Saagar Kote
Nancy Meyers’ comedy-drama, ‘The Intern,’ tells the story of Ben Whitaker, an aging widower struggling with loneliness after losing his wife. To find a new purpose and stay engaged in his life, Ben takes on a senior intern role at About The Fit, a modern and growing online clothing company. Jules Ostin, the company’s ambitious young CEO, advocates for the senior intern program, believing it would not only inspire younger staff but also equip them with valuable life skills through the insights of experienced retirees looking for fresh challenges. The setting of the company, the chaotic buildings and streets, and the urban spaces featured in the 2015 film play a major role in conveying the themes and messages of the film.
The Intern Filming Locations
‘The Intern’ was primarily shot across New York City, specifically in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Principal photography reportedly began on June 23, 2014, and concluded in early October of the same year. Certain sections of the film were also filmed in San Francisco, California. The utilization of these major cities as filming spaces makes the film’s overtly urban theme more authentic.
Brooklyn, New York
Due to its popularity and unmatched urban charm, the borough of Brooklyn is heavily featured in important scenes in the film. New York City is one of the most popular destinations in the world. It’s a historic city known to be featured in several films, including ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘13 Going on 30,’ When Harry Met Sally,’ and ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.’ Partners Coffee (previously called Toby’s Estate Coffee), located at 125 North 6th Street, hosted the lensing of the scene where Jules apologizes to Ben after he is taken out of serving her in a personal capacity.
Teddy’s Bar & Grill, located at 96 Berry Street, holds the distinction of being one of the borough’s longest continuously operating bars. The scene in which Jules drinks with Ben and the team after they help her to delete the email she sent to her mother is shot here. It is an important scene in the context of the bonding between the lead characters. The scene after the funeral, where Ben and Fiona walk the streets, was taped around Rancho Alegre, located in Park Slope, 7th Avenue.
The scenes where Ben drives Jules to work are shot in and around Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn 6, a space in the northwestern portion of the borough of Brooklyn. Cheever Place in this area served as the location for Ben’s brownstone home. Ben’s home scenes were shot in a genuine brownstone in the Cobble Hill neighborhood, inhabited by a couple for more than three decades. The property at 385 Grand Avenue in Brooklyn doubled as Jules’ Brownstone home. Grand Avenue, a prominent thoroughfare in Brooklyn, runs through the heart of Clinton Hill. This street offers residents a unique blend of historic charm and modern conveniences.
Spanning 526 acres, Prospect Park holds the distinction of being the second-largest public park in Brooklyn, surpassed only by Marine Park. It was turned into a film set for taping the scene where Ben takes a lesson in Tai Chi. A scene featuring Paige’s school, where Ben and Paige attend a birthday party, was shot at a school in Park Slope in Ditmas Park. A Victorian house in this area doubled for Jules’s parents’ home in the film.
Manhattan, New York
The scene where Ben takes Jules for a meeting with a potential CEO was filmed at the Astor House, which is situated at 130 East 80th Street in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Built in 1927, it is a five-story Neo-Classic Style townhouse. The scenes involving Ben and Fiona at the funeral were shot here. Several key scenes for ‘The Intern’ were also taped in and around Wall Street Plaza, located at 88 Pine Street. The Waldorf Astoria, located at 301 Park Avenue, is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It doubled as the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco in certain scenes.
The Bronx, New York
The Bronx, which is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, also served as an important production location for ‘The Intern.’ The Hunts Point neighborhood is home to Barretto Street. This bustling street features numerous significant buildings and sites, becoming a key shooting site. The BankNote Building, located at 841 Barretto Street, is a 405,000 square-foot office complex located just off the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx area of the city. Most of the scenes set in the office space of About The Fit were filmed here.
San Francisco, California
Certain sections of the film where Ben and Jules travel to San Francisco for a business meeting were shot on California Street, a prominent San Francisco thoroughfare, which is one of the city’s longest. It extends from the Financial District to Lincoln Park on the West Side and features several significant landmarks. Located at 950 Mason Street, The Fairmont San Francisco is a luxury hotel atop Nob Hill. One of the most important scenes in the film, where Jules shares her troubles with Ben and the two develop a deeper mutual understanding, was lensed here.
Read More: Is The Intern Based on a True Story?
