Where Was Seinfeld Filmed?

The Short Answer

Seinfeld ran from 1989 to 1998 and was filmed primarily on sound stages at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, California, after the pilot was shot at Red Studios Hollywood in Hollywood. Establishing shots and key exteriors, including Monk's Café at Tom's Restaurant in Manhattan, were captured in New York City.

Seinfeld looks like New York. The diners, the brownstones, the busy sidewalks outside Jerry's apartment building all read as Manhattan. But almost everything that happened indoors, and plenty of the street scenes too, was shot hundreds of miles away in Los Angeles, on stages and backlots built to imitate the Upper West Side.

That split between where a show is set and where it is actually filmed shapes any Seinfeld location trip. Some of the most recognizable addresses are real and reachable in New York. Others, including the main studio lot, are closed to the public entirely. Here is what was filmed where, and what fans can still see today.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Tom's Restaurant	New York	Exterior of Monk's Café	Free to see
757 S New Hampshire Avenue	Los Angeles	Exterior of Jerry's apartment building	Outside only
CBS Studio Center	Studio City	Main soundstages, New York Street backlot, Jerry's apartment and Monk's sets	Private property
Costanza House	Queens	George's parents' home exterior	Outside only
Mountain View Mortuary and Cemetery	Altadena	Susan's memorial scene	Free to see
Original Soup Man	New York	Inspiration for Soup Nazi	Free to see
Red Studios Hollywood	Hollywood	Pilot episode on Stage 8	Private property
Paramount Studios New York Street	Hollywood	Scenes including The Rye	Ticketed

Filming Locations Map

8 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

The exterior of Tom's Restaurant, in Morningside Heights in Manhattan, served as Monk's Café, the diner where Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer argued over muffin tops and nothing in particular. Only the outside appeared on screen; the interior scenes were shot on sets in Los Angeles. The restaurant is open for dining and remains a popular stop for fans and Columbia students, with Seinfeld memorabilia on the walls.

This Koreatown apartment building in Los Angeles stood in for the exterior of Jerry's New York building. Fans can view it from the street, but it is a private apartment building, so there is no access to hallways or units. The familiar interiors, including Jerry's door, which was reportedly replaced three times because of Kramer's entrances, were built on sound stages at CBS Studio Center.

The heart of the production. CBS Studio Center in Studio City housed the main sound stages, the New York Street backlot used extensively for street scenes, and the standing sets for Jerry's apartment and Monk's Café. The lot is private and closed to the public, with no tours offered, so fans cannot enter. The backlot's facades did most of the work of pretending to be Manhattan.

George's parents' home exterior is a private residence at 22-37 37th Street in Astoria, Queens. The house appears in establishing shots and exterior scenes for Frank and Estelle Costanza. It is viewable from the street only, and it remains somebody's home, so visitors should be respectful, take a quick photo and move on. It pairs well with other Queens stops on a New York filming location route.

This cemetery in Altadena, California, stood in for the memorial scene following Susan's death in season seven. Unlike most Seinfeld sites, it is fully open to the public, with peaceful grounds that welcome visitors. It is an unusual stop on a Seinfeld itinerary, better suited to completionists exploring Los Angeles area locations than to casual fans.

The real soup shop that inspired the Soup Nazi episode, and the character of Yev Kassem, operates at 259 West 55th Street in Manhattan. It still serves soup today, making it one of the few Seinfeld locations where a scene's subject can be tasted in person. Fans of the episode will recognize the premise even if the storefront has changed since the show aired.

The pilot episode of Seinfeld was shot on Stage 8 at this Hollywood facility, then known as Ren-Mar and earlier as Desilu. The same stage had previously hosted The Dick Van Dyke Show, giving the sitcom's birthplace a notable sitcom pedigree. The studio is private and not open to the public, so there is nothing to visit beyond the exterior of the complex.

Scenes including the episode The Rye were shot on Paramount's New York Street backlot in Hollywood. Unlike most studios connected to the show, Paramount is visitable: a ticketed studio tour is available, making this the closest most fans can get to standing on an actual Seinfeld filming location among the LA studio sites. Check current tour availability before planning a visit.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Seinfeld is set in New York City, on the Upper West Side, at Monk's Café and around Jerry's apartment. It was primarily filmed in Los Angeles studios and backlots, with select exteriors captured in New York. Establishing shots and recognizable storefronts are genuinely Manhattan, while the interiors and most street-level action came from California sets. The series reportedly used 1,380 sets across nine seasons, a measure of how much of New York was rebuilt indoors.

The Studio Side

Three studios matter to the Seinfeld story. The pilot was shot at Red Studios Hollywood, then called Ren-Mar, on the same stage used for The Dick Van Dyke Show. Production then moved to CBS Studio Center in Studio City, which hosted the main sound stages, the New York Street backlot, and the Jerry's apartment and Monk's sets; that lot is private with no tours. Paramount Studios in Hollywood contributed its New York Street backlot for scenes including The Rye, and it is the one studio site the public can tour today. The finale was partly filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot later used for Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow.

Tours That Visit These Locations

For travelers who want the New York side of the show without researching every address, guided tours bundle Seinfeld stops alongside other screen landmarks. Options range from private walks to large bus tours, with something for both devoted fans and casual viewers.

Bus Tour, Multiple Shows

NYC TV & Movie Locations Bus Tour: Friends, Seinfeld & More

A New York City bus tour covering Friends, Seinfeld and more, rated 4.5 across 1,293 reviews. A strong pick for first-time visitors who want broad TV and movie coverage with Seinfeld included.

4.5 out of 5 · 1,293 reviewsNew York City

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Private Walk, 2 Hours

When Harry Met Seinfeld 2-Hour Private Tour

A two-hour private tour pairing Seinfeld sites with When Harry Met Sally locations, ideal for rom-com and sitcom fans who want a guide to themselves. Rated 4.3 from 51 reviews.

4.3 out of 5 · 51 reviews

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Dedicated Seinfeld Tour

Seinfeld Locations Tour

A tour focused entirely on Seinfeld locations, priced at $110, with a perfect 5.0 rating from a small pool of 7 reviews. Best for visitors who want the show front and center.

5.0 out of 5 · 7 reviews

From$110Check availability

Small Seinfeld Sites Tour

New York: Seinfeld Locations Tour

A dedicated Seinfeld locations tour at $180, holding a 5.0 rating from 6 reviews. Suited to serious fans willing to pay more for a focused itinerary.

5.0 out of 5 · 6 reviews

From$180Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Visit The Studio Where Seinfeld Was Filmed?

Not the main one. CBS Studio Center in Studio City, where most of the series was shot, is private and offers no tours. Red Studios Hollywood, home of the pilot, is also closed to the public. Paramount Studios in Hollywood, whose New York Street backlot hosted scenes including The Rye, does offer a ticketed studio tour.

Is Monk's Café A Real Place?

Yes and no. The exterior belongs to Tom's Restaurant in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, which is open for dining. The interior scenes were filmed on a set in Los Angeles, so what you see inside the real restaurant never appeared on the show.

Where Is Jerry's Apartment Building?

The exterior shots used a real building at 757 South New Hampshire Avenue in Los Angeles, in Koreatown. In the show's story it sat on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The building is private, so viewing is limited to the street.

Which Seinfeld Locations Can You Actually Enter?

Tom's Restaurant, which you can dine in; Original Soup Man at 259 West 55th Street, still serving soup; and Mountain View Mortuary and Cemetery in Altadena, California, which has open grounds. Paramount Studios is visitable on a ticketed tour. The remaining sites are private or viewable from the street only.

Was The Soup Nazi Based On A Real Restaurant?

Yes. The Original Soup Man in Midtown Manhattan inspired the episode and the character. It still operates as a soup restaurant, making it one of the few places where the food itself is part of the filming story.

How Many Sets Did Seinfeld Use?

The series used 1,380 sets over its nine seasons, spanning 1989 to 1998. That figure reflects how much of New York was reconstructed on Los Angeles sound stages rather than filmed on location.

A Seinfeld location trip splits neatly in two. New York delivers the recognizable exteriors: Monk's Café, the Soup Man, the Astoria house. Los Angeles holds the studios where the show actually lived, though most are off limits, with Paramount the notable exception. A guided tour in Manhattan covers the reachable highlights efficiently, while the true studio experience requires a Hollywood detour.

Sources

The Short Answer

Every Location At A Glance

Filming Locations Map

Location By Location

Tom's Restaurant

757 S New Hampshire Avenue

CBS Studio Center

Costanza House

Mountain View Mortuary and Cemetery

Original Soup Man

Red Studios Hollywood

Paramount Studios New York Street