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I love Los Angeles in the way only someone who spent 22 years living in New York City can. That is to say, wholeheartedly and unabashedly. So any excuse to see new corners of my adopted city is a welcome one—particularly when it comes with a side of chitchat about one of my favorite ongoing series, the Netflix hit Nobody Wants This.
Erin Foster’s semi-autobiographical rom-com, starring Kristen Bell as Joanne, an agnostic podcaster, and Adam Brody as hunky rabbi Noah, has wisely made L.A. into a supporting character, highlighting aspects of the city that locals have long loved but don’t typically get much screentime. And On Location Tours is now taking advantage of the series’ locations for super fans to explore the places where Joanne and Noah kiss, quarrel, make up and make us laugh.
The tour begins outside of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Koreatown, the stand-in for Noah’s synagogue. Though participants aren't allowed in (security is tight these days, for obvious reasons), brilliant and hilarious tour guide Rachel, the creator of the experience, explains that the temple was built as part of a 1920s push to make Wilshire Boulevard into a major destination, one partially funded by Warner Brothers, which resulted in interior murals from L.A. muralist Hugo Ballin.
Next stop is a pocket park a mile or so away, which requires a brief pause for photos while Rachel explains where in the series it made an appearance. Being an adult man in a giant shuttle cruising slowly past children playing in a park isn't a great feeling... but the park is very cute!
From there, we shuffle along Wilshire Boulevard to see two houses on the same block that served as Sasha and Esther’s home as well as the podcast recording location for Joanne and her sister, Morgan. I love being a passenger in Los Angeles but, even so, the tour begins to feel a little forced. Two exteriors and a playground? Luckily, the next stop is LACMA, where we all get out for an amble through the public areas. Since the David Geffen Galleries just opened, I take full advantage to check out the statuary in the gardens, including the long row of Rodins. And of course, everyone takes the opportunity to snap photos of Chris Burden's "Urban Lights" installation.
Back to the shuttle and back on the road, cruising past a Mac store mostly because it is on the way. Next, we stop at La Brea vintage store Jetrag. Since a visit there has long been on my to-do list (and it also appeared in Season 1 of Apple TV’s Platonic), I am delighted to discover that is was another park-and-walk spot. Inside, I make a mental list of what I’d come back to buy, then return to the shuttle lest I make anyone wait.
Throughout the afternoon, Rachel keeps up a running commentary about the show—including some of the backlash—as well as Los Angeles lore.
Driving from WeHo to Los Feliz is a long endeavor rendered a bit more palatable by the passenger with a proclivity for comedy who keeps no cracking jokes for us all. Upon arrival at our penultimate stop, we are treated to a free sample of Handel’s ice cream right before we get to cross what Angelenos have deemed the worst intersection in the city at Virgil Avenue and Sunset and Hollywood boulevards.
Things wrap up with a brief pause at Los Feliz 3 movie theatre, where Noah and Joanne shared their first kiss, followed by a drive-by shout-out to Mirate, the beloved and highly ranked mezcal bar and restaurant a few blocks down. Just like that, the tour ends.
So who wants this Nobody Wants This tour? Fans of the show will likely enjoy the chance to spend time with fellow aficionados, hear trivia about the production and see some of the L.A. spots that the show highlights. But for me, it was the chance to hear someone talking about Los Angeles architecture, history and culture that sold the tour. L.A. is the weirdest and most thrilling city in the world (yeah, I said what I said), and any chance to see new aspects of it is a welcome one. Even if you have to cross at Virgil/Sunset/Hollywood to do it.