‘The Watcher’ Wasn’t Filmed in Westfield, New Jersey
There might be some serious questions about the future of streaming services, but Netflix is certainly excelling in one genre. In recent months, the streaming powerhouse has released true crime hit after true crime hit. Their latest offer, The Watcher, tells the story of a family who moved into their dream house only to be met with a series of threatening letters. While the case remains unsolved, the home still stands, although the family terrorized by the letters no longer resides there. The house, which plays such a pivotal role in the story, was not used for filming. The house used to film the series is located just over the George Washington Bridge in New York, but there are some key differences between the two homes.
Where was the actual house from ‘The Watcher’ located?
The Watcher has quickly become the talk of the town. While Netflix’s series is fictionalized, it is based on a true story. The events of the series were centered around a large but unassuming home in Westfield, New Jersey, a small town in Union County.
Westfield is known for its quaint downtown area, idyllic surroundings, and comfortable homes. The town has 30,000 residents, many of whom are drawn to the town for its nationally ranked school system and proximity to New York City. While Westfield is considered an ideal place to raise a family, what happened at 657 Boulevard was anything but idyllic. While the house is still a part of the town, Netflix did not film its hit series in the area. The production didn’t venture too far, though. Exterior filming took place an hour and a half away in Westchester County, NY.
The Netflix series was filmed in Rye, New York
While the real house from The Watcher is currently occupied, albeit by a new family, in Westfield, New Jersey, Netflix opted to film exterior shots for the series across the bridge in New York. The house used for the series is a sprawling estate located in Rye, NY, a town in Westchester County.
The town of Rye, with a population of just 15,000, is best known for its Long Island Sound views and expansive waterfront. The Westchester County locale is consistently ranked one of the best places in the state to live. It has well-ranked schools, a quaint town center, and plenty of beachfront.
Westchester County, and its sprawling estates, have been used in numerous television shows and movies. The Gilded Age, HBO Max’s hit period series, was most recently filmed in Westchester County and upstate New York. The county is also home to several celebrities. Sandra Lee and Andrew Cuomo once called the county home. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds currently reside in more northern reaches of the suburban county.
The filming home was substantially bigger than the Broaddus’ real-life abode
While Rye, NY, and Westfield, NJ, have some similarities, and the two houses are similar in general style, there is one big difference between the actual house from the case and the one used to film Netflix’s fictionalized version of the story. The Broaddus’ Westfield, NJ home was valued at around $1 million when the family opted to sell it to get away from the author of the letters. The sprawling estate used to film The Watcher is valued at over $6 million.
The Rye location is much larger than the Westfield home that was the scene of the crimes, too. According to Zillow, the Rye location boasts over 10,000 square feet of living space, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, an indoor basketball court, a media room, and a gorgeous chef’s kitchen. The Broaddus’ Westfield, NJ, dream house was modest in comparison. The Westfield home that has had a steady stream of onlookers since the series debuted is just shy of 4,000 square feet and offers six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Netflix did not use the interior of the Rye estate in the series.
