# Normal Places Made Famous by an Arts and Entertainment Thing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803 "2023-03-06T20:37:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/1 "2023-03-06T20:37:53Z")
For example: The crosswalk on Abbey Road from the Abbey Road album cover. The steps of the Philadelphia Museum of the Arts from Rocky. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/2 "2023-03-06T20:58:28Z")
Various places in Dublin, in James Joyce’s _Ulysses_. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/3 "2023-03-06T21:14:58Z")
The bridge over Tokyo Bay, as destroyed by Godzilla. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/4 "2023-03-06T21:20:16Z")
The “Goonies” house in Astoria Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/5 "2023-03-06T21:25:50Z")
> **[Walter White’s House (Albuquerque) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60933-d14801818-Reviews-Walter_White_s_House-Albuquerque_New_Mexico.html)** Those poor people. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/6 "2023-03-06T21:43:40Z")
I was looking for a place to eat on Apple maps while driving through Studio City and saw a marker for **The Brady Bunch House**. Out of curiosity, I headed that way, but got diverted by a dim sum place on Ventura Blvd. Apparently, you can rent that house for $12,500 a month. ---
**Author:** ![Lavender\_Pebble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lavender_pebble/32/6290_2.png) [@Lavender\_Pebble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lavender_Pebble)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/7 "2023-03-06T21:51:06Z")
I recently drove through Forks, Washington for the first time, and it was probably the most unimpressive thing on the entire peninsula. But there were still remnants of Twilight fandom around. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/8 "2023-03-06T21:55:32Z")
Hazard, Nebraska, because of the song by Richard Marx. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/9 "2023-03-06T22:00:34Z")
55 Central Park West in Manhattan, a.k.a. “Spook Central” from _Ghostbusters_. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/10 "2023-03-06T22:01:42Z")
I went to Tom’s Restaurant in New York City, once. It’s doubly famous; was the exterior used for Monk’s Cafe in _Seinfeld_, and the inspiration for _Tom’s Diner_ by Suzanne Vega. I also spotted it in the background of a scene on _Law & Order_. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/11 "2023-03-06T22:10:17Z")
Dinah’s restaurant in Culver City (pancakes and fried chicken) was the restaurant where the nihilists in _The Big Lebowski_ ordered their pigs in a blanket. It was also in a Zippy the Pinhead cartoon. As an aside, I saw Carrot Top there once years ago, but had no idea who he was until someone asked for an autograph and I asked the guy who it was. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/12 "2023-03-06T22:18:16Z")
The “blue house” from _Lady Bird_, on 44th Street in Sacramento. Apparently when the owners agreed to let Greta Gerwig film there, they though “Oh, it’s just some small indie film that not many people are going to see.” Then when the movie actually became popular there was a steady stream of people taking selfies in front of their house. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/13 "2023-03-06T22:28:03Z")
And there’s this place, an ordinary house that is now an actual tourist attraction. > **[A Christmas Story House (Cleveland) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g50207-d638635-Reviews-A_Christmas_Story_House-Cleveland_Ohio.html)** ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/14 "2023-03-06T22:46:36Z")
The _Home Alone_ house in Winnetka, Illinois. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YkLRisOZ8EM/maxresdefault.jpg "Now You Can Stay Overnight In The ‘Home Alone’ House") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkLRisOZ8EM) For that matter, half the frickin’ North Shore is now a tourist destination thanks to the late John Hughes. > **[Create Your Own Movie Tour: John Hughes and Chicago’s North Shore](https://themommyavenger.com/2021/08/19/create-your-own-movie-tour-john-hughes-and-chicagos-north-shore/)** > > I grew up in the 80s and I am all about those classic movies. Having kids, it’s been fun to introduce them to the movies that I loved so much. Amazingly, my kids actually like a lot of the sa… ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/15 "2023-03-06T22:51:26Z")
Arguable whether its “been made famous by” as its been used as a location for various other things previously, but Highclere Castle (in my home town, or near it) is definitely most famous nowdays as “Downton Abbey” from the eponymous TV show: > **[Highclere Castle and Gardens - Castles & Stately Homes in Newbury,...](https://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/things-to-do/highclere-castle-and-gardens-p50993)** > > Highclere Castle is a splendid example of early Victorian architecture. The home of the Earl & Countess of Carnarvon, the Castle hosts a unique… ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/16 "2023-03-06T23:00:33Z")
Lots of stuff to choose from in San Francisco, but the one that always stood out to me (as it literally stands out as you cross the bay) is the Naval Headquarters building that became a Zeppelin hanger in Indiana Jones: > **[How Treasure Island found its way into the most iconic Indiana Jones film](https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/George-Lucas-Indiana-Jones-Nazi-flags-Treasure-Isl-14462515.php)** > > John Williams' triumphant, horn-laden Indiana Jones theme song is blaring from the... I used to live around the corner from the “Full House house”, but they were famous as The Painted Ladies long before they were in the credits of Full House: ---
**Author:** ![fordgt100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fordgt100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fordgt100)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/17 "2023-03-06T23:01:39Z")
Bourbon Street. You don’t even need to mention the city, everyone knows. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/18 "2023-03-06T23:02:10Z")
Mentioning San Francisco made me think of the _Full House_ house, before I even read the second paragraph of your post. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/19 "2023-03-06T23:05:55Z")
There’s a shitty looking pawn shop in Vegas with a line around the corner of people waiting to get in. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803/20 "2023-03-06T23:06:00Z")
Oh in London there is Battersea power station is arguably famous as the backdrop to Full Metal Jacket. Its arguable as the whole point is Kubrick spent an enormous amount of effort to make it NOT recognizable as somewhere other than Hue, Vietnam. > **[Battersea Power Station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea_Power_Station)** > > Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned Grade II\* listed coal-fired power station, located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Nine Elms, Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It was built by the London Power Company (LPC) to the design of Leonard Pearce, Engineer in Chief to the LPC, and CS Allott & Son Engineers. The architects were J. Theo Halliday and Giles Gilbert Scott. The station is one of the world's largest brick buildings and notable for its original, Art Deco i... Also famous for non-film reasons for the Pink Floyd album cover and the related escaped pig incident: > **[Pink Floyd’s “Animals”: The Story Behind the Album Cover](https://festivalpeak.com/pink-floyds-animals-the-story-behind-the-album-cover-e7e9c588fa00)** > > Throughout the 20th Century, London’s Battersea Power Station symbolized modern energy efficiency. The Battersea provided as much as 20… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-places-made-famous-by-an-arts-and-entertainment-thing/980803.md?page=2)