Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.
Woodair Estates, Jackson Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States of America
USS Intrepid, 1, Pier 86 Drive, Clinton, Manhattan Community Board 4, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10019, United States of America
44, Mount Airy Village Road, Mount Airy, West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 08530, United States of America
Grand Central Terminal, 89, East 42nd Street, Midtown South, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10017, United States of America
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630, West 168th Street, Washington Heights, Manhattan Community Board 12, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10031, United States of America
34th Street–Herald Square (N,Q,R,W), Broadway, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10019, United States of America
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000, 5th Avenue, Carnegie Hill, Manhattan Community Board 8, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10035, United States of America
410 Park Avenue, 410, Park Avenue, Midtown East, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10022, United States of America
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000, 5th Avenue, Carnegie Hill, Manhattan Community Board 8, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10035, United States of America
The Sequoia Building, 222, West 14th Street, Manhattan Community Board 4, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10011, United States of America
To imagine New York abandoned to nature after a plague, the production did something almost unheard of: it emptied the real city. Grand Central, Fifth Avenue and even the Brooklyn Bridge were shut down and dressed as an overgrown, silent Manhattan, with a deer wandering Times Square.
Where was I Am Legend filmed?
I Am Legend was filmed in New York City – Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Bronx Zoo – with some scenes in New Jersey.
Every I Am Legend location, explained
1
Deserted Manhattan
The film emptied real New York landmarks, from Grand Central Terminal to Fifth Avenue, dressing them as a post-plague wilderness.
2
The Brooklyn Bridge evacuation
The harrowing evacuation flashback closed down the Brooklyn Bridge – a huge and costly logistical feat.
3
The Bronx Zoo
The lions and deer that roam Neville’s Manhattan were filmed with help from the Bronx Zoo.
4
New Jersey
Some scenes used New Jersey, including rural areas outside the city.
Planning a visit
New York‘s Grand Central and the Brooklyn Bridge are the film’s real, and very much alive, locations – all the more striking for the emptiness the film imagined.
I Am Legend Fun Facts
1
They shut the Brooklyn Bridge The evacuation flashback closed the real Brooklyn Bridge – one of the most expensive and complex shoots ever staged in New York.
2
A genuinely emptied city The production cleared real Manhattan streets and dressed them with weeds and abandoned cars.
3
Real animals in Times Square The deer and lions were filmed with the help of the Bronx Zoo.
4
An alternate ending exists The film has a well-known alternate ending that changes the story’s meaning.
5
Based on a 1954 novel It adapts Richard Matheson’s influential novel, filmed several times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did they really shut down the Brooklyn Bridge?
Yes – the evacuation flashback closed the real bridge, a huge logistical undertaking.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – Grand Central and the Brooklyn Bridge are real, accessible New York landmarks.
