Leaky’s “Fantastic Beasts” Set Report: Walking the Outdoor Sets-Part II

The Classier Side of Town

As we continued down “Rivington Street”, it became apparent that the buildings and shops were becoming more affluent. Manufacturing buildings were followed by an impressive building supported with columns (possibly a bank) at the end of the street, on the corner (“Rivington Street” dead ends into “Lewis Street”). The doors of this “bank?” open onto the corner, like Gringotts. A window display around the corner of this door is full of Christmas decorations and toys. Presumably the bank shares buildings with a department store.

Along “Lewis Street” were more prominent businesses much like the one pictured in the first Fantastic Beasts trailer. Across the street from the Christmas display windows was an awning that extended over a red carpet—one of the few splashes of color in a rather earth-tone colored set—that served as the entrance to the Tamerlane Hotel. Neighboring the Tamerlane hotel were clean, crisp limestone apartments available for rent (this would be in the higher rent district of 1920s New York).

An open concrete space marks City Hall Plaza (whether not something was intended to be built there was unclear) and an entrance to the subway (important for the film—there is a rather dramatic finale hidden in that subway). This subway entrance is smack dab in the middle of the intersection of “Rivington Street” and “Lewis Street.” It can clearly be seen all the way down “Rivington Street” on the other side of set. It is meant to get a lot of attention.

Continuing down “Rivington Street,” both sides of the street are lined with well to-do shops and business. On the left we walked past Claton and Swain Publishing Co., District Office of Koeck and Holman Co. Accountants, Ginzberg Delvnay—a Nordstrom-like department store with magnificent dress displays of 1920s fashion and chandeliers. We were allowed into the Accountants office, and boy were the secrets hidden with what seemed like normal papers and documents.

The Accountants

Behind the green door and brass handle of District Office of Koeck and Holman Co. Accountants (incorporated by the State of New York) is an incredibly tiny office that is walled with large dressers containing numerous drawers. It is so small we have to take turns shuffling through it; how they get a camera crew inside there must truly be magical.

The office desks were covered in newspapers, the New York Gazette (3 cents a copy). Why does an accountant’s office have so many newspapers? Perhaps it is because it is not really an accountant’s office. While taking a quick scan at the newspapers, headlines jumped out to many of us right away.

One newspaper’s front page reads, “Manholes burst from freak incident—experts stunned,” the byline read “manhole covers burst into air in freak unnatural disturbance, officials are flummoxed.” Reading further, smaller articles include “What’s the Truth behind trail of destruction,” “Witchcraft still being practiced” with the byline, “Second Salemers Claim that Witches and Wizards are Right Among Us.”

Another newspaper tells the story of “Dark Dockside Dealings. Police Discover 20 Crates of Illegal Alcohol.” Wizard bootleggers looking for a little extra money? Let’s not forget the United States Prohibition was in full swing during Newt’s visit to New York.

Whoever works in the “accountants” office is policing Wizarding activities that make it into the No-Maj papers.

After leaving District Office of Koeck and Holman Co. Accountants, we slipped and slid down a muddy hill near the back of the Ginzberg Delvnay department store. The path leads to a small section of “Central Park.” Central Park was only composed of a frozen lake under a small stone bridge. Near the bridge stood a bare and scrawny tree, which loomed over a park bench and lamppost. A scene within the Fantastic Beasts film will most likely happen in this small section of Central Park.

We trudged back up the muddy embankment, and took a side street off Lewis St. The street lead us down a row of very fine 1920’s New York residential condos. The apartments/condos were made of clean limestone, the black front doors at the top of a flight of stone steps are flanked by a pair of pillars.

We are told that Queenie and Tina live in one of these apartments. As the entrance to these apartments are set above the ground about a story or more, there is another, more classy grocers on the lower level of Tina and Queenie’s apartment. The store is reads “Elio Ciocco Groceries” in the window. Since our set visit, Pottermore has written more on Queenie and Tina’s apartment, which can be read here.

Read “Outdoor Sets – Part I” and “Outdoor Sets – Part III.”