Where was Taxi filmed
Taxi
Year: 2004
<p>The film "New York Taxi" tells the story of Belle Williams, New York's fastest cab driver, who dreams of racing professionally. She's transformed her car into a real racing car, but for now she has to drive passengers around the city, dreaming of real competitions. The film was shot mainly in the USA, notably in New York, with a small number of scenes shot in Marseille, France. Filming took place in several American cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Avondale, where scenes were shot at Phoenix International Raceway.<br /> The real-life urban spaces of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Williamsburg were used to create dynamic chase scenes. Particular attention was paid to the dynamic car scenes, where cab driver Belle (Queen Latifah) demonstrates her virtuoso driving skills. For some of the stunt scenes, specially prepared sites and closed sections of urban roads were used. Interestingly, actresses Queen Latifah and Gisele Bündchen underwent two months of extreme driving training to make the stunts more realistic. Many of the chase scenes and stunts were performed by Queen Latifah alone, while professional stuntmen were used for Gisele Bündchen. The track scenes at Phoenix International Raceway allowed for spectacular shots of racing cars, which fit perfectly with the film's plot, which tells the story of a cab driver who dreams of becoming a professional racing driver.</p>
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Locations
Airport
In movie
Scene where Vanessa's (Gisele Bündchen) criminal gang arrive in New York City to commit a series of bank robberies. Vanessa and her associates leave the airport terminal and get into a cab, expressing contempt for the cab driver and demanding that their luggage be handled more carefully.
Real
Scene was shot in the TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The airport building is a unique architectural structure designed by the famous architect Eero Saarinen in 1962. This terminal was considered one of the most original airport buildings in the world, embodying the "spirit of flight" and symbolizing the joy of travel. The choice of this particular terminal for the filming of the movie "New York Taxi" is not accidental: its futuristic design with an elliptical roof supported by 32 pillars, created the perfect picture for a dynamic Hollywood action movie. The TWA terminal was a real architectural landmark in New York City, which could add to the movie's visual impact. In 2001, the terminal was closed, but in 2019 it was transformed into a stylish premium hotel, preserving its original architectural appearance.
Apartment Belle
In movie
Scene where Belle comes home and sees the new car she will start working as a cab driver. The day before, she quit her old job to start moving towards her dream of becoming a race car driver and her first step is to work for a cab service where she expects to improve her driving skills.
Real
Scene was shot in a garage on South 6th Street in Williamsburg. At the time of filming, it was a typical working-class neighborhood with affordable rents, where young people with low incomes - couriers, cab drivers, aspiring artists and musicians - lived. The neighborhood looked unsettled, with industrial buildings and old warehouses, which perfectly reflects the status of the protagonist - an energetic but not too well-off woman who dreams of professional racing. Despite first impressions, Williamsburg is now one of Brooklyn's most transformative and up-and-coming places and has been transformed into a trendy urban neighborhood over the past 15 years.
The site of the deal with the Cuban criminals
In movie
Scene where Police officer Andy Washburn conducts an undercover special operation. He disguises himself as a Cuban trader and arrives at a meeting with a small criminal gang to make an arrest or gather intelligence. Andy's appearance makes the criminals a little uneasy, but they are led on and enter the building with him to make a criminal deal. Andy tries to look as natural as possible and not to arouse suspicion, but he fails and the criminals quickly realize that he is an undercover cop. A shootout ensues and they escape. This scene demonstrates Andy's willingness to take risks to solve the crime, despite previous failures that have damaged his reputation in the police department.
Real
Scene was shot in the building of a house on 40th Avenue in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood, one of the most multicultural, colorful and urban areas of New York City. It is known for its atmosphere: lots of street art on the streets, small niche clubs and antique stores, making it an ideal location for filming scenes with criminal overtones. The East Village has traditionally been considered an area with a multi-layered urban environment, where different subcultures have historically coexisted - from punks and artists to small merchants and criminal gangs. That is why this location looks so harmonious in the context of this scene. At the time of filming the movie, the building was empty, and over the years small restaurants and eateries have opened and closed in this place.