The Netflix hit Nobody Wants This was quite the misnomer; this was the show ~everybody~ wanted, and Netflix took note because Season 2 is already on the way! This feel-good rom-com hits all the right notes for a binge-worthy series. It stars the always-likable Kristen Bell as an agnostic sex podcast host and producer, and swoon-worthy Adam Brody as a newly single rabbi — yes, it is a millennial mama’s dream pairing.
However, there’s a third lead character worth noting: Los Angeles. The City of Angels was front and center, taking viewers on a tour of LA as real Angelenos experience it. It’s the first character we meet when the series opens. “LA on my mind,” a line from Haim’s “Summer Girl,” plays over quick shots of places like Echo Park Lake and the Los Feliz 3 theater. Scary Mommy spoke to the show’s location manager, Derek Alvarado, who gave us the scoop behind the locations used for Season 1.
Alvarado shared that the show’s creator, Erin Foster, wrote her script with locations written as a suggestion, which gave him the freedom to canvas parts of the city to find specific venues to pitch the show’s creators and directors. The goal was to film in areas that felt real to the characters and not in touristy city spots. “We were up and down Vermont and Hillhurst quite a lot,” Alvarado shares regarding finding locations along these main avenues in LA’s Los Feliz.
The 10-episode series began filming in January of this year, and unlike many other half-hour comedies, it was entirely shot on location (meaning there were no sets built on sound stages). If you plan to visit Los Angeles, you can embark on your very own Nobody Wants This television tour by visiting all or some of these spots seen in the Netflix series. From rooftop cocktails to specialty massages, this sounds like as good an excuse as any to book a flight to LA ASAP.
1. Mirate
1712 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
In the opening scene of the series, you can see the sign for this Los Feliz restaurant as Joanne runs out of a disastrous first date. We return to this restaurant in the final episode, when Joanne contemplates converting to Judaism while brunching with her besties. This Mexican restaurant and bar features two bars on both levels and can be visited for either weekend brunch or dinner, ideally both for a boozy good time.
2. De Buena Planta
2815 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (CLOSED)
Alvarado told us that this restaurant was written into the pilot script as a suggestion, but it ended up being a location that worked for shooting. After a cringy but hilarious car scene in Episode 2, Noah and Joanne had their first official date here, with their siblings in tow.
Unfortunately, the Silver Lake restaurant has since closed, but you can get similar plant-based vibes at their sister spot, The Butcher’s Daughter, located in West Hollywood and Venice.
3. Pilates Eagle Rock
5112 Townsend Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90041
If it’s not over cocktails, you’ll find LA ladies gossiping while they sweat. Alvarado shared that one of the show’s producers worked out at this Pilates studio and suggested he check it out. Here, Joanne gossips with her friends while lamenting her struggles to Insta-stalk Noah’s ex in Episode 4. Try out a private, semi-private, or group class to immerse yourself in the Angeleno way.
4. The Pleasure Chest
7733 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
While you won’t find the fictional Obliterator that Joanne searches for in Episode 4 here, you will find tons of other vibrators amongst many, many different sex toys at this iconic West Hollywood sex shop. The store has been in town since 1980, and it’s likely the first name that comes to mind for any local if asked where to go to add some spice to the bedroom.
5. Mama Shelter
6500 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
This popular rooftop spot on top of this Hollywood hotel is where Noah meets and hits it off with Joanne’s friends in Episode 7. The location opens at noon daily and is the perfect place to enjoy sweeping views of Los Angeles along with creative cocktails and classic bar fare.
6. 3rd Base LA
1562 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
The Matzah Ballers head out to this sports restaurant in Hollywood post-victory in Episode 7. While Joanne tries to cozy up to the WAGS, the men can be seen drinking beers and watching sports at the bar, which is surrounded by overhead televisions. Visitors to 3rd Base can come for drinks, snacks, or a sit-down meal. For a bonus stop on the tour, in the following scene of this episode, Joanne FaceTimes with Morgan, who has on a “Casa Vega,” shirt. This landmark Mexican restaurant in Sherman Oaks has been around since the 1950s and is frequented by locals as well as the Hollywood elite.
7. The Village
12345 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604
Sitting at the bar, Rebecca reads Where the Crawdads Sing while Morgan thinks she’s being a super sleuth in Episode 8. This Studio City restaurant offers a great Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. with $10 entrees and $12 cocktails, as well as features a weekend brunch. There’s also often live music, so check out their Instagram to see what’s happening when you’re in town!
8. Iguana Vintage Clothing
14422 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423
Episode 6 opens with the sisters shopping at this vintage clothing store located in Sherman Oaks. Joanne’s comment, “Rich people have the best garbage,” rings true to some of the hidden gems you might find perusing the racks here. The curated collection includes pieces spanning several decades, dating as far back as the 1920s. The overhead shot in the show also highlights the wide variety of colored wigs available.
9. City Spa
5325 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
In Episode 6, Sasha pays his father a visit at “the shvitz” to discuss a promotion. “Shvitz” is the Yiddish word for “sweat,” and according to Alvarado, everyone was doing just that when they shot this scene. “When we were filming in that sauna, even though we turned the sauna off two days before and put an air conditioning unit in there, it was still about 105 degrees while we were filming there… it was brutal,” he says. Beyond spending time in the sauna, visitors to the spa can get a massage, a “European body wash,” or jump into their ice-cold plunge.
10. Harold A. Henry Park + Yeastie Boys
Harold A. Henry Park: 890 S. Lucerne Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005
Yeastie Boys: various locations throughout the city
The couple’s weekday make-out session in Episode 10 takes place at this neighborhood park in Mid-Wilshire, but if you want to try the bagels the two ate from the Yeastie Boy’s truck, you can find one of their six trucks located throughout the city (Joanne and Noah would likely be visiting the one in Los Feliz closest to Noah’s house in Eagle Rock). Our guess is that the good rabbi ordered the Lox Deluxe, so follow his lead or order any of their overstuffed bagel sandwiches.
