Aayush Sharma
Starz’s ‘Hightown’ is a crime drama series that tells the story of a fierce female police officer, Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund), who tries to overcome her addiction problems. She works as an agent at the National Marine Fisheries Service in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and has a history of using drugs and alcohol. Created by Rebecca Cutter, it starts as a simple murder mystery when Jackie discovers a woman’s remains on the beach. As the investigation proceeds, the horrifying truths about Cape Cod’s drug problems come to light. However, tackling such issues is only one aspect of the show.
As the narrative dives deeper into Jackie’s world, it becomes so much more than just a simple crime drama, soon making viewers realize that she may appear strong from the outside, but on the inside, she is hurting and trying to become a better version of herself. It might not be based on a true story, but it takes a lot of inspiration from real-life issues such as the opioid epidemic, drug trafficking, and more, which adds a realistic depth to the storyline. The visuals of ‘Hightown’ play an important role in enhancing the authenticity of the drug problems in Massachusetts and its regions. It not only makes the series visually appealing but also makes it impactful.
Hightown Filming Locations
The backdrop of ‘Hightown’ is essential to the Starz production as it drives the show’s gritty ambiance and the growing tensions between both sides of the story. The narrative of the show is mostly set in Provincetown, Massachusetts, that’s why the show was initially titled ‘P-Town’. This is just one of the examples of how the show’s setting was always meant to be a central character of the story. As mentioned earlier, the story takes place in Massachusetts, so it doesn’t come as a shock that the series was shot in the aforementioned town located at the tip of Cape Cod. However, the cast and crew didn’t shoot many sequences in Provincetown, as they chose to recreate the town at different locations in the US. For Season 1, most of the shooting took place in the areas of Long Island in New York, especially Freeport. Meanwhile, for Seasons 2 and 3, they recreated Provincetown in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production took place in two different phases: from March 2019 to August 2019 and again from November 2020 to April 2021.
Provincetown, Massachusetts
As the series chronicles the journey of people living in Provincetown, it would have been a travesty if the show had not filmed there. However, they didn’t film every sequence in the seaside town. It went on to film a few important sequences to let viewers feel the true essence of that place and how people live there. The cast and crew shot some sequences in late May and early June of 2019 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In one of those scenes, they recreated a Carnival parade, which was brought to life on Commercial Street. As a result, the entire street had to be shut down for a few hours for filming the scene, providing a better view of P-Town to the viewers. Interestingly, the scene was never meant to be shot on Commercial Street. According to a report, the parade changed direction because the director wanted better lighting and it became a hot topic of discussion. “It was the topic of conversation here for quite a while!” Provincetown Tourism Director Anthony Fuccillo noted.
During season 1, they spent over a week in Provincetown to shoot segments that were specific to the town. Consequently, they filmed a few other scenes at places like MacMillan Pier and Provincetown Pier. However, these are not the only places that were seen on the screen. The crew filmed one of the most important scenes close to the Provincetown Inn, where the remains of a woman appears on the beach. The property is situated at 1 Commercial St, Provincetown in Massachusetts, and gives great views of Provincetown Harbor and the ocean. Meanwhile, the opening credits of the show feature the Sagamore Bridge too, which connects Cape Cod with the mainland of Massachusetts carrying Route 6 and the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway through the Cape Cod Canal. Plus, it uses aerial views of the renowned landmark, The Pilgrim Monument, located at 1 High Pole Hill Rd, Provincetown, Massachusetts. Apart from these places, the crew also filmed certain crucial sequences at The West End Rotary, which is near the Provincetown Inn, between November 18, 2020, and November 24, 2020. On the other hand, they also used the Town Hall Auditorium in Provincetown for shooting. Additionally, some filming happened at the Bourne Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts.
For the stars of the show, it was a memorable experience going to P-Town for the shoot. In an interview with CBS Boston, the show’s lead actor, Monica Raymund, noted that visiting P-Town for shooting was one of the most memorable moments for her. She said, “It was my first time going to Provincetown, Massachusetts. This was like an introduction to Massachusetts. My most memorable moment is visiting P-Town. This party vibe, the carnival that happens at Provincetown. That was the first time for, so I loved getting to know P-Town and being in that part of the world.”
Freeport, New York
For the majority of Season 1 of ‘Hightown,’ the filming took place in the village of Freeport in Long Island, New York. Situated on the South Shore of Long Island, it stood in for the town in Cape Cod. The production in Freeport began in May 2019 and the crew shot extensively at Johnsons Place, Church Street, Bagel Dock, Cafe on Guy Lombardo Avenue, Garfield Street, and Freeport Auto Parts & Wrecking on Buffalo Avenue. Meanwhile, Ossining is another place that the makers used to film certain sequences of the crime drama. Consequently, the filming of Season 1 concluded in June 2019. ‘Hightown’ is not the only high-profile TV series to shoot in Long Island, New York. The densely populated island in the state of New York has a long history in the world of entertainment. Top projects like ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The Godfather,’ ‘The Blacklist,’ ‘The Penguin,’ ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘Goodfellas,’ and ‘Joker’ have included Long Island as one of the primary locations to shoot some of their most crucial scenes.
Wilmington, North Carolina
‘Hightown’ continued to replicate the Cape Cod setting for Seasons 2 and 3, but this time they shot at a different location. They moved from Freeport in Long Island, New York, to Wilmington, North Carolina. The production of Season 2 began in November 2020 and concluded in April 2021. The first location in Wilmington to appear on the screen in Season 2 is the Carolina Beach Town Hall building. Meanwhile, the Recreation Center was used to film the AA meeting. In the first week of filming in Wilmington, the cast and crew went into downtown Wilmington to film certain sequences at St. Mary Catholic School on Fifth Avenue. The shooting at the aforementioned place comprised 50 extras and a few of the cast members, who were getting ready to film a class assembly scene in season 2. Meanwhile, the series went to shoot sequences at Wrightsville Beach.
Moreover, the crew stopped at different locations to shoot some important scenes of the show. For example, the parking lot scene in Season 2 was shot at the Hanover Seaside Club, while they filmed some breathtaking sequences at Oceanic at the Crystal Pier, which is a high-end seafood spot that offers outdoor dining on the renowned Crystal Pier. According to the executive director of Starz and Lionsgate communications, Crystal B. Williams, Wilmington was a suitable location for replicating Cape Cod and one of the most striking factors were the beaches situated in the Southeast region of North Carolina. Another location they explored for shooting was the popular Airlie Gardens, which has been used extensively in the past for several productions. Situated at 300 Airlie Rd, Wilmington, North Carolina, Airlie Gardens was featured briefly in Season 2. Plus, some sequences were filmed outside Screen Gems Studios on 1223 N 23rd St, Wilmington, North Carolina.
Additionally, for season 3, the series returned to Wilmington and explored new places to shoot. The principal photography for Season 2 started in May 2022 and the crew wrapped filming in July. For the third and final edition, the cast and crew went to places such as Rose’s Ice on Market Street, The Rusty Nail dive bar, the former Legacy Lounge on Carolina Beach Road, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Carolinian Inn on Market Street, and the Harry Forden 6th Street Bridge.
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