Hey Girl, watcha doin’? Still dreaming about living in the New Girl loft? Me too.
It’s been a few years since we bid a reluctant farewell to Apartment 4D and its beloved residents but I still think about those sprawling open-plan living spaces, original brick interiors, and irresistibly quirky design touches on a daily basis.
For avid New Girl fans like myself, the Loft quickly became as much of a character as Jess, Nick, Schmidt, Cece, and Winnie The Bish themselves. And it’s easy to see why.
Firstly, it’s incredibly welcoming with its enormous colonial-style windows, quirky pops of color, and believably-thrifted classic furniture pieces (like that timeless leather sectional and playful open shelving throughout!).
And please don’t get me started on the wonder that is Jess’ dreamy bedroom.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that green walls, vintage-inspired floral bedspread, shadow boxes filled with fruit and flowers, and lacy net curtains wouldn’t go together.
But, somehow, they absolutely do!
It’s the kind of home many of us could only dream of. And, seeing just how much fun the gang has here playing True American (still trying to work out the rules of that one), swapping stories on the couch, making frittatas in the open-plan kitchen, and eating ‘Pour Some Sugar on Meatballs’ at the mismatched dining table and chairs, gives me the warmest feeling. And major apartment envy!
Now for the big question… Where is the New Girl loft? Does it even exist in real life?
Is the New Girl Apartment Real?
Sadly, as is most often the case with TV homes, the New Girl loft isn’t a real apartment you can rent or own.
The entire loft was built on a sound stage at Fox Studios in L.A., with only exterior shots showing a real Los Angeles building (but the filming crew never stepped foot inside it).
See also: Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in “Sex and the City” and where to find it
Many intriguingly clever design tricks were used to create a convincing look and feel of a real-life industrial interior. For example, the charming wood beams seen in the kitchen and living area were actually made from hollow wooden boxes!
Remember those distant, picturesque views of downtown L.A.?
That was a huge custom-painted backdrop made especially for the show. What’s more, the famous iron curtain that concealed Jess & Nick’s almost first kiss was made from distressed metal panels glued to a sliding wooden structure.
Now, if we’re talking about the outside of the loft, that building is totally real. And, if you happen to be in L.A.’s downtown Arts District, on Traction Avenue to be more specific, you can see the New Girl entranceway and exterior for yourself.
Located at 837 Traction Ave in Los Angeles, the Binford Lofts — a 4-story residential building with 43 industrial-style units — played the part of the New Girl apartment building in establishing shots throughout the show’s 7-season run.
If you want to see what the interiors *actually* look like, you can browse the rental building’s gallery here. You’ll see some similarities with Jess, Nick, Winston, and Schmidt’s apartment — as they share the industrial loft aesthetic that’s common among converted buildings — but don’t expect the same level of coziness.
Even though no shots were filmed inside the Binford Lofts, the building itself has become a pilgrimage place of sorts for hardcore fans.
New Girl fans often pose for pictures outside the Arts District building and add it to their itinerary when visiting the City of Angels.
But this was not the only time the building has been featured on-screen. The Binford Lofts have also made an appearance in the Buffyverse.
Reddit user MagicBandAid recognized the building in the Buffy spinoff Angel (which ran for 5 seasons), where it served as home to one of the biggest antagonists in the series, Lilah: “Last rewatch of Angel, I noticed Lilah Morgan’s apartment is in this building, too.”
See also: ‘Only Murders In The Building’: Is the Arconia Apartment Complex Real?
Fun Fact: the building used for exterior shots of the New Girl apartment is close to another TV fixture: Paddy’s bar from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is just a few minutes away, at 544 Mateo St, so if you go visit Jess’ apartment, make sure you take a detour to see this other famous TV building.
What on earth does the Loft’s floor plan look like?
If you’ve spent as much time debating the New Girl apartment’s floor plan with fellow fans as you have actually watching the show, you’re not alone!
The loft’s layout is far from a simple one and therefore pretty tricky to pin down without constant pausing, squinting, and head tilting.
However, the internet can be a wonderful thing for stuff like this and there are plenty of like-minded lovers of interior design out there who have managed to nail it down. They’ve even come up with accurate floor plans of our beloved L.A. penthouse so you can finally understand the loft’s layout if you’re still as confused as I am!
How did they afford the rent?
Since studio apartments in the Binford Lofts building currently go for around $2,500-$3,500 per month we dread to think what a 4-bedroom, top-floor apartment would have cost the New Girl gang!
Aside from Schmidt’s high-paid position at Associated Strategies (Ass-Strat to you and me), I can’t tell you how a middle school teacher, a bartender, and a retired Latvian basketball player managed to afford the rent at the start of the show.
But then again, that’s not unusual for TV characters, who often seem to live well above their means.
My takeaway? It’s a beautiful fiction. So even if you ‘have the credit score of a homeless ghost’, it shouldn’t stop you from daydreaming about owning an L.A. loft as beautiful as this one someday!
More homes from popular TV shows
The Real-Life Homes from Modern Family — and Where to Find Them
All the Glamorous Penthouses, Suites, and Lofts in Gossip Girl
‘How I Met Your Father’ features Ted & Marshall’s apartment… And it’s the exact same set
