For decades, New York has offered filmmakers a ready-made stage, its streets and parks providing the texture of everyday drama. It is also where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy lived and worked during their brief, highly scrutinised marriage. The new limited series FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette returns to those same corners of the city, filming in locations tied to the couple’s daily routines, from the colourful dining room of Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant to the quiet paths of Tompkins Square Park and the Tribeca block where Kennedy once lived. Even from the trailer, it is evident that the series is as much a portrait of 1990s New York as it is of the couple themselves.
So, if you’ve been wondering which real locations appear in Love Story, here’s everything you need to know.
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette: Plot, cast and other details
FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette premiered on February 12, 2026, and it quickly became clear that the series would lean into romance rather than the darker territory often associated with Ryan Murphy. Inspired by the real lives of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the drama traces their early courtship, intensely scrutinised marriage and the tragedy that ended their lives in a plane crash in 1999.
Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly portray Bessette and Kennedy Jr., joined by a cast that includes Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy. Based in part on the biography Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and created by Connor Hines and executive produced by Murphy, the nine-episode limited series is the first instalment in an anthology focused on iconic historical couples.
How to watch?
It debuted with three episodes on FX, with new instalments airing weekly and streaming the same day on Hulu, Prime Video and internationally on Disney+. Content available will vary by country/region.Where was Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette filmed?
Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant, Lower East Side
View this post on Instagram
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette places the first date of the couple at a colourful East Village favourite, even though the details of their real-life first meeting have long been debated. According to reporting by ABC7 New York, the dinner scene was filmed at Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant. “Usually before six, so they would come before rush hour and be the only ones,” owner Boshir Khan said.
Discover the best of NYC with our day-wise itinerary.
20 North Moore Street, Tribeca
Exterior scenes of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s apartment were filmed outside the same Tribeca building where the couple actually lived during the 1990s. The understated loft at 20 North Moore Street served as their home from 1994 until 1999, making it one of the series’ most authentic real-world locations.
“I think his space was described as a little fratty. We tried to make it more chic. We played with different surfaces [like] concrete countertops, glass brick, stainless steel, chromes,” production designer Alex DiGerlando told Architectural Digest India.
Tompkins Square Park, East Village
One of the series’ most dramatic confrontations unfolds during a tense walk through Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. According to the producers, the recreation proved so convincing that passersby reportedly believed the fight was real.
Did you know?
In reality, the incident took place in Washington Square Park in February 1996 while the couple were walking their dog, according to the 2024 book JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography.Bellport, Long Island
Scenes set at the Kennedy family’s famed Cape Cod retreat were filmed in Bellport on Long Island, which served as the production’s stand-in for Hyannis. To better capture the Kennedy look, the production swapped in new wallpaper and furniture, installed a white pebble driveway and added a flag and gate to the front lawn.
With the exception of dining room scenes, most of the sequences depicting the Kennedy compound were filmed at this Long Island estate.
Also, check out our conversation with Kyle Hotchkiss Carone, who shares stories from his travels and how they inspired his NYC restaurants.
Chestnut Ridge, New York
View this post on Instagram
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s 1996 wedding remains one of the most famously private ceremonies in modern celebrity history. To recreate the secluded setting for the series, the production travelled to Chestnut Ridge in Rockland County, New York. There, Alex DiGerlando and his team constructed a replica of the church, originally built in 1893, assembling it beam by beam using salvaged materials.
Like the real ceremony, the recreated chapel relied largely on candlelight and the fading glow of dusk filtering through its windows, helping capture the quiet, intimate atmosphere of the original wedding.
Elsewhere in Bushwick, Brooklyn
View this post on Instagram
Storylines set inside the famed Roxy nightclub were filmed at Elsewhere, a music venue in Bushwick. The original Roxy, formerly a roller-skating rink before becoming one of New York’s most iconic nightlife spots, no longer exists.
To recreate the club’s atmosphere, production designer Alex DiGerlando told The Hollywood Reporter that the team heavily transformed the venue’s modern interior. “We had to strip all of that out and bring in candelabras and the swings. We built the banquettes with the zebra pattern that the Roxy had. And then we built a facade over the exterior that mirrored the Roxy’s architecture and re-created the neon sign and the “Be Good to the Roxy” sign, which was printed on sheet metal.”
Also, follow the cast of Bling Empire: New York to their favourite places in New York.
Sands Point, New York
Several locations were recreated to portray the wedding weekend on Cumberland Island. For scenes representing the historic Greyfield Inn (where guests stayed ahead of the ceremony), the production used a private estate known as “The Lindens” in Sands Point on Long Island.
The waterfront mansion, overlooking Manhasset Bay, dates back to around 1910 and was designed by architect Augustus N. Allen for the Fleischmann family, heirs to the Fleischmann Yeast Company. Over the decades, the estate passed through several prominent owners, including members of the Vanderbilt family, and has hosted several notable guests, among them members of The Rolling Stones.
Rockland County, New York
Because the production was filmed entirely in New York, the team had to recreate the church from John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Cumberland Island wedding rather than shoot in Georgia. They eventually found a horse farm in Rockland County where the landscape loosely resembled the setting of the original chapel.
Using extensive reference photographs of the historic First African Baptist Church, the team built a detailed replica of the structure on-site so the series could closely recreate the wedding images that became some of the most recognisable photographs from the couple’s famously private 1996 ceremony.
Also, read our roundup of the must-visit New York City museums.
Equinox, East 61st St.
Scenes depicting John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s everyday routines in the early 1990s were filmed inside the Equinox gym on East 61st Street in Manhattan. According to Secret NYC, the gym temporarily closed for a day to allow the production team to film the sequence inside the facility.
East 84th Street and Madison Avenue, Upper East Side
To reflect the couple’s polished Manhattan lifestyle, several scenes were filmed on the Upper East Side, including streets near the Guggenheim Museum along Fifth Avenue.
According to East Side Feed, production filmed in the neighbourhood around East 84th Street and Madison Avenue, with crews posting notices about temporary parking restrictions during the shoot.
Also, read our guide to the best things to do in New York City.
Central Park, Manhattan
Secret NYC also mentioned Central Park as one of the locations that appear throughout the series, serving as a backdrop for several New York moments tied to the Kennedy family. Alongside scenes featuring John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, the park is where Naomi Watts (portraying Jackie Kennedy) appears in key sequences.
Anabas Yacht Club, Broad Channel
View this post on Instagram
Some of the scenes set in the neighbourhood bar in Breezy Point were shot at the Anabas Yacht Club in Broad Channel. According to The Wave, production for Love Story took over parts of the waterfront area, with crew members moving between the yacht club and the nearby North Channel Yacht Club while trucks and equipment lined Cross Bay Boulevard.
Also, check out our definitive NYC vs London guide.
The Odeon, Bubby’s and Walker’s, Tribeca
View this post on Instagram
Several well-known Tribeca restaurants were used to recreate the everyday places where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette spent time in the 1990s. The production filmed scenes at local institutions, including The Odeon, Bubby’s and Walker’s.
The restaurants were chosen because they were genuine neighbourhood haunts for the couple during their years living in Tribeca. The Odeon, long known for its martinis and classic bistro fare, was among their favourite dinner spots, while Bubby’s captured the pair’s more casual routines, including the breakfasts Kennedy often ate there. Walker’s, located just steps away from their home, was another regular stop during their time in the neighbourhood.
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, just north of New York City, also played a key role. Production took place in towns including Rye, Harrison, Eastchester, Briarcliff Manor, and some sequences were reportedly filmed at the historic Sleepy Hollow Country Club, a private club overlooking the Hudson River.
Shop the best travel experiences here
(Feature image credit: IMDb)
This article first appeared here
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
