1

The Friends apartment building in NYC

Image: Chalo Gallardo

In the heart of Greenwich Village sits a corner that any Friends fan would spot in a heartbeat. The building where Monica, Rachel, Joey, and Chandler "lived" is at 90 Bedford Street, right above a real restaurant called The Little Owl . While the inside scenes were shot in a studio, this exterior became one of the most recognizable TV landmarks ever.

2

Tom’s Restaurant from Seinfeld, New York City

Image: Albert Stoynov

If you’ve ever watched Seinfeld , chances are you’ve seen the bright sign of Tom’s Restaurant flash across your screen. Known in the show as "Monk’s Café", it’s located at the corner of 112th and Broadway in Manhattan. The indoor scenes were filmed elsewhere, but the real diner is still serving up burgers, fries, and some nostalgia on the side.

3

The Brady house on Dilling Street, Studio City

Image: Patrick Bohn

The exterior of the Brady Bunch home is as iconic as Alice’s blue uniform. Found on Dilling Street in California, the house was used for exterior shots, though the interior was all Hollywood magic. HGTV renovated it to match the show's set for a special series, making it even more of a shrine for longtime fans. It’s not open for tours, but you can still walk by and hum that catchy theme song. Wouldn’t you just love that?

4

Cheers bar on Beacon Street, Boston

Image: Chris Hardy

Where everybody knows your name... is actually at 84 Beacon Street in Boston. This classic pub was used for exterior scenes in Cheers, and still operates as a real bar today! Inside, it’s filled with memorabilia and a whole lot of warm nostalgia. Stop by, order a pint, and pretend you’re chatting with Norm and Cliff at the end of the bar.

5

M A S H filming site in Malibu Creek State Park, California

Image: Robert Ruggiero

The rugged Korean War setting of M A S H was actually a lot closer to home. All those outdoor camp scenes were in fact filmed in the scenic Malibu Creek State Park. Hike the trail and you’ll stumble across the old site, complete with rusted props and a replica of the famous signpost.

6

Painted Ladies from Full House, San Francisco

Image: Joshua Sortino

That sweeping shot of San Francisco and a picnic in the park? That’s Alamo Square Park, facing the famous Painted Ladies, the colorful Victorian homes seen in Full House . Funny enough, the Tanner family house is actually elsewhere, but fans still visit this spot for a taste of that opening credits magic. It's a great place to take in the skyline and maybe even sing a little "Everywhere you look."

7

Stately Pasadena City Hall from Parks and Rec

Image: Igor Shalyminov

The city of Pawnee may be fictional, but its town hall isn’t. The elegant building you see in Parks and Recreation is in fact Pasadena City Hall. Its beautiful arches and fountain-filled courtyard served as the setting for plenty of Leslie Knope’s proudest moments. And yes, the red tiles on the roof were digitally changed to green to give it a more "Midwestern" look!

8

The Dunphy house from Modern Family, Culver City

Image: Doug Bagg

Claire and Phil Dunphy’s cozy suburban home sits quietly on Dunleer Drive in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of LA. It was used for the show’s exterior shots and became an instant fan favorite. When the home went up for sale, it drew curious buyers and lookie-loos alike. While you can’t go inside, the outside looks just like it did when Luke crashed his bike in the driveway.

9

The Puck Building from Will & Grace, NYC

Image: Udara

Located in SoHo, the Puck Building is a real-life landmark that served as the fictional office of Grace Adler Designs. This towering red-brick beauty stands at Lafayette and Houston Streets. If you're a fan of the show, you’ll instantly recognize those massive arched windows from the opening credits. You can’t miss it!

10

The Electric City sign from The Office, Scranton

Image: Kelly Sikkema

"The Electric City" isn’t just part of a cringey rap from The Office ; it’s a real nickname for the Pennsylvania city. The sign featured in the show is perched on a building in downtown Scranton and makes a fun photo-op for any Dunder Mifflin devotee. Most of the show was filmed in California, but a few Scranton landmarks made it into the mix.

11

The Prince bar from New Girl, Los Angeles

Image: q u i n g u y e n

The gang of New Girl frequently hangs out at a bar called The Griffin , which in real life is "The Prince," a moody Koreatown spot with red leather booths and vintage charm. It's a favorite filming location, appearing also in shows like Mad Men and The Defenders . On which series did you see it first?

1

The Joker

Image: Miggy Rivera

We’ll start with comic books’ most nefarious villain . Should an alien visit us tomorrow, it would be very hard to explain that a playing card-themed maniac is an archetypical antagonist to a bat-themed superhero. And yet, ever since appearing in Batman’s very first solo comic book, the Joker has proved again and again why he is known as "the Clown Prince of Crime".

Just like Batman, the Joker doesn’t have any superpowers besides his cunning and wicked sense of humor. Although definitively insane, he is remarkably smart, which is shown by his expertise as a chemist. He is responsible for creating his signature "Joker venom", a chemical compound capable of forcing anyone to smile.

2

The Green Goblin

Image: Uélvis Santana

The Green Goblin is to Spiderman what The Joker is to Batman. Another bad guy with a flare for theatricality (though almost all comic-book villains do), this flying menace soars through the air on his "Goblin Glider", his patented flying device.

Contrary to his superhero antagonist, this villain’s backstory is simple and selfish: wealthy industrialist Norman Osborn became this alter-ego to rule organized crime in New York City. Nowadays, Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of the Green Goblin in the 2001 "Spiderman" movie is perhaps this character’s most remembered iteration.

3

Hans Gruber

Image: Matt The Artist

There are many reasons why "Die Hard" is considered the very best action movie in history, from its groundbreaking setting to its amazing dialogue and fast-paced action. However, one of the most influential factors behind this movie’s legacy is Hans Gruber , the sophisticated and soft-spoken nemesis of John McClane.

Wonderfully portrayed by Allan Rickman, Gruber arrives at the fictional Nakatomi Plaza under false pretenses, with the sole purpose of stealing millions in bearer bonds. Rickman's superb performance almost made us feel bad when his plans got foiled by a certain adventurous NYPD detective. An action movie that made us feel bad about its bad guy! Can you imagine that?

4

Darth Vader

Image: André Volkmann

Should we add a spoiler warning for one of the most iconic reveals in the history of cinema? We won’t disclose it in the very (extremely) slim chance that you haven’t seen "The Empire Strikes Back". However, we are absolutely sure that you are familiar with science fiction's most memorable villain, even if you haven’t seen a single scene in any "Star Wars" movie.

Truly, Darth Vader needs no introduction: From his menacing mask, cold demeanor, and lightsaber skills, this Sith knight is truly a force to be reckoned with. What’s perhaps most iconic about Vader is his deep and powerful voice, provided by Hollywood legend James Earl Jones.

5

Wicked Witch of the West

Image: Ksenia Yakovleva

Granted, the 2003 musical "Wicked" made us realize that Elphaba, also known as "The Wicked Witch of the West" , was a truly nuanced character. However, by the time she received her dishonorable title in "The Wizard of Oz", Elphaba had become a dastardly green-skinned witch, hellbent on foiling the plans of Dorothy and her friends.

Margaret Hamilton’s performance in the 1939 version of "The Wizard of Oz" was so iconic that it cemented the look that most media witches would have over time: You can thank Hamilton for the pointy black hats, green make-up, and terrifying cackles you hear every Halloween.

6

Norman Bates

Image: Maxime Roedel

Just like with our Darth Vader entry, we have to ask: Is anyone not aware of the groundbreaking twist in Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous movie? We’ll once again have to tread lightly, but that doesn’t mean we can properly remember Norman Bates , the bone-chilling villain from "Psycho".

Portrayed by Anthony Perkins in the original 1960 movie and its 3 sequels, Norman Bates is the shy, mild-mannered proprietor of the "Bates Hotel", co-owned by Norman and his mother. However, anyone watching this classic thriller for the first time will quickly realize that there’s something sinister hiding in this hotel.

7

Hannibal Lecter

Image: Elchino portrait

You would expect someone nicknamed "Hannibal the Cannibal" to be a feral brute with an insatiable bloodlust, but Dr. Hannibal Lecter is, above all, well-mannered. While he definitively has the bloodlust part going, Lecter has been described as a soft-spoken, intelligent, and cultured monster since his first appearance in the 1981 horror novel "Red Dragon".

Most of us remember this character from Anthony Hopkins’ character in "Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon", but did you know that there was a previous film portrayal of Hannibal Lecter? Scottish actor Brian Cox portrayed him in the 1981 film "Manhunter", although under the last name "Lecktor".

8

Xenomorphs

Image: Hossam el-Hamalawy, CC BY 2.0

When posters for the movie "Alien" first appeared in movie theaters, they had a simple yet terrifying tagline: "In space, no one can hear you scream". This 1979 horror masterpiece by Ridley Scott introduced the world to the now-iconic "Xenomorph", the perfect killing machine that haunts outer space.

Part of what makes the Xenomorph so memorable is its groundbreaking design, a huge departure from the traditional aliens depicted up to that point. It helps that they were designed by Swedish artist H.R. Giger, who in turn based them on his own 1976 surrealist painting "Necronom IV".

9

Lex Luthor

Image: Jon Tyson

Who knew that the perfect nemesis for "The Man of Steel" would be a bald billionaire? Lex Luthor is Superman’s lifelong and most-famous nemesis, always plotting to bring the world’s most powerful superhero to his knees.

In a way, the fact that Luthor has no superpowers other than his remarkable intellect is particularly fitting: While heavy-hitters like Doomsday or Metallo can physically hold their own against Superman, Luthor’s human greed and resourcefulness ultimately prove to be the biggest threat to this hero.

10

HAL 9000

Image: Axel Richter

We’ll end with the only robotic villain in this article. When audiences first met the artificial intelligence known as HAL 9000 in Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking "2001: A Space Odyssey", they were perplexed by how a single red light talking in a monotone yet calm voice could be so downright terrifying.

In truth, that’s part of what makes HAL such an incredible villain: He is not a sadistic, murderous monster, but rather a cold and calculating machine run by logic. HAL chooses to destroy the astronauts aboard the "Discovery One" only because he considers them a threat to the spacecraft’s plans. So, in a sense, this machine was only doing what it was programmed to do.

1

Pancakes

Image: Ala

Imagine you are a tourist in Michigan and decide to go for pancakes. You enter a suitable establishment, sit at the counter, and ask… what, exactly? Yes, most people call them pancakes, and there is a fair chance that you will receive just that without further questions, but if you want to speak like a local, you will ask for flapjacks .

The "flap" part of flapjack is derived from the word the British used to mean "flip." As for the "jack" part, historians say it may refer to the small size of the pancake because "jack" referred to something that was small. You’ll hear pancakes more in the North and flapjacks in the South, but there are exceptions, such as the Flapjack Shack in Traverse City, Michigan.

2

Dessert Toppings

Image: Kate Trysh

For many Americans, dessert toppings for ice creams and milkshakes are like cheese on a pizza: a must. If you happen to be one of them and are visiting New England, you should know that the local word for toppings is " with jimmies. "

Jimmies are a subgroup of the larger category of dessert toppings known as sprinkles, although people across the U.S. might use the terms interchangeably. Jimmies are cylindrical sprinkles, but some people use the word to refer specifically to chocolate or colored varieties. As for round sprinkles, they are technically marketed as nonpareils.

3

Cold Sandwiches

Image: Allen Rad

The word "sandwich" has come to represent practically any food that is stuffed between two pieces of bread and can be eaten—usually—with your hands. But in certain regions of America, this ubiquitous food item goes by different names.

Pennsylvania has its own term: hoagie . Back in the day, the Italian-American community lived in an area called Hog Island, and local cooks were known for their big "Hog Island Sandwiches," which eventually became known as "hoagies." In New England, many people call a sandwich a grinder . That’s because it’s traditionally made from Italian bread, which has a thicker crust than the typical sandwich bread.

4

Stuffing or Dressing?

Image: Louis Hansel

In the northern parts of the U.S., stuffing refers to the thick mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs or croutons often used to fill poultry dishes.

But, in the southern parts of the country, the word used to describe that is dressing . Yes, the same word that is used in the North to describe any kind of liquid topping for salads. It can be confusing, right?

5

Pop or Soda?

Image: Taylor Swayze

Soft drinks are referred to by different names in different parts of the country. If you are on the East Coast, along the Illinois-Missouri border, in southeastern Wisconsin, California, or nearby areas, you probably call it soda .

However, if you are from the Great Plains region or the Midwest, you likely refer to it as pop . And, if you refer to it as Coke or cola —whether it’s Coca-Cola or something else—you’re most likely from the South.

6

Jelly donuts as Bismarck

Image: Leon Ephraïm

Jelly donuts are quintessentially American. These delicious pastries filled with sweet jelly are everywhere—and for good reason. However, in the midwestern region of the country, as well as in Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, jelly donuts have a different name altogether.

That is because the German immigrants who settled in the region named the dessert "Bismarck" after the 19th-century Prussian chancellor, Otto von Bismarck because those pastries were a favorite snack of his.

7

Milkshakes as "frappes"

Image: Sebastian Coman Photography

A milkshake and a frappe are pretty much the same thing across most of the country—and even the world, we dare say. However, that’s not the case in New England. If you were to ask for a milkshake in that area, you would receive a slightly different—but equally delicious—beverage.

Nearly everywhere else in the U.S., a milkshake is made with milk, ice cream, and syrup blended together. But in New England, that's a recipe for a frappe . A milkshake in that part of America consists of just milk and syrup, shaken or blended until a foamy head appears.

8

Casseroles as a hotdish

Image: sheri silver

A casserole is a warm dish made by layering meat, vegetables, and noodles, along with a can of condensed soup thrown into the mix and then taken to the oven. However, in Minnesota, that same recipe is called a hot dish.

According to Howard Mohr, author of How to Talk Minnesotan , "A traditional main course, hotdish is cooked and served hot in a single baking dish and commonly appears at family reunions and church suppers."

9

Poached Egg vs. Dropped Egg

Image: Unsplash

New England has appeared a couple of times already on this list, and it’s about to make another appearance. In most parts of the country, the cooking technique of gently dropping an egg into boiling water is called "poaching an egg."

But in New England, the name for this technique has a much more literal term, calling this particular preparation a dropped egg .

10

Peppers and Mangoes

Image: Paul Morley

We’ll close this list with perhaps the most curious case of regional naming we came across. In the Midwestern region of the country, a "mango" does not refer to the tropical fruit commonly known as a mango.

Instead, if a midwesterner asks for a mango at a local grocery store, they will receive a mild, green bell pepper . The suggested explanation for this is that as green bell peppers ripen, they develop red-gold splotches that make them look similar to mangos.