Universal Studios Hollywood
Backlot - New York Street

The latest version of the New York Street sets opened in December 2009, following the huge fire in June 2008.

The New York Street area has been used in countless productions over the years. It\'s been rebuilt after fires in 1957, 1990 and 2008, and frequently changes appearance as required by the production work at the time. The street is curved at both ends to give the illusion of a longer street on camera.

The entire New York Street / Metropolitan area has just reopened after it was destroyed by fire June 1 2008. The new structures comply with a new building code specifically for backlot structures, meaning they have sprinklers and other fire-protection measures built in.

Between 1984 and 1990 the whole New York Street area had a large rig above it which could be used to cover the sets with black tarpaulins in order to do night shooting during the day. See Streets of Fire (1984) page for more.

Landmarks

Although New York Street has been rebuilt many times, some of the sets have been rebuilt (almost) the same designs over the years, and can easily be recognised.

• Theatre
• Bank (Dirty Harry)

2009 Rebuild

The New York Street area now contains 15 different shooting locations, categorised as follows;

• New York Street
• London Square
• Paris Square
• Royal Crescent Drive
• Wall Street
• Embassy Street
• Broadway Theater District
• Brownstone Street
  • See Separate page
• Courthouse Square
  • See Separate page
• Rooftops
• Alleys
• Modern New York

Press Release - February 2009 - Rebuilding

February 3, 2009

CLASSIC MOVIE SETS AND NEW SHOOTING LOCATIONS TO OPEN AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IN MID-SUMMER, ONE YEAR AFTER FOUR-ACRE STUDIO FIRE

A little over a year after a fire damaged four acres on the world’s largest working movie studio lot, Universal Studios will re-open in mid-Summer most of its iconic sets and will unveil innovative shooting locations designed to meet contemporary film production needs. The new and re-created sets will be featured on the world-famous Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour—recently upgraded with Hi-Def digital servers and flat screen monitors—and will enhance visitors’ behind-the-scenes experience of a working studio environment.

Beginning in mid-summer, production will resume on the world- famous Courthouse Square, Brownstone Street and an enhanced New York Street. The new locations to be introduced this year will include a gas station, a firehouse, a London Street and, most notably, a modern urban cityscape, with glass and steel façade structures that will provide film and TV crews with the opportunity to replicate a modern city street scene in a controlled studio environment. The contemporary cityscape will be the largest modern urban backlot shooting location in Los Angeles.

These advanced facilities were constructed to provide ideal shooting conditions for contemporary productions, and were designed with the assistance of leading filmmakers and art directors. Additional sets will remain in construction and are planned to open in 2010.

The great majority of the studio’s famous standing sets and locations, including the "War of the Worlds" set, Western Streets, European Street, Mexican Street, the Psycho House-Bates Motel, and "Desperate Housewives" Wisteria Lane were untouched by the fire and have remained in continuous use for dozens of motion picture and television productions.

During the reconstruction phase of the backlot, Studio Tour guests will experience a panoramic view of the construction and dramatic transformation taking place at the historic studio. The Studio Tour is a signature attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., and is also being upgraded this year to feature a Hi-Definition TV digital system, with new flat-screen HD monitors installed in each Tram car. The new monitors will feature commentary from filmmakers and stars and clips from movies and TV productions, many created especially for the Studio Tour and all corresponding to the sites visited along the Tour route. Because the Tour is constantly changing to accommodate movie and TV production schedules, a custom Hi-Definition playback system was designed to allow for the selection of materialfrom the hundreds of clips created for the Studio Tour attraction.

Beginning June 1, "The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien" will debut in a newly renovated sound stage located on the Universal Studios lot. As Emmy Award-winning host Conan O’Brien moves to California, the show’s state of the art studio will become a featured showpiece of the Studio Tour.

New York Street Opening Ceremony

Courtesy Universal Studios Hollywood, from May 29 2010. Includes interview with Steven Spielberg and Jeff Zucker.

Current Plan of the New York Street Area (from May 2011)

Plans of the New York Street Area (before June 2008 fire)

Photo Gallery (before 2008 Fire)

New York Street 2007

     

Photo Gallery (December 2009)

The Metropolitan area sets have just reopened after a year-long construction period. The sets look more detailed and more diverse than ever - they're already booked up for Iron Man 3 and Ridley Scott's movie based on the Hasbro Monopoly board game, and it looks like the sets will remain busy for the foreseeable future.

PHOTOS COMING SOON

Photo Gallery - Current

 

PHOTOS COMING SOON

Seen on Screen: Universal Studios Hollywood [New York Street]

Title	Released	Director	IMDB
My Man Godfrey [Feature Film]	1957	Henry Koster
The last movie to shoot on New York Street before parts of it were destroyed by a fire in June 1957.
To Kill A Mockingbird [Feature Film]	1962	Robert Mulligan
Courthouse Square, Stage 29, Stage 30 [courthouse interior], Stage 32.
The whole street featured in the movie was built on the backlot, adjacent to the New York Street sets. The Boo Radley house was designed by Henry Bumstead and built at Universal, while all other houses were moved to the backlot from Chaves Ravine, where developers were clearing the land for the Dodgers Stadium. The houses were bought for $1 each from developers. The Boo Radley house remains on Elm Street to this day.
Madame X [Feature Film]	1966	David Lowell Rich
New York Street, Little Europe (as Germany)
Torn Curtain [Feature Film]	1966	Alfred Hitchcock
New York Street, Stage 28 (including the Paris Opera House sets for the Theatre scene), Stage 32.
Thoroughly Modern Millie [Feature Film]	1967	George Roy Hill
Stage 12 (Muzzy Estate), Stage 22, Stage 27, Stage 28 were the soundstages used. The Paris Opera House sets on Stage 28 were used for the theatre sequence. Many exterior scenes were shot on New York Street and Brownstone Street. The Square of Warriors embassy buildings featured as Carol Channing / Muzzy's mansion.
Ironside [TV Series]	1967-1975	Collier Young
Apartments, Colonial Street, Mediterranean Square, New York Street (as San Francisco). Interiors were shot on Stage 20.
Change of Habit [Feature Film]	1969	William A. Graham
The church on New York Street featured in this movie musical. Brownstone Street is also featured.
Topaz [Feature Film]	1969	Alfred Hitchcock
New York Street
Dirty Harry [Feature Film]	1971	Don Siegel
New York Street (as San Francisco) - Bank Robbery
Columbo [TV Series]	1971-2003	Richard Levinson, William Link
New York Street (various episodes), Singapore Lake, Stage 28
The Sting [Feature Film]	1973	George Roy Hill
Brownstone Street and New York Street feature as Old Chicago. The theater on the south side of New York Street featured as the exterior of the Burlesque Theater, and an elevated train track was built to run above the street. The Paris Opera House sets on Stage 28 were used for the theater interior scenes. Stage 12, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 27 and Stage 32 were also used.
Kojak [TV Series]	1973-1978	Abby Mann
Colonial Street, New York Street, Stage 22
Earthquake [Feature Film]	1974	Mark Robson
New York Street, extended by glorious matte paintings and miniature footage, is destroyed in numerous ways. Stage 12 was used for the WIlson Plaza collapse and the stairway rescue.
The Six Million Dollar Man [TV Series]	1974-1978
New York Street, Stage 06, Stage 30, Ice Tunnel (Studio Tour), Collapsing Bridge (Studio Tour)
Big Brother episode shot on Brownstone Street (1976)
The Rockford Files [TV Series]	1974-1980	Stephen J. Cannell, Roy Huggins
Apartments, Colonial Street, New York Street, Stage 30
Baretta [TV Series]	1975	Stephen J. Cannell
Robert Blake lived on New York Street
Rich Man, Poor Man [TV Movie]	1976
New York Street, Little Europe (as France)
Quincy M.E. [TV Series]	1976-1983	Glen A. Larson, Lou Shaw
Apartments, Colonial Street, Denver Street, New York Street, Stage 25
MacArthur, the Rebel General [Feature Film]	1977	Joseph Sargent
New York Street
The Incredible Hulk [TV Series]	1978-1982
New York Street (various episodes). Interiors were shot on Stage 23.
The Blues Brothers [Feature Film]	1980	John Landis
Park Lake (Good ole boys motorhome crashes into lake), New York Street (as Chicago) - car jump stunt, Singapore Lake. The gospel church interior was shot on a set built on the Square of Warriors backlot set. Stage 25 was also used.
The Incredible Shrinking Woman [Feature Film]	1981	Joel Schumacher
Stage 12, Stage 22, New York Street
Simon and Simon [TV Series]	1981-1989	Philip DeGuere
Colonial Street, Courthouse Square, New York Street, Elm Street (as Industrial Street), Old Mexico, Six Points Texas, all on the Universal Studios backlot. Stage 25
Annie [Feature Film]	1982	John Huston
Annie finds her dog Sandy on Brownstone Street. New York Street is also featured.
City Heat [Feature Film]	1984	Richard Benjamin
New York Street (as Kansas City), Brownstone Street
Streets of Fire [Feature Film]	1984	Walter Hill
New York Street
Airwolf [TV Series]	1984-1986	Donald P. Bellisario
Colonial Street, Denver Street, Little Europe, New York Street, Six Points Texas, Square of Warriors, Tower of London backlot sets, Stage 14 [helicopter interior mockup], Stage 20 [process shots], Stage 24 [Hawke Cabin set], Stage 27 [The Lair hideout], Stage 28 [process shots]
Murder She Wrote [TV Series]	1984-1996	Various
"Incident on Lot 7" - Season 8, Episode 13 (1992) - Psycho House
"Jessica Behind Bars" - Season 2, Episode 9 (1985) - Square of Warriors / Spartacus Square Embassy building appears as the Prison exterior.
"Hooray for Homicide" - Season 1, Episode 3 (1984) - Front Lot & Studio Tour
Colonial Street, New York Street (as London), Tower of London set (as an amusement park), Little Europe (unknown episodes)
Elm Street (as Industrial Street), Singapore Lake (Jaws Lake) appeared in the opening titles as Cabot Cove, Maine.
"To Kill A Legend" (Season 11 Episode 3, October 1994) Circle Drive on Colonial Street is featured prominently as the location for the battle re-enactment. The church is seen in many shots.
"Seal of the Confessional" - Season 6 Episode 2 (1989) - Colonial Street Circle Drive church appears in the opening sequence. Jaws Lake appears as Cabot Cove.
Stage 20 [pilot], Stage 22, Stage 25 (interior Jessica Fletcher's house), Stage 29, the backlot Train Station appeared in one episode.
Legal Eagles [Feature Film]	1986	Ivan Reitman
Stage 12, New York Street backlot
Harry and the Hendersons [Feature Film]	1987	William Dear
New York Street (as Seattle)
Married With Children [TV Series]	1987-1997	Ron Leavitt, Michael G. Moye
New York Street
Moonwalker [Feature Film]	1988	Jerry Kramer, Jim Blashfield, Colin Chilvers
The Smooth Criminal sequence was shot on Brownstone Street, Little Europe and in the New York Street area.
Smooth Criminal [Music Video]	1988	Colin Chilvers
Extensive shooting around Little Europe, New York Street and Brownstone Street sets
Quantum Leap [TV Series]	1989-1993	Donald P. Bellisario
Brownstone Street, New York Street, Collapsing Bridge (Studio Tour)
Dick Tracy [Feature Film]	1990	Warren Beatty
New York Street
Mobsters [Feature Film]	1991	Michael Karbelnikoff
New York Street, Stage 12
Harry and the Hendersons [TV Series]	1991-1993
Stage 42, New York Street on the backlot.
Death Becomes Her [Feature Film]	1992	Robert Zemeckis
Stage 31, Stage 34, Stage 36, New York Street
Dracula [Feature Film]	1992	Francis Ford Coppola
New York Street (as London)
Newsies [Feature Film]	1992	Kenny Ortega
Many weeks of shooting on New York Street on the Universal backlot, while parts of it were still under construction following the 1990 fire.
Sinatra [TV Movie]	1992	James Steven Sadwith
New York Street
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story [Feature Film]	1993	Rob Cohen
New York Street
Swing Kids [Feature Film]	1993	Thomas Carter
New York Street
Wayne's World 2 (Waynes World 2) [Feature Film]	1993	Stephen Surjik
New York Street (as London)
The X-Files [TV Series]	1993 - 2002	Chris Carter
New York Street
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman [TV Series]	1993-1997	Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
New York Street
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman [TV Series]	1993-1998	Beth Sullivan
Courthouse Square, New York Street
NYPD Blue [TV Series]	1993-2005	Steven Bochco, David Milch
Brownstone Street (Armored Car Robbery), New York Street
Beverly Hills Cop III [Feature Film]	1994	John Landis
The Alien Attack theme park ride is actually the Earthquake attraction on the Universal Studios tram tour.
New York Street
I Love Trouble [Feature Film]	1994	Charles Shyer
New York Street
The Shadow [Feature Film]	1994	Russell Mulcahy
Stage 29, Brownstone Street, New York Street, Square of Warriors (Alec Baldwin's mansion)
How to Make An American Quilt [Feature Film]	1995	Jocelyn Moorhouse
Stage 29, New York Street
Money Train [Feature Film]	1995	Joseph Ruben
New York Street
Cybill [TV Series]	1995-1998	Chuck Lorre
New York Street
Jingle All The Way [Feature Film]	1996	Brian Levant
Courthouse Square and New York Street (as Minneapolis)
Mrs Santa Claus [TV Movie]	1996	Terry Hughes
New York Street, Stage 22
The Crow: City of Angels [Feature Film]	1996	Tim Pope
New York Street
The Phantom [Feature Film]	1996	Simon Wincer
New York Street
The Burning Zone [TV Series]	1996-1997	Coleman Luck
New York Street, Square of Warriors, Stage 33, Stage 34
Something So Right [TV Series]	1996-1998	John Peaslee, Judd Pillot
Stage 41, New York Street
Batman & Robin [Feature Film]	1997	Joel Schumacher
Courthouse Square and New York Street on the backlot.
Face/Off [Feature Film]	1997	John Woo
New York Street sets
MouseHunt [Feature Film]	1997	Gore Verbinski
New York Street
The Peacemaker [Feature Film]	1997	Mimi Leder
New York Street
Ally McBeal [TV Series]	1997-2002	David E. Kelley
Brownstone Street / New York Street sets on the backlot.
Dr Dolittle [Feature Film]	1998	Betty Thomas
New York Street
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me [Feature Film]	1999	Jay Roach
Production Designer Rusty Smith re-imagined London's Carnaby Street on the New York Street set on the Universal backlot. It was also used for the Elvis Costello / Burt Bacharach sequence.
Why Dont You Get A Job: The Offspring [Music Video]	1999	McG
Extensive shooting around the backlot - Colonial Street, Courthouse Square, New York Street
CSI [TV Series]	2000-	Ann Donahue, Anthony E. Zuiker
Based on Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25 on the Universal front lot. Many sets on the backlot have also appeared including the Chicken Ranch (2005) and New York Street sets.
Dilemma: Nelly & Kelly Rowland [Music Video]	2002
Colonial Street is used throughout, apart from a few shots outside a movie theatre which were shot on New York Street.
Monk [TV Series]	2002-2009	Various
Various episodes shot on New York Street and Elm Street on the backlot.
Bruce Almighty [Feature Film]	2003	Tom Shadyac
Brownstone Street, Courthouse Square, Falls Lake, New York Street on the backlot and Stage 01, Stage 19, Stage 29, Stage 41.
Down With Love [Feature Film]	2003	Peyton Reed
Street scenes were shot on New York Street - digital set extensions were used extensively.
Christmas with the Kranks [Feature Film]	2004	Joe Roth
New York Street
Spider-Man 2 [Feature Film]	2004	Sam Raimi
Theater where MJ performed in The Importance of Being Earnest is on New York Street.
House [TV Series]	2004 - present	David Shore
New York Street [coach crash episode], Old Mexico backlot.
Shaggy Dog [Feature Film]	2005	Brian Robbins
New York Street alley
Criminal Minds [TV Series]	2005-	Jeff Davis
New York Street (April 2012)
How I Met Your Mother [TV Series]	2005-	Carter Bays, Craig Thomas
New York Street
Deja Vu [Feature Film]	2006	Tony Scott
New York Street
The Prestige [Feature Film]	2006	Christopher Nolan
Brownstone Street and New York Street on the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot were extensively re-dressed to portray the London Street scenes.
The movie was in production January 16 - April 9 2006.
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets [Feature Film]	2007	Jon Turteltaub
Stage 12 (treasure room), Stage 41, New York Street (opening scenes set in 1865), Falls Lake
Transformers [Feature Film]	2007	Michael Bay
Final battle sequences shot on New York Street on the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot.
Changeling [Feature Film]	2008	Clint Eastwood
The bank featured in Dirty Harry was redressed with new steps up to it for this movie. New York Street featured heavily as LA in the 1920s and was disguised with digital set extensions. Telephone exchanges featured in the movie can be seen in the Prop Warehouse.
Ford Kuga - Blank Canvas [Commercial]	2008	Nicolai Fuglsig
New York Street and Brownstone Street
Superhero Movie [Feature Film]	2008	Craig Mazin
Brownstone Street, New York Street
Michael Buble: Hollywood [Music Video]	2010	Rich Lee
New York Street, Front Lot, Denver Street all feature in this video.
Parenthood [TV Series]	2010-
Stage 43, Stage 44 [1st floor Zeke and Camilles house], New York Street
Captain America: The First Avenger [Feature Film]	2011	Joe Johnston
New York Street
I Wanna Go: Britney Spears [Music Video]	2011	Chris Marrs Piliero
New York Street / Metropolitan Sets
Next 2 You - Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber [Music Video]	2011	Colin Tilley
Filmed on New York Street on the Universal Studios backlot.
The Edge of Glory: Lady Gaga [Music Video]	2011	Lady Gaga and Haus of Gaga
Filmed on a Brownstone set just off New York Street on the Metropolitan Sets backlot and a tenement fire escape behind the gas station on Courthouse Square at Universal Studios Hollywood.
L.A. Noir [TV Movie]	2012	Frank Darabont
New York Street Sets (May 2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man [Feature Film]	2012	Marc Webb
A number of the buildings on Universal's New York Street area were temporarily replaced with new facades for this production, which was filming during January 2011. The sequence where Captain Stacy and Spider-Man meet was shot on New York Street.
Falls Lake - bridge was set up in front of the bluescreen backing for the Williamsburg Bridge stunt sequence.
The Little Rascals [Feature Film]	2013	Alex Zamm
New York Street filming in October 2012

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New York Street - Additional On Screen

• America's Sweethearts (2001)
• Meet Dave (2008)
• 24 (TV) Season 7, Episode 10 (2008) [car stunt sequence]

Soon to be filming on the Metropolitan area sets:

• Untitled Monopoly project (Hasbro co-production with Universal Pictures, possibly directed by Ridley Scott)
• Iron Man 3

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See also

• Brownstone Street
• Courthouse Square
• Backlot Fires and Storms

 

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• Universal Studios Hollywood home page