Q. What is it supposed to be on the show? A. A hotel parking lot. Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show? A. Somewhere in Miami. Q. When did we see it on the show? A. In Episode 2, of Season 5, "Hello, Bandit". Following Rita's death, her daughter Astor has grown increasingly hostile towards Dexter, including one angry outburst in which she told him she wished that he had died instead of her mother. When Debra finds them missing from school, Dexter goes back to their old house, and sure enough, finds Astor there (with Cody), staring at the bathtub where Rita was murdered. This upsets her so much, that she decides she wants to live with her grandparents, rather than with Dexter. He reluctantly allows it. In this scene, we see Dexter standing next to a red car, talking to the kids' grandparents inside. He looks up, and sees young Cody walking towards him. Cody sadly hugs Dexter and begs to stay with him. Dexter tries to reassure him, saying that they'll see each other all the time, and that Orlando isn't that far away. To which Cody honestly replies: "Yes it is." As Cody begins to cry, Astor walks up and leads the boy away to the car. Dexter tries to tell Astor that he cares for her, but she's having none of it and only gives him a superficial hug before getting into the car. As the grandparents' car pulls away with the kids, Dexter looks close to tears. Q. What is it actually in real life? A. A parking lot between a club and an apartment house. Q. Where can I find it in real life? A. They shot pool scene in a parking lot north of the Long Beach Petroleum Club (located at 3636 Linden Ave, Long Beach, CA) and south of The Linden apartments (at 3654 Linden Ave).

Both locations had been used before in Dexter.

The Club was used for both the swimming pool scene and the scene where Debra phones Dexter about the missing kids. The apartment house and this same parking lot were both seen in the scene where Dexter looks for blood in the moving van (with baby Harrison along for the ride).

And it's just south of the house used for the scene where Quinn & Debra checked out an open house.


Dexter has filmed often in this general in Bixby Knolls area of northwest Long Beach. Besides the Episode 2 locations mentioned above, this location is close to the Miguel Prado's house, Maria LaGuerta's house, Trinity's house, the donut shop, the pool party, the Neighborhood Watch scene, and a number of other (mostly residential) Dexter locations.

(The Petroleum Club has its own website at www.lbpetroleumclub.com.
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Here is a photo I shot of the parking lot and apartment, in June of 2010:






Here is an aerial photo of the lot. And here is a map link.

Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

A.  In previous seasons, I've usually had to hunt down the locations after viewing the episodes, using clues from the various scenes.  By the 5th season, though, I'd developed a small group of fans, spies & tipsters who kept an eye out for Dexter filming in their neighborhoods, and would let me know in advance when something was about to film there.

Between those reports, and my own personal reconnaissance around town, by the time the first episode aired, I already knew most (but not all) of the filming locations, and only needed to watch the episodes and match up the scenes with the correct locations.

This group of helpful fans includes Kerry, Rick, Joel, Geoff, Ellen, Julie, Susan, Jeff, and others. My thanks to all of them.

I already knew they were filming at the Club, and had alerted two of my tipsters, who were on the scene.

Ellen emailed me to say they were shooting something involving a red mini van with a roof rack and Yakima-type cargo box. She reported there were lights on cranes and the tops of the buildings, and that the parking lot was being wet down with a hose.

Joel, also at the location, sent me a blow-by-blow report of the scene as it was acted out that night: "They filmed Astor and Cody emerging from the little apartment bldg walking to that parking area to the left of the Petroleum Club, getting in the van with Rita's parents, and driving away/ Very sad little moment when Cody hugs Dexter goodbye, Astor gives him a half hearted hug and Dexter watches then drive away (in the Dexter way)."

(Thanks to Ellen and Joel.  Great job, guys!)