While I welcome revivals/remakes/continuations of movies and television shows from my youth, I am often skeptical since many of them deserve to be ridiculed with no mercy ;-) But that was not the case with Cobra Kai, which continues the story of The Karate Kid (1984). Johnny Lawrence has taken a bigger tumble down the hill than Daniel did with his bike and has seen better days. After coming to the defense of a bullied kid, Johnny channels his inner sensei and opens his own dojo to help other "losers" and "nerds." Soon an old rivalry is reignited when auto sales entrepreneur Daniel LaRusso takes a protege of his own under his belt ;-)
Cobra Kai was met with much praise from critics and fans. Great character development and story was accentuated with a nice use of flashbacks and an 80s soundtrack. It was quickly renewed for another season, which saw the return of Kreese and some old Cobra Kai pals of Johnny. Tension mounted with the younger generation, ending in an Avengers-style all out fight.
Season 3 deals with the aftermath of the epic school battle as Miguel faces a long road to recovery. A trip to the far east reunites Daniel with an old love and an old enemy. We get a glimpse into Kreese's past, who now finds himself battling his former protege. And the wait is finally over with the return of the ultimate girl next door Ali Mills!
Season 4 brought the sadistic Terry Silver from the God-awful Karate Kid Part III into the fold to help his Vietnam War bud Kreese run Cobra Kai while Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang ban together. Their merge is short-lived; however, as Daniel and Johnny focus on different techniques. They all face each other at the All Valley Tournament, where Tory and Hawk emerge as the winners while Miguel goes on a hunt to find his biological father and Daniel calls on Chozen to help him defeat Cobra Kai.
In Season 5, Terry Silver continues his reign of terror by opening Cobra Kai dojos across The San Fernando Valley, calling upon the services of Sensei Kim Da-Eun. Daniel and Chozen try to stop him while Johnny joins the gig economy and prepares for a new arrival. Karate hothead turned mellow furniture salesman Mike Barnes joins the ban against Terry after his store goes up in flames. Meanwhile Miguel and Robby finally call a truce as they battle the disciples of Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kai is filmed in Marietta, Conyers, Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Union City, Austell and Atlanta, GA and Reseda and Tarzana, CA
Much thanks to Melanie Mullen at A Reel Experience for providing information on some of these locations!
Location: Johnny Lawrence's Apartment Building
Address: 18555 Burbank Boulevard, Tarzana, CA
The courtyard area is filmed on a soundstage, but here is what the actual building looks like, quite similar to Daniel's apartment in the original film...
Location: Cobra Kai Karate Dojo
Address: 2779 Lakewood Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA
I knew the dojo was located next to a McDonald's cause I recognized the white lights...
The interior of the dojo is filmed on a soundstage and modeled loosely after the original layout...
Though they may have used the actual interior of the convenience store...
Location: LaRusso Auto Group (Season 1)
Address: 6740 Oakley Industrial Boulevard, Union City, GA
It was a little tough to make yourself inconspicuous here so I didn't get as many shots as I would've liked...
Location: LaRusso Auto Group (Season 2)
Address: 4025 Jonesboro Road, Union City, GA
Thanks to Erick Soto for finding this location.
Location: The LaRusso House
Address: 130 Woodlawn Dr NE, Marietta, GA
Location: West Valley High School (Season 1)
Address: 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA C.T. Martin Rec Center
Location: All Valley Sports Arena
Address: 635 Walter Kelley Road, Marietta, GA
Kennesaw State University - Marietta Campus Gymnasium
The interior was filmed here as well. The doors were locked unfortunately so I was only able to get a shot through the glass...
Season 1, Episode 1: "Ace Degenerate"
Location: Johnny Sees Larusso Billboard
Address: Ventura Boulevard & Burbank Boulevard, Tarzana, CA
The billboard is located across the street atop 18740 Ventura Boulevard...
Season 1, Episode 2: "Strike First"
Location: The Country Club
Address: 740 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA Druid Hills Golf Club
Season 1, Episode 5: "Counterbalance"
Location: Armand's Coffee Shop
Address: 792 Cascade Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA
Location: Johnny & Shannon's Restaurant
Address: 2475 Delk Road SE, Marietta, GA Delray Diner
Thanks to Ami Susanne for the information...
Location: Moon & Yaz's Parking Lot
Address: 2065 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta, GA
They are behind Captain D's Seafood...
Location: The Cemetery
Address: 1680 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA Westview Cemetery
This is at Section 25. You could've pruned that number of Bonsai Trees before I found it. This cemetery is rather sprawling...
Omar Navarro's Mansion from Ozark (2017-) is also located in this cemetery.
Season 1, Episode 6: "Quiver"
Location: Johnny's Childhood Home
Address: 219 Smokerise Trace, Peachtree City, GA
Location: Johnny Rides His Bike
Address: 240 Smokerise Terrace, Peachtree City, GA
Thanks to a tip that this was filmed in Peachtree City and the 240 on the white pillar, I was able to track this location down. I figured the house wasn't too far away and it turned out it was just down the road...
Location: Cobra Kai Dojo
Address: 2033 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta, GA
Season 1, Episode 7: "All Valley"
Location: Golf N' Stuff
Address: 1675 GA 85, Fayetteville, GA Fun Spot America Atlanta
The shot of the Golf N' Stuff sign was taken from the first film, where it's located in Norwalk, CA. You can tell by the busted part of the sign where the "S" is. But this time around, Fun Spot America Atlanta filled in for teenage fun time...
The mini golf course is just greens with no fun obstacles so this ramp was some set dressing...
I picked this one cause Ms. Pac Man was in the background...
Season 1, Episode 9: "Different But Same"
Location: Daniel & Johnny's Bar
Address: 529 Flat Shoals Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 529 Bar
Location: Daniel's Old Apartment Building
Address: 19223 Saticoy Street, Reseda, CA
Location: The Playground
Address: 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA
Here's where the gang decides to throw their own party at the canyon. This is directly in front of the location used as the high school...
Location: The Canyon Party
Address: 2455 Costley Mill Road NE, Conyers, GA Costley Mill Park
The beach area was underwater due to Hurricane Sally...
Season 1, Episode 10: "Mercy"Location: All Valley Sports ArenaAddress: 635 Walker Kelley Road, Marietta, GA
Kennesaw State University - Marietta Campus Gymnasium
The exterior was shown in the first episode, but we finally get to see the interior for the All Valley 50th Karate Championship. Special thanks to Sarah for letting me stop by...
Season 2, Episode 1: "Mercy Part II"
Location: Smitty's Diner
Address: 174 W Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA
At the time of filming, this was the Thumbs Up Diner. It has since closed as you can see. The Kaiser Permanente building can be seen through the window...
Season 2, Episode 2: "Back In Black"
Location: Johnny Cruising
Address: 365 Mt. Holyoke Avenue, Pacific Palisades, CA
Season 2, Episode 3: "Fire & Ice"
Location: Johnny & Miguel's Diner
Address: 2885 Lakewood Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA Lakewood Diner
Season 2, Episode 4: "The Moment of Truth"
Location: Oaks on The Beach Club
Address: 4950 Olde Towne Parkway, Marietta, GA
Olde Towne Athletic Club
Tootie!
Location: The Beach/Pier
Address: Tybee Island Pier, Tybee Island, GA
Season 2, Episode 5: "All In"
Location: The Mall
Address: 2050 Lawrenceville Highway, Decatur, GA North Dekalb Mall
Season 2, Episode 6: "Take A Right"
Location: The Cobra Kai's Dive Bar
Address: 1953 Lakewood Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA Ideal Sports Bar
Thanks to Amy Susanne for tracking this one down...
Season 2, Episode 8: "Glory of Love"
Location: Cascade Skating Rink
Address: 3335 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Atlanta, GA
This rink was also seen on Insatiable (2018-2019)
Season 2, Episode 9: "Pulpo"
Location: Don Corazon's Restaurant
Address: 6450 Powers Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, GA Mojave Restaurant
Location: Moon's House
Address: 3905 Parian Ridge Road NW, Atlanta, GA
Here is a shot of the interior when the house was on the market in 2019...
Season 2, Episode 10: "No Mercy"
Location: West Valley High School
Address: 1560 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta, GA
A different school was used than the one seen in season one where the ultimate knock down drag out battle royale took place that I'm sure got people psyched up for The Avengers...
Season 3, Episode 1: "Aftermath"
Location: West Valley General Hospital
Address: 135 Riverside Parkway, Austell, GA Riverside Epicenter
Location: Larusso Auto Group
Address: 135 Riverside Parkway, Austell, GA Riverside Epicenter
If this looks vaguely familiar, that's because it is the same location as the hospital, just around the corner...
Season 3, Episode 2: "Nature Vs. Nurture"
Location: Kreese's Diner
Address: 2277 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta, GA
Location: Malibu Canyon Recovery Center
Address: 1750 Merton Road NE, Atlanta, GA
Location: Johnny & Daniel's Gas StationAddress: 1974 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta, GA
Location: Johnny & Daniel's Car Chase
Address: starting at Sylvan Road SW & Dill Avenue, Atlanta, GA
The chase continues at the intersection of Murphy Avenue & Avon Avenue...
Location: The Repair Shop
Address: 1977 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta, GA
Just across the street from the gas station...
Season 3, Episode 3: "Now You're Gonna Pay"
Location: Doyona International
Address: 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA Woodruff Arts Center
Season 3, Episode 4: "The Right Path"
Location: Tomi Village Green
Address: 50 Upper Alabama Street, Atlanta, GA
When Daniel steps out of his taxi looking horrified, you can see the previous location of The World of Coca-Cola...
Underground Atlanta is currently undergoing reconstruction and is closed to the public so this was the closest I could get to the area that was used for filming...
Location: West Valley High Soccer Field
Address: 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta, GA C.T. Martin Rec Center
The soccer field is behind the rec center, which was used as the establishing shot of West Valley High School in season one...
Location: Daniel & Kumiko's Cafe
Address: 1280 Peachtree Stret NE, Atlanta GA Woodruff Arts Center
This area is just outside the High Museum...
Season 3, Episode 7: "Obstaculos"
Location: Daniel & Sam's Lake
Address: 1750 Mt. Vernon Road, Lithia Springs, GA
Sweetwater Creek State Park
Season 3, Episode 8: "The Good, The Bad and the Badass"
Location: Eagle Fang Karate Dojo
Address: Joseph Lowery Boulevard SW & White Street SW, Atlanta, GA Rose Circle Park
Season 3, Episode 9: "Feel The Night"
Location: The Mills' House
Address: 4072 Alonzo Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA
Location: Magnolia Kitchen Cafe Interior
Address: 1000 White Street SW, Atlanta, GA Boxcar
I quickly recognized this post as it was an after work haunt pre-Covid. Tasty food if you have time grab a bite...
A different location was used as the establishing shot as this is the exterior of Boxcar...
Location: Golf N' Stuff
Address: 1675 GA 85, Fayetteville, GA Fun Spot America Atlanta
I have not been back since 2018, so here are a few shots from that visit...
Location: Encino Oaks Country Club
Address: 659 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA The Georgian Terrace
Season 4, Episode 1: "Let's Begin"
Location: Robby's Skate Park
Address: 1000 White Street SW, Atlanta, GA
This is in the parking lot for the Boxcar, which was Johnny and Ali's restaurant in season 3. When I stopped by in January 2021, the owner informed me production was building a skate park for the upcoming season but it looks like the just ended up dressing the side of the building...
Season 4, Episode 2: "First Learned Stand"
Location: Kenny's Bus Stop
Address: 665 Lawton Street SW, Atlanta, GA
Location: Balboa Park
Address: Joseph Lowery Boulevard SW & White Street SW, Atlanta, CA
Rose Circle Park - This is the same park used for Eagle Fang Karate's "Dojo" in Season 3...
Location: The Skating Rink
Address: 2300 Satellite Boulevard, Duluth, GA
Atlanta Ice Forum
Season 4, Episode 3: "Then Learn Fly"
Location: Kenny's House
Address: 680 Lawton Street SW, Atlanta, GA
Just down the street from Kenny's bus stop is Kenny's house, which we don't get an establishing shot of, but the peach door and the stairs across the street are recognizable...
Season 4, Episode 4: "Bicephaply"
Location: The Drive-In
Address: 2000 Moreland Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA
Location: The Baseball Field
Address: 3009 Randall Street, East Point, GA
John D. Milner Athletic Complex
Season 4, Episode 5: "Match Point"
Location: Johnny Kicks Mailbox
Address: 633 Atwood Street SW, Atlanta, GA
Location: Johnny Trashes Scooter
Address: 600 Hopkins Street SW, Atlanta, GA
Lean Draft House
Season 4, Episode 6: "King Cobra"
Location: West Valley High Soccer Field
Address: 592 Fairground Street SE, Marietta, GA
Larry Bell Park
The West Valley High Gymnastics Center is also located here, but unfortunately it was closed for maintenance...
Location: Aisha's House
Address: 3470 Woodhaven Road NW, Atlanta, GA
Season 4, Episode 8: "Party Time"
Location: West Valley High Junior Prom
Address: 817 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA Biltmore
Location: Stingray's House
Address: 7010 Broughton Lane, Roswell, GA
Season 4, Episode 10: "The Rise"
Location: The Cemetery
Address: 1680 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA
Westview Cemetery, Section 25
As a huge fan of The Karate Kid Part II (1986), I was very excited to see that Chozen is back once again in the final moment of the season finale..
Season 5, Episode 1: "Long, Long Way From Home"
Location: Cobra Kai Dojo
Address: 680 Murphy Avenue, Atlanta, GA
Season 5, Episode 2: "Mole"
Location: Terry Silver's House
Address: 2798 Redding Road, Atlanta, GA
Season 5, Episode 5: "Extreme Measures"
Location: Olive Garden
Address: 4749 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA
Season 5, Episode 6: "Ouroboros"
Location: Topanga Karate
Address: 4478B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA
The Dojo Karate
I was an extra in Episode 9 of Season 3 at the Ventura Zoo. You can spot me for a brief second before the Cobra Kais enter. It was thirty degrees that day so not wearing a jacket and holding an iced cold soda was quite painful...
9/2/20 - Reel to Real was mentioned in Men's Health and Decider.com articles about Cobra Kai filming locations. You can read them here and here.
Locations Visited: March 2016, June 2018, October 2018, April 2019, August 2019, September 2019, September 2020, November 2020, January 2021, January 2022, September 2022
Related Locations:
The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Bananarama - Cruel Summer (1984)
