The Continental Hotel in John Wick
I had been waiting to watch John Wick ever since I saw the trailer a few months ago. Now that I did, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed but that would not be fair to a flick that doesn’t aspire to be more than the ultimate B-movie.
While we may regret its assumed obviousness, John Wick marks the return of Keanu Reeves to the top of his game after a series of uninspired movies since A Scanner Darkly in 2006. Filmed in New York City and Long Island, John Wick is a typical revenge film revolving around John Wick, a skillful and merciless assassin considered a legend in his profession. Retired, he lives a quiet life in New Jersey but when a mobster steals his car – a stunning Mustang ’69 – and kills his dog, a final gift from his dying wife, he decides to take on the entire Russian organized crime.
This simple plot is a pretext for a slick movie where brutal action scenes follow one another punctuated by cool one-liners. What could have been yet just another action movie is destined to become an instant classic thanks to a stylish pop-noir atmosphere and a brilliant cast (besides Keanu Reeves, John Wick spoils us with Willem Dafoe, John Legiuzamo, and Ian McShane) that make it unique.
At the center of John Wick’s ruthless crime world is one fascinating piece: the Continental Hotel. Protected by an agreement among assassins, it’s the only place in New York where John Wick and his peers can safely lay back (or so they think). The gothic feel of the hotel scenes beautifully reinforces John Wick’s noir atmosphere and really made me curious about it so here it is: the exterior of the Continental Hotel in John Wick is The Beaver Building at 1 Wall Street Court in Manhattan. However, the interior scenes were filmed at Delmonico’s, a restaurant located on 2 South William Street (56 Beaver Street) in New York. I originally thought the two locations were the same but Eric kindly pointed out the error in the comments – thanks!
Check out below for photos of these beautiful locations in Manhattan.
Beaver Building
© Ken Lund
The location pointed out by the post is, unfortunately, incorrect, albeit close. The building in the movie, for the Continental Hotel, is 1 Wall Street Court, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Wall_Street_Court.
Hi Eric,
Many thanks for this correction!
Apologies to everyone for confusing the two buildings.
Cheers,
Kevin
I thought it was 1 Wall Street….apropos!
what was john ‘s house located the view is great
It was at Mill Neck in Long Island. Love the design of the house too!
Was the chop shop on college point blvd?
Hey Sean,
The Chop Shop is actually Pine Scrap Metal at 34-40 Laurel Hill Boulevard in Queens (NY).
Source: movie-locations.com
Cheers,
Kevin
No. …the Continental is the Flatiron Building
I have to say …. I love the movie. Plus John Wick 2 is a coy side.but I liked it
NY Queen Mrs. I am afraid it is the NY Cocoa Exchange at Wall Str
My grandparents lived on the second floor of a building in downtown Champaign, Illinois that reminded me (on the outside) of the Continental. I always though it was so cool that it came to a triangular point like that and had so many streets run past it. Around the corner and across a main Street was a huge department store my sister and I used to go to so we could browse and spend the money my grandparents gave us. Of course that was almost 60 years ago so I don’t even know if it even exists anymore.
I know too much oh everybody remembers Keanu Reeves saying that more than 30 years ago teaming up again with his Matrix buddy was casting genius. Nobody forgets Morpheus or Laurence Fishburne’s beautiful teeth but the thing that I gather from part 2 is after watching part 3 that part or is not going to end well for either John Wick or Laurence Fishburne’s character but we shall see as long as Keanu Reeves has legs he says he will keep doing the roll demands 56 years old but I’m glad he’s back on the top of his game because maybe he really does know too much it’s a shame though we have to wait until May 2021 just for the fourth chapter which I’m pretty sure is the closing chapter of this franchise but for many Thrill Seekers that love the killings the Slaughters the particular guns used we want more guns plenty of guns Live On John Wick
Isn’t that the same building face used in “The Dark Knight rises”?
Delmonicos is NOT the restaurant the movie filmed in as stated above. I went there to eat and enquired and was assured numerous times that there was no filming in that restaurant for John Wick. I’m still searching for where it was filmed.
Great Location..
The newly released 2022 LEGO Modular “Boutique Hotel” has a very similar look to ”The Continental”!
Just compare the two buildings side-by-side. The stone to make The Flatiron Building is a lot grayer in color than The Beaver Building, which is more reddish-brown.
If you just have a black-and-white computer screen, never mind and just go back to sleep!