Where was 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette' filmed? All locations of miniseries revealed
The miniseries 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette' captured the tragic romance between the Kennedy heir and the Calvin Klein publicist before their untimely deaths in 1999. To bring the story to life as authentically as possible, the showrunners shot across New York City, where the couple lived out the last few years of their lives. The FX series recreated several key moments from the couple’s lives at New York locations like Tribeca and Tompkins Square Park, and filmed additional scenes in and around Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester County. Let's take a look at these filming locations in detail.
East Village, Manhattan
The location of the couple's first date has been debated for years, but the scene was filmed at the colorful Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant in the East Village, according to ABC7 New York. Although the duo didn't have their first date at the famous eatery, they visited the restaurant frequently, according to its owner, Boshir Khan. He told the outlet in February that the high-profile couple came "usually before six" to avoid the paparazzi and enjoy their meals in peace.
The FX drama also includes an infamous incident where the engaged couple erupted into a public fight while walking their dog in Washington Square Park in February 1996. The very public dispute was shot at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. JFK Jr.’s former assistant, RoseMarie Terenzio, revealed that the fight took place over Carolyn's concerns that JFK Jr.'s friends were taking advantage of him. But in the FX series, the couple's squabbles stem from JFK Jr.'s refusal to acknowledge their engagement to the press.
Tribeca, Manhattan
The exterior shots of JFK Jr.'s loft were taken from the same Tribeca building where the couple lived from 1994 until 1999. The loft is located at 20 North Moore Street, in Tribeca, Manhattan. But the interior of the loft was recreated on a soundstage using photos of his actual loft. The show's production designer, Alex DiGerlando, told Architectural Digest in February, "Basically, the footprint of the apartment is the same as the real apartment, but we added that lofted bedroom and living room." Several Tribeca restaurants, like The Odeon, Bubby’s, and Walker’s, were used as filming locations as the couple frequented these haunts during their stay in Tribeca.
Furthermore, the couple’s polished Manhattan lifestyle was portrayed through filming at real Upper East Side locations, including Central Park, the streets along Fifth Avenue near the Guggenheim Museum, and the Equinox gym on East 61st Street.
Long Island
The production's search for a waterfront estate that resembled the Kennedy family's compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, ended in Bellport, Long Island. DiGerlando told Architectural Digest that although the house "wasn’t architecturally an exact match of the real thing, it had a stateliness and romance to it that fit our needs perfectly," and only needed a few changes to capture the 'Kennedy aesthetic.' Except for the dining room scenes, all other sequences from the Kennedy compound were filmed at this estate.
Upstate New York
The famous scene where JFK Jr. and Bessette tied the knot was filmed in upstate New York. In real life, the couple married at the First African Baptist Church on Cumberland Island, Georgia, on September 21, 1996. However, the production crew recreated their wedding chapel at the Chestnut Ridge in Rockland County. Pidgeon, who plays Carolyn Bessette, revealed to Glamour in a TikTok from March that the experience was 'completely magical.'
Bushwick, Brooklyn
Scenes featuring the famous Roxy nightclub were filmed at Elsewhere, a music venue in Bushwick. In March, DiGerlando spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and detailed the extensive work needed to transform the location into an iconic 90's nightlife spot. "We had to strip all of that out and bring in candelabras and the swings. We built the banquettes with the zebra pattern that the Roxy had. And then we built a facade over the exterior that mirrored the Roxy’s architecture and re-created the neon sign and the 'Be Good to the Roxy' sign, which was printed on sheet metal."
Westchester County, New York
Furthermore, the towns of Harrison, Rye, Briarcliff Manor, Eastchester, and the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester County were chosen to be a part of 'Love Story' due to their regal and affluent appeal. The film can be streamed on Disney+.
