Filming NYC

I love a good TV show or movie filmed in NYC. I love going to a theater in the city, when the film was shot locally, and hearing the people around me whisper about where the different scenes were shot. Here in NYC we are very used to our streets, stores, and restaurants being used as film locations. Even my seemingly dull block in Brooklyn has been used in at least 3 TV shows in just the 6 months I've lived here (Law and Order SVU, How to Make it in America, and Boardwalk Empire).

Sometimes a TV show or movie will refer to a NY location and I wonder if people in other parts of the country get it. I feel like this happens a lot with Gossip Girl. They will talk about going to a certain store or restaurant that seems significant to the plot line. The fact that they are going to that particular store may mean something about who they are, who they intend to be, etc. But if it's a store local to NYC, someone in say, North Carolina, may not pick up on that. It's all about the subtext. What does that specific location mean? This past week on Gossip Girl this Russian whore-like girl said to Chuck "You're the talk of Brighton Beach." Does the average teenager from outside NYC know about Brighton Beach? A few weeks ago on How to Make it in America one of the guys yelled out a car window about going to Veselka for perogies. Hubby and I were so excited- Veselka! Love it there! In this case Veselka wasn't exactly important to the plot line, but I don't think people outside NYC know Veselka. Right? Through the years there have been many more examples that are escaping me right now. But I've often thought, "hey, someone watching not familiar with NYC may not be getting the full story here."

And yes, I'm fully aware that if I'm watching a movie filmed in some other town, I may not get all the references. This goes both ways.

Anyone else out there ever thought about this? Sometimes just watching TV or a movie makes me glad I live in NYC!