What the 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ filming locations in NYC look like in real life

The hit Amazon Original series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" has returned for its fifth and final season, and as viewers know, Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s journey from devoted wife and mother to stand-up sensation has taken her all over New York City, from the iconic Apollo Theater to a famous jazz club in Greenwich Village.

20 behind-the-scenes moments that made ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ so magical, according to the cast

As they say goodbye in Season Five, stars who played iconic characters like Midge, Susie, and Lenny share details on what they loved most about making the hit series.

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But what fans might not know is that many iconic scenes from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel were filmed at real locations in and around the Big Apple, paying homage to the city’s rich history and unique culture. I had the opportunity to visit 14 of them in Manhattan to see what they look like in real life. Here’s what I found.

The first episode of the show finds Midge living in blissful ignorance of her husband’s extramarital affairs. She’s planning an elegant Yom Kippur breakfast featuring a star guest—Rabbi Krinsky. Midge stands on the steps of Lutzi’s Butcher Shop to excitedly exclaim, “We got the rabbi!”

The store featured in the scene is a real butcher shop located in Nolita. Its actual name is Albanese Meats, and it has been in business since 1923. I visited the shop to check things out, and the woman behind the counter shared that there were very few updates required to get the shop ready for filming. In fact, the only change was painting one of the walls green.

The shop’s window display features memorabilia from its long history in the neighborhood, including the iconic image of Midge standing in the entryway.

In the second episode of Season One, Midge finds out her husband, Joel Maisel, has been having an affair with his secretary, Penny Pann. Her first reaction is to leave the house and head straight for The Gaslight Cafe, an underground coffeehouse where Joel had previously tried his hand at performing stand-up. Midge’s unhinged-yet-marvelous performance catches the attention of the club’s manager, and her journey as a comedian begins.

The actual Gaslight Cafe opened in 1958 and closed its doors 1971. A bar called The Up & Up now inhabits the space, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel used it to film the exterior scenes from the Gaslight. Scenes inside the club were filmed on a set.

Midge’s colorful language during her debut at the Gaslight Cafe lands her a night in jail, where she meets fellow comedian Lenny Bruce. She and Lenny make a habit of bailing each other out of jail, and each time, Midge ends up at a restaurant called The City Spoon. The small diner holds sentimental value as the spot where she and Joel ate after their wedding. Midge visits this spot again in Season Five.

The restaurant featured in these scenes is actually called La Bonbonniere, and it’s located in West Village. The old-school diner offers a variety of breakfast foods and burgers.

I ordered an omelet and coffee. Luckily, I had some cash on hand—the eatery is so traditional, it only accepts cash!

The third episode of Season One finds Midge in the middle of her divorce, in trouble with the law, and smoking marijuana in a jazz club—things have escalated quickly. Midge and Lenny have become quick friends, and she joins him at the Village Vanguard, where he’s opening for a band. She performs a short-but-memorable set in which she questions her life’s purpose before embarking on a quest for pretzels.

I caught a jazz show at the real-life Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village. The iconic club has been around since 1935, starting out as a space for folk music and poetry, then establishing itself as a premier destination for jazz lovers in 1957.

I ordered Midge’s signature cocktail—a gin martini, shaken, with olives—and enjoyed a live show.

Joel pursues his relationship with Penny, and quickly learns that being with his former mistress isn’t all it was cracked up to be. He seeks nightly solace at his watering hole of choice, and Penny learns she can call the bar when she needs to find him at night.

These scenes were filmed at Old Town Bar and Restaurant, which is an actual bar located just north of Manhattan’s Union Square. It’s one of the oldest bars in New York City, featuring ornate ceilings and vintage fixtures that date back to the 19th century.

"New York Magazine" recommends visiting Old Town Bar and Restaurant for “some of the best burgers in the city.” I was in the mood for soup and potato wedges, which were also tasty.

Midge is on her own and looking for a job. Her search lands her a role at the perfume counter of a luxury department store called B. Altman and Company. She later moves to the store’s switchboard room to work as an operator in Season Two.

B. Altman and Company opened the doors to its flagship store on 365 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in 1906. The location closed in 1989, and the building is now home to the Mina Rees Library at the City University of New York.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel used the original building to film some of the store’s exterior scenes, including a holiday scene featuring window displays. The display windows were not a part of the actual building, so the production team had to create and install them for the shoot.

Midge finds herself at a protest in the fourth episode of Season One. A group is gathered at Washington Square Park to protest the construction of a highway that would cut through the iconic gathering place, and Midge unexpectedly takes the stage to rally the troops.

This scene was filmed at the real Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, which has a rich history of cultural activity and protests. Fans can visit to get a photo under the Washington Square Arch where Midge took the mic.

Midge’s father Abe teaches mathematics at Columbia University in Season One and part of Season Two. Abe is thriving in his career in academia as a highly respected and tenured professor before he takes his dream job at Bell Labs in Season Two.

Of course, Columbia is a real university in Manhattan. It’s also home to one of the most filmed classrooms in entertainment. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shot scenes from Abe’s classroom in room 309 at Havemeyer Hall on the Columbia University campus. This same classroom appeared in the Spider-Man films and the movie Kinsey, which stars Liam Neeson.

Joel and Midge have an apartment in the same building as Midge’s parents at the start of Season One. Eventually, Midge and her parents end up living together in one apartment as Midge and Joel’s marriage falls apart and budgets get tight.

The actual apartment building is called The Strathmore, and it’s located at 404 Riverside Drive in Morningside Heights. The 12-story building was built in 1909 in close proximity to Columbia University. In an interview with Refinery29, the show’s set designer revealed that both Midge’s parents’ apartment and the apartment she shared with Joel were made up of seven rooms. An apartment of that size would require combining two units in the building with a total value of more than $8 million on today’s market.

Joel’s parents own a successful clothing business located in Manhattan’s Garment District. Midge visits the factory several times during the show. In one particular scene, you see her standing outside the building as racks of clothing fly by.

The scene was filmed on West 19th Street in Manhattan—which isn’t actually in the Garment District—and the set spanned across the entire street. I managed to catch a selfie in the same spot Midge stood for the iconic photo.

Lenny and Midge meet up at an Irish pub in the tenth episode of Season Two to discuss the struggles of being an edgy comedian in a conservative time.

The pub featured is a traditional Irish pub called The Dublin House, and it’s been in business for more than 100 years. Passersby can easily spot the pub by its large, neon harp out front. It was closed when I stopped by, but I did catch a photo of the harp.

Fun fact: A local report shared that the bar’s feature in the show helped drive more business.

Midge is slowly but surely making progress on her comedic career. She’s booking more gigs, honing her skills, and getting noticed, though not all the attention is welcome. Joel finds a bootleg recording of Midge’s standup while shopping at a local record store called Music Inn.

Music Inn is a real, funky music store in Greenwich Village with loads of character. It opened in 1958, making it one of New York’s oldest continually run music stores.

I checked out the shop and found an eclectic collection of records, wooden instruments strung up from the ceiling, and a cool, vintage cash register.

Midge’s career is on the rise in Season Three when she’s hired as the opening act for the fictional, famed singer Shy Baldwin’s tour—including a stop at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem. Unsure of how the crowd will react to her set, Midge lets loose and inadvertently divulges a deep secret about Shy’s personal life during her performance. This major blip tarnishes her relationship with the star, and leaves her stranded on the tarmac as the rest of the crew heads to Paris to complete the tour.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel filmed the Apollo Theater scenes at the actual theater in Harlem. The legendary music hall has celebrated and promoted Black artists for decades, even playing a role in the rise of legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Questlove, and Dave Chappelle.

I visited the theater on the day of auditions for Amateur Night—fitting, given The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is the story of an underdog vying for a spot in the limelight.

Midge is struggling to keep her career afloat after a series of setbacks in the eighth episode of Season Four. She attends Lenny’s show at Carnegie Hall, and follows him out on stage afterwards to catch a glimpse at what it would be like to perform at the legendary venue. In this moment, she realizes—with Lenny’s encouragement—that she is stifling her own growth by refusing to take gigs as an opener.

The real Carnegie Hall opened its doors in Midtown Manhattan in 1891. The iconic concert venue is known for hosting some of the finest artists from every musical genre, including The Beatles, Judy Garland, and Billie Holiday. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel filmed at this location for three days while the venue was closed.

The hall wasn’t running tours of the full theater the day I visited (you can check availability for your visit), but even the lobby is a historic beauty to behold. The space features tall, domed ceilings with intricate details and a large clock commissioned exclusively for the venue by Breguet, an esteemed luxury watch brand.

The scene at Carnegie Hall is one of the final scenes in the fourth season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Episodes from the fifth and final season are now available on Prime Video. Here’s how you can watch.