For 15 years, the New York Times column called “Modern Love” has told stories of the peaks and pitfalls of relationships in the city. One universal truth is how important location is. For Upper West Siders it could be daunting to date someone who lives in say, Gramercy. But even “long distance” relationships can have happy endings in the city.
Before becoming an eight-episode Amazon TV series, the Modern Love column was turned into a podcast. Many famous actors and actresses were featured readers of the stories. The TV series follows suit with a star-studded cast. Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Ed Sheeran, and Dev Patel, to name a few, all play characters based on real people in real relationships. Filming in NYC, you get a glimpse of how the directors portray living in the city. The apartments are, for the most part, beautifully curated, and the streets are charming.
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In the episode, the couple had an appointment at their marriage counselor’s office at 333 Central Park West. When they come out of the office, John sees people he knows and crosses the street. He leaves her stading there and she scrambles to get across the street to join him (this turns out to be a pretty important scene). They spend quite a bit of time on CPW and you can really get the feel of what it’s like to cross the street to get into the park! During this episode, there are also scenes filmed at the Central Park Tennis Center, just south of the 97th Street Traverse.
The first episode of the series, “When The Doorman is Your Main Man,” is based on a true story that took place on the UWS. Guzim, the name of the actual doorman, still works at the same building. There’s also a shot at the end of the episode with the actors in the American Museum of Natural History.
The UWS is the home of many love stories, including my own. After all, I eventually moved to the UWS from Gramercy to be with my husband. We have enjoyed watching Amazon’s Modern Love, especially when the UWS makes an appearance.
Featured images c/o Amazon Studios
