Honeymooners' Setting: Exploring The Show's Intended Location

where was honeymooners supposed to take place

The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956. The show follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, and their friends and neighbours the Nortons, who live upstairs. The show is mostly set in the Kramdens' kitchen in a neglected Brooklyn apartment building. The exterior shots of the building were filmed in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the address of the Kramdens' apartment was 328 Chauncey Street, although in later episodes, this changed to 358 Chauncey Street.

Characteristics Values
Location of filming DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre at 152 West 54th Street in Manhattan
Year of filming 1955-1956
Number of episodes 39
Setting Brooklyn, New York City
Address of the Kramdens' apartment 328 Chauncey Street, apartment 3-A
Address of the Nortons' apartment 328 Chauncey Street

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The Kramdens' apartment

The apartment is located in Brooklyn, New York City, specifically in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. The address of the apartment is given as 328 Chauncey Street, with Ralph Kramden's address listed as 328 Chauncey St. as well. However, in episodes filmed from 1967 to 1970, the address changed to 358 Chauncey Street, and the Kramden apartment number is given as 3B. The exterior shots of the building were filmed in Bedford-Stuyvesant, approximately eight miles north of the show's location.

The apartment is described by creator and star Jackie Gleason as a dull place with bare surroundings and not very bright lighting. This aesthetic is in line with Gleason's desire to portray working-class married couples in a gritty and non-idyllic manner. The apartment is also said to be above a noisy, New York street, reflecting the urban chaos of the setting. The Kramdens' main possessions are said to be a plain dining table and a depression icebox.

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The Nortons' apartment

The apartment is described as noticeably better-furnished than the Kramdens', with the Kramdens' apartment being small, sparsely furnished, and dingy. The Nortons' apartment is also described as being well-lit, with Gleason describing his boyhood home as a place where "the bulbs weren’t very bright". The Nortons' apartment is also likely to be more comfortable than the Kramdens', given their upstairs neighbours' higher social status. Ed Norton is a sewer worker, while his wife Trixie is a housewife. They are close friends with their downstairs neighbours, Ralph and Alice Kramden.

In the episodes filmed from 1967 to 1970, the address of the apartment building changed to 358 Chauncey Street, and the Kramdens' apartment number was 3B. The real 328 Chauncey Street is located in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, approximately eight miles north of the show's location.

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The Raccoon Lodge

The Honeymooners was created by and starred Jackie Gleason, based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of his variety show. All 39 episodes were filmed at the DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre in Manhattan before an audience of 1,000. The show was one of the first U.S. television programmes to portray working-class married couples in a gritty, non-idyllic manner, reflecting the blue-collar existence of its characters through its set design.

Interestingly, there was also a real-life bar called the Raccoon Lodge in New York City's TriBeCa neighbourhood. This bar, located on Warren Street, was a staple for a mixed crowd and a rare dive bar in a neighbourhood known for pricey cocktails. It was one of the first businesses to reopen after the September 11 attacks, serving as a welcoming spot for rescue workers. The bar closed in 2015 when the building was sold and torn down for a luxury tower.

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A neighbourhood pool parlour

The Honeymooners was an American television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956. It was one of the first U.S. television shows to portray working-class married couples in a realistic, non-idyllic manner. The show followed the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, and their friends and neighbours, Ed and Trixie Norton.

Most of the show takes place in the Kramdens' apartment, which is described as small and sparsely furnished with just a plain dining table and a depression icebox. The set design reflected the blue-collar existence of its characters, and the apartment was modelled after one of star and creator Jackie Gleason's boyhood homes in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn: 328 Chauncey Street, apartment 3-A. The building still stands, approximately eight miles north of the show's location in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. In the Honeymooners episodes filmed from 1967 to 1970, the address of the Kramdens' and Nortons' apartment house changed to 358 Chauncey Street, and the number of the Kramden apartment is 3B.

One of the other settings used in the show was a neighbourhood pool parlour. While it is not clear which pool parlour was used for filming, it is likely that it was located in Brooklyn, as this is where the Kramdens' apartment was based. Brooklyn is also where many of the show's real addresses are mentioned, giving viewers a flavour of life in 1950s New York City.

In addition to the pool parlour, other locations outside of the Kramdens' apartment that were featured in the show include the Gotham Bus Company depot, the Raccoon Lodge, a park bench where Ralph and Ed occasionally meet for lunch, and on occasion, the Nortons' apartment (which is always noticeably better furnished than the Kramdens').

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Bushwick Hospital

The Bushwick Hospital was a real infirmary in 1955, located at Howard and Putnam Avenues. In one of the episodes of The Honeymooners, Norton is injured in a sewer explosion on Himrod Street and is rushed to Bushwick Hospital by Ralph for a blood transfusion. However, by the time Ralph arrives at the hospital, Norton has already been released. Today, the building that once housed Bushwick Hospital now serves as a juvenile detention center.

The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom created by and starring Jackie Gleason. The show is based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Gleason's variety show. It follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden and his wife, Alice, as they navigate various schemes and dilemmas in their daily lives. The show is primarily set in the Kramdens' kitchen in a neglected Brooklyn apartment building, reflecting the blue-collar existence of its characters.

The Kramdens' apartment is said to be modelled after one of Gleason's boyhood homes in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn: 328 Chauncey Street, Apartment 3-A. The exterior shots of their home were filmed in Bedford-Stuyvesant, approximately eight miles north of the show's location. In episodes filmed from 1967 to 1970, the address of the Kramdens' and Nortons' apartment building changed to 358 Chauncey Street, and the Kramdens' apartment number was 3B.

The show was filmed at the DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre in midtown Manhattan, with all 39 episodes filmed before an audience of 1,000. The sets within the Brooklyn apartment building, such as the Kramdens' kitchen and the Nortons' apartment, were carefully designed to reflect the working-class nature of the characters' lives. The show's creator, Gleason, insisted on minimal rehearsal to maintain the spontaneity of the performances, a decision that contributed to the show's unique charm and enduring popularity.

Frequently asked questions

The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that takes place in Brooklyn, New York City.

The Kramden apartment is located at 328 Chauncey Street in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn.

Other locations featured in the show include the Gotham Bus Company depot, the Raccoon Lodge, a neighborhood pool parlor, and a park bench where Ralph and Ed occasionally meet for lunch.

All 39 episodes of The Honeymooners were filmed at the DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre in midtown Manhattan.

The Adelphi Theatre was chosen as the filming location because it offered a large audience capacity and was located in close proximity to the show's other locations.

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