Vrinda Bachchan
Netflix Original series ‘Dash & Lily’ is a Christmas-themed teenage romance that follows a Yule-hating loner and a shy Christmas-enthusiast as they fall in love by leaving notes and dares for each other in a red notebook that they pass back and forth, all over a festive New York City. In the days leading up to Christmas, Dash escapes to his favorite bookstore to avoid the hoards of merry crowds on NYC streets, but on one of the shelves carrying Salinger, he finds a notebook with a set of clues and dares.
Intrigued, Dash leans into the game and starts interacting with Lily, the original owner of the notebook, who planted the clues in the bookstore to connect with a like-minded potential love interest. Thus begins a series of challenges and an exchange of thoughts and dreams through the notebook, which gently pushes Dash and Lily out of their individual bubbles. Soon, they start falling for each other even though they’ve never met in person. Curious to know where this sweet romance was filmed? Here is everything you need to know.
Dash & Lily Filming Locations
‘Dash & Lily’ is set in New York City during the Christmas season. New York plays a pivotal role in Dash and Lily’s love story, as the two get to know each other and fall in love by discovering one another’s version of the bustling city. Dash and Lily travel all over The Big Apple, completing dares set by the other and seeing a whole new NYC through the eyes of each other.
Because they wanted to maintain the authenticity of New York’s festive feel during the holidays, the production team of ‘Dash & Lily’ decided to film on-location in New York. Principal photography took place in the fall and winter of 2019 in a pre-COVID wonderland that is New York City. Here are all the specific locations where filming took place!
Union Square
Unbeknownst to either of them, Dash and Lily first cross paths in front of the Union Square Subway entrance, where Lily is joining her caroling troupe while Dash is listing all things annoying about Christmas.
Avenue A and Third Street
One of the most prominent locations in ‘Dash & Lily’ is Two Boots, the pizza place where Dash’s best friend Boomer works and meets Lily. Two Boots is located at 42 Avenue A, New York. Filming also took place in the neighborhood area.
The Strand
The iconic landmark, The Strand bookstore, is where Lily hides the red notebook which Dash finds. The Strand is also where Dash and Lily have their first date on New Year’s Eve. The historic bookstore is located at 828 Broadway, at the corner of East 12th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.
The Morgan Library and Museum
The Morgan Library and Museum is one of Dash’s favorite places in the city, and it’s where his ex-girlfriend Sofia takes him to spend a night. The major exhibition venue is located at 225 Madison Avenue at East 36th Street in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
Grand Central Station
When Lily asks Dash to take her to the place in NYC that feels most like him, he responds by saying that “most like him” is not a place but a time, sending Lily to the Grand Central Terminal at the crack of dawn, before the first train arrives. The sheer emptiness of the landmark at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, NYC, feels surreal in that scene.
Central Park and Lower East Side
Some of the scenes were also filmed in Central Park (at the bronze Alice in Wonderland installation, to be precise) and around streets in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Dyker Heights
In one standout scene, Lily sends Dash to experience the buoyancy and warmth of Christmas in the overly decorated neighborhood of Dyker Heights, telling him that she believes in him.
Tompkins Square Dog Run
Lily regularly goes to feed dogs at Tompkins Square Park, and this is where she runs into her high school tormentor, Edgar Thibaud, who cryptically tells her he admires her.
McSorley’s Old Ale House
Another iconic landmark, McSorley’s Old Ale House, located at 15 East 7th Street, in East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, serves as a filming location for one of the pivotal scenes in ‘Dash & Lily.’
Hudson Yards
In the final episode, when Dash goes to find his friends to enlist their help in making up with Lily, all his friends are attending a New Year’s Eve concert featuring the Jonas Brothers at the Vessel in Hudson Yards.
Apart from the aforementioned locations, ‘Dash & Lily’ also features many subway stations, streets, and eateries around New York City.
Read More: Is Dash & Lily Based on a True Story?
