It’s a time warp!
In recent weeks, New York City has gone back decades as two major period pieces have been shooting around town.
“Marty Supreme,” directed by Josh Safdie (“Uncut Gems”), is set in the 1950s and stars Timothée Chalamet as a ping pong champion. Gwyneth Paltrow plays his love interest.
The streets of the Lower and Upper East Side were filled with old cars and vintage signage for the film, which is somewhat inspired by the real life of ping pong champ Marty Reisman.
“Caught Stealing” showcases a more recent past. The film, from “The Whale” director Darren Aronofsky, stars Austin Butler as an alcoholic former baseball player who becomes entangled in the 1990s crime underworld. Griffin Dunne, Liev Schreiber and Zoë Kravitz are also in the cast.
The East Village was restored to its gritty ’90s glory for the shoot, with old favorites such as Kim’s Video and Benny Burritos resurrected from the dead.
“Doing period [pieces] in New york is a wonderful experience, you’re able to recapture some of the magic that is the rich history of New York City,” Aaron Hurvitz, a location scout who worked on both films, told The Post.
Have a look at some key locations.
Caught Stealing
443 E. 6th St., East Village
This small storefront was dressed to look like a slice joint called Neno’s Pizza, perhaps a reference to the late Nino’s Pizza, a beloved spot on Avenue A and St. Mark’s Place that closed in 2012. The actual 6th Street storefront was home to the tiny-but-influential cocktail bar Amor y Amargo from 2011 until the end of 2023, when it moved to a larger space nearby. A bar called All Hands, from some of the same team as Amor y Amargo, is set to open there at some point.
Southwest corner of Avenue A and 6th Street, East Village
The art team recreated the beloved Mexican joint Benny’s Burritos and its iconic red awnings on its original Avenue A location.
It was a favorite spot for reasonably priced burritos and margaritas that occupied the corner for 26 years, before closing in 2014. It’s currently the site of a bodega called Healthy Choice Foods Market with a sleek black exterior. The shop had no contact with the actors while filming, and regulars complained about the shoot interfering with their morning coffee run.
14 Ave. A., East Village
In the film, Butler’s character bartends at a watering hole called Paul’s Bar at this address.
In real life, it’s currently home to the Double Down Saloon, a dive that dates back to 2006. It’s been the set for numerous music videos and commercials, but the film marked the first time the entire bar was bought out for a production.
To make it appear more like a 90s hang, the production team made several adjustments, including removing a television and lotto machine.
“They took away our technology,” a bartender told The Post.
85 Avenue A
The original Kim’s Video location was recreated for the film, much to the surprise of former employees of the beloved video store.
“[I] was delighted and surprised when photos of it began popping up,” Alex Ross Perry, a former Kim’s employee who runs its Instagram account, told The Post.
Marty Supreme
94 Orchard St., Lower East Side
This address is the current location for the Moscot eyewear flagship store, but for the film it was dressed to appear as 94 Rivington St., which was the original location of the spectacles institution, when it was opened by Hyman Moscot in 1915.
In 2021, the flagship moved from Rivington, where it rented space for 106 years, to 94 Orchard Street after the Moscot family bought the building.
When the film was shooting in front of the store, it was business as usual inside.
“We were locked in the shop, so we couldn’t even see what was going on outside,” a Moscot employee told The Post. “All of the businesses were operating — we didn’t have any interaction with the film.”
1057 Lexington Ave., Upper East Side
Orsay restaurant has called this address home since 2000, but its anachronistic look makes it seem like it’s been there much longer — so much so that few modifications were made to the exterior for the shoot, save for bringing in some old autos.
“The cars were props,” an employee of the French bistro told The Post. But “the awning, the façade, the original windows, the doors, everything [else] is original to our building.”
135 Orchard St., Lower East Side
The shoot remade several Orchard Street storefronts. Altman Luggage at 135 Orchard was changed to a fictional clothing store called Adato Bros., while an empty storefront at 137 became Norkin Shoes.
Altman Luggage first opened in 1920, and manager Emmett Adames told The Post that it’s been used for several films, including the 1984 Sergio Leone Western “Once Upon a Time in America.”
