Showing posts with label The O.C. Filming Locations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The O.C. Filming Locations. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

The O.C. In the News: 6210 Ocean Breeze Dr UPDATE!

6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming

Hi guys! We hope everyone has been safe out there in this post COVID world. We wanted to bring you an update on the 6210 Ocean Breeze Dr house. If you are unfamiliar about the OC significance of this house and what happened to it, read this article here to get caught up on all the details! 

In short, on November 2018 the house that was used to film the pilot episode, interiors, kitchen, living-room and pool area was burned down by the Woolsey Malibu fires.

Recently, our O.C staffer Taylor and his wife Anna visited Malibu, CA and was able to get a status update on the 6210 Ocean Breeze property and filled us in on the current state of the property. 

First, see below for photos of the actual damage that the Woolsey fire had caused to the home. 
 
6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming
6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming
6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming
6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming
6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming
 
As you can see in this Google aerial shot, the property has been completely cleaned up and even still includes the original pool, grill area where Ryan's temporary pool house was built. 
 
6210 ocean breeze OC pilot house filming
 
As of 6/21 the 6210 Ocean Breeze property is being rebuilt! When Taylor and his wife went to Malibu they reported that construction was being made on the property. They were unsure however, if it will be the same exact design but did confirm that the original pool area/bar area are still intact. In-fact, if you look really closely you will see a construction foreman chilling under an umbrella near the pool bar area. He's living the dream! What a view! See below for a video of the property.
 
 
So the silver-lining in all this from a OC fan perspective is that at least one of the most famous pilot episode areas (pool area) of the home is still intact! However, we can't imagine how devastating this has been for the owners but very glad that they decided to rebuild! We hope you enjoyed this update! Thank you for checking it out!

Monday, June 7, 2021

We're going to The OC!

 


Our very own OC staffer Taylor will be visiting Orange County this week to bring you all some exclusive on-location photos of various famous O.C. spots! Stay tuned later in the week for updates! Let us know via our official Instagram profile @welovetheoc which locations you would be interested in seeing. Thank you!



Tuesday, November 27, 2018

The O.C. in the News: Update on 6210 Ocean Breeze Drive (sad news)

6210 destruction left from woolsey malibu fire the oc pilot house

Special Malibu - Woolsey Fire Update

Earlier this month we had reported about the possibilities of Woolsey fire damage on the 6210 Ocean Breeze Drive home aka the pilot O.C. house - read about that here first. At the time we were uncertain on what extent the reported damage may have been. Since then we have very sad news to report. to O.C. fans everywhere. A twitter user @SteveCovington had brought to our attention that the 6210 Ocean Breeze Drive home has been completely leveled. Further proof is in these recently released aerial images of the Malibu area. Thanks for the share Steve.

6210 destruction left from woolsey malibu fire the oc pilot house

You are looking at what is now left of the 6210 Ocean Breeze Drive home (this house was the only one to suffer any damage on the Ocean Breeze Drive cul de sac. If you look closely (or not) you will see that the whole structure of the home has been completely burned to the ground into nothing.

6210 destruction left from woolsey malibu fire the oc pilot house

The only part of the house that remains is the front driveway and backyard pool area. Notice how the pool, hot-tub and outdoor grill kitchen area still remain. 



You may not know but the backyard of this Malibu home (as well as some interior rooms, kitchen where Ryan makes breakfast and Kirsten and Sandy talk, Seth's room, living room where Seth and Ryan first met) was all filmed here. Do you remember the scene when Ryan wakes up from the pool house and walks outside to take in the amazing view? That was all shot at this now destroyed house. See the above video scene for reference. Knowing what we know now - it will be a little eerie re-watching the pilot episode.


The above photo was from a recent real-estate listing. The home was worth around 7 million dollars at the time of its demise. As you can see from the above photo - no pool house, this is because after the pilot episode the pool house was dismantled and rebuilt along with the backyard area and everything else on a sound-stage at an Manhattan Beach studio. More on that here

6210 destruction left from woolsey malibu fire the oc pilot house

Lastly here is a very sobering before and after image. We pray that the owners of this home got out safe before it caught fire. 

6205 ocean breeze drive oc house cohen

On a positive note we are very happy that the 6205 Ocean Breeze Drive home  (the house we see the front of in nearly every episode and located on the same street) and Marissa's house was left untouched from the blaze. 

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

The O.C. Fan Submissions: Cory and Josh Hatfield strike a pose at The O.C. Diner!


Here we have the one and only Cory and Josh Hatfield from the well loved "first and only" O.C. commentary podcast track Portland CA. As you can see in this throw-back photo - they decided to stop by and get a bite to eat at the famous O.C. Diner, more on that here! Look at the deep contemplation on Josh's face and we all know who the Seth Cohen is in this photo! Thanks for submitting guys! Don't forget to check out their podcasts!

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Behind the Scenes: The Newport Pier Restaurant!


You may or may not know but after a few episodes of season 1 of The O.C., much of the popular interior "Newport" O.C. filming locations we saw in the show were recreated inside Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios. The Cohen house interior, Ryan's pool house, Marissa's lifeguard tower, Harbor School and more were all just elaborate sets housed within two indoor sound-stages. This is of course is a fairy normal practice in the filming industry. For instance when the TV show's creators know main characters are going to frequent a certain location - like the restaurant that the Friends cast hung out at or the restaurant the Seinfeld cast hung out at - they build a set. This happens because it gets more and more expensive to film on location - Furthermore controlling things like outdoor sounds - lighting etc can be very difficult. Thus you recreate a replica within a film studio, then you can pretty much film and control whatever you want. There was a good mix between on location shooting and indoor set shooting on The O.C. but Like anything the best sets were the ones that nobody knew were fake.

rachel bilson, adam brody, benjamin mckenie, mischa barton the oc diner restaurant

One real location you may have not realized turned into a set shortly after a few episodes was the "Newport" pier restaurant. You know, the place where the core-4 hung out - talked about their big plans or just grabbed a bite to eat.

ryan punches luke the oc diner restaurant season 1
ryan punches luke the oc diner restaurant season 1

It was also the same place where Ryan punched Luke in season 1 episode 2 "The Model Home". Ohhh memories! "You know what I like about rich kids...Nothing!"

the o.c. behind the scenes set photos restaurant

On to the good stuff - as you see in the above photo, this is a super rare, one of a kind image that reveals both Marissa's life guard tower and the pier restaurant sets. In the background you will see the exterior of the pier restaurant replica, complete with look-alike pier railing and wooden dock posts as the actual real location in Redondo Beach.

The green thing at the top near the roof is actually a backdrop similar to the Cohen ocean backdrop that can be rolled up and rolled down during filming - the backdrop contains a photo of the actual background at the real pier diner location in Redondo beach giving the illusion that they are really filming on location. To further the illusion the director would have background actors walk back and forth in the window background while the cast members shot scenes from inside. 

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

The actual restaurant is called Redondo Coffee Shop & Bait. It's a real life coffee shop/cafe that serves breakfast, seafood lunch and deserts but also doubles as a bait and tackle shop - you can actually rent fishing poles from them too. The restaurant is owned by a sweet Korean couple. In the show this location is suppose to be located on the Balboa Pier in Newport but it's actually located in Redondo Beach on a similar looking pier. A ton of on location scenes were filmed around this Redondo beach pier location including The Bait Shop (torn down sadly) and Sandy's law office building.

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC menu

Here is a scan of their most current menu courtesy of SeeingStars.com. As you can tell they have a wide array of foods and their prices are pretty reasonable. Their Yelp review is actually very good too.  

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant


Although some reviews complain that the interiors are outdated and are falling apart but that's the good part for fans of The O.C., the interiors have stayed the same over the last 15 years. Word on the street is that you can ask for the "Chino Special" your meal comes complete with a knuckle sandwich! 😉

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

When the show was still on TV the Redondo Coffee Shop was painted green and tan-ish color but this has since been changed to a yellow and blue color scheme. Personally this color scheme looks a lot tackier than the original but it's definitely attention grabbing!


redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC
redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

This filming location can be found at 141 Fisherman's Wharf Redondo Beach, CA 90277. Many fans from all over the world have visited this location in hopes to dine in at the 3 booths where actors sat. Furthermore it's a very popular place for locals to hang out that probably never even heard or cared about the show. You can find a an assortment of O.C. fan pictures within the restaurant scattered around the interwebs - like the two above.

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC autographs

When visiting the restaurant look out for this cast signed autographed photo. It's hanging inside the restaurant near the corner booth where Ryan, Seth and Marissa sat in season 1 episode 2 "The Model Home".

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC booth

Here is the corner booth that Seth, Marissa and Ryan actually sat in season 1 episode 2 "The Model Home".

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC booth seth and ryan


There used to be a coffee sign on the wall but has since been removed. However the big tip off is a painting of a coffee pitcher and two coffee mugs, has been there since 2003. The white frame at the top right corner is the autographed photo shown above.

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

Some additional angles of the restaurant



Last but not least a 360 movable photo a fan shot in the famous corner booth. So there you have it - alittle piece of O.C. history! Not only can you sit your tush where the cast of the O.C. sat their tush but you can also get your eat on - not a bad combination if you ask us!

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Behind the Scenes: Marissa's Lifeguard Tower Set!


Here is a very rare behind the scenes photo of the famous S-49 lifeguard tower! You know the place where Marissa spent a lot of time contemplating the many stresses of teen life!

"Coop you spend all of your time on that lifeguard stand staring out at the water like you're a Naval widow."  - Summer


This set was built to replicate the real S-49 lifeguard tower located on Dockweiler Beach as seen above. Right behind the LAX airport. Google map link here!























The real lifeguard tower is very similar to the replica. The replica set was built inside Manhattan Beach Studios (the same place where the Cohen house set was). The set came complete with fake hills, plants, shrubs, background lighting and lots and lots of sand! Clearly this set was only used for night scenes.


Many lifeguard towers were seen in passing during the series. Here is a shot of a different lifeguard tower at Hermosa Beach in season 1 episode 9 "The Heights". 


Here is a rare scan from The O.C. Insider Magazine providing additional angles of lifeguard tower the set
Generally sets are created when the show creators realize that a certain location will be used a bunch of times, making it much more cost effective than shooting at the actual locations. Not only can they film whenever they want in a studio but they can also control nearly every aspect of the scene (which is not the case when shooting on location).

They sure had us fooled! Were you fooled? Regardless we thought this was pretty cool and the set designers did a heck of a good job on it! What else is housed inside the beach set you ask? Stay tuned!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The O.C. Filming Locations: The Mermaid Inn AKA Beach Plaza Hotel is Gone!!

The name sign and mermaid were props added just for the show (lighting effect added by us)

Sad news OC'ers we've lost yet another filming location, this time it's the The Mermaid Inn aka Beach Plaza Hotel...sigh....

mermaid inn from the o.c. tv show
Before (2015)

mermaid inn from the o.c. torn down demolished location
After (now)
This filming location was not as big as loosing The Bait Shop but it served us up some important scenes never-the-less...

julie and luke kiss the o.c.



Like the time Ryan and Seth find out Luke is sleeping with Julie 

ryan and theresa makeout at the mermaid inn the o.c.

OR how bout when Ryan and Theresa hooked up behind Eddies back


The Beach Plaza Hotel was a real hotel in Long Beach, CA, (not in Newport). The hotel had 40 rooms and was there for a long time. The hotel was located at 2010 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90803. This O.C. filming location served up scenes for 4 different episodes, three episodes from season 1 and one episode in season 3 (some scenes featured above).


Nothing like a good ole cheap hotel to boost drama! Above is where Julie and Luke hooked up for the first time, which was located on the opposite side. We can't confirm at this point if any of the rooms were actually filmed in but by the looks of the images found around the web of the interiors, furniture etc they don't quite match with what is shown on The O.C..Thus giving us the impression that the interiors were filmed at Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios (with the rest of The O.C. sets).




The hotel has some very interesting and hilarious reviews on yelp, make sure to check them out! Overall the general consensus was that the hotel was very affordable (especially to be so close to the beach), customer service was so-so but the rooms could be very trashy and not cleaned very well.

Here is an actual photo of inside one of the rooms..classy eh?

Furthermore the walls were "paper thin", some rooms were without AC, low prices so close to the beach attracted parties, rambunctious behavior and some guests even complained about hearing people doing the deed. Prices ranged from 35 dollars to upper 70's depending on the room and accommodations but this was very cheap for the location. So affordable that many guests appeared to ignore the flaws it had and were just happy to have a hotel so close to the beach at such a nice price. 


Here is a top view of what the hotel looked like. The yellow arrows point to the areas where filming took place. Most all happening on the left side. The yellow arrow in the back is where Seth and Ryan were when they saw Julie and Luke kissing. The front arrow was where Ryan and Seth walked in to ask if anyone turned in his watch. All which can be seen in Season 1 Episode 22 "The LA".

The future plan for the empty lot: As of now the lot remains empty but we discovered there are plans to build a multi-story hotel building that has 72 hotel rooms, complete with valet parking, restaurant and lounge. Sounds a heck of a lot more classy than the original. However locals are already wondering how that size hotel will effect traffic and congestion. Only time will tell!  

Fun fact: Which room did Theresa and Ryan hook up in? Give up? Room 204 which was one of the rooms on the upstairs portion of the hotel. We know this because Julie stays in room 205 which was right next door to where Theresa was staying. Julie hooked up with Luke in one of the downstairs rooms as well. The old hotel owner also mentions room 204 when Ryan and Seth ask about a missing watch.


But yes...Gone forever...but never forgotten! It's a cloudy day in the world of O.C. filming locations but we'll float on..We will miss you Mermaid Inn. Cheers.

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