This post is a self-guided tour of the many Friends TV show locations in New York City. We also include information on guided tours and also the Friends Experience.
Just like you, many of our local tour guides are fans of this brilliant comedy that takes place in New York City.
They’ve had fun visiting the places featured in the show. Some have gone to the Friends Experience which is why we wrote about it here.
They enjoyed it a lot, but we wanted to see what the members of our popular NYC Travel Tips Facebook group thought about it. We share their opinions below.
Our Facebook group has more than 230,000 members consisting of locals, regular visitors to NYC, and those just getting to know the city.
There's no need to join to read the posts and comments so take a look at our group for more NYC advice. You can even ask a question yourself!
- Friends Locations in NYC
- Friends Tours
- Friends Experience Tickets
- Other TV Show Locations Nearby
- TV Shows Based in NYC
- Best Things to Do in NYC
FRIENDS TV SHOW LOCATIONS
We all know that Friends was set in New York City. But were any of the scenes filmed here? Sadly, no.
The show was filmed on a studio set. But significant exterior shots were filmed in NYC.
Below are some of the key locales you can see.
This self-guided tour is free to use and you can access the tour on your smartphone which means you can take it any time you want!
TIP: Both our pay-what-you-wish All-in-One Downtown Tour and Greenwich Village Tour include a stop at the Friends building in New York.
Where is the Friends Apartment?
This iconic building is at 90 Bedford Street at the corner of Grove Street in Greenwich Village.
Only the exterior shots were filmed here. The apartment's interior was on the Friends set in Los Angeles.
Don't be sad! You can hang out amidst those interiors at the Friends Experience!
There are two major subway stops within a 10-minute walk from this attraction, making it pretty easy to get there from almost anywhere in the city.
For full directions, read our post on how to get to the Friends Apartment building.
Where is the Friends Cafe?
Also known as Central Perk, this instantly recognizable location is not a real Friends location in New York. Sorry, but you can't grab a coffee there.
The cafe exterior is The Little Owl, on the ground level of the Friends apartment building.
TIP: If you're planning your next vacation in Los Angeles you can see Central Perk at Warner Bros. Studio!
Learn more from our post about the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
Phoebe’s Apartment
As you know, Phoebe lived on her own but of course, was always over at Monica and Rachel's apartment.
Fortunately for Phoebe, she was just a 4-minute walk from her pals.
If you want to check out her pad, follow the below route to 5 Morton Street, Apt. 14.
The address is referenced in an episode called "The One With Joey's New Brain".
The same question pops up - how did Monica and Rachel, a barista at Central Perk, afford to live on one of the most coveted blocks in the West Village?
It's all about who you know. In this case, it's Monica's grandmother. Read the explanation of rent-stabilized apartments below.
The Lucille Lortel Theatre
In Season 3, episode 22, this is the theater where Joey stars in a show and invites his friends to come and see him perform.
Rachel brings a date named Tommy (Ben Stiller) who ends up being a total psycho.
The Lortel is featured in our pay-what-you-wish Greenwich Village walking tour. You may even want to see a show in this historic off-Broadway theater.
Our post on getting cheap theater tickets might come in handy!
Friends Fountain
The fountain, in which the cast is frolicking around in the opening credits, is not the fountain in Central Park.
As stated above, the show was rarely filmed in New York City. That fountain was on the studio set.
The fountain in Central Park is called the Bethesda Fountain and has been in countless movies and TV shows.
However, some think that the Pulitzer Fountain in front of the Plaza Hotel and adjacent to Central Park was the inspiration for the fictional fountain.
New York Museum of Prehistoric History
Ross works at the New York Museum of Prehistoric History modeled on the American Museum of Natural History, used for the exterior shots.
Several key moments in the entire series occur here, including the first night that Ross and Rachel spend together.
It is located off of Central Park West between 77th and 78th Streets on the Upper West Side.
The American Museum of Natural History is one of New York’s best museums and you should consider visiting it.
You can save money on tickets and even get free entry. Find out how from our post, American Museum of Natural History.
The Plaza Hotel
In the first episode of Season 7, the gang plans to celebrate Monica and Chandler's engagement by going for a champagne toast at the Plaza Hotel.
Due to unexpected plot twists, they never make it to the Plaza Hotel.
You can enjoy a drink at The Champagne Bar next to the hotel lobby.
The Plaza is located at 768 5th Avenue at 59th Street, just across the street from our pay-what-you-wish Central Park walking tour.
We also have a pay-what-you-wish Midtown Manhattan walking tour which explores the neighborhood where The Plaza is located.
Chandler’s Office
Chandler works in IT and his office is located at 9 West 57th St., near the Plaza Hotel.
The entrance to this building has a giant 9 in front, so you can't miss it!
This building also appears in scenes in Sex and the City. If you are a SATC fan, check out our Self-Guided Sex and the City Tour.
The Moondance Diner
This is where Monica was a waitress and the diner was decked out in a 1950s theme. At work, Monica had to wear a horrendous blonde wig.
This diner was located at 80 Sixth Avenue, between Grand Street and Canal Street. It closed down in 2012, and in its place, the James Hotel was built.
The Moondance was also featured in Spider-Man, where Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) worked.
If you are a Spidey fan, check out our Self-Guided New York Super Hero Tour.
Bloomingdale's
In Season 3, Rachel works at Bloomingdale's as an assistant buyer. It is worth a visit to get an iconic Bloomie’s Little Brown Bag.
(Sex and the City fans may know all about Bloomie's!)
It is one of the stops in our self-guided tour of Midtown Manhattan.
Bloomingdale’s is at the intersection of 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, near the Roosevelt Island Aerial Tram which offers one of the most spectacular views of NYC.
Madison Square Garden
This arena is the home to the New York Knicks basketball team. It’s not easy or cheap to get season tickets.
Yet in Season 4, Episode 19, Monica and Rachel offer Joey and Chandler their season tickets if they can move back into their apartment, having swapped with the guys previously.
If you want to see the inside of this historic arena, you can take a tour of the Garden.
Our post, Madison Square Garden All-Access Tour will help you find the best prices for this popular tour.
Friends Tour Options
There is currently at least one Friends tour in New York that visits the notable sites from the show.
If you’re a fan, this is one of the best ways to see the sights while being entertained by an engaging tour host.
On Location Tours
This company offers a wide variety of entertainment-themed tours in New York City.
Their Friends Tour covers a total of 18 locations from the television series, including details about where the cafe Central Perk would have been if it existed.
Clocking in at just 40 minutes, this is a fairly short tour to take.
Currently, they’re only offering this outing as a virtual tour, but there’s always a chance they’ll make it a full tour in the future.
- $15 per person
- Duration: 40 minutes
- Availability: Daily
- Purchase the On Location Virtual Friends Tour or learn more.
If you’re looking for a fully-guided tour, this company also offers an NYC TV & Movie Tour which includes stops at locations related to Friends and many other shows.
This is a great alternative to the virtual outing because it’s in-person and covers some of the same attractions.
- $61/Adults | $45/Children (7-9)
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Availability: Thursday - Sunday at 11 am
- Purchase tickets to the NYC TV & Movie Tour or learn more.
NOTE: If you’re planning to use a tourist pass, it’s worth noting that the NYC TV & Movie Tour is included with both the New York Pass and the New York Sightseeing Pass.
The Friends Experience
If you want to visit Monica & Rachel's apartment or Joey & Chandler's apartment, this exhibit is the closest you'll get in all of New York City.
Spread across 2 floors, this attraction recreates the two most notable apartments from the show and even Central Perk.
Visitors will have an opportunity to take photos throughout the attraction, including on the orange couch, in the comfy chairs, and at the kitchen table.
You can purchase tickets here and for detailed information about the exhibit, read out post on the Friends Experience in New York.
OTHER TV SHOW FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE AREA
Sex and the City
Those interested in visiting Carrie's Stoop and Magnolia Bakery can take a 6-minute walk away from both.
The quickest route to both is to walk east on Grove Street and turn left (north) on Bleeker Street.
Magnolia Bakery is on Bleeker Street and Carrie's apartment building is at 66 Perry Street (see red circle on map).
Be warned. Some of the residents on Perry Street are not huge Sex and the City fans, so please be respectful of their privacy and limit your photography to one photo.
Be sure to check out our free tour of Sex and the City sights.
The Cosby Show
The exterior of the Huxstables home is at 10 St. Luke's Place. The Huxstables did not live in Greenwich Village, but rather in the equally historic district of Brooklyn Heights.
To reach the house from the Friends Apartment Building, it's best to head south on Bedford St until you make a slight right onto 7th Ave.
Then, you will make your first right onto St. Luke's Place (which is also Leroy St.) until you reach 10 St. Luke's Place. The house sits just across from a city park.
Like the Friends Apartment Building, 10 St. Luke's Pl. allowed the show's producers a lot of light for filming.
Find out what other TV Shows were based in NYC. And why not check out our free Self-Guided Tour of Seinfeld’s New York?
TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELERS
We know that the Friends Experience in New York is worth a visit, but we don't expect you to take our word for it.
So we took a look at what members of our New York Travel Tips Facebook group had to say and here are just a handful of the comments.
We should warn you -- it was very difficult to find any negative comments!
So just how much did people love it? Many people said it was a standout during their trip to New York City.
Even this skeptic loved it!
If you are thinking of dragging someone with you, good news. Even non-fans can have fun too.
Wondering about taking photo ops? Here are the answers!
Some people in the group asked how much time they could spend there and if they would feel pressured to move through quickly.
Lastly, a tip to guarantee you won't feel rushed.
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