If it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year for some time, the time to rejoice is finally here! After decades of waiting, HBO Max provided the gift we’d long been anticipating: a Friends’ reunion. Not only did we see the 6 friends together for the first time since the finale aired, but the guest stars also acted as the whipped cream on top of Rachel’s famous English trifle.
In honor of the warmth and nostalgia brought about by the reunion, today we’re looking at all the spots made popular by the gang, starting with none other than the building that homed 4 out of 6 friends.
90 Bedford St. West Village
Built back in the 1900s, this building was the standing shot of Monica, Rachel, Joey, and Chandler’s apartments – but it won’t feel like it from the inside. In reality, the 6-story structure hosts 22-units, all of them one-bedroom.
Apart from that, here’s the craziest part: there’s not a single purple wall in the entire building, as far as the listing photos reveal.
Central Perk
If you claim you haven’t roamed about your neighborhood looking for a cafe as inviting as Central Perk, you’d be lying. The sad part, though, is that nothing comes close to the vibe Central Perk had. Plus, there’s no Phoebe in the corner playing Smelly Cat, either, or Gunther serving a fresh cup of joe. Are you ready for another heartbreak? The cafe doesn’t even exist in real life.
The set for the coffee shop sat within Stage 5 and then Stage 24 of the Warner Bros. Studio. However, according to creator Marta Kauffman, a saving point is the Insomnia Cafe that sits at 7286 Beverly Blvd., which actually served as the inspiration for Central Perk.
The Fountain
Who doesn’t remember Friends’ opening credits and that iconic fountain that brought out our inner child? We don’t know about you but, the fact that it remained off-limits for so long was a crime against Friends fans, to say the least. However, after being featured on the reunion, the fountain sits in the main Warner Bros. lot and is finally part of the studio tour.
In Essence…
The reunion also featured fans explaining the reason behind their love for the show, stating that it saved their lives, made them much more confident, or showed them what the meaning of friendship was. And it’s true.
Never before had life been portrayed through the lens of six friends living in a metropolis, going through the ups and downs together, standing with each other through it all. Friends was a gem of a show that is difficult not to cherish.
