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Mapping HBO's Looking Locations Across San Francisco

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Now that the first season of HBO's Looking has wrapped, Let's take a backward glance at the various locations spotted in this season's eight episodes. From the beginning, Looking wasn't running on the postcard landmark/Full House method of shooting San Francisco. Showrunner Michael Lannan has said he's "never seen the city he lives in on camera," and director Andrew Haigh has said, "S.F. feels very different from any other city in America. It looks different, the light is different, the weather is different. It's really important the show feels like it was embedded in the city." Looking recasts the city as a character of its own from all new angles and locals-only spots, and it's been fun guessing which street characters walk down, which restaurants they eat in, and where on earth Patrick's apartment is supposed to be. Curbed has mapped out the most interesting and signature locales from the show for your enjoyment and the inevitable location-based disagreements.

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Somewhere in Oakland

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From Episode 2 onward, Augustín and Franklin live in this non-geographically specific basement apartment in Oakland. We wonder what they're paying. And if Augustín has enough light to make his paintings and photographs.

Zuni Cafe

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Despite Dom working at Zuni for over eight years, the space itself is rarely shown. While we don't get a lot of interior imagery of this stunning flat-iron setting (let alone any food photography) that problem can be easily satisfied by a lunch reservation.

Press Club

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In the first terrible date of many for Patrick, "Looking" showcases downtown swank at the Press Club.

El Rio

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For a local's-only cozy dive known for its courtyard, pool table, music, and cheap drinks, El Rio makes for a surprisingly great backdrop in Episode 1's ostentatious, slightly sleazy engagement party. If you have to watch your ex-boyfriend gyrate with a teddy-bear stripper, there are worse locations to do it in.

Esta Noche

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Patrick follows muni cruiser, Ritchie, to mission fave Esta Noche. Two mission dive bars exposed in as many minutes.

USS Hornet Museum

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Patrick's company rents out the USS Hornet for their video game release party over on Alameda Island -- the selfsame aircraft carrier that plucked the original Apollo 11 astronauts out of the Pacific after moonwalk and splashdown.

Doc's Clock

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Back to the Mission for yet another terrible date for Patrick. He didn't even get to take advantage of Doc's Clock's shuffleboard or Pacman games before offending his sweetheart (although through the magic of cinema they went home together anyway).

Eros Sauna

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One of the few bathhouses left in the Castro, this location is used to harken back to the City's 1970s heyday when there was a bathhouse on every corner and none of us were afraid of sex.

Folsom Street Fair

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The Folsom Street Fair was heavily used in episode 4 as the guys seek and avoid sexual tension as only an indie series can. Realism score: Apart from some chaffed nipples, zero nudity was portrayed on a network that has no problem regularly showing Lena Dunham's entire female form in all its glory. We won't go so far to cry gender discrimination -- but would it hurt to show some male package, HBO?

The Stud

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After aforementioned terrible dates, Patrick gets a second chance at love when he runs into Richie at a drag dance show at the Stud. And really, what better site of reconciliation than a bar called the Stud?

St. Francis Fountain

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After the Stud worked its magic and brought Patrick and Richie back together, they celebrate the morning after by playing hookie over some Nebulous Potato Thing. This site serves as the beginning to the cutest day-long date ever and the most awesome Goonies impersonation ever.

Morrison Planetarium

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More films needs planetarium scenes. They're great for creating a vibe of school-field-trip thus allowing your characters to speak about childhood (or the cosmos, depending), and as a bonus they establish your city as world class; the kind of city that has a planetarium.

Ocean Beach

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It's true: the Blue Discharge (1934-1947 (the U.S. military's plan for dropping suspected homosexual servicemen in port cities)) is largely responsible for the historic gay population of Polk Gulch then later SoMa then later the Castro, our nation's first gayborhoods.

Sutro Baths

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All first dates should start or end at the Sutro Baths. There's nothing like a 19th century ruin to make you feel youthful and energized across the arc of history.

Mission Dolores Park

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Episode 6 gets everything right about Dolores Park, including rampant drunkenness, bike messengers delivering flowers, piñatas, and lovers spats.

Golden Gate Bridge

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"Looking," does such a good job of viewing San Francisco from a local's perspective that we rarely get to see our landmarks. It's a lot of fun to watch Patrick's Volvo swerve across the Golden Gate while he and Ritchie listen to a youtube instructional on bowtie tying.

Vista Point

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Site of completely unrealistic bowtie-based fight en route to wedding across the Golden Gate Bridge. From here Richie walks back to the mission in dress shoes.

Presidio Chapel

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After leaving San Francisco on the GG Bridge, in another delightful wormhole space warp, we find ourselves back in the Presidio for Patrick's sister's wedding. The production is obviously taking the San Francisco filmmaker tax incentives seriously (to qualify, 65% of principal photography must take place inside city limits).

Punjab Restaurant

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Dom's dilemma when it comes to opening his own kitchen may be the most realistic thing about "Looking" to date -- the rubber really hits the road with SF restaurant pop-ups. But somehow horrendous wallpaper, 80s vinyl chairs, mismatched silverware, backed-up prep-sinks, and even Dorris's prickly demeanor can't keep a good man and his desire for peri-peri chicken down.

Fort Funston

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There's really no better place to argue about artistic integrity, sex, prostitution, emotional compatibility, and ultimately to break up with your boyfriend than the beaches at Fort Funston. Our boys were hiking in a full sweat for dramatic purposes, but these arguments can easily be had with a picnic blanket, some good cheese, and a nice chianti.

Love Muni or hate Muni, it's shot beautifully by show DP Reed Morano, and is almost a character in its own right, (though occasionally interchanged with BART and also subject to the many wormholes in time and space "Looking" tends to fall through).

Willy's Barber Shop

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At long last we get a peek into Richie's genuine, blue-collar and altogether wholesome barbershop day job.

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Somewhere in Oakland

From Episode 2 onward, Augustín and Franklin live in this non-geographically specific basement apartment in Oakland. We wonder what they're paying. And if Augustín has enough light to make his paintings and photographs.

Zuni Cafe

Despite Dom working at Zuni for over eight years, the space itself is rarely shown. While we don't get a lot of interior imagery of this stunning flat-iron setting (let alone any food photography) that problem can be easily satisfied by a lunch reservation.

Press Club

In the first terrible date of many for Patrick, "Looking" showcases downtown swank at the Press Club.

El Rio

For a local's-only cozy dive known for its courtyard, pool table, music, and cheap drinks, El Rio makes for a surprisingly great backdrop in Episode 1's ostentatious, slightly sleazy engagement party. If you have to watch your ex-boyfriend gyrate with a teddy-bear stripper, there are worse locations to do it in.

Esta Noche

Patrick follows muni cruiser, Ritchie, to mission fave Esta Noche. Two mission dive bars exposed in as many minutes.

USS Hornet Museum

Patrick's company rents out the USS Hornet for their video game release party over on Alameda Island -- the selfsame aircraft carrier that plucked the original Apollo 11 astronauts out of the Pacific after moonwalk and splashdown.

Doc's Clock

Back to the Mission for yet another terrible date for Patrick. He didn't even get to take advantage of Doc's Clock's shuffleboard or Pacman games before offending his sweetheart (although through the magic of cinema they went home together anyway).

Eros Sauna

One of the few bathhouses left in the Castro, this location is used to harken back to the City's 1970s heyday when there was a bathhouse on every corner and none of us were afraid of sex.

Folsom Street Fair

The Folsom Street Fair was heavily used in episode 4 as the guys seek and avoid sexual tension as only an indie series can. Realism score: Apart from some chaffed nipples, zero nudity was portrayed on a network that has no problem regularly showing Lena Dunham's entire female form in all its glory. We won't go so far to cry gender discrimination -- but would it hurt to show some male package, HBO?

The Stud

After aforementioned terrible dates, Patrick gets a second chance at love when he runs into Richie at a drag dance show at the Stud. And really, what better site of reconciliation than a bar called the Stud?

St. Francis Fountain

After the Stud worked its magic and brought Patrick and Richie back together, they celebrate the morning after by playing hookie over some Nebulous Potato Thing. This site serves as the beginning to the cutest day-long date ever and the most awesome Goonies impersonation ever.

Morrison Planetarium

More films needs planetarium scenes. They're great for creating a vibe of school-field-trip thus allowing your characters to speak about childhood (or the cosmos, depending), and as a bonus they establish your city as world class; the kind of city that has a planetarium.

Ocean Beach

It's true: the Blue Discharge (1934-1947 (the U.S. military's plan for dropping suspected homosexual servicemen in port cities)) is largely responsible for the historic gay population of Polk Gulch then later SoMa then later the Castro, our nation's first gayborhoods.

Sutro Baths

All first dates should start or end at the Sutro Baths. There's nothing like a 19th century ruin to make you feel youthful and energized across the arc of history.

Mission Dolores Park

Episode 6 gets everything right about Dolores Park, including rampant drunkenness, bike messengers delivering flowers, piñatas, and lovers spats.

Golden Gate Bridge

"Looking," does such a good job of viewing San Francisco from a local's perspective that we rarely get to see our landmarks. It's a lot of fun to watch Patrick's Volvo swerve across the Golden Gate while he and Ritchie listen to a youtube instructional on bowtie tying.

Vista Point

Site of completely unrealistic bowtie-based fight en route to wedding across the Golden Gate Bridge. From here Richie walks back to the mission in dress shoes.

Presidio Chapel

After leaving San Francisco on the GG Bridge, in another delightful wormhole space warp, we find ourselves back in the Presidio for Patrick's sister's wedding. The production is obviously taking the San Francisco filmmaker tax incentives seriously (to qualify, 65% of principal photography must take place inside city limits).

Punjab Restaurant

Dom's dilemma when it comes to opening his own kitchen may be the most realistic thing about "Looking" to date -- the rubber really hits the road with SF restaurant pop-ups. But somehow horrendous wallpaper, 80s vinyl chairs, mismatched silverware, backed-up prep-sinks, and even Dorris's prickly demeanor can't keep a good man and his desire for peri-peri chicken down.

Fort Funston

There's really no better place to argue about artistic integrity, sex, prostitution, emotional compatibility, and ultimately to break up with your boyfriend than the beaches at Fort Funston. Our boys were hiking in a full sweat for dramatic purposes, but these arguments can easily be had with a picnic blanket, some good cheese, and a nice chianti.

Muni

Love Muni or hate Muni, it's shot beautifully by show DP Reed Morano, and is almost a character in its own right, (though occasionally interchanged with BART and also subject to the many wormholes in time and space "Looking" tends to fall through).

Willy's Barber Shop

At long last we get a peek into Richie's genuine, blue-collar and altogether wholesome barbershop day job.