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More than on-screen relationships, watching romance movies makes us lust after the sweet homes that the main characters live in. From urban flats to country plantations and even a houseboat, let’s tour through some of our favorite rentals.
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NYC
Sex and the City
Carrie Bradshaw’s Upper East Side apartment would cost $3,000 in today’s market, but she paid only $700 per month for the rent-stabilized, 1-bedroom brownstone with a walk-through closet. It has an on-screen address of 245 E. 73rd St., but it was filmed in the West Village at 66 Perry St. Does it look familiar? The brownstone was also the site of the Ghostbusters headquarters. This 4-story townhouse has 4,100 square feet, 10 rooms, and 6 fireplaces. It sold for $9.85 million in 2012.
Mr. Big and Carrie’s new penthouse apartment is located on Central Park across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1010 5th Ave. at East 82nd Street. The high-ceilinged, light-filled pre-war penthouse has double doors to the terrace, crown molding, and a custom walk-in closet. Carrie says, “I think I died and went to real estate heaven!” The interiors were filmed in a Spanish-style 4-story walk-up on 62nd Street. The monthly rent is $190,000, and the purchase price is $40 to $50 million.
Maid in Manhattan
Marisa Ventura’s apartment would cost $1,300 to rent in today’s market. It’s located in the Bronx at East 175th Street between the Grand Concourse and Jerome Avenue. The 2-bedroom that she shares with her son is a good location for a single mom commuting into Manhattan.
On the other hand, Christopher Marshall’s hotel suite would cost $12,000 per month. The on-screen location is the Beresford Hotel, but the filming locations were Roosevelt Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a 1931 art deco hotel with 47 stories.
When Harry Met Sally
Prior to ForRent.com, Harry offers this advice about finding an apartment in NYC:
“Really, what’s so hard about finding an apartment? What you do is you read the obituary column. Yeah, you find out who died and go to the building, and then you tip the doorman.
What they can do to make it easier is to combine the obituaries with the real estate section. Then you’d have: Mr. Klein died today, leaving a wife, two children and a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a wood-burning fireplace.”
Harry’s apartment is located in Greenwich Village at 57 E. 11th St. between University Place and Broadway. The 11-story building was built in 1903 and was previously a sewing machine factory. In the 1980s, the average NYC rent was $1,700, and many Lower Manhattan rentals were going for about $300. In today’s markets, this loft would cost $3,800 per month.
Charleston
The Notebook
Noah’s waterfront house is located at 204 Martins Point Road on Wadmalaw Island. Built around 1772, it’s an old Southern gem with stately columns. The 4-bedroom waterfront has a grand staircase, several fireplaces, and blue shutters. When Noah bought it, it was a fixer-upper! But today, it would rent for $12,000 per month. For filming, they started with a nice house, then distressed it for the earlier shots.
Seattle
Sleepless in Seattle
Sam’s Seattle houseboat would cost $9,500 per month to rent. Located at Westlake Avenue North on Lake Union, it is near the University of Washington and Pike Place Market. The 2,200-square-foot houseboat has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths with a lakeside dock. One of the bedrooms was converted into Sam’s office for his architecture business. The first floor has an open-concept floor plan for easy cooking/dining/entertaining. In 2014, the houseboat from the movie sold for $2 million. The previous owners had lived there for 21 years and bought it for $550,000.
Baltimore
He’s Just Not That Into You
Beth and Neil’s loft would cost $2,280 per month to rent. The hip loft in Federal Hill has exposed brick and an open floor plan. The 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment has 1,105 square feet.
Conor’s house is located in the Canton neighborhood at 3102 O’Donnell St. The 1,920-square-foot 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath has charming details like the fold-out ironing board in the kitchen. The 1880 row house was sold for $279,000 last year and would rent for $1,319 per month.
Beverly Hills
Pretty Woman
Vivian’s shabby apartment was in the Las Palmas Hotel. Located at 1738 N. Las Palmas Ave. in Hollywood, Julia Roberts’ character was sharing the tiny place with a roommate. It costs $185 per week, which would be $92.50 per roommate.
In contrast, Edward’s penthouse suite costs $38,500 per week. Located in the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel at 9500 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills, the 2-bedroom, 3-bath suite is on the 8th floor. The spacious rental is 4,000 square feet and includes his and hers walk-in closets, a marble bathroom, a living room, library and a formal dining room for 8. Most of the interior filming was done just down the road at the Ambassador Hotel. Currently, the Regent Beverly Wilshire has a “Pretty Woman” Presidential Suite that runs $5,500 per night.
Chicago
While You Were Sleeping
Lucy’s cramped second-floor apartment is located at #201, 3017 W. Logan Blvd. The monthly rental costs would be $1,195 per month.
The suburban house of the Callaghan family is located at 203 8th Ave. in La Grange, IL. Built in 1904, it has 7 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 4,000 square feet. The house rents at $5,000 per month.
Peter’s high-rise apartment is located in Lake Point Tower at 505 North Lake Shore Drive. The 70-floor downtown building has valet parking, indoor and outdoor pools, and a health club. The rental cost is $2,800 per month. Does it look familiar? It was also the filming location for “Meet the Parents” and “The Lake House.”
Chicago
The Big Sick
Although “The Big Sick” was filmed in Brooklyn, this is a Chicago love story. The widely successful rom-com has grossed $42.9 million since its 2017 release. Telling the real story of how comedian Kumail Nanjiani met his wife, the movie’s gross is a far cry from the cheap apartments that each of the main characters was renting.
Kumail’s sketchy walk-up apartment was located in the neighborhood of Wrigleyville, on Chicago’s north side. With a nice stoop in the front of the building, the small 1-bedroom was furnished like a bachelor pad with milk crates for furniture, a ping pong table in the living room, and an air mattress for a bed. Kumail’s rent was more affordable at $700 because he split the cost with a roommate who slept on the couch. His future father-in-law, Terry, said of the apartment: “Your living condition is a potential health risk.”
In contrast, Emily’s modern 1-bedroom apartment is an updated space with vintage details like cast iron radiators and crown molding. She was likely living in the Hyde Park neighborhood, which is popular with University of Chicago’s psychology grad students. It’s an open-concept layout with connected dining and living areas, and it would rent for $1,225 per month.
