L.A.’s Most-Filmed Locations (and why directors keep coming back)

Los Angeles is still the center of on-location filming. No other city in the United States comes close. The mix of neighborhoods, architecture, and light has turned Los Angeles into more than a backdrop. The city itself has become a character in film.

When people think of L.A. on screen, a few images come to mind right away. The Hollywood Sign. The Walk of Fame. Maybe the skyline at night. But those aren’t the only images that define the city on screen. The most important film locations are smaller and less obvious. They are the streets, intersections, tunnels, and bridges that appear again and again.

These blocks have become visual shorthand for Los Angeles. A single shot of the 2nd Street Tunnel or the L.A. River is enough for viewers to know where they are. According to a study by American Home Shield, which analyzed IMDb data, Hollywood Boulevard is the most-filmed street in the United States. It ranks above Park Avenue in New York and Market Street in San Francisco (Source: American Home Shield).

Hollywood Boulevard is the clearest example. But it is not alone. Other blocks keep getting booked because they provide the exact look directors want. Some feel futuristic, some feel gritty, and others are so tied to the identity of the city that they can’t be mistaken for anywhere else.

To put together a solid list of these spots, we looked at multiple sources: IMDb data, FilmLA permit records, coverage from the Los Angeles Times, and site-specific histories from tourism and culture publications. The result is a picture of the city’s most-filmed blocks, why they work so well, and how they fit into the larger story of Los Angeles on screen.

How the List Was Built

There is no official ranking of the most-filmed blocks in Los Angeles. Film permits are public, but the data does not break down neatly to individual street segments. To build a credible list, we needed multiple sources.

The American Home Shield study was the starting point. It pulled data from IMDb, geocoding thousands of filming locations to streets and intersections. This allowed researchers to rank streets nationwide. That is how Hollywood Boulevard ended up at the top.

For individual blocks, we used a simple definition. A block is a segment of a street that has a distinct, repeatable look. It could be a tunnel with a curved ceiling, a bridge with skyline views, or a building with striking architecture. The important thing is that filmmakers return to it because it delivers a look they cannot easily find elsewhere.

Other sources helped confirm popularity. FilmLA publishes data on production days by area, which the Los Angeles Times often covers. Tourist guides like Discover Los Angeles and cultural archives like Google Arts & Culture track the film history of specific buildings. Wikipedia’s filmography sections for sites like the Bradbury Building and Union Station provide further evidence of repeated use.

By combining these resources, we get a clear map of Los Angeles’ most reliable film backdrops.

2nd Street Tunnel (Downtown Los Angeles, Figueroa to Hill)

The 2nd Street Tunnel might be the most filmed piece of infrastructure in Los Angeles. It is instantly recognizable to filmmakers, but most residents and visitors do not know its name.

The tunnel runs under Bunker Hill, connecting Figueroa and Hill Streets. Its curved walls are covered in white tiles, and its overhead lights cast a continuous glow. On camera, the effect is a luminous corridor that looks clean, futuristic, and controlled.

Commercial directors have used it for decades because the white background makes vehicles pop. Science fiction films use it to suggest a future city or a sterile, otherworldly space. Action films like it for car chases, because the curve of the tunnel and the repeating lights create rhythm and movement.

The list of films that have used the 2nd Street Tunnel is long. Blade Runner. The Terminator. Kill Bill. Transformers. It has also been a fixture in commercials, especially for cars. Wikipedia maintains a partial filmography that stretches across decades.

The Los Angeles Times once called it “the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have never heard of.” That captures its odd place in the city. It is both anonymous and everywhere (Source: Los Angeles Times).

Filmmakers also like it for practical reasons. The tunnel sits inside the 30-Mile Studio Zone. It is downtown, but easy to close for short stretches. That mix of looks and logistics is why it remains one of the most booked blocks in Los Angeles.

6th Street Viaduct (Arts District to Boyle Heights)

Few structures in Los Angeles are as connected to film history as the 6th Street Viaduct. The original bridge opened in 1932. For decades, it was a workhorse location. Its sweeping arches framed the downtown skyline. Its length and symmetry made it perfect for chase scenes and dramatic standoffs.

The old viaduct appeared in Grease, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Drive, and many others. According to FilmLA data reported by the Los Angeles Times, it was the third most-filmed location in the city in 2014, with 86 production days (Source: Los Angeles Times).

But the bridge had structural problems. It was demolished in 2016, and for a few years Los Angeles lost one of its signature film locations. In 2022, the replacement opened. Designed as the “Ribbon of Light,” the new bridge has tall arches and wide pedestrian walkways. NBC Los Angeles wrote that “Hollywood got its favorite location back,” underlining how tied the structure is to the industry (Source: NBC Los Angeles).

Since opening, the new viaduct has already appeared in music videos, commercials, and feature films. The bridge itself offers grandeur, while the underpasses and nearby Arts District streets provide industrial grit. Together, they make the viaduct one of the most versatile locations in Los Angeles.

Lower Grand Avenue Underpass (Downtown Los Angeles, 4th to 5th)

Lower Grand Avenue is another downtown favorite. It is a split-level roadway, with the lower section running beneath concrete beams and overpasses. The space has sharp shadows, ribbed ceilings, and little traffic clutter.

The underpass has been used in The Dark Knight, The Terminator, The Soloist, and countless commercials. Google Arts & Culture highlights its recurring use, noting how its architecture and light patterns make it a natural film set.

The reason it works is simple. Lower Grand gives scale and depth without much effort. A chase scene there looks dramatic by default. Directors can position cameras to capture overhead concrete beams and multi-level views, adding instant texture.

Student filmmakers use it for the same reason. It looks cinematic without requiring a budget. Crews like it because it is easy to close, easy to light, and close to downtown staging areas.

Los Angeles River at the 4th to 7th Street Bridges

The L.A. River is one of the city’s most filmed landscapes. For decades, directors have returned to its wide concrete channel and arched bridges.

The river is best known for chase scenes. The truck and dirt bike sequence in Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the most famous examples. But it has also been used for musical numbers in Grease, noir classics like Chinatown, and stylized action like The Italian Job.

The Los Angeles Times has documented the river’s long history as a film backdrop. FilmLA has described it as one of the most iconic filming locations in the world.

Part of its value comes from its practicality. The channel is wide, empty, and tough-looking. It gives crews space for cars, cranes, and stunt rigs while still being just minutes from downtown.

On screen, the river has become a visual cue. A single shot of the channel, framed by its concrete walls and bridges, signals “Los Angeles” immediately.

Hollywood Boulevard (Highland to Vine)

Hollywood Boulevard is more than a street. It is the heart of the city’s cinematic identity. The stretch between Highland Avenue and Vine Street is especially dense with landmarks. The TCL Chinese Theatre. The Dolby Theatre. The Walk of Fame stars packed into the sidewalks.

According to the American Home Shield study, this is the most-filmed street in the entire country (Source: American Home Shield). That is not surprising. Few locations in the world signal “Hollywood” so quickly.

The boulevard has appeared in Pretty Woman, La La Land, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and countless other films and shows. Reality TV, documentaries, and news crews film there constantly. Its neon lights, tourist crowds, and street performers create a chaotic energy that is impossible to fake.

Filming here is challenging. The street is busy day and night, and closing it is disruptive. But those challenges are part of the draw. When productions shoot here, they capture a slice of Hollywood life that cannot be staged anywhere else.

Broadway at 3rd: Bradbury Building Block

The Bradbury Building is one of the most unique film locations in Los Angeles. From the outside, it looks like a late 19th century office building. But inside, it reveals one of the city’s most striking interiors.

The five-story atrium is filled with natural light. Cast iron railings and open staircases line the space. Vintage elevators rise through the middle. The look is both historic and futuristic, which is why directors return again and again.

The building has been used in Blade Runner, (500) Days of Summer, The Artist, and Chinatown. Discover Los Angeles and Wikipedia both document its long list of film appearances (Sources: Discover Los Angeles, Wikipedia).

The Bradbury can play different roles. In Blade Runner, it was part of a dystopian future. In (500) Days of Summer, it was a place of romance. Its flexibility makes it one of the most valuable blocks in the Historic Core.

Union Station (Alameda and Cesar E. Chávez)

Union Station is both a working transit hub and a film set. Opened in 1939, it combines Spanish Colonial Revival and Streamline Moderne design. Its waiting rooms and concourses are large, elegant, and timeless.

The grand waiting room, with wood benches, chandeliers, and tall windows, has been featured in Blade Runner, Catch Me If You Can, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Soloist. Directors use it as a train station, but also as a stand-in for airports, banks, and government buildings.

Los Angeles Magazine has highlighted its deep film history. IMDb-based studies often rank it among the most-filmed buildings in the country (Sources: Los Angeles Magazine).

Crews value it because it is spacious, visually rich, and within the 30-Mile Studio Zone. It is one of the rare locations that can deliver both practical space and cinematic scale.

Sunset Boulevard (Hollywood to Beverly Hills)

Sunset Boulevard is another street tied closely to Los Angeles on screen. The road stretches all the way to the Pacific, but the section between Hollywood and Beverly Hills is the most filmed.

The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is lined with neon signs, music venues, and billboards. It has been a backdrop for nightlife scenes since the 1960s. The Beverly Hills stretch looks entirely different, with palm trees, luxury storefronts, and wide boulevards.

The American Home Shield study ranked Sunset Boulevard as the fifth most-filmed street in the country (Source: American Home Shield).

It has appeared in Sunset Boulevard, Almost Famous, Collateral, The Big Lebowski, and more. Directors return to it because one street offers multiple looks: rock and roll grit, urban nightlife, and high-end wealth.

Grand Avenue Cultural Core (Disney Hall and MOCA)

Grand Avenue has become a modern film destination. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry, dominates the stretch with its stainless steel curves. The Museum of Contemporary Art and other buildings nearby add sharp, modern lines.

The Los Angeles Times has written about the area’s frequent use in film and photography (Source: Los Angeles Times). Its look is futuristic without requiring set dressing.

Commercials, fashion shoots, and sci-fi films all use Grand Avenue because it looks like a city of the future. The combination of Disney Hall’s reflective steel and the angular plazas around it makes it one of the most photographed modern spaces in Los Angeles.

Why These Blocks Work

The most-filmed blocks of Los Angeles combine two things: strong visuals and practical logistics.

Each location offers a clear visual identity. The 2nd Street Tunnel looks futuristic. The L.A. River looks stark and industrial. Hollywood Boulevard is instantly recognizable. Viewers know the city the moment they see the shot.

Each location is also practical. Most are inside the 30-Mile Studio Zone, which keeps production costs down (California Film Commission). Many can be closed or controlled. Tunnels, underpasses, and riverbeds give crews control over light, traffic, and sound. FilmLA manages the permitting system, which simplifies logistics for crews (Source: FilmLA).

That combination explains why the same blocks appear again and again. They deliver the look directors want without creating unnecessary headaches for production.

Living on a Filmed Block

For people who live or own property on these blocks, filming brings both pride and inconvenience.

On the positive side, there is value in living in a place tied to film history. Some owners receive fees when their properties are used for shoots. The frequent filming is also a sign that the neighborhood is attractive and well maintained.

On the negative side, filming disrupts daily life. Street closures, late-night lighting, and crowds of crew members can be frustrating. Parking may be blocked, and access can be limited during shoots.

FilmLA runs a community section on its site to help residents stay informed. It lists upcoming shoots and explains the notification process.

Final Thoughts

The most-filmed blocks of Los Angeles are not always the landmarks tourists visit first. They are tunnels, bridges, boulevards, and stations that combine visual power with practical advantages. These spots show up again and again because they say “Los Angeles” in a single frame and because crews can use them without impossible logistics.

For filmmakers, they are tools. For viewers, they are signals. And for residents, they are both a source of pride and a constant reminder that in Los Angeles, the boundary between movie set and real life is always thin.

The city itself remains part of the story.