 | ||
Sesame Street is a fictional street located in Manhattan (a borough in New York City). The street serves as the location for the American children's television series, Sesame Street, which is centered around 123 Sesame Street, a fictional brownstone building.
Contents
Location
The fictional Sesame Street is set to represent a neighborhood of New York City. The specific neighborhood that it is supposed to represent is disagreed upon. Art director Victor DiNapoli has stated that it is supposed to be located on the Upper West Side. Sesame Street's founder, Joan Ganz Cooney, stated in 1994 that she originally wanted to call the show 123 Avenue B, after the Alphabet City area of the Lower East Side and East Village.
The opposite side of Sesame Street is not part of the set, though there are some rare occasions of seeing the other side from another location. The opposite side of Sesame Street would often be seen in the Sesame Street movies.
123 Sesame Street
Sesame Street primarily revolves around a brownstone-type row house called 123 Sesame Street. The house is a three-story building with a daylight basement, totaling three known apartments.
The building was meant to appear typical of New York neighborhood brownstones, being described as a "survivor of gentrification" by art director Victor DiNapoli.
Oscar the Grouch's Trash Can
Oscar the Grouch's Trash Can sits in front of a fence made of salvaged doors and is where Oscar the Grouch lives. Oscar the Grouch's Trash Can is deeper than anyone suspects. In the first episode, Gordon mentioned that the trash can had three and a half bedrooms. The seemingly bottomless domain houses a variety of diverse Grouch amenities and luxuries. Oscar's girlfriend Grundgetta is his most recurring visitor to his Trash Can. In "Sesame Street Visits the Firehouse", Gordon mentioned that in Oscar's Trash Can lived, "Two elephants, a puppy, a rhino, a goat and a worm." The only time when the interior of Oscar's Trash Can was explored as a setting was in the 1999 film The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, when Elmo impatiently enters the trash can in search of his blanket. In Season 46, as part of the set redesign, his trash can was moved to the other end of the front of 123 Sesame Street, along with a recycling center and a compost bin.
Big Bird's Nest
Behind the doors is where Big Bird's Nest is which is where Big Bird lives. One of the windows of Gordon and Susan's apartment overlooks the nest. Big Bird's Nest was later redesigned following a hurricane that hit Sesame Street. Big Bird's best friend Mr. Snuffleupagus is the most frequent visitor to his nest.
Arbor
To the left of 123 is a forecourt which serves as the entrance to a carriage house. The forecourt called the Arbor serves as a playground, and separates 123 from a tenement. The set continues to the left of the arbor as the street turns to the left. In the late 1990s, the characters decided that the neighborhood needed more green space and built a garden in a vacant lot behind the Arbor. The garden behind the Arbor is where Stinky the Stinkweed resides.
At one time, the building that serves as its backdrop housed a garage. For a while, it was the location of Gina's veterinary practice, and later Charlie's Auto Repair garage. During the Season 46 set redesign, it was converted to a community center with Abby Cadabby's fairy garden behind it.
Hooper's Store
Hooper's Store is located immediately after this bend in the road. It is a lunch counter and general store.
Hooper's Store was first run by Mr. Hooper when it was opened in 1951. David worked at the store and became the proprietor of Hooper's Store following the death of Mr. Hooper (which was the result of the death of Will Lee). David ran Hooper's Store from 1982-1989.
From 1989-1998, Hooper's Store was run by a retired firefighter named Mr. Handford.
Since 1998, Hooper's Store is run by Alan.
Other employees at Hooper's Store included:
Sesame Street Library
The Sesame Street Library is a common point of interest on Sesame Street. It was originally located next to Hooper's Store in the spot that has since housed the Fix-It Shop, the Mail-It Shop, and the Laundromat. All the residents of Sesame Street would come to borrow books. Maria worked there as a part-time job when she was still in school while Grover would often come and help out at the library. The library was removed from the main set in early seasons, although it made an appearance at the far end of the street in a 2007 episode.
Fix-It Shop
The Fix-It Shop is where Maria and Luis work. The residents of Sesame Street would bring their broken items to the Fix-It Shop to have it repaired.
Mail-It Shop
In 2002, the location where the Fix-It Shop was ended up converted to the Mail-It Shop where it was still operated by Maria and Luis. Residents of Sesame Street would use the Mail-It Shop to send and receive letters and packages. Grover occasionally did delivery work for the Mail-It Shop. The location was converted back to the Fix-It Shop in 2006.
Laundromat
In 2008, the Laundromat is the current location next to Hooper's Store after the Fix-It Shop was moved to another location and near the Subway Station. This is where the residents of Sesame Street do their laundry. The Laundromat is run by Leela.
In The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, the Laundromat was seen across from 123 Sesame Street before it was moved to being next to Hooper's Store.
Subway Station
Sesame Street has its own Subway Station which is a replica of the 72nd Street Subway entrance. It was originally seen on the "Around the Corner" part of Sesame Street until it was transferred to the main Sesame Street set.
Bicycle Shop
In Season 45, a Bicycle Shop appears in that vacant lot near the Subway Station that was briefly used for a flower shop. It is run by Luis who sells bicycles and also repairs them. As part of the rare views of the other side of Sesame Street, the Bicycle Shop is next to a CGI depiction of Manhattan where it shows a playground and the Triboro Bridge among the cityscape.
Other locations in the neighborhood
Other locations on Sesame Street include:
Around the Corner
Around the Corner was considered an expansion for Sesame Street in the 1990s from Season 25 to Season 29.
According to Sonia Manzano, she quoted that "By expanding the street and going around the corner, we will have other places to hang out beyond the stoop of 123 Sesame Street, and we will be able to explore family issues which we think are so important to kids today."
The Around the Corner parts were dropped by Season 29 (though it did appear in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland). Caroll Spinney and Martin P. Robinson commented that the kids would have a hard time keeping up with the characters.
Among the known locations of Around the Corner include: