Authored by Yuki Sato
Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” is more than a film; it’s a sprawling, melancholic epic that drifts through the foggy corridors of memory. It’s a ghost story told by a man at the end of his life, recounting the moments of power, loyalty, and profound betrayal that defined an era. Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran’s narrative, as channeled by Robert De Niro, doesn’t just jump between decades; it paints a map of a bygone America, a landscape of smoke-filled backrooms, opulent steakhouses, and the quiet, unassuming street corners where history was violently made. To trace the footsteps of Sheeran, Russell Bufalino, and Jimmy Hoffa is to embark on a pilgrimage not just to filming locations, but into the very soul of the 20th-century American underworld. This journey takes us deep into the heart of New York City, a character in its own right, with its five boroughs providing the primary canvas for this dark masterpiece. We’ll walk the same pavement, stand before the same facades, and feel the lingering echoes of a world that, like the film’s characters, has been weathered and changed by the relentless march of time. Prepare to explore the asphalt arteries and brick-and-mortar veins of a story that truly is, as they say, written in the streets.
For another cinematic journey that explores themes of memory, mortality, and pilgrimage through its real-world settings, consider our guide to the filming locations of Departures.
The Cinematic Canvas of a Gangster’s Life
Scorsese is a master of setting, a filmmaker who knows that the environment is never merely a backdrop; it plays an active role in the story. For “The Irishman,” this approach was crucial. The production team, headed by the renowned production designer Bob Shaw, undertook a monumental effort: recreating the look and atmosphere of several decades across multiple states. They didn’t just locate sites; they brought them back to life. Streets were populated with period-specific cars, storefronts were carefully redressed, and interiors were weathered or polished to mirror the changing fortunes of the characters. The film’s aesthetic exudes lived-in authenticity. Nothing feels sterile or new. The wood is dark and worn, the upholstery on the restaurant banquettes shows signs of age, and the institutional green paint on union hall walls feels chillingly genuine. This dedication to detail is what makes visiting these locations so rewarding. When you stand outside a site, you’re not merely seeing a building where a film was shot. You’re experiencing a piece of a meticulously crafted world, a tangible connection to the narrative that lets you step, however briefly, into the melancholic timeline of Frank Sheeran’s life. The challenge was enormous, as modern New York has cleaned away much of the grit and grime from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. This compelled the crew to be highly inventive, often choosing lesser-known neighborhoods in the outer boroughs or quiet suburban corners of New York to double for places that no longer exist in their original form. This guide honors that craftsmanship, leading you to the real locations and the clever substitutes that together created the world of “The Irishman.”
The Heart of the Matter: New York City’s Five Boroughs
New York City stands as the unquestioned epicenter of Scorsese’s world, and in “The Irishman,” it acts as the grand stage for the ascent and decline of its main figures. From the halls of power in Manhattan to the working-class streets of the outer boroughs, the city offers a rich tapestry of textures, moods, and histories. Here, deals were quietly brokered over plates of pasta, bodies were left in car trunks, and the slow, relentless decay of an empire unfolded. Our journey begins here, amid the concrete canyons and neighborhood streets that Frank Sheeran claimed as his territory.
Manhattan: Corridors of Power and Betrayal
Manhattan represents the dazzling, ruthless core of the operation. It’s the island of ambition, where mobsters and union leaders mingled with political elites. For a pilgrim, Manhattan reveals a series of potent, almost legendary locations that resonate with the film’s most dramatic moments.
Umberto’s Clam House and the Specter of Mulberry Street
The brutal, public assassination of “Crazy Joe” Gallo marks a pivotal moment in the film, starkly illustrating the violence underpinning the entire enterprise. Frank’s narration unemotionally recounts the hit as it plays out in a hail of gunfire amid overturned tables and frightened patrons. This scene was not filmed at the original Umberto’s but on a painstakingly recreated set at the corner of Orchard and Broome Streets on the Lower East Side. The production team transformed the corner, home to the Classic Coffee Shop, into an exact replica of the notorious Little Italy eatery circa 1972.
Visiting this corner today is a fascinating lesson in cinematic archaeology. The coffee shop remains, but the echoes of the film set linger. Standing across the street, you can perfectly frame the shot of the hitmen bursting through the door. The true story is equally compelling. The original Umberto’s Clam House was located a few blocks away at 129 Mulberry Street. After the Gallo hit, the restaurant became a grim tourist attraction before relocating and eventually closing. Today, Mulberry Street is the bustling, tourist-oriented heart of what remains of Little Italy. While it no longer holds the gritty authenticity of the 1970s, a stroll past cannoli shops and red-sauce restaurants still evokes the old neighborhood’s spirit. The atmosphere is festive now, but if you pay attention to the old tenements and the rhythm of the language, you can still hear whispers of the world Bufalino and his crew once ruled. For the full experience, visit the filming corner at Orchard and Broome, then walk west to Mulberry Street to see where the real history happened. The contrast between cinematic recreation and historical reality is powerful.
The Courthouse Steps at Foley Square
Few images symbolize the American justice system more than the grand, neoclassical columns of a courthouse. In “The Irishman,” the steps of the New York County Courthouse in Foley Square serve as the backdrop for a triumphal moment for Jimmy Hoffa. Released from prison, he stands defiantly before a crowd of reporters—a king briefly restored to his court. Scorsese frames this scene with a keen eye for institutional power. The imposing stone building looms over Hoffa, embodying the very system he has both fought and, for a time, overcome.
Visiting Foley Square is essential for any film pilgrim. Situated in Lower Manhattan’s Civic Center, it is a hub of significant architectural and historical importance. You will find yourself surrounded by the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, the New York County Supreme Court, and the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building. The air here feels heavy with gravity. On any given day, lawyers rush up the steps, news vans line the curb, and the steady pulse of the city’s legal heart beats strongly. Standing on those steps, you sense palpable drama. This location has appeared in countless films and television series, from “The Godfather” to “Law & Order,” precisely because it exudes gravitas. The ideal time to visit is a weekday morning, when the square is bustling with activity. Find a bench, watch the flow of people, and imagine De Niro as Frank Sheeran observing Pacino’s Hoffa, a man at the height of his post-prison arrogance, oblivious to the tragic downfall ahead.
The Glamour and the Grit: Recreating the Copacabana
The legendary Copacabana nightclub was the nexus of celebrity, power, and organized crime in mid-century New York. It’s where a comedian’s ill-timed joke could earn him a brutal beating, as shown in the film. The original Copa on East 60th Street has long vanished, lost to changing tastes and real estate development. To resurrect this iconic venue, Scorsese’s team found an ideal substitute: the exterior of the former Park Plaza Restaurant at 23 Park Place in Yonkers, just north of the city. For interiors, they used Weylin, a lavish, ballroom-like event space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, once the Williamsburgh Savings Bank building.
A visit to the Yonkers exterior offers a glimpse into the production’s ingenuity. The building’s classic, pre-war architecture, combined with appropriate signage and period cars, easily passes for mid-century Manhattan. Yet, the true spiritual pilgrimage is to Weylin in Brooklyn. Beneath its magnificent dome, you can almost hear the clink of glasses and the big band’s music. Though it’s an event space not open to casual visitors, its exterior at Broadway and Driggs Avenue stands as a testament to Brooklyn’s Gilded Age architectural grandeur. This location choice underlines a key film theme: glamorous facades often hide a darker reality. The ballroom’s elegance contrasts sharply with the brutal violence just out of sight—a perfect metaphor for the world these men inhabited.
The Outer Boroughs: Where Life (and Crime) Happened
While Manhattan hosted the big declarations, day-to-day life and crime took place in the neighborhoods of Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. These are the sites of quiet talks in local restaurants, family homes, and the unglamorous labor that kept the machine running. As a native of Queens, Scorsese intimately understands the rhythm and texture of these boroughs.
Queens: Whispers in Corona and Rallies in Middle Village
Queens provides the backdrop for some of the film’s most critical, character-defining dialogues. It is portrayed as genuine territory, removed from Manhattan’s inquisitive eyes. A key spot is the Parkside Restaurant on Corona Avenue in Corona, Queens—a real, family-owned Italian restaurant that served as the setting for the pivotal meeting where Russell Bufalino explains to Frank why he must kill Hoffa. The scene is quiet, devastating, and filmed with chilling intimacy.
Visiting Parkside Restaurant is a unique experience for fans. It remains a cherished local spot, largely unchanged from its on-screen appearance. The dark wood paneling, warm lighting, and classic Italian-American decor are all intact. This is no set; it is a living piece of Queens history. Making a dinner reservation is highly recommended—the food is excellent, and the atmosphere carries an old-world charm that is increasingly rare in New York. Sitting in one of the cozy booths, you feel the weight of the scene filmed there. It invites quiet reflection on themes of loyalty and the harsh costs of duty. Easily reached via the 7 train to 103rd Street-Corona Plaza, followed by a short walk, it is an essential stop that connects you intimately to the film.
Another notable Queens location is Christ the King High School in Middle Village. Its large auditorium staged the raucous Teamsters rally where Hoffa, fiery and impassioned, addresses his followers. The school’s mid-century modern architecture provided an ideal scale and period feel for the scene. Though access to the school is restricted, viewing its exterior offers a glimpse into a different Queens—the settled, residential, community-oriented backdrop to the union members Hoffa championed. It’s a reminder that these grand stories were lived out by ordinary people in ordinary neighborhoods.
The Bronx and Staten Island: Homes and Final Farewells
The Bronx, with its distinctive urban texture, and Staten Island, with its suburban, secluded atmosphere, provide settings for both the mundane and the momentous.
In the Bronx, the Van Nest neighborhood served as an extensive filming location—a classic working-class area characterized by brick apartments and storefronts with a timeless New York feel. These streets captured various scenes of Frank’s life, portraying the unvarnished reality of his world. Walking these blocks, perhaps after visiting the nearby Bronx Zoo or Arthur Avenue (the Bronx’s own Little Italy), offers a different city perspective from Manhattan’s iconic landmarks. It’s less about famed sites and more about the collective atmosphere of a real, inhabited place. The majestic Bronx County Courthouse, another architectural highlight, also appears, reinforcing the characters’ ongoing interplay with the law.
Staten Island, New York’s most remote borough, plays a key role in the film’s final chapters. The Callahan-Nannini Funeral Home on Clove Road stands as the site of a mobster’s wake—a somber gathering of the old guard. Visiting the real, operational funeral home reveals its quiet dignity—a place of hushed reverence and respect, sharply contrasting with the violent lives of the men mourned. Choosing a genuine funeral home adds profound authenticity and foreshadows the film’s meditation on death and remembrance. Accessible via the Staten Island Ferry—a scenic, free ride across New York Harbor with stunning Statue of Liberty views—followed by a bus, the journey itself offers a retreat from the city’s frenzy, mirroring the film’s gradual shift toward a contemplative, somber mood.
Another important outer-borough location is Brooklyn’s Oriental Plaza catering hall, transformed into the Villa di Roma for the “Frank Sheeran Appreciation Night.” This scene exemplifies masterful character and production design: a gaudy, heartfelt, yet ultimately pitiful celebration of a violent life. The choice of an authentic, somewhat dated catering hall in Bensonhurst—a historically Italian-American neighborhood—was ideal. It captures the specific aesthetic of that world: gold trim, chandeliers, and a community bound by dark secrets. Walking Bensonhurst today, you can still find bakeries, social clubs, and restaurants that feel right at home in the film, offering a taste of the culture that shaped these men.
Beyond the City: The Road Trip of a Lifetime
“The Irishman” can be seen as a road movie in many respects. The long, fateful drive that Frank, Russell, and their wives take to a wedding in Detroit forms the backbone of the film’s narrative. This journey enables Scorsese to explore both the American landscape and the internal worlds of his characters. Although most of the filming was concentrated around New York for practical reasons, the story itself stretches across the industrial heartland.
Philadelphia’s Beginnings
Frank Sheeran’s story starts in Philadelphia, where he works as a local union official and truck driver, and where he first meets Russell Bufalino at a roadside gas station. To recreate the atmosphere of mid-century South Philly, the production utilized locations in and around New York. For example, the butcher shop where Frank buys the side of beef that marks his descent into crime was shot at a storefront in Paterson, New Jersey. The iconic “Whiskey Sour” scene, in which Frank reveals his capacity for violence, was filmed at a bar in Ridgewood, Queens.
For those making the pilgrimage, the goal isn’t necessarily to find every exact filming location in Philadelphia but to capture the spirit. A visit to the real South Philadelphia is highly recommended. Explore the Italian Market on 9th Street—a vibrant, bustling, historic center of food and culture. Enjoy a cheesesteak from Pat’s or Geno’s (or a local favorite like John’s Roast Pork) and soak in the atmosphere. The row houses, neighborhood bars, and palpable sense of history represent the world Frank Sheeran emerged from. The film captures the city’s ethos so well that visiting the actual place feels strangely familiar.
The Detroit Link and the Final Encounter
Detroit represents Jimmy Hoffa’s realm—the heart of the Teamsters’ power. The film’s climax unfolds in this city, culminating in Hoffa’s notorious disappearance from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, a Detroit suburb. The original restaurant no longer exists, having been replaced by new development. To film this chilling scene, the production found a substitute location that embodied the right 1970s suburban vibe: the former storefront of a lighting store in Suffern, New York. The team meticulously constructed the entire interior of the Red Fox inside this vacant space, showcasing their remarkable craftsmanship.
Frank and Hoffa’s final, tense meeting takes place in a location standing in for a Howard Johnson’s, filmed at the Rodeway Inn in New City, New York. The motel’s lonely, nondescript nature is essential to the scene’s unsettling mood. Visiting Suffern or New City today, you find yourself in suburban Rockland County, an area defined by strip malls, highways, and quiet residential streets. It’s precisely this anonymity that makes the film’s climax so chilling. The violence does not occur in a shadowy alley in Little Italy but in an ordinary house within a well-kept neighborhood. The house where Hoffa is ultimately killed was an actual home in Detroit, but the film used a house at 1222 Scott Avenue in Roseville on Long Island. The mundanity of these chosen locations for the entire sequence underscores how evil can lurk beneath the most ordinary surfaces.
A Practical Guide for the Urban Pilgrim
Embarking on a tour of “The Irishman” filming locations is an ambitious yet profoundly rewarding endeavor. It demands some planning, a comfortable pair of shoes, and a readiness to explore parts of New York that many tourists often overlook.
Navigating the Five Boroughs
The New York City subway system is your most valuable asset. It’s extensive, operates 24/7, and offers the most efficient way to travel between boroughs. Purchase an OMNY-compatible card or use your smartphone’s tap-to-pay feature at the turnstiles. If you plan to make multiple trips, a 7-day unlimited pass provides excellent value. Rely on a dependable mapping app on your phone for accurate subway and bus directions. For destinations farther out, such as Rockland County or Yonkers, the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal is your best option. Keep in mind that while much of Manhattan follows a grid pattern, the outer boroughs have more irregular street layouts, so it’s wise to always carry a map.
Dressing for the Journey
Comfort is essential. Expect to do a lot of walking. Supportive sneakers are an absolute must. Dress in layers, as the weather can change, and you’ll be moving between outdoor environments and climate-controlled subway cars and interiors. During summer, the city can be hot and humid, making light, breathable clothing crucial. In winter, a warm coat, hat, and gloves are essential. The spirit of this pilgrimage is urban exploration rather than high fashion. Blend in, stay comfortable, and be prepared to keep moving.
Dining Like a Wiseguy
To fully immerse yourself in the world of the film, embrace its culinary culture. Beyond visiting the Parkside Restaurant, explore other classic Italian-American spots. In Brooklyn, try Bamonte’s; in the East Village, visit John’s of 12th Street. On Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, you’ll find a remarkable selection of delis, pastry shops, and restaurants that have served the community for generations. Order the classics: veal parmigiana, linguine with clam sauce, and a good cannoli. These establishments are more than restaurants—they are living museums preserving a culture that is central to the film’s identity. It’s as much about enjoying the atmosphere as it is about savoring the food.
The Fading of an Era: The Film’s Quiet Coda
The final act of “The Irishman” is a slow, heartbreaking fade to grey. The power and glory have vanished, replaced by sickness, loneliness, and the heavy burden of memory. The locations in this section mirror this profound change in tone. They are spaces of quiet reflection and closure.
The Final Ride and the Nursing Home
Frank Sheeran’s last years unfold in indistinct, institutional surroundings. The nursing home where he recounts his life story is a place devoid of personality, a purgatory of regret. These scenes were filmed at the New Surfside Nursing Home in Far Rockaway, Queens. The setting, with its institutional hallways and views of the Atlantic Ocean, creates a stark, melancholy backdrop for Frank’s final confession. The lengthy drive Frank takes in his old age, revisiting sites of his past crimes, is a pilgrimage of his own making. These scenes, shot along the highways and roads of Long Island and upstate New York, carry a deep sense of loss. The landscape remains unchanged, but the world that gave it meaning for Frank has disappeared. He is a ghost haunting his own history.
The Unmarked Graves of Memory
In the end, a pilgrimage to the locations of “The Irishman” is a journey through time. You will stand in places meticulously transformed by filmmakers to recreate the past, and you will stand in places continuously altered by the passage of time itself. You will see where history was made, where it was recreated for the camera, and where it has been covered over and forgotten. The film concludes with a door left slightly open—an invitation for someone, anyone, to enter, listen, and remember. By visiting these places, you answer that call. You bear witness to the echoes in the pavement, the stories that linger in brick facades, and the powerful, enduring magic of a cinematic masterpiece that turned the streets of New York and beyond into a map of a man’s soul.
