Q. What is it supposed to be on the show? A. A swimming pool. Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show? A. At Dexter's apartment complex, in Miami. Q. When did we see it on the show? A. In a short sequence beginning Episode 2, of Season 5, "Hello, Bandit". As the episode opens, we see Dexter swimming underwater, while he contemplates the stages of grief (in the wake of Rita's death). He tells himself that once he's back with the kids, everything will be fine. Q. What is it actually in real life? A. A swimming pool. Q. Where can I find it in real life? A. Certainly not at Dexter's apartment, which is now just a set at Sunset-Gower studio. They shot this pool scene at the Long Beach Petroleum Club, located at 3636 Linden Ave, Long Beach, CA. That's on the east side of Linden, between 36th & 37th Streets, a few blocks north of the San Diego (405) Freeway. Why go all the way to Long Beach for a swimming pool?

Well, they were there on that block of Linden filming a cluster of scenes from Episode 2, including the scene of Dexter saying goodbye to the kids, Debra phoning Dexter about the kids, Dexter with Harrison inside the moving van (looking at blood), and Quinn & Debra checking out an open house.


Granted, if you don't know the history of Long Beach, the name "The Petroleum Club" might sound a little odd.  But Long Beach (along with nearby Signal Hill) was an oil boom town early in its history, and still is.

Today, you can still see oil wells just offshore its beaches, cleverly disguised as man-made islands.

Back in 1954, at a time when private clubs were all the rage, the leaders in the L.B. oil industry decided it would be a good thing to have their own club, and thus The Petroleum Club was born. They broke ground for the current building in 1957.

The pool we see Dexter swimming in is an Olympic-sized pool (30 ft. x 76 ft), located next to a solar heated patio with cocktail service, and a terrace available for event rental.

The Petroleum Club has its own website at www.lbpetroleumclub.com.


They have a lot of photos of the facility here, in case you're curious, including this small shot of the pool seen in Dexter:

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.



Here is a photo I shot of the club's exterior in June of 2010:






Here is an aerial photo of the club's pool. 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.

This particular tip came from Rick, who reported they were filming at the Club. I went there to watch some of the filming. Later, a check of their website (and aerial photos) revealed the existence of the swimming pool.  (Thanks, Rick!)