One of Them Days: Is Baldwin Village a Real Apartment in LA?

‘One of Them Days’ is a buddy comedy film where two broke best friends find themselves in a world of trouble. Dreux and Alyssa, residents of the Baldwin Village apartment complex, lose their rent money thanks to the latter’s unfaithful boyfriend, Keshawn. As a result, the girls face the threat of eviction unless they can come up with some cash before the end of the day. Naturally, this leads them down some outlandishly ill-advised paths—ranging from pseudo-legit loan sharks to free sneakers that land them on the radar of some dangerous folks.

Thus, as the two best friends embark on this wild day together, they can’t help but wonder if their friendship will emerge intact on the other side. The film charts a hilarious path to hulking tragedies that retain their comical capabilities due to the relatability of Dreux and Alyssa’s situation. Consequently, one can’t help but wonder if there’s any real-life connection behind their home, Baldwin Village.

The Fictional Baldwin Village Apartment Paves the Way for Realistic World-Building

The Baldwin Village apartment complex in ‘One of Them Days’ is a fictional location that becomes the most notable backdrop to Dreux and Alyssa’s narrative. The audience may be able to find real-life apartment complexes in Los Angeles that resemble the two best friends’ on-screen homes. For instance, the property at LA’s 4220 Santa Rosalia Drive shares the same name as the Baldwin Village apartment complex. Nonetheless, the real-life location has no connections to the fictional location. Instead, the apartment at 4044 Gelber Place, Los Angeles, actually serves as the off-screen filming location for the main characters’ home. The similarities between the on-screen apartment and the real complex near Baldwin Hills remain striving in terms of interior.

Nevertheless, save for these behind-the-scenes production connections, Baldwin Village Apartments have no firm basis in reality. Even so, the complex significantly informs the realism of Dreux and Alyssa’s fictional storyline. The apartment complex alludes to the eponymous real-life Baldwin Village neighborhood. The famously affluent Black neighborhood remains an intrinsic part of LA culture and even sports other on-screen references in films like the 1992 film ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ and the 2001 film ‘Training Day.’ The reference to Dreux and Alyssa’s residence as “The Jungles,” a nickname often associated with the Apartment complex in the neighborhood, further cements this connection.

Therefore, the link between the apartment complex in ‘One of Them Days’ and the real-life Baldwin Village neighborhood accentuates the realistic world-building within the film. Given the exaggerated comedy in the storylines, connections such as these become the most notable points of reference between the narrative and real life. Dreux and Alyssa’s connection to the real-life Baldwin Village neighborhood adds a layer of relatability to their characterizations and the regular tragedy of their situation. Additionally, the instrumental nod to the gentrification of the area enhances the story’s relevance to the current socio-economical landscape. Thus, the apartment—home to nuisances such as maddening landlords and faulty ceilings but also big-hearted neighbors—inherently adds to the sense of realism behind Dreux and Alyssa’s characters.