What can one say that hasn't already been said about one of the best sitcoms ever? Dorothy's facial expressions, Rose's St. Olaf stories, Blanche's sexcapades, Sophia's wisecracks. They can still make me laugh out loud. The Golden Girls showed America you could be in your golden years but didn't have to be among the walking almost-dead. Superb acting and incredible writing made it an Emmy fave. It's one of three shows where all four leads took home the prize and one of a select few where its spin-off had a spin-off.
Location: Opening Aerial Shot
Address: near La Gorce Drive & Pine Treet Drive, Miami Beach, FL
Since I don't have a drone, I couldn't exactly get a great comparison shot, but you can see some of the highrises...
Location: The Golden Girls House
Address: 245 N. Saltair Ave, Brentwood, CA/Disney-MGM Studios, Orlando, FL
The actual house in Brentwood was rebuilt on the Disney/MGM Studios Backlot after the first season. This was taken on my polaroid camera back in 1989 on the tour...
1999
The residential street houses were torn down in the early 2000s to make room for a new attraction.
Season 1, Episode 14: "That Was No Lady"
Location: Dorothy & Glen's Hotel
Address: 205 Washington Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
Season 2, Episode 4: "It's A Miserable Life"
Location: City Hall
Address: 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA
It's here the girls battle the crusty Freida Claxton before she drops dead...
Season 2, Episode 18: "Forgive Me, Father"
Location: Dorothy & Frank's School
Address: 2955 S Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Hamilton High School
Season 2, Episode 20: "Whose Face Is This, Anyway?"
Location: Biscayne General Hospital
Address: 1500 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL Jackson Medical Towers
Season 7, Episode 26: "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest, Part 2"
Location: Stan Chauffeurs Dorothy
Address: starting at 810 Keniston Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Location: Dorothy & Lucas' Church
Address: 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, CA All Saints Episcopal Church
The interior was filmed on a soundstage but the exterior where Dorothy & Lucas' nuptials were held is seen briefly in the tearjerking series finale...
This was also The Church in Cruel Intentions (1999) and the garden patio was The Harvard Quad in Legally Blonde (2001).
That Golden Girls Show!
Location: Rue La Rue Cafe
Address: 4394 Broadway, New York, NY
Picture It: Washington Heights, NY February 2017. Eight long months after the announcement of a Golden Girls-themed restaurant, the day had finally come. For those not in-the-know, the owner was a close friend of Rue McLanahan's and decided to pay homage to his friend he thanked for being by opening a cafe with loads of Rue's personal photos and memorabilia. While the cafe does focus the feisty red-head's career, there are plenty of Golden Girls photos, a replica of their kitchen table, even the sunshine yellow wall phone from the actual set! Among the popular eats are Sophia's 16 hour lasagna, the Clooney Cesar salad, and of course, cheesecake. If you live in the tri-state area or plan on visiting soon, travel down that road that leads to Rue La Rue cafe.
A golden floor...
Who could ask for a better order number...
The wallpaper from Blanche's Boudoir...
An....interesting bathroom door...
The actual phone from the set!
Joining the ranks of Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000) and Saved By The Bell (1989-1993), The Golden Girls got the pop-up restaurant treatment in 2022, opening in Los Angeles. Fans could dine on Sophia's Lasagna al Forno and of course some cheesecake while sitting by Blanche's Boudoir and watching a classic episode. I was lucky to get to visit just after moving to LA and visited on the last night...
Locations Visited: July 1989, December 1999, November 2013, February 2017, October 2018, March 2021, June 2021, October 2022
Related Locations:
The Golden Palace (1992-1993), Empty Nest (1988-1995)
Sooo cool! Thanks for sharing 😊😊😊
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteThis is lovely and a great reference! You should perhaps check your dates on the Florida photos. Disney-MGM Studios (as it was called then) did not open to the public until 1989. They used the exterior location there on the show in a very limited way, mostly for special effects shots or when they needed a specific action (car arriving, etc).
ReplyDeleteThank you! My mistake, that photo was mislabeled and from our 1989 trip.
Delete