407, Grand Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan Community Board 3, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10002, United States of America
407, Grand Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan Community Board 3, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10002, United States of America
103rd Street, Broadway, Manhattan Valley, Manhattan Community Board 7, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10205, United States of America
49th Street, 7th Avenue, Theater District, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10019, United States of America
Scorsese’s mob masterpiece is a love letter to a very specific New York – the outer-borough world of Queens diners, Brooklyn social clubs and Bath Beach wedding halls where Henry Hill grew up “always wanting to be a gangster.” Almost all of it was shot in the real neighbourhoods it depicts, which is why it feels less like a film than a home movie with worse people.
Where was Goodfellas filmed?
Goodfellas was shot across New York City – Queens (Astoria, Maspeth), Brooklyn (Bath Beach, Coney Island), the Lower East Side of Manhattan and Staten Island – the genuine outer-borough turf of the real Lucchese associates the film is based on.
Every Goodfellas location, explained
1
The Copacabana entrance – Grand Street, Manhattan
The film’s most famous shot – the unbroken Steadicam glide through a kitchen into the Copacabana – was filmed around the Lower East Side (Grand Street). The “Copa” interior was a set, but the long walk in through the bowels of the building is real corridor.
2
Astoria and Maspeth, Queens
Young Henry Hill’s house is on Astoria Boulevard, and the diner scenes used Maspeth – the everyday Queens of the film’s early, seductive stretch.
3
Bath Beach and Coney Island, Brooklyn
Henry and Karen’s wedding reception was shot in Bath Beach, and the Bamboo Lounge exterior at Coney Island in Brooklyn.
4
The George Washington Bridge and beyond
The film ranges out to the George Washington Bridge and Staten Island, keeping the whole thing within the real geography of the crew’s world.
Planning a visit
Goodfellas is a walking tour of outer-borough New York – Astoria and Maspeth in Queens, Bath Beach and Coney Island in Brooklyn are all real, reachable neighbourhoods. Just maybe don’t ask anyone if they think you’re funny.
Goodfellas Fun Facts
1
The Copa shot was pure showing off The unbroken Steadicam walk into the Copacabana took eight takes and exists mostly because a side door was blocked – so Scorsese turned the long way in into cinema history.
2
'Funny how?' was improvised Joe Pesci’s terrifying “you think I’m funny?” scene grew from a real encounter he’d witnessed as a young waiter, and the actors’ reactions are half-genuine.
3
The real Henry Hill consulted The actual Henry Hill, then in witness protection, advised on the film and later said Ray Liotta “even walked like me.”
4
Shot in the real neighbourhoods Rather than fake it on a backlot, Scorsese used the genuine Queens and Brooklyn streets of the story.
5
Pesci won, then barely spoke Joe Pesci’s Best Supporting Actor acceptance speech was famously five words: “It’s my privilege. Thank you.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Copacabana scene?
The famous unbroken entrance was filmed around the Lower East Side; the Copa club interior was a set.
Is Goodfellas a true story?
Yes – it adapts Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy about real Lucchese-family associate Henry Hill.
Can you visit the Goodfellas locations?
Yes – the Queens and Brooklyn neighbourhoods are all real and reachable, though many specific businesses have since changed.
Who directed Goodfellas?
Martin Scorsese, shooting in the real outer boroughs of New York.
