Hollywood stand-ins aren’t just for actors — they can also be for cities. Filming in smaller towns and midsize cities not only can be cost-effective, but also eases the logistics of producing big-budget films. Upon a closer rewatch, you might be surprised to discover that what appears to be New York City is actually Cincinnati, or that the apparent streets of Boston belong to Hoboken, New Jersey. For curious movie buffs, here are eight places that have a big-city doppelganger.
Dallas, Texas – Posing as Detroit, Michigan
The 1987 film RoboCop takes place in a dystopian Detroit, but many of its key scenes were filmed in Dallas. One of the reasons for this is that filmmakers believed that Dallas’ modern skyline was a better fit for the movie’s futuristic scenery. Dallas City Hall was used as headquarters for Omni Consumer Products, the film’s fictitious company, while the city’s streets were featured throughout the film. More than three decades later, Dallas continues to celebrate its connection to the iconic ’80s movie, with local theaters rereleasing the film for its 35th birthday.
Hoboken, New Jersey – Posing as Boston, Massachusetts
In the highly publicized 2024 film It Ends With Us, Boston serves as the setting for the film adaptation of author Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. But instead of basing production in New England, filmmakers decided to stay closer to New York. Featuring Victorian brownstones and Beaux Arts architecture, the streets of Hoboken were able to pass for the historic city of Boston. The film’s Maine scenes were also filmed in New Jersey, with Fair Mount Cemetery in Chatham chosen for a poignant scene and Plainfield, New Jersey, serving as the scenic backdrop for the fictional Plethora, Maine.
Los Angeles, California – Posing as Miami, Florida
The 1983 movie Scarface tells the story of a Cuban immigrant, played by Al Pacino, who smuggles drugs into Miami to become one of the city’s biggest crime lords. Although producers believed that Miami was the ideal locale for the movie, there was major pushback from the Cuban community and city officials, who believed that the violent depiction of Miami and its Cuban population would be damaging. While some scenes were filmed in Miami Beach, including at the iconic Fontainebleau Hotel, ultimately, much of the 1983 film was filmed in Los Angeles, with Little Tokyo in downtown L.A. subbed for Little Havana.
Buffalo, New York – Posing as New York City
Starring Robert Redford, 1984’s The Natural is an iconic baseball movie that was filmed in Buffalo, New York. In the film, Redford plays on the New York Knights, a fictional 1930s baseball team based in New York City. Buffalo’s downtown architecture, which includes a mix of Greek Revival, Federal, and art deco styles, matched the time period of the film, making it an ideal stand-in for prewar Manhattan. Built in 1937, Buffalo’s original ballpark, War Memorial Stadium, was also a perfect match for the baseball scenes, allowing the film to replicate the golden era of America’s favorite pastime.
New Orleans, Louisiana – Posing as Dallas, Texas
Despite Dallas being a pivotal plot point of the movie — it’s in the title, after all — Dallas Buyers Club (2013) was primarily filmed in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. Producers on the film — inspired by the story of Ron Woodroof, a Dallas resident diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s — chose Louisiana as the filming location largely due to tax breaks offered by the state. Downtown Shreveport doubled as Dallas 40 years ago, while the Oasis Motel — located outside of New Orleans in Gretna — was also used for key scenes in the movie.
St. Louis, Missouri, and Atlanta, Georgia – Posing as New York City
Both St. Louis and Atlanta served as the backdrop for a postapocalyptic New York in the 1981 film Escape From New York. Starring Kurt Russell, the low-budget film saved money by filming in smaller cities scouted by the filmmakers. St. Louis’ Union Station doubled as Grand Central Station, and Chain of Rocks Bridge was a stand-in for the 69th Street Bridge. The crew also filmed in parts of Atlanta’s airport and MARTA transit system, although these scenes did not make the final cut.
Wilmington, North Carolina – Posing as Bridgton, Maine
Although many of Stephen King’s books take place in his home state of Maine, the screen adaptations are often filmed elsewhere. For the sci-fi series Under the Dome (2013-2015), filmmakers chose Wilmington, North Carolina, as the fictional town of Chester Mill. (Chester Mill is reportedly based on Bridgton, Maine, a small town near King’s summer home.) Producers took advantage of North Carolina’s tax breaks and deemed Wilmington’s natural scenery to be similar to that of Maine. Indoor sets were also filmed in Wilmington, while nearby Burgaw was used for Chester Mill’s downtown area.
Cincinnati, Ohio – Posing as New York City
Cincinnati is another midsize city that can pass for New York. In the 2015 period piece Carol, director Todd Haynes believed Cincinnati was the perfect stand-in for midcentury New York. The film’s famous Christmas tree shopping scene was filmed in Eden Park, while a Hyde Park mansion was used for Carol’s 1950s home in New Jersey. Exterior scenes for the movie’s department store were also filmed at Shillito’s in downtown Cincinnati, while the Over-the-Rhine district was an ideal choice for outdoor scenes.
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