- The Arconia’s location explained
- One of the largest private courtyards in NYC
- Apartments listed for sale in the building for millions
Critically acclaimed comedy murder mystery series, Only Murders in the Building, concluded its fourth season in October 2024. The season finale left viewers on a massive cliff-hanger following a shock death to one of its beloved characters. Jaws hit the floor and fans were clamouring for the fifth season almost immediately.
The show follows true crime-obsessed neighbors Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) as they investigate murders in their upscale New York apartment building, the Arconia.
Read more: Only Murders In The Building season 5 release date, cast & more
A fifth season was never in doubt. It was announced shortly after season 4 started airing. The Hulu series, co-created by Martin and John Hoffman, has been popular with critics and audiences alike since it first debuted in 2021. It has earned numerous award nominations, including Golden Globes and Emmys, winning seven of the latter.
The biggest star of the show is arguably the Arconia, and fans may be wondering if it is possible to visit the building while in New York. Here’s everything you need to know about the home of everyone’s favourite true-crime podcast hosts.
Is the Arconia in Only Murders in the Building a real place?
Indeed it is. Although, in real life the building is called The Belnord. It is a 13-story apartment building at 225 West 86th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by Hiss and Weekes in the Italian Renaissance Revival style built between 1908 and 1909. It is just as grand in person as it is on screen.
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The show’s co-creator, Hoffman told House Beautiful, “For our story and our fictional Arconia, I knew we needed a home that carried enough history and elegance to hold a world of mystery and intrigue—and one that could also serve as a fitting backdrop worthy of our legendary cast”.
The ‘Arconia’s’ main entrance is via two massive, double-height grand archways on 86th Street, which lead to one the city’s largest private courtyards. It is in this courtyard that Oliver Putnam marries Loretta Durkin, played by Meryl Streep.
Hoffman added that thanks to The Belnord’s tenants and management, in addition to the show’s locations team – which was led by Collin Smith – the filming location “surpassed all of our wildest dreams”.
He said the building “basically wrote itself into our show as its own central compelling character.”
Can you visit the building?
You can walk by the building and admire it from the outside, but access to the courtyard is for residents only. It occupies the entirety of a city block bounded by Broadway to the west, 87th Street to the north, Amsterdam Avenue to the east, and 86th Street to the south
If you’re looking to move home and have a few million dollars to play with or simply curious about the interior, apartments in The Belnord are available to rent or buy.
The building, however, is only used for exterior shots in Only Murders in the Building. All interior scenes were shot on soundstages. Tours including a fly-by of The Belgor are also easy to come by in New York City.
