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3 iconic “Friends” locations you can visit in your travels

By Brian Miller

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Atmosphere during the actor James Michael Tyler's 'Friends: The Complete Series' On Blu-ray promotion at the NBC Experience Store on November 14, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Atmosphere during the actor James Michael Tyler's 'Friends: The Complete Series' On Blu-ray promotion at the NBC Experience Store on November 14, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) /
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This week HBO Max released the long-awaited reunion of the cast of Friends and it has been a huge success but where can you get closer?

The hit NBC series Friends ran from 1994 to 2004 and has become one of the biggest television series in history. Widely viewed both in the United States and abroad, Friends has embodied the life of what it is like to make your way through the world when you are freshly starting out on your own.

Over the years, Friends has remained a popular sitcom but more importantly, it continues to delight first-time viewers who may not have even been born 17 years ago. Filmed in Los Angeles, the series was presented as being in New York. And there is plenty to see around the world if you happen to be a “friend” of Friends.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 15: A person walks by a Central Perk display outside the “The Friends Experience” in Kips Bay as the city continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on December 15, 2020 in New York City. The pandemic has caused long-term repercussions throughout the tourism and entertainment industries, including temporary and permanent closures of historic and iconic venues, costing the city and businesses billions in revenue. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 15: A person walks by a Central Perk display outside the “The Friends Experience” in Kips Bay as the city continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on December 15, 2020 in New York City. The pandemic has caused long-term repercussions throughout the tourism and entertainment industries, including temporary and permanent closures of historic and iconic venues, costing the city and businesses billions in revenue. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images) /

The Apartment

The show made stars of Jennifer Aniston, Mathew LeBlanc, Mathew Perry, Courtney Cox, Davis Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow. Today, you can’t really visit them but you can visit their apartments, sort of.

Located above Central Perk, the fictitious coffee house hangout that millions of people fell in love with, the apartments belonging to Joey and Chandler and Monica and Rachel were upstairs from the coffee house. Phoebe had lived there once as well.

A visit to New York will bring fans to 90 Bedford Street in the West Village. The opening scenes and often cut scenes during the show showcase the fire escape ladder on the outside but don’t expect to see the coffee house. There is a restaurant the sits on the corner beneath the complex but it is not, Central Perk.

Cherry Hill Fountain or maybe not

The iconic opening of Friends takes place in front of a large fountain but it’s not the Cherry Hill Fountain in Central Park. Unfortunately, you may only get that close. The actual fountain is located at the Warner Brother’s Ranch in Burbank, California, and is rarely open to the public but if you can get access…good for you!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 27: The Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village remains closed following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus on January 27, 2021 in New York City. The pandemic has caused long-term repercussions throughout the tourism and entertainment industries, including temporary and permanent closures of historic and iconic venues, costing the city and businesses billions in revenue. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 27: The Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village remains closed following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus on January 27, 2021 in New York City. The pandemic has caused long-term repercussions throughout the tourism and entertainment industries, including temporary and permanent closures of historic and iconic venues, costing the city and businesses billions in revenue. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) /

West Village Playhouse

Located at 121 Christopher Street in New York, the playhouse was where Joey was supposed to be doing his off-Broadway theater performances. Its real name is The Lucille Lortel Playhouse and you can stop in front of it, or go inside and watch a performance.

London, England

Midway through the 10-year run, the filming shifted from the U.S. to the U.K. for portions of the series and of course, you can see everything they did. Big Ben, The Tower of London, and of course, Buckingham Palace.

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