Hunt Intel: The Interior Secret
The Connection: Most fans don’t realize the hallways aren’t actually in the 97th street building.
The Vibe: The Hotel Chelsea is famous for being a home to legends like Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol.
Pro-Tip: Visit the lobby. It still has that same haunting, artistic energy that director Luc Besson was looking for back in ’94. While the exterior of Léon’s apartment was filmed on 97th Street, the legendary Hotel Chelsea provided the dark, atmospheric hallways where Leon and Mathilda first meet The Secret: Those interiors were filmed at the legendary Hotel Chelsea in Chelsea. The building on 97th Street was too cramped for the camera crews, so they moved to the Chelsea for that high-ceiling, moody “New York Gothic” feel.
Photo by Beyond My Ken via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0