|
The
location: Miami Night Life. |
![]()
Q. What is it supposed to be on the show? A. The bright
neon of Miami's night life.
Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show? A. In Miami
Beach.
Q. When did we see it on the show? A. In Episode 1 (of Season 1) titled simply "Dexter". About 22 minutes into the first episode, we see Dexter out for a stroll after dark on Friday night ("Date Night in Miami"), eating an ice cream cone and walking past busy, brightly-lit nightclubs. As the camera pans young couples groping each other at outdoor tables under the neon lights, Dexter tells us that he doesn't really understand sex - that it seems so undignified... But that he has to play the game of trying to look normal. He
then mentions that he thinks he's found the right woman, Rita, and the
scene cuts to her house (which, in real
life, is almost 3,000 miles away).
Q. What is it actually in real life? A. The front
patios of a trio of Art Deco hotels.
Q. Where can I find it in real life? A. At 1420 to 1430 Ocean Drive (between 14th & 15 Streets), in the Art Deco Historic District of Miami Beach, across the street from (west of) Lummis Park and the beach. The stretch
of "little buildings" along the west side of Ocean Drive comprises
the world's largest collection of Art Deco architecture. When Dexter pauses and looks up at a couple silhouetted in a 2nd floor window, he is looking up at the McAlpin. The producers seem to have 'dressed the set' a bit, fixing up the front porches / verandahs of the last two buildings (perhaps all three) to give them a more exciting look and feel. This same stretch of Ocean Drive was also used for the very first scene in the series - which has Dexter driving past the same buildings. This South Beach area of Miami was a virtual slum back in the 1970's, but the hit TV show "Miami Vice" spruced up the storefronts with pastel colors in the '80s, and created a hip ambiance that didn't exist in real life (where the residents were mainly senior citizens). In an example of life copying art, people flocked to Miami Beach, expecting what the TV show promised, developers followed to give the people what they wanted, and South Beach was reborn. Ocean Drive is now once again a popular destination. Here is an aerial photo
of the location, with the key locations marked. And here is a map link.
Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was? A. I had found
these Ocean Drive locations earlier, for the show's opening
shot.
The
Dexter screenshots from the show and all related characters & elements
are trademarks of and © Showtime.
Looking for something in particular? Search the Seeing-Stars website! |
|
|