My name is Nick Carr, and for the past four years, I’ve worked as a New York City movie location scout. I’ve been pretty much everywhere, from the highest rooftops to the deepest subway tunnels, from abandoned ruins to zillion-dollar luxury penthouse apartments.
What always amazes me about New York is how much there is to see if you take the time to look. Every street has a hidden gem or two, and yet they go largely ignored by thousands of passersby daily who simply don’t have the time to pay attention.
As it happens, my entire job consists of paying attention, and I’ve started this blog to keep a record of what I see.
-SCOUT
In The Media:
CBS Sunday Morning Segment – Feb 27, 2011
- The NY Times: Ask A Film Location Scout: Bio | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
- NPR: Interview on The Brian Lehrer Show | Interview on The Leonard Lopate Show
- Article for The New York Post: Hidden Gems of a Lost City
- Interview on Gothamist.com
- Huffington Post Blog
Popular Photography - January 2010
Scanorama - Summer 2010
Brides Magazine - March 2011
-SCOUT
Dear Scoutingny, What a great site. I was born in St. Claire’s Hospital on 52nd and 9th in Manhattan. I have a digital version of my christening at St. Albert’s Church on w 47 St. in October 1952. My parents had an apartment across the street at 428 W 47. If you would like to see it, you are welcome to contact me. Naturally, I am a big fan of films using NYC locations and I really like your revisiting locations. Have you done one for the French Connection 1? I have always wondered where Sal’s luncheonette is. Do you know by any chance?
Des Herlihy
Hey, I found your website from Stumbleupon, and I think its great. Sounds like you have a pretty cool job (I know that sometimes jobs sounds cooler than they really are, but yours actually sounds like a cool one, lucky you). I will be back. Thanks.
Hello there. I found this site through StumbleUpon and I had a couple questions that weren’t covered in the FAQ section.
If you have a minute, I’d love it if I could email me back.
Thank you,
Christopher
Really enjoy reading your blog. I wish there was an mobile phone app that chronicled every building in Manhattan. I bought my son the book One Thousand New York Buildings, and hope to take a walk with it some day.
Looking at your images helps satisfy the curiosity about random places.
Hi Nick~ I would like to use my 17 Room Jersey City house as a film location shoot. You can view photos of my home at http://www.tinyurl.com/decoratit or at my facebook page. I will look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Hey Nick – As a filmmaker in the Lehigh Valley, PA, who will hopefully utilize your services in the not too distant future, a question: are you strictly NY and NYC or are you interested in charming, quaint, unique, etc. locations out here in the boonies? While scouting locations for my own films I’ve come across a trove of sites that I’m sure other filmmakers would find useful and graphically compelling. Hope to hear back from you.
i have a 9500 sq ft. warehouse/ motorcycle garage in park slope brooklyn that i’m interested in putting on the market for just about any kind of shoot. pictures on Facebook ( Vax Moto ) 523 3rd Ave btw. 12th & 13th St. It’s a impressive space.
all the best
Hey, Nick!
Someone forwarded me a link to your American Psycho article and as I was reading, I kept thinking, could this be Nick???
After I clicked on the “About” tab, it did turn out to be you!
*lol*
How random and wonderful at the same time.
Hope all is well with you.
Great blog.
Will definitely keep up with it.
Best,
Jully
Tuxedo Park, NY is an exclusive, gated enclave, 23 miles north west of NYC dating back to the late 1800′s.
The Park is centered upon a large glacier lake feeding two smaller lakes. My home is a Portuguese style villa located directly at one of the lakes. The interior is that of a country villa.
I believe it would lend itself to various genre of films and I would like to be able to show it to you upon request.
Please phone me at 845 351 2361.
Thank you for your consideration. Vikyana Dike
[...] Some background with the photographic stylings of KLAD’s favorite location scout/blogger, Nick Carr [...]
You win, Nick. I’ve been on the site for far longer than 10 minutes. For fear of my job I won’t tell you how long, but you have a very interesting site here. Great to meet you!
Thank you, Nick, for your wonderful site!!! My ruling passion is Manhattan, particularly it’s glorious past, and most specifically, during the Gilded Age. I spend my time seeking out little-known and historic sites, architecture, places w/a “story”. I envy you your job!!! Good luck and, again, thank you! P.S. do you guide walking tours by any chance?
Very cool site! Anything like in San Fran?
I was in NYC a few years ago when I found an awesome little store. I’ve tired to find a website and haven’t. I was there 2 weeks ago and thought I could find it but no luck. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help. Please email me back and I can give a general location. All I need is a name and address.
Hey ScoutingNY, how did you ever come across such an awesome job? How does one even become a film scout?
Ever scouted my co-op, the Riviera (790 Riverside Drive) or anywhere else in the recently named Historic Audobon Park area? It’s a great building on a great block. Big aparmtents, classic 100-year old design inside and out.
Shoot me an email if you’re interested in seeing it, and I’ll put you in touch with our board.
Great site!
Michael
Hi there…I am a photography hobbyist always looking for burnt down abandoned places…i found your hotel in CA…what an amazing story… a little sad because the place is amazing…but beautiful!
Can you recommend places in the CA area to go…I love places like salton sea…and old hospitals…creepy stuff but i am afraid I am running out!
[...] to luxury penthouse apartments. In 2008, he began blogging his favorite sights on his website, Scouting New York. He has since written more than 200 articles about New York City locations, and his work has been [...]
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Hi Nick,
I’m a radio producer for a national program at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. We’d like to talk to you if possible. Please email me a contact number. Thanks,
Loren McGinnis
Hi – We have a 50, 000+ sq foot warehouse (over a 100 years old) and offices (built later) just outside of Manhattan/Bronx in Yonkers. We never really thought about it, but if you want to scout the building for use in a media, we’d be interested in renting space. The warehouse is very old with pulley doors in case of a fire. The building was original part of a large textile mill that employed most of the people around here at the turn of the century. Many remnants from that era and mill are still left in the building. The rafters are all wood. The brick work is amazing. Even the boiler room and all the piping is cool to look at. For example, the dry fire system has a pumped that is easily 75 years old and still works!! We have a ton of old industrial lights hanging from the ceiling. Lots of things to see. We even have a steel ramp that goes directly over the Saw Mill River. If interested in checking it out, shoot me an email. Great site by the way! Thanks!
Hey Nick,
I admire your work. I too am a location scout and I have a couple of questions. I would appreciate it if you emailed me. Hope to hear from you!
-Hilda
Hey Nick what happened to the Andrew Freeman article?
I’m from Boston. It’s in my genes to not like things New York ie; the Yankees, Knicks, Jets etc. I like the Giants because when I was a kid, before the Patriots, we were brought up on the New York Football Giants. That won’t be the case today though at 6:00 PM. So I stumble upon your site and immediately become hooked on “all things NY”. I’ve been on the site for an hour now and I have to tell you it’s fantastic. ( Don’t let word get out to my beantown buddies). I also remember reading the article in Pop Photo as a subscriber. Anyway, great site. I’ve got a few hours before the Super Bowl starts so I’ll be right here. Oh! and by the way. I will donate.
About Scouting NY – just great!
I love stumbling across blogs like this. What a cool job. Or so it would seem.
Thanks,
-Matt
[...] but I’ve been following his blog Scouting NY since around the time I moved to New York in 2008. Nick is a location scout, finding perfect places to shoot scenes for films. You need the right little restaurant for a mob [...]
[...] is mostly a series of photos in a 2-part series. Here is part one and here is part two. Scouting New York” author Nick Carr (a different Nick Carr than the one we read a few weeks ago) maintains a pretty interesting blog [...]
Nick, nice article. I’ve been a location scout for quite some time in Los Angeles and absolutely love this career. Keep up the blog.
Any idea where this is or was?
[...] but I’ve been following his blog Scouting NY since around the time I moved to New York in 2008. Nick is a location scout, finding perfect places to shoot scenes for films. You need the right little restaurant for a mob [...]
Fantastic site! Your job is one of my favorite past-times, looking for bits and pieces of old NY in the present landscape and photographing them.
I’m an archaeologist in the city and occasionally come across some interesting places. If you’re ever in need of an old farmhouse, one of the best in the city is the Hendrick I Lott House. The exterior is stunning and the interior historically intact and mostly empty.
Thanks for sharing all the great sights you come across.
Just came across this site, it’s fantastic. I stumbled upon your site because I just found out that the oldest building in the western hemisphere is in North Miami Beach. I googled it, and up came your site. As a Miami native and resident, I’m pretty ashamed to say I never knew that.