A Burbank backlot stood in for New York
The fountain sequence was filmed at Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, California, rather than in Manhattan. The ranch is a studio backlot: an outdoor filming space where productions can stage scenes without traveling to the places they represent.
That made it a practical setting for the opening credits. The cast could gather around a fountain and perform for the camera in a controlled production environment, while the sequence suggested the loose, city-life atmosphere associated with Friends. The fountain was part of the filming location—not a famous New York landmark viewers were meant to identify.
Why the distinction matters
The credits create a quick impression of the friends sharing an exuberant moment outdoors, but they do not document a real New York outing. Like many television scenes, the image depends on a carefully chosen filming location that can stand in for the story’s setting. So the familiar fountain belongs to the show’s Burbank production history, even though the characters’ world is New York.
