Being a New Yorker all of my life, I have a fondness for movies, television shows, books, etc. that are set in New York City and the surrounding Hudson Valley area, where I live. I was only three years old when the movie Ghostbusters came out in 1984, but since Slimer and the gang appeared on the big screen, they have been a part of my life. From the second movie to the television series, from the action figures to the video game, there has always been some aspect of the franchise in my life. When I heard that Funko was coming out with a Pop! Vinyls set for the 30th Anniversary, I was really excited. Why? Simple: it has always been a plan of mine to revisit some of the locations made iconic in the movies for the 30th Anniversary of the first movie. Now, I could also bring along some Funko friends. That being said, I present to you the Ghostbusters Pop! “On Location” Photo Shoot, presented exclusively by PopVinyls.com and our good friends over at Funko.
First stop on this tour was Columbia University, the college setting in the beginning of the first movie where Dr. Egon Spangler, Dr. Ray Stanz, and Dr. Peter Venkman are currently employed. The beginning of the movie shows a shot of the Morningside Campus, with South Field and Butler Library beyond. Fun fact: the street you see in the center of the shot is College Walk, which used to be 116th Street. During the tenure of Dwight D. Eisenhower as University President, a deal was made to exchange unused land in upstate New York the college owned for privatization of 116th St. on the campus, creating the largest private green area in NYC.
Thirty years later, and it’s graduation time. Not much of the campus has changed (a building or two), but bleachers were set up around the perimeter of the fields for the ceremonies, and a tent was places on one of the South Fields. Still, it was a beautiful day for the guys to revisit their former employer.
Next stop on our tour was the NYFD’s Hook & Ladder 8 downtown in Tribeca… also know as Ghostbusters Headquarters.
In 2014, Hook & Ladder 8 is still being used as a fire house, and was ready for a call. None came when I was there. Looking into the building, I did not see a fireman’s pole! So sad.
Outside of the fire house, there is a mural dedicated to the Ghostbusters movie and the NYFD.
The guys, and Slimer, decided to check out their old hangout.
Next up is the New York Public Library, famous for its’ lions and the location where the guys encountered their first ghost…. the library ghost.
Thirty years ago, there were renovations going on. To be honest, most of the times I visited the NYPL over the years, there has been at least one thing going on. However, during this tour there was surprisingly none!
Sadly the library was closed (they are only open in the afternoons on Sundays), but the guys and Slimer took some shots with the muses of one of the famous bronze flagpoles in the courtyard.
Before leaving, the guys wanted to visit Bryant Park, located next to the NYPL, to play some of their free games they have set up. Peter won at Parcheesi (he probably cheated), and they all lost at Operation… and they are supposed to be doctors!
From there it was off to Columbus Circle, where the final member of today’s shoot made his debut.
Little has changed about the circle, which is always a very busy hub. I always love seeing the globe that sits outside Trump International Hotel on the north side of the circle.
It is here where Stay-Puft decided to pose for pictures, first with the globe, and then in the circle itself, gazing upon where he walked 30 years before.
While I had them both available, I wanted to get this shot… Ray tried to think of the most harmless thing, something from his childhood he never thought would harm them.
Finally, Stay Puft posed quickly in front of 55 Central Park West, better known as the location of Dana’s apartment in the first film.
The building has not changed much in 30 years, but it never was as tall as in the movie. Shots of it were altered to make the building look more menacing than it actually is.
That’s it for Part 1 of our NYC adventure…. but people might be asking, “What about Winston?” The guys were as well, and heard of a ghost that might have captured Winston. So, with everyone in tow, we made our way to Sleepy Hollow to try and find the Headless Horseman and possibly the whereabouts of Winston.
Unfortunately, Sleepy Hollow was surprisingly quiet, and no Headless Horseman was found. Winston was still missing, but the guys did find Washington Irving’s family plot, so they decided to pay their respects… and before we left, Slimer insisted on posing with what my friends and family consider to be my own personal headstone.
With that, we came home. No Winston in tow, but shortly after we got home we found that he broke down somewhere in Washington State with Ecto-1. He will be on his way once he gets things figured out. When he arrives, we will head back down for Part 2 of this Pop! “On Location” shoot.
Matt Norris