LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!
Are you a local film buff in the Bay? Check out these iconic film locations from some of your favorite films! Make a day out of your love for film by visiting these highly Instagram-able locations!
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
2640 Steiner Street, SF | We know, we know. You've already been here and have heard of this one a bunch of times, but the Mrs. Doubtfire house is just THAT timeless! Snap a selfie or two of yourself in front of one of the most beloved films of the late and great Robin Williams. Bonus points if you dress up!
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Off Joyce Alley (between Sacramento and Clay), SF | SF natives can certainly recognize many of the filming locations of this heartfelt drama starring Will and Jaden Smith such as Glen Park BART Station and Glide Memorial. This iconic rooftop basketball court is popular among photographers and belongs to Donaldina Cameron House, which serves Chinese Americans in the community. Visitors are welcome to ask if they can take a look around, but be courteous and consider donating to this organization if you can.
Sorry To Bother You (2018)
1517 Franklin Street, SF | We don’t mean to bother you, but you should definitely visit the same bar where Cassius "Cash" Green (Lakeith Stanfield) and Squeeze (Steven Yeun) unionize against Regalvew! The perfect place to stage a worker rights' coup and grab a couple of beers.
Milk (2008)
The Castro, SF | Stand on the same streets where the revolutionary gay rights activist, Harvey Milk, once stood at the beginning of his grassroots activism in the Castro! Pay your respects and continue to on your merry gay way!
Blue Jasmine (2013)
855 Terry Francois Street, SF | Order your favorite martini and chuck some oysters right in front of the Bay just like Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett did! At The Ramp, not only will you get a taste of the ocean breeze, but the sea’s finest delicacies too!
The Princess Diaries (2001)
724 Brazil Avenue, SF | Make a stop at your favorite Genovian princess’ home! Have a memorable photoshoot outside the former-firehouse-turned-artist-loft that Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) lived in with her mom before, ya know, she found out she was LITERAL royalty.
Ant-Man (2015)
601 Buena Vista Avenue West, SF | In the film about Thanos' possible upcoming worst nightmare, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) has to redeem his criminal past by helping Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) keep his Ant-Man suit and its technology a secret. Part of the film takes place right here in San Francisco in Dr. Pym’s Victorian home.
Venom (2018)
399 The Embarcadero, SF | Marvel must have a thing for the Bay. Wine and dine at the Waterbar Restaurant at The Embarcadero where reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) romance it up before things soon get venomous. With up-close views of the Bay Bridge, how can you not take bae out for dinner in front of the Bay?
Vertigo (1958)
3321 16th Street, SF | Hitchcock stans, where you at? Hitchcock's iconic style and the culture of San Francisco's Mission District are in full effect in the scene where former police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson follows the wife of a close friend, Madeleine, to this mission and cemetery find out why she has been acting strangely.
Bullitt (1968)
Larkin Street (Russian Hill) | Calling all speed freaks! Watch out for traffic as you check out one of the locations of one of the most influential car chases in cinema. Make sure to look both ways on the street before you shoot your pics!
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
1437 Haight Street, SF | Head to Trax in the Haight to channel your inner Hello Peril and shout lyrics like "Welcome to the city that used to be free of suckers til the techies came in Hummers and colonized the gutters!" Marcus and Sasha, played by Randall Park and Ali Wong, would be proud.
Special mention: The Contemporary Jewish Museum gift shop was used as the over-the-top, pretentious restaurant for the rich and famous -- and Keanu Reeves.
Harold and Maude (1971)
751 Waverley Street, SF | Check out the church where the two title characters meet and began their famous, unlikely friendship. Although built in 1902, this church still holds up to this day with its amazing architecture and design that is worth taking a picture or two of.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
Photo by Abraham Rodriguez
959 South Van Ness Avenue, SF | Visit Jimmie's beautiful childhood home in the heart of the Mission district. The Victorian's real owner, Jim Tyler, has owned it since the early 1960s after falling in love with the mansion from the house parties he went to. Julian Mark, a writer for Mission Local, is currently living there. You can't get any more SF than that.
So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993)
Taylor Street (between Filbert and Union), SF | So you are a fan of "So I Married An Axe Murderer" starring comedy star Mike Myers? Take in the view of the terrace where Myers' character, Charlie MacKenzie, lives in this classic 90's cult comedy.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Bush St & Grant Avenue, SF | Walk through the same gate Jack Burton, the bad-ass truck driver protagonist, went through to fight the Lords of Death, a Chinese Street Gang. Be ready to be mistaken for yet another tourist!
Moneyball (2011)
7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland | Hot dogs, beer, and the screams of hundreds of fans are what will make any game held at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum feel like a scene out of "Moneyball," starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
The Room (2003)
3416 Broderick Street, SF | You're tearing us apart, Lisa! Visit the fictional home of Tommy Wiseau, creator of "the worst movie ever made," in his infamous debut film. Regardless if you love or hate the film or even a little bit of both, we can agree that Wiseau is an SF icon.
Blindspotting (2018)
3325 Grand Avenue, Oakland | It might be a good thing that The Alley doesn't serve Scorpion Bowls so its patrons don't get into literally LIT brawls. All things aside, this historic piano bar is still a great place to immerse yourself in rich Oakland culture while enjoying a meal and a drink or two.
The Graduate (1967)
2600 Durant Avenue, Berkeley | Stay a night or two at the same hotel where Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) tries to get at Elaine Robinson (Kathraine Ross) before he gets with her mother in secret, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft).
Full House (1987) and Fuller House (2016)
Steiner Street & Hayes Street, SF | Ah yes, an SF classic. The iconic feel-good, family-friendly sitcom home has been a tourist destination for years along with Alamo Square where the opening credits were filmed. In 2019, the home went on the market for a whopping $5.9 million. Think the Tanners could still afford it?
Written by Fernando Martinez and Kristine Dizon
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