'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Sopranos premiered on HBO in 1999. Over two decades later, the show about mob boss Tony Soprano and his chaotic family continues to be a cult classic among fans. Created and written by David Chase, this six-season crime drama shows the duality of a family man with a career in organized crime.
Starring the late James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, Lorraine Bracco, Drea De Matteo, and a huge ensemble cast, The Sopranos perfectly captured the world of crime intertwined with family life in suburban New Jersey.
The show's filming locations used prominent parts of North Caldwell, New Jersey, to establish its premise and add realism to its plot. Several locations still exist as businesses in real life. However, most indoor sequences were shot in a studio by replicating a look and feel that matched New Jersey.
Trending
Here are some of the most popular filming locations from The Sopranos!
New York, New Jersey, the Lincoln Tunnel, and other filming locations of The Sopranos
1) New York City
Silvercup Studios, NY
While most of The Sopranos was shot in and around New Jersey, its indoor filming took place in Silvercup Studios in New York City. The camera crew would spend most of its time at the studios, with some time allotted for external shots in New Jersey.
A set was constructed for Dr. Melfi's office, where Tony discussed his panic attacks and juggling his personal and professional lives with the psychiatrist. The interior of Tony's house was built to scale at the studios as well, replicating the original mansion in New Jersey. The back room at Bada Bing!, the strip club where the Sopranos conduct their business, was also a set.
Other shows like 30 Rock, Succession, and Only Murders in the Building have also been shot here.
Harriman State Park
In Season 3, episode 11 of The Sopranos, titled Pine Barrens, Tony tasks Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) with making a collection from Valery. When an altercation kills her, Paulie suggests they dump the body in Pine Barrens, a wooded area in South New Jersey. But Valery is alive and using his commando skills, swiftly disappears into the forest.
Since filming wasn't permitted in the actual Pine Barrens, The Sopranos crew shot this entire sequence in Harriman State Park, New York.
Nuovo Vesuvio
Scenes from Artie Bucco's Italian restaurant, "Bucco Vesuvio" in The Sopranos season 1, were shot in a restaurant called Manolo's in New Jersey. However, after the fire that forces Bucco to shut down, he reopens in another location under "Nuovo Vesuvio".
This restaurant was called Punta Dura and was located in Queens, New York City. Exterior shots of this restaurant were patched with streets in New Caldwell, New Jersey, making it appear as an important landmark in the show's primary location. Currently, Punta Dura is used as an events space.
2) New Jersey
The Soprano House in New Caldwell, New Jersey
In the pilot of The Sopranos, the family--Tony, Carmela, Meadow, and Anthony Jr.-- is introduced to fans in a sprawling 5,600 square foot mansion. This house, complete with a patio, swimming pool, and a grand driveway, is located in Aspen Drive, New Caldwell, a borough in New Jersey.
The first episode was shot entirely--both indoors and outdoors--in this mansion, after which interior shots were moved to Silvercup Studios. The house is a symbol of the family's wealth and power, making this mansion a perfect choice.
The swimming pool in this house kickstarts Tony's storyline because this is where a family of ducks catches his attention. Their departure triggers a panic attack, leading him to discuss issues around family and work with Dr. Melfi.
Satriale's Pork Store
Tony, Christopher, Paulie Walnuts, Sil, and Big Pussy regularly meet at a meet market, particularly a pork store owned by Francis Satriale (Later taken over by Johnny Soprano). The store is fictional, and in real life, it was an automobile parts store in Kearny, New Jersey. The building was rented out exclusively for The Sopranos' filming crew.
While the original building no longer exists, it is an important part of the show's storyline where the crew meets, hangs out, and conducts business. Who can forget the iconic "Gabagool"?
Livia's house
The house of Tony's mother, Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand), was also featured in The Sopranos. A quaint home in Verona, New Jersey, this building was used for all the external shots of the character's storyline.
Green Grove Retirement Home
Tony places his mother, Livia Soprano, in an old-age home called Green Grove Retirement Home after she accidentally runs her best friend Fanny over. While Livia Soprano makes it her life's aim to get revenge on Tony for seemingly abandoning her, she eventually gets used to the comfort of the space.
This retirement home in The Sopranos is Green Hill Retirement Home in West Orange, New Jersey. Its large, white facade surrounded by lush greenery was a great filming location for the show.
Bada Bing Club
Silvio Dante-owned Bada Bing! is a strip club that the Capos in The Sopranos frequent. They are usually spotted playing pool, hosting parties, or making important business deals here, including ordering hits on business threats like Phil Leotardo of the Lupertazzi Crime Family.
In real life, this is a strip club called Satin Dolls, located on Route 17 in New Jersey. While interiors were filmed in Silvercup Studios, the exterior shot of the club is a memorable part of The Sopranos. The club has a sign out front that says "Home of the Original Bada Bing Club!".
3) Locations spotted in the intro theme
The opening theme of The Sopranos shows Tony driving from New York City to New Jersey via the New Jersey Turnpike. A long, endless road with manufacturing units, residential areas, and toll booths, the intro sets up the show's premise perfectly.
Some of the most iconic locations in the theme include the Lincoln Tunnel, a 1.5-mile road under the Hudson River connecting Manhattan, NYC, and Weehawken, NJ. While Pizza Land, the pizzeria shown in The Sopranos theme song, doesn't feature in the show, it is an iconic landmark known for its thin-crust pizzas in New Arlington, New Jersey.
The Sopranos cleverly wove a story around ordinary residential areas in New Jersey, and replicated the essence through set design. The perfect mix of outdoor and indoor settings made the show's premise unforgettable, pulling fans right into the heart of the crime drama.
