IAMNOTASTALKER

Year: 2007

  • What Not To Shear – Nick Arrojo’s Studio in New York

    I guess I come by my obsessions naturally – the apple does not fall too far from the tree as they say, because my mom has been completely obsessed with the show What Not To Wear for years now. She is especially obsessed with Nick Arrojo, the hairstylist from the TLC makeover show. She had been chattering for over two years about how much she wanted Nick to cut her hair – so this year for her birthday we surprised her with a haircut from Nick which we scheduled during our New York vacation. Needless to say my mom was SUPER EXCITED! She cried for about ten minutes after she found out.

    Finding Nick’s salon was easy – I just did a Google search of Nick Arrojo and What Not To Wear, and his website – www.arrojostudio.com – popped up. Then I called and simply made an appointment. It was that easy.

    img_0317.jpg Flash forward six weeks to our trip in New York – my mom was so excited she could hardly talk! I was a little nervous, as the receptionist had told me when I made the appointment that my mom would get 45 minutes with Nick. That didn’t seem like very much time and I was worried that the whole appointment would be rushed and my mom wouldn’t get the special attention I wanted her to have. I could not have been more wrong! We were at Nick’s studio for over 3 hours and my mom was made to feel like she was queen for the day. The appointment was not rushed in any way, shape or form, and Nick could not have been any more humble or down to earth. His assistant, Nicole, was fabulous, as well.

    img_0321.jpg Overall, it was a perfect day for my mom, and an even more perfect birthday present. If you are a fan of Nick, I highly recommend saving your pennies and booking a haircut – you will not regret it.

    img_0410.jpg

    img_0412.jpg Oh and my mom’s hair turned out FABULOUS! She loves it -everyone loves it. The only downside is that now that we are back in LA she has no idea how she is going to find a stylist to maintain it. Guess we’ll just have to head back to New York!

    Stalk It: Nick’s studio is located at 180 Varick Street in SoHo, New York. Their telephone number is (212)242-7786. I would recommend calling for an appointment at least a month in advance. A haircut from Nick will run you $500, but it is worth every penny! If you would like a less expensive haircut, you can get sheared by one of his trained stylists for a fraction of the cost.

  • Maddox’s School

    img_1675.jpg Even though I am 100 percent on Team Aniston, while I was in New York, one of my obsessions was finding Maddox’s school. I was really hoping Brad and Angie would be in town and I could just park myself in front of the school and wait for a sighting. 🙂 But, for this stalker, it was not to be.

    Maddox’s school wasn’t hard to find at all – I just did a Google search for “Maddox school New York” on my trusty Blackberry and up it came – Lycee Francais on East 75th Street. I knew it had to be somewhere on the exclusive Upper East Side and sure enough, it was.

    img_1676.jpg When we got there, I immediately recognized the metal and glass doors from the hundreds of paparazzi photos taken of Maddox’s comings and goings from the school. When I posed in front of the doors to take a picture, a guy inside gave me a pretty dirty look. Lycee Francais must not be very stalker friendly.

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

    Stalk It: Lycee Francais is located at 505 W. 75th Street – pretty much on the corner of 75th and York – on the Upper East Side. After checking out Maddox’s alma mater, journey just a few blocks west to Via Quadronno at 25 E. 73rd Street for an Upper East Side breakfast of awesome cappuccinos and the best croissants you will ever eat!

  • You’ve Got Filming Locations!

    One of my favorite New York movies is You’ve Got Mail. On my various trips to NY I have tracked down a few of the filming locations.

    img_0332.jpg You’ve Got Mail was filmed entirely on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The Shop Around the Corner is, in actuality – yes, you are reading this correctly – a cheese and antique shop. Very odd, I know. It is called Maya Schaper Cheese and Antiques. Only the exterior of Maya’s was used for filming and unfortunately it looks very different in person. The producers brought in a faux exterior that made the shop look much more charming than it does in real life. And let’s just say the owner of the shop was not as “enchanting” as Kathleen Kelly, either. She wasn’t very nice or talkative when I went in to ask about the filming. Not everyone loves a stalker, I guess. This location I found in the book New York: The Movie Lover’s Guide by Richard Alleman.

    img_0335.jpg The Shop Around the Corner was actually based on a real life children’s bookstore in NYC called “Books of Wonder.” This is a really cute bookshop for kids and I would recommend visiting. I got this little bit of trivia and location off of the trivia link on IMDB’s You’ve Got Mail page.

    One of the great benefits to stalking is that you often happen upon really great restaurants or places to visit. One of my favorite places to grab a bite to eat in New York I actually discovered while stalking You’ve Got Mail. Grey’s Papaya, located on West 71st and Broadway, serves up the BEST hot-dogs you will ever eat! Its other claim to fame is that it was the location where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks ate lunch in front of a window towards the end of the movie.

     

     

    img_0740.jpg The Starbucks from YGM, where Joe makes a witty observation about decision making, is located on the corner of 81st Street and Broadway. Grab a coffee to go – all this stalking will make you tired! This location, as well as the next two, I found on the official website for You’ve Got Mail, which has a map of several filming sites from the movie.

    img_0738.jpg Cafe Lalo, where Joe Fox first realizes that Shopgirl is actually Kathleen Kelly, is a very, very quaint little cafe on the Westside. I have NO idea how the heck they could possibly film anything inside of it, as the place is truly minuscule. It is really cute, though, and serves up some great espresso.

    img_0743.jpg Another Westside location for YGM is Zabar’s grocery store, a fabulous gourmet store on the Westside that is unlike any other grocery store I have ever seen. It has possibly everything you could ever want – including an espresso bar, cooking utensils, and every cheese imaginable! Zabar’s was used for the scene where Meg Ryan steps into the “Cash Only” line without any cash to pay for her groceries.

    img_1661.jpg Last, but not least, is the 91st Street Garden, where Kathleen and Joe finally get together at the very end of the movie. This location was easy to find, as the characters kiss right in front of a sign that says “91st Street Garden.” From that point, I just googled “91st Street Garden” and it turns out it was right where I thought it would be – on the Westside near 91st street. The garden is a bit hard to find, as it is off the beaten path in Riverside Park. It is also extremely small in person, so it was not what I was expecting. In December, there isn’t much to see, but I am sure it is absolutely beautiful in the spring and summer months!

    The one YGM location that has always escaped me is Meg Ryan’s brownstone. Oh well, there’s always next year’s trip to NYC to stalk it.

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

    Stalk It: Spend a day on the Westside! Maya Shaper Cheese and Antiques is located at 106 W. 69th Street. Watch out for the owner – she may bite! Books of Wonder is located at 18 W. 18th Street. Grey’s Papaya can be found at 2090 Broadway between West 71st and West 72nd streets. Get the Recession Special – two dogs and a drink for $3.50 – and eat in the window just like Meg and Tom! Starbucks is located at the corner of Broadway and 81st Street – don’t get it confused with the 50 other Starbucks on the Westside. Cafe Lalo is located on 83rd Street between Broadway and Amsterdam. Zabar’s is at 2245 Broadway at 81st Street – bring your grocery list! Finally, the 91st Street Garden is located in Riverside Park in between 90th and 91st Streets – but be careful, blink and you might miss it!

  • Howard Stern’s Building

    Why oh why did this article just come out today when I am already back on the West Coast??  Apparently Howard Stern is very upset that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have moved onto the same block where he resides. While I was in New York this past week, I was obsessively keeping my eyes peeled at every children’s playground in Central Park hoping to catch a glimpse of Jennifer Garner and little Violet. Had I only known they were living just steps away from Howard, whose apartment my boyfriend and I stalked on our last trip to NYC!

    img_0399.jpg

    My boyfriend is a HUGE fan of Howard, and while he gets extremely embarrassed of my stalking, he didn’t at all mind stalking Mr. Stern. AND while we were taking pictures outside of his building, Beth Ostrosky walked outside and into a waiting car. She was really beautiful in person and quite tall!

    img_0398.jpg

    I found Howard’s apartment in my trusty John’s New York Star Map – don’t leave home to stalk New York without it!

    Reminder – this is a private building! Do not attempt to enter the building or bother the residents!

    Stalk It:Howard and Beth live on the Upper West Side in the very large, very modern Millennium Tower Building at 101 W. 67th Street, directly across the street from Starbucks. His Sirius radio show broadcasts every weekday morning from 1221 Avenue of the Americas, right near Rockefeller Center. John’s Star Maps can be purchased at www.johnsstarmaps.com.

  • Star Stalking – East Coast Style

    claire-danes.jpg Well, here I am back on the West Coast – wishing I was still in New York! 🙁 I had a fabulous time in Manhattan and did a ton of stalking! I am exhausted tonight, so I will have to save my longer NYC posts for later. But I wanted to say that I did spot Claire Danes walking on Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District on Friday morning. I seriously doubt she was walking around looking for Samantha’s apartment or the bar from 13 Going On 30 like I was, but I was excited to see her just the same. She was very tall in person – well, tall by Hollywood standards – I’d say about 5’7 or 5’8 and very blond. I didn’t talk to her, but I did snap a pic on my Blackberry. 🙂 It’s kinda fuzzy, but if you zoom in you can see it’s her!

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

  • New York, New York!

    Well, today I am heading to my other favorite coast – New York City – for a short vacation! Since I won’t be blogging for the rest of the week, I am leaving you with a few of my favorite NYC stalking locations!  It’s actually quite possible I have found more filming locations in Manhattan than I have in LA.

    Carrie’s Brownstone

    On my first visit to New York three years ago, the one absolutely-I-would-not-get-on-the-plane-home-until-I-found-it stalking location was Carrie’s brownstone from Sex and the City.  I ended up locating the street the home is on through an extensive Google search that took me about 4 hours – not that I was obsessed or anything!

    going inside!

    Our first day in New York, my dad had a consultation with a heart surgeon (the entire purpose of our trip, actually) and I remember asking the doctor if we could speed the tests along as I had to get over to Greenwich Village to find Carrie’s house!  🙂  Once his tests were finally over, I headed to Perry Street in the Village and walked up the short, absolutely adorable, street, until I found the house.  I recognized #66 immediately from its ornate front doors.

    SJP’s house

    Just a few blocks away is Sarah Jessica Parker’s house, which I did not locate until the following year.  This location was a lucky find!  I had happened upon John’s Star Maps: New York Cityon Amazon.com one day and immediately ordered two copies, hoping it would be a good stalking resource.  I was completely floored to find SJP’s address listed as 57 Charles Street.  (That is my best friend and I in the picture.)

    Magnolia Bakery!

    Just a few blocks away from both locations is Magnolia Bakery, which was used in an early episode of SATC.  You may remember Carrie and Miranda sitting on a bench out front eating cupcakes.  Well, in real life, there is no bench – but there are cupcakes!  The BEST cupcakes in the entire world, actually!  When the gourmet cupcake craze hit LA early this year, I sampled each and every bakery in the hopes that one would be as good as Magnolia.  How sad was I that none even came close!  So, unfortunately, I can only get my fix once a year when I visit NYC.  And let me tell you – absence does make the heart grow fonder!

    Anyway, I am off to NYC!  Maybe I will happen upon SATC: The Movie being filmed!!!!!

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

    Stalk It: Carrie’s brownstone is located at 66 Perry Street in the West Village, just off Bleeker.  Perry Street is one of my favorite streets in all of New York – it is the quintessential New York Street – probably why they used it for SATC.  SJP’s brownstone can be found just one block south at 57 Charles Street.  Remember these are private homes – do not trespass or disturb the residents!  Magnolia Bakery is located just a few short blocks away at 401 Bleeker Street – don’t be deterred by the long line, it moves fast.  John’s Star Maps: New York City can be purchased at www.johnsstarmaps.com – I highly recommend buying one if you are planning a trip to NYC.

  • Miami-Dade-Hawthorne-California Police Department

    Me Doing My Best Horatio Cane!My favorite CSI is CSI: Miami and I was absolutely obsessed with finding the location used as the Miami-Dade police department.  One of my good friends had an audition for CSI: Miami and, knowing what a stalker I am, he took me with him to the CSI:Miami  studio in Redondo Beach so that I could scout locations.  I was hoping the building was located somewhere inside the studio gates, but alas, I was wrong. 

    I ended up finding the location on the website www.seeing-stars.com, while stalking filming sites from another show – The O.C – where the same site was used as The Newport Group building. 

    Miami-Dade PD is located in Hawthorne, California and is actually the headquarters for the F.A.A. Federal Credit Union.  I highly recommend visiting this unusual building – even if you are not a fan of The O.C. or CSI: Miami – it is an amazing sight to behold.  The curvature of the exterior walls almost gives you the feeling of vertigo.

    Me doing my best Horatio Cane!Me doing my best Horatio Caine imitation!

    Until next time, Happy Stalking! 

    Stalk It: Miami-Dade Police Department is located at 14600 Aviation Blvd. in Hawthorne, California, pretty close to LAX and just off the 405 Freeway.  Drive slowly down Aviation Blvd. as the building is set far back from the road and you might drive right by it without seeing it.  Peek inside and you’ll see that the CSI: Miami sets were modeled after the real interior.  I would try to visit the building on a weekday – you just might see the cast and crew filming an episode!  I would definitely recommend visiting www.seeing-stars.com as well – it is a great stalking site!

  • Charmed, I’m Sure!

    Charmed House

    Just got a challenge to find the Charmed house – but that is an easy one!  🙂  The Charmed house is located on Carroll Avenue, a historic block of Victorian homes near Echo Park that is used constantly for filming.  The Charmed house is the purple one located at 1329 Carroll Avenue – and the same home was also used in Sweet Dreams, Of Mice and Men, and Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo.

    Thriller House

    My favorite filming location on Carroll Avenue is located at 1345 – the haunted house from Thriller.  It still looks as spooky and run down as it did back when MJ filmed there and is a great place to visit around Halloween.  I always make it a part of my Haunted Hollywood tour in October.  🙂

    [ad]

    Thriller House 1

    It should look familiar from this angle. These locations were easy to find – they were identified in my favorite Hollywood tour book – Hollywood: The Movie Lover’s Guide by Richard Alleman.  I highly recommend purchasing this book before doing any Hollywood touring.

    Doing the Thriller dance.

    I just can’t seem to resist doing the Thriller dance!

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

    Stalk It:Carroll Avenue is located right off the 2 Freeway.  Take the Glendale Blvd. exit and make a left on Bellevue Avenue.  Finally make a left on East Edgeware Road which will lead you to Carroll.  I would recommend parking your car and walking the length of the street.  There are some amazing homes to look at – even if they aren’t all filming locations.  Be sure to notice the old time street ties where people would tie up their horses back in the day.

  • Where You Are Almost Guaranteed A Britney Sighting!

    Ever since she shimmied down a hallway in her  . . . Baby One More Time video (which was filmed entirely at Venice High School, by the way) I have been obsessed with BritBrit.  I can’t tell you how many times I have dressed up as Britney for Halloween!  And I was even an extra in Crossroads – the Britney Spears movie!  Nowadays Britney is more likely to be wearing Cheetos fingers than cute schoolgirl uniforms, but I must say I am still kinda obsessed.  Which is why I dragged my boyfriend to the Malibu Country Mart Starbucks – where Britters gets her daily fix – in hopes of a Britney sighting!

    Malibu Country Mart StarbucksWe didn’t end up seeing BritBrit at the Country Mart, but I did get to talk to several baristas about the pop star.  They said it is absolutely insane when Miss Britney comes in to order her daily frappaccino.  They said the paparazzi just cram all the windows and doors shooting shot after shot of Brit.  One even came inside once and got behind the espresso machine to snap a picture! 

    This location was easy to find – I’ve been to Malibu many times and recognized the Starbucks from the paparazzi photos.

    Even though we didn’t see Brit – a trip to Starbucks is never a waste!  I had my favorite iced latte and got some good gossip.  If you are in the area, be sure to pop in for your daily coffee – you might just see Britney running over a photog’s foot!

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

    Stalk It:  The Malibu Country Mart is located on the Pacific Coast Highway near Cross Creek Road.  It is a great place to grab a bit to eat and do some star stalking at the same time.  Many celebs hang out here during the day – Adam Sandler eats breakfast at the Malibu Country Market (which was used in the movie Paparazzi), Jessica Alba shops at Planet Blue, and Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox dine at Nobu.  Starbucks is located right at the entrance to the Mart.  You can visit the Country Mart’s website at www.malibucountrymart.com.

  • More 13 Going On 30!

    Jenna’s ApartmentI was pretty obsessed with finding Jennifer Garner’s apartment from 13 Going On 30 for quite some time and I finally found it earlier this year in New York!  It required A LOT of pausing and rewinding my DVD of the movie, but it turns out the apartment is right where the awning of the building said it was  – 51 Fifth Avenue.  Most productions put fake signs or address numbers up during the filming, but in the case of 13 Going On 30, not a whole lot was changed.  Even the two potted trees flanking the front doors of the apartment building were there in real life.  The apartment building is HUGE and really beautiful.  When I looked up at the higher floors, I could definitely picture the “Naked Guy” yelling “Sweetbottom” out of the window.  And I was really hoping a car pulled up to the sidewalk so I could have a tizzy and yell “I don’t get in the car with strangers!” 

    And yes, I did go inside the building!  The hallway and entryway were the same ones used in the movie where Jenna asks Becky if she can tell that she is wearing underwear.

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!

     Stalk It: Jenna’s apartment building is located near the Flatiron District of Manhattan, at 51 Fifth Avenue.  I would recommend getting off the subway near the Flatiron Building – which is a site to see unto itself.  The Flatiron is located at 175 Fifth Avenue and it was actually used as Jack Nicholson’s agent’s office in As Good As It Gets.  Walk south from the Flatiron Building along Fifth Avenue until you see #51.  The Flatiron District is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Mahattan and there are tons of cool shops and restaurants along the way that you might just want to pop into!