New York City takes center stage on Uncoupled — it’s a location near and dear to the heart of the show’s co-creator Darren Star. “I know New York intimately, and I love filming in New York,” Star, who, in addition to Emily in Paris, brought the Manhattan-set Sex and the City to the small screen, tells Netflix. “To me, doing a show about relationships in New York is such a wonderful setting. And it does always become a character in your show in the sense that it’s a great stage for people to play on.”
“What I love about New York,” Star adds, “is that as many years as I have filmed there, I’m always finding new, amazing locations that I’ve never seen before.”
Since Uncoupled’s Michael Lawson (Neil Patrick Harris) specializes in selling luxurious Big Apple real estate, finding ideal, high-market-value apartments was top of mind for production designer Ray Kluga.
“Uncoupled [is] about a slice of New York that’s very high-end,” Kluga says. “It’s a very high-rise kind of show,” with Michael being the ultimate wheeler and dealer for his elite clientele.
While the show’s gasp-worthy properties might be well out of the price range of many viewers, Tudum decided to check in with Selling Sunset broker Jason Oppenheim so that he could provide some perspective on how these spaces would really do on the market.
Step into this private showing of the shooting locations from Uncoupled and decide for yourself if you’d love and list them.
44 Gramercy Park North
Why it was chosen: We tried to find an older slice of New York that’s more genteel. The building was built in 1929 in this charming Art Deco, gothic style. It has a terrace and a double height living room — all of these fantastic details that are reminiscent of an older, romanticized New York of the ’20s and ’30s.
Jason Oppenheim’s take: The first one — I love those kinds of windows, those tall steel windows and doors. My absolute favorite. Great high ceilings. Unbelievable natural light. And the wood flooring, I love, too. The only thing that I’m not a big fan of in this first one is [it] looks like it’s a pretty closed off kitchen. It would be very difficult for me because I like to entertain, and I like to have an open kitchen. I find myself hanging out, entertaining in the kitchen, so that would be a non-starter for me. I’d have to open that up. And I’m not a fan of that carpet. I don’t like carpet.
556 Third Ave.
Why it was chosen: We ended up finding this spectacular double-height living room apartment, which by all rights should have been on the Upper East Side but was further down in the 30s.
Oppenheim’s take: The scale and the natural light — that’s what I’m looking at — are exceptional. And the flooring, and an open kitchen with an island. It looks like it opens, so that is more my vibe.
1155 Sixth Ave.
Why it was chosen: This is a new building just off Times Square, and it has a 360-degree, middle-of-Manhattan view. That was a great take-your-breath-away location.
Oppenheim’s take: It’s a little cold and a little austere for me. I also feel like it would get way too hot. Just the sun coming in during the day. You’d have to have your drapes down. I’d have to have drapes, but I feel like that sun would beat down on that place. And it’s just not really as warm as the first two. It needs flowy curtains and warmer flooring. That flooring looks very cold. So just a little too austere and cold for me.
Additional reporting by Ariana Romero.
