Filming Locations - Season 1
101 - Chuck Vs. The Intersect (The Pilot)
The Chuck Pilot (The Intersect) was filmed entirely on location. Not unusual for pilot episodes hoping to be picked up for broadcast.
Ellie and Devon's Apartment
Ellie and Devon’s Apartment is located at 1832 Grace Ave, at the corner of Franklin Ave and Grace Avenue in Hollywood. Build in 1928 by Cecil B DeMille. It is known as the El Cabrillo Apartments (now Condominiums). After the show was picked up by NBC, the apartments and the Courtyard were re-created at Warner Brothers Studio, Stage 10
CIA Headquarters
CIA Headquarters was filmed at Los Angeles Center Studios at 450 South Bixel St in Downtown Los Angeles. It was formally the headquarters of the Union Oil Company. It will be used again later in Season 5.
The Buy More
The Buy More Electronics Store was filmed in an old CompUSA store located at 1611 Hawthorne Blvd. Redondo Beach, CA. in the South Bay Galleria Shopping Mall. The Store was closed in May of 2007. The building was subsequently torn down. The interior of the Buy More more closely resembled a Best Buy only with a green and yellow color scheme rather than blue and yellow.
The Buy More store was recreated on Stage 10 at Warner Brothers beginning with Episode 2.
The intial external shot was probably from the CompUSA store with the addition of Computer Graphics Imagery (CGI) to create the Buy More look. The external images of the Buy More change in Episode 2.
As you can see from the screenshot of the Buy More interior, some of the CompUSA colors were still present.
Chuck in the Large Mart
The Large Mart, which is next door to the Buy More, was filmed in a Costco at 6100 Sepulveda Blvd, Van Nuys, CA, located in San Fernando Valley. If you’ve ever been in a Costco, it is very obvious. In fact, if you look very closely, you can see Kirtland (Costco’s in-house brand) products on some of the shelves.
Chuck and Sarah's Date at the Restaurant
Chuck and Sarah’s date began at the El Compadre Restaurant, located at 1449 W Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. That is the real name of the restaurant. They sat in the middle booth at the front of the restaurant.
The Echo - Dancing
After dinner, Chuck and Sarah walk to The Echo, a music and dancing venue. They walk down the street at 1866 W Sunset Blvd in the Echo Park District of LA. After the walk, they are seen at The Echo located at 1822 W. Sunset Bl.
Chuck and Sara Leave The Echo
After the dance, Chuck and Sarah get into the Nerd Herder to escape Casey.
They start out in front of The Echo at 1822 West Sunset Bl. But quickly the chase is in Long Beach, CA, some 27 miles away. They pass the Hotel d ’Artistes located at 402 E. 1st Street in Long Beach, CA. They are actually driving back and forth down E. 1st Street while being chased by Casey in a Suburban. They then pass Atlantic Mail Plus, which is located next to the Hotel d ”Artistes.
I have not yet located the stairs that Sarah drives the Nerd Herder down with the two surfer dudes looking on. However, they emerge from the stairwell on Alamo Ct, which is like an alleyway and end up in front the the parking garage of the Westin Long Beach hotel, which is in that same area.
After the stairs, they are in a slighty different place, which is next to the Alamo Court, where they exited.
Casey Chases Chuck and Sarah
After the Nerd Herder comes to a stop in the street after going down the stairs, Casey’s suburban crashes into them; However, they are slightly up the street from where they initially came out of the alley.
The Chase Ends
Check out where the suburban turns around. Right in front of the Atlantic Mail Plus, Also, you can see barriars most likely put up to allow filming that night.
Not sure where that booth and barriers are located, but this might be the only place in the episode where heavy CGI is used. When the Suburban crashes into the barriers and a ball of fire washes over Sarah, you can be sure that she was nowhere near it.
Sarah and Casey Showdown over Chuck
The rooftop where Chuck and Sarah escape to and have their first confrontation with John Casey is located at 345 S Figueroa St, Downtown Los Angeles, CA, the site of the LA Grand Hotel. It has a helicopter landing pad highlighted with the number 10 and a large circle. This location is miles away from where the car chase took place in Long Beach, Ca. (See above)
Defusing the Bomb
The location of the hotel where the General is speaking and the bomb is planted is The Westin Bonaventure Hotel, located at 404 South Figueroa St in downtown LA.
Interesting they enter through the lobby across a pool of water, but the San Francisco Ballroom is on a different floor. You see them come up the hallway to the ballroom.
After Chuck defuses the Bomb, Casey and Sarah are arguing in front of the hotel.
The Beach
Chuck and Sarah’s Beach (1st and final episode) is located in San Pedro California. It is located 47 miles from Burbank at Leo Cabrillo Beach. It is located adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles where cargo containers arrive and are unloaded and where cruise ships are docked.
102 - Chuck Vs. The Helicopter
Since the series was picked up by NBC, production shifted to a combination of the Warner Brothers Studio and locations. The Buy More, Apartment and, Weinerlucious interior was created on Stage 10. Stage 17 was also used and other sound stages as needed. Many exterior scenes was also filmed in various locations of the Warner Brothers backlot.
The Buy More Exterior
In Episode two, the Buy More facade was now a closed Mervyn’s department store in the Fallbrook Center shopping mall located at 6633 Fallbrook Ave, West Hills, CA in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. It is across the valley from Burbank. With the exception of the Buy More sign, the facade is the same as when the building housed a the Department Store. It is now a Sprout’s Farmer’s Market. The store to the left, Underpant’s Etc is a Party City store. To the left of that on the tower is the logo of the Large Mart. The sign normally has a Home Depot sign. The actual Home Depot is located elsewhere on the Mall site.
The Weinerlicious
The Weinerlicious was located in a building across the parking lot from the Buy More. The actual building used was eventually torn down around 2012 and an Olive Garden built in its place. The interior shots were on a set at WB.
Sarah Picks up Chuck at His Apartment
Sarah picks up Chuck in front of his apartment, except that it was not really where the apartment was located. This entrance is located at 2276 N. Beachwood Dr. It is near the El Cabrillo apartments in Hollywood, but nowhere near Echo Park, where the apartment is supposed to be located.
Buy More Interior
The Buy More intererior was recreated on Warner Brothers Stage 10. It closely resembles a Best Buy. The Nerd Herd Desk is located down the center aisle of the store toward the back.
Chuck's Nerd Herd Call
Chuck’s first Nerd Herd call we see is for a LINUX install at a factory at 142 Euclid off of Ventura Bl. There is no such street there. However, the actual location is 20755 Centre Pointe Pkwy, Santa Clarita CA, many miles away from where Lester said and in the opposite direction from the Buy More.
After Casey bumps the back of Chuck’s Nerd Herder, the chase ensues. They actually don’t go very far.
They turn right from Center Point Pkwy to Ruether Ave. Where they end up in completely in the opposite direction.
After Casey t-bones the Nerd Herder, they end the chase on Ruether Ave, adjacent to The Santa Clarita Aquatic Center
Chuck and Casey Rescue Sarah
Casey and Chuck drive up to a location where they determined Sarah was being held. This location is an abandoned shipyard in San Pedro, California called the Southwest Marine Shipyard. The address is 985 South Seaside Avenue Berth 240. Apparently, it is owned by Bethleham Steel.
Sarah Attends Bryce's "Funeral"
Sarah (and Chuck) attend Bryce’s funeral in Los Angeles. The funeral was shot in the Hollywood Forever Cemetary, located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood. It is the final resting place of many famous stars such as: Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Rudolph Valentino, Mickey Rooney, Tyrone Power, Douglas Fairbanks, Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone, Valerie Harper, Chris Cornell, and hundreds of others. The key to finding this location is that the headstones belong to real people.
103 - Chuck Vs. The Tango
The Art Auction
Sarah and Chuck attend the art auction which is held in the Park Plaza Hotel, 607 S. Park View St in downtown Los Angeles. The hotel has a long history and has been used in many movies and TV shows. It was originally built as an Elk’s lodge.
Sarah is taken by the MI6 Agents
When Sarah is captured by the MI6 agents, she is taken to a rooftop location. In this case, it is the rooftop of a parking garage on the Warner Brothers lot. There are 3 or 4 multilevel parking garages that are used throughout the show. This one appears to be just inside Gate 7 at the far end of the WB lot bordering the Los Angeles River.
Sarah Fights with Malena
Malena (El Ciudad) goes on the roof of the Weinerlicous to potientally take out Chuck, who has identified her.
Sarah spots her and climbs up the ladder to the roof and a fight ensues.
104 - Chuck Vs the Wookie
Peyman's Malibu Compound
Peyman’s Malibu Compound is actually located in Malibu. The address is: 30065 Pacific Coast Hwy. It is up a long driveway that has a chain at the entrance off of PCH.
Carina Escapes at the Beach
Carina, Chuck and Sarah escape to the beach where Carina gets the diamond from Chuck and then escapes on a jetski.
The beach is Leo Cabrillo State Beach, located in Malibu. It has been the site of many movies and TV shows.
Sarah's Hotel Room
In this episode, we get a look at Sarah’s hotel room when Chuck brings her a pizza, vegeterian, no olives. The outside of the hotel, which we see in a later episode is located in Burbank. The inside and her room is located in the Viceroy Hotel at 1819 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Her room is 832. The Hotel has been remodeled (doors are blue) since the show was filmed there, but there are reminants of green in various places.
105 - Chuck Vs. The Sizzling Shrimp
Griffith Observatory
One of the first views of the Griffith Observatory, located in Griffith Park, a 4,310 acre Urban Park in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Hollywood sign and Broson Caves are located there. Many scenes from Chuck were filmed there as well.
The Observatory was completed in 1935 and has been seen in many Hollywood productions.
The Chinese Embassy
The Chinese Embassy is located on the Warner Brothers backlot. It will be seen at various times throughout the series.
Bamboo Dragon
The resturant that Morgan tries to take Chuck and Sarah to is the Bamboo Dragon located in the Chinatown area of downtown LA. The real name is Hop Louie located at 950 Mei Ling Wy. In the first picture, Bamboo Dragon is over the door and on the door. However, the Hop Louie Sign is visable in one scene. But then they CGI’d the sign to say Bamboo Dragon.
Following Ben Lo Pan and Mei Ling
After Ben Lo Pan leaves the restaurant and Mei Ling follows him, the team leaves Chinatown and is back in dowtown LA. Mei Ling turns at the corner of W 2nd St and S. Hill St and then proceeds through the 2nd street tunnel.
Next, they are on the Warner Brothers lot as Ben Lo Pan pulls up at the theater building.
You will see Mei Ling, then Sarah and Casey come out of the club via the alleyway on the right of the theater.
Ben Lo Pan's House
Sarah, Casey and Mei Ling travel to Ben Lo Pan’s house. Chuck is in the van.The house is located at 11947 Iredell-St. in Studio City, CA. It is currently for sal, listed at $8.5 Million Dollars! You see the trio scale the fence to enter the property.
They encounter 3 guards in the kitchen and exit through an archway door.
The Team Says Goodbye to Mei Ling and Her Brother
The Team meets Mei Ling and her brother, compliments Chuck and, says goodbye. They are on the top floor of yet another Warner Brothers parking structure. This time they are at Gate 8 on the lot and this garage is across the street on Forest Lawn Drive. You can see the hills in the background.
106 - Chuck Vs. The Sandworm
Lazlo Escapes Custody
Lazlo escapes custody by clocking Agent Scary with a laptop. When he emerges from the underground bunker hs is housed in, he pops up in Malibu, Ca. It appears it’s in the vicinity of Leo Carrillo State Beach. The stairway he comes through is, of course, fake.
Morgan and Lazlo at Video Arcade
Morgan goes to the Video arcade on Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA. The arcade is called Playland and indeed has the Guitar Hero game (it was called Guitar Shredder in the show; however, not in the same spot as when the show was filmed.
Lazlo and Chuck Sharing a Meal
Chuck and Lazlo share a meal at the Continental Hut of Hotcakes which, of course is an International House of Pancakes Resturant. (see what they did there?) It’s an old style version of IHOP (blue and oranage, located at 913 N San Fernanado in Burbank.
Laslo kidnaps Chuck
Sarah leaves a message for Chuck to leave the Buy More and lock himself in a Nerd Herder. By the time he gets there, Lazlo is alreadt there. He takes over control of the car (we’ve seen that trick before) and leads the team on a wild goose chase throughout the Buy More (AKA Fallbrook Fashion Center parking lot. It appears to have been raining sometime that day. You can see as they drive parallel to Fallbrook Ave, the Weinerlicious to the right.
You can see the sign of the Mall before Lazlo ejects Chuck from the car. Chuck skids along an exit road, with a boarded up strip mall on the right and the comes to a halt at the corner of Vanowen St and Lena Ave. He sees the two young women in their car and greets them as they stare at him
Chuck Bikes to Pier and Disarms Bomb
Chuck discovers Casey and Sarah are searching for Lazlo. Chuck knows Lazlo takes the Herd Herder to Santa Monica Pier. There are no Nerd Herders left, so he takes Morgan’s bike. According to Google Maps, it is a 2-hour bike ride to the pier without traffic. But the miracle that is travel on the Chuck show gets him there in no time. He finds Lazlo under the pier with the car and a bomb, which Chuck defuses.
Another note. When Chuck leaves the Buy More on the bike, you can see the tagline for Party City where the Underpants, etc store is supposed to be located.
107 - Chuck Vs. the Alma Mater
First shot is an aerial of the Stanford campus: It is located in Northern California (Palo Alto). However, the college scenes were shot at the University of California at los Angeles (UCLA).
At Stanford
The initial fair scene at Stanford was filmed on Dickson Court South.
Casey, Chuck and Sarah Enter the Library
Chuck, Casey and Sarah enter the Powell Library. Notice the carvings in the wall near the entrance.
Chuck Escapes Library
When Chuck escapes from the Library, he actually leaves from a completly different building than the one above they are seen entering. He runs down the stairs ofthe Humanities Building (now knows as Kaplan Hall) As he exits, you can see the name of the building on the right side.
