, California — but few of Chuck, Morgan, Sarah, and Casey’s missions were actually filmed there. If you want to revisit some of your favorite moments from the show, you’ll have to head about 20 miles west to Fallbrook Center Mall in the San Fernando Valley. It’s at this complex that the exteriors for the Buy More store, the Wienerlicious restaurant, and the Orange-Orange yogurt shop were shot. If you really want the verisimilitude of Burbank, head to 4247 Warner Boulevard. You won’t miss the red door and white picket fence of Sarah’s dream house.
BoJack Horseman — Tourist Havens
Too embarrassed to hit all of LA’s major tourist attractions? Think of it instead as a tour of memorable spots from Netflix’s animated original. You’re not hiking to the Hollywood Sign — you’re investigating the case of Hollywoo’s missing “D.” You’re not going to Griffith Park — you’re revisiting that emotional scene with BoJack, Herb, and the spyglass. You’re not going to the La Brea Tar Pits — you’re remembering that heartbreaking flashback with BoJack and Charlotte. The series does a fantastic job of crafting a fictional “Hollywoo” that is similar to the real-life town it’s based on while still maintaining a unique atmosphere — or, at least that’s what you can tell anyone who looks down their nose at you for touring these tried-and-true spots.
What are your favorite TV shows filmed in LA? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!