<strong>The</strong> All-in-One It always begins in a deceptively casual way: “We need a dance rehearsal space, a Chinese garden, a <strong>the</strong>ater, a museum exterior and a college frat.” A varied enough list <strong>of</strong> locations, but certainly manageable with enough lead time. And <strong>the</strong>n comes <strong>the</strong> kicker: “In one place.” Should have seen it coming! Ah, <strong>the</strong> all-in-one shooting location—<strong>the</strong> legendary single-address solution to all one’s filming needs. by Nick Carr As a scout, I’ve always embraced such requests because it instantly narrows <strong>the</strong> search to those gold standards <strong>of</strong> filming locales, <strong>the</strong> ones movie and TV crews return to time and again for <strong>the</strong>ir chameleon-like ability to <strong>of</strong>fer a little bit <strong>of</strong> everything for even <strong>the</strong> most discerning <strong>of</strong> directors and production designers. Were I hit with <strong>the</strong> above request, <strong>the</strong> solution would be simple: Snug Harbor. Located on <strong>the</strong> north coast <strong>of</strong> Staten Island, Snug Harbor was founded in 1833 at <strong>the</strong> bequest <strong>of</strong> Revolutionary War solider and ship’s captain, Richard Robert Randall, to provide a cost-free retirement home for “aged, decrepit and worn-out” seamen. Over <strong>the</strong> ensuing century, dozens <strong>of</strong> buildings were constructed on <strong>the</strong> 130-acre campus in styles ranging from Greek Revival to Anglo-Italian. Today, Snug Harbor is a city-owned park and cultural center open to <strong>the</strong> public; for location scouts, it’s a goldmine <strong>of</strong> onestop location shopping. That museum exterior? Try <strong>the</strong> row <strong>of</strong> Greek Revival structures that front <strong>the</strong> property. A frat? <strong>The</strong> former governor’s house, lumbering and slightly rundown just as you’d expect a frat to be, would be a fantastic choice. A Chinese garden? Snug Harbor boasts a Ming Dynasty-inspired Chinese garden, complete with waterfalls and Koi ponds. <strong>The</strong> <strong>the</strong>ater? Veteran’s Memorial Hall will do <strong>the</strong> trick, and can double as a New England church exterior if needed. And a dance rehearsal space? Dozens <strong>of</strong> versatile interior rooms with period flourishes can be transformed into just about anything you can imagine. For a quick highlight <strong>of</strong> its multitude <strong>of</strong> options, simply watch Lady Gaga’s Marry <strong>the</strong> Night music video, which was almost entirely shot at Snug Harbor. When it comes to grab-bag locations in Manhattan, <strong>The</strong> New York Academy <strong>of</strong> Medicine at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street takes top billing. Built in 1926 for <strong>the</strong> eponymous health advocacy group, <strong>the</strong> highlight <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> space is a grand library featuring dark wood shelving, enormous arched windows overlooking Central Park and even <strong>the</strong> original card catalog drawers. But look a little fur<strong>the</strong>r and you’ll also find a formal <strong>the</strong>ater/lecture hall; a wood-paneled, collegiate-style boardroom; modern and oldworld-style <strong>of</strong>fices; and a gilded marble lobby that could serve as <strong>the</strong> entrance to any number <strong>of</strong> esteemed organizations. Wes Anderson found it versatile enough to shoot many <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> Royal Tenenbaums’ interiors here. In 2008, <strong>the</strong> tragic closing <strong>of</strong> Pfizer’s 150-year-old chemical plant at <strong>the</strong> corner <strong>of</strong> Marcy Avenue and Flushing Avenue in South Williamsburg, unexpectedly created one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most flexible filming locations in Brooklyn. A gargantuan behemoth <strong>of</strong> a structure sprawling across an entire city block, <strong>the</strong> former plant quickly became <strong>the</strong> go-to filming location for TV shows such as Elementary and <strong>The</strong> Blacklist. In addition to its factory-like exterior, interiors run <strong>the</strong> gamut from a modern lobby with security booths, doctors’ <strong>of</strong>fices, locker rooms, lab spaces complete with chemical hoods, Dilbert-style cubicle <strong>of</strong>fices, cafeterias and countless industrial spaces. Best <strong>of</strong> all, Pfizer left behind much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir equipment and furniture, allowing production designers to pick and choose at <strong>the</strong>ir leisure. <strong>The</strong> New York Academy <strong>of</strong> Medicine at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street takes top billing, built in 1926 for <strong>the</strong> eponymous health advocacy group. 36 • LMGI COMPASS | Winter 2017
Photos <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> New York Academy <strong>of</strong> Medicine by Nick Carr/LMGI
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