Reel to Real Filming Locations: Swans Crossing (1992)

I've been a lover of soap operas since I was a kid. I started watching Days of Our Lives with my mom when I was young. Teens on soaps were seen but rarely heard so when Swans Crossing made its debut in the summer of 1992, it was nice to see them front and center. The affluent town with the same name was filled with romance, fun and adventure for its youthful residents. Unfortunately, it was short-lived, eventually moving from its 5pm timeslot to some ungodly hour. There was a chance to save the show as the very last episode had a "We want to hear from you!" message but there was no address or phone number...or google. At least Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000) and Melrose Place (1992-1999) helped fill the void.

While I was in college, I had internships at The Bold and the Beautiful and All My Children, the latter having some of the directors who had previously worked on Swans Crossing, in addition of course to having Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shane McDermott in the cast. Unfortunately they were both off the show at that point, with Sarah recently starring in the horror hits I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Scream 2 (1997) but I did take the opportunity to ask one of the directors about his experience on the show. Apparently Swans Crossing had been renewed for another 65 episodes and they even had a party to celebrate but the receipts from the doll line were less than expected and money was suddenly scarce.

The show was taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios is Queens, home to The Cosby Show (1984-1992) and Sesame Street. I always wondered if Swans Crossing ended up using the same studio as The Cosby Show, which went off the air just as production would've started on the teen sudser. They did venture out on location occasionally but unfortunately no information was available online. Luckily I grew up in nearby Westchester County and recognized a few old stomping grounds. Co-creator Ned Kandel was kind enough to clue me in on some of the others.

Swans Crossing was filmed in Rye, Central Valley and Astoria, NY and Hialeah and Coral Gables, FL

Before the show debuted and before even a few of the actors were cast, a commercial was filmed in the Miami area to try and sell the show...

Location: The Swans Club

Address: 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, FL

The Biltmore Hotel doubled as The Swans Club. The luxurious resort was built in the 1920s and is a national historical landmark...

Location: Main Street

Address: 6751 Main Street, Hialeah, FL

Location: The Rutledge Mansion
Address: 350 Purchase Street, Rye, NY

The mansion is set back from the road and around a bend so I couldn't get a clear photo, but I was able to catch a glimpse of it through the trees. The property is quite massive. The grounds in the back of the mansion are visible from the street. Much thanks to Ned Kandel and PaulH for info on this location...

Location: The Swans Crossing Town Square
Address: 498 Red Apple Court, Central Valley, NY Woodbury Common Outlets

The Woodbury Common Outlets stood in for the town square. All of the action took place in the "Hudson Valley" section where Michael Kors is located. The Market Hall tower can be seen in the background. Some remodeling has been done to the outlets, but the area is still very recognizable...

The Market Hall seems to have undergone the most reconstruction since 1992. Here is a photo before the modifications...

Location: The Swans Crossing Pier
Address: 1 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY Playland Amusement Park

I instantly recognized the pier seen in the 4th of July episodes as the Playland Amusement Park, a popular filming location used in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Fatal Attraction (1987), Big (1988) and Mariah Carey's Fantasy (1995) music video was filmed...

The ticket booth is still there!

Location: The Swans Crossing Tool & Die
Address: 34-12 36th Street, Astoria, NY Kaufmann Astoria Studios

An establishing shot of the Tool & Die is never actually seen, but you do see the guys head out from what looks like a stage door to crash Mila's slumber party. I figured it was Kaufman Astoria Studios, where the show was filmed, and it turned out it was. This door is at 35th Street & 34th Avenue...

Location: J.T. & Neil's Rocket Launch
Address: 1 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY Edith Read Natural Park & Wildlife Sanctuary

Just beyond the Swans Crossing Pier is where J.T. and Neil conduct their failed rocket launch in the first episode...