Joe – or should we say Jonathan – has been frolicking around London in the latest season of Netflix’s hit psychological drama/stalker thriller/slasher rom-com, You. Evidently fond of a stroll and played by (recent TikTok phenomenon) Penn Badgley, the series has garnered attention for its liberal use of London filming locations, with Joe apparently walking home (South Kensington) from work (Royal Holloway University) via Shoreditch. (We prefer to interpret this as whimsy rather than a heavy handed mistake.) If you’re less familiar with all of the iconic London scenes popping up on screen, we’ve got you covered: here are the London filming locations as seen in You season 4.
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You Season 4: All The London Filming Locations Seen On Screen
Where Is You Set?
Season four of You is set in London, which might be a surprise to the uninitiated. Joe Goldberg – You’s leading man – has a tendency to leave cities in a flurry, often shaking off his old identity to avoid the consequences of his actions. As a result, You, having exhausted both coasts of the US, is now transcontinental. The seasons’ settings are as follows:
- Season 1: New York City
- Season 2: Los Angeles
- Season 3: California suburbs
- Season 4: London
You Season 4: London Filming Locations
Kynance Mews
Joe’s House in South Kensington
There’s a fleeting shot in episode one, but the street name for Joe’s London abode is flashed on screen: Kynance Mews. Located in South Kensington as Joe confirms in his voice over, this sleepy street is a quintessential West London sight: pretty, leafy, extremely clean, with a hushed, museum like quiet (for the record, the Natural History Museum and the V&A are but a stone’s throw away). In Joe’s words, very ‘Hugh Grant movie’.
According to GetAgent, properties on Kynance Mews have historically set their owners back a humble £5.5 million – or £3,000 per week for lucky renters. But don’t worry: GetAgent assures us that Joe’s ‘smaller flat’ – with its vast living space, gorgeous furnishings and huge windows – would cost a meagre £1–2 million.
Royal Holloway, University of London
Darcy College
In season 4 of You, Joe, now going as Jonathan, works as an English professor at Darcy College, a fictional Oxbridge-esque university. The real university playing this recurring role is Royal Holloway, University of London – one of London’s 18 universities. With its lovely redbrick buildings and vast grassy courts, it makes for a pretty, quintessentially British setting.
If you’re unsure why Joe’s walk home from campus is so hilarious to Londoners, it’s because Royal Holloway is located in Egham, Surrey, 19 miles (or 31 km) from central London. In other words, a hefty six hour walk (or should we say hike).
Lincoln’s Inn Library
Darcy College Library
Though Royal Holloway does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to on-campus scenes, it was actually Holborn’s Lincoln’s Inn Library used for the library scenes. With major dark academia vibes but sadly open only to lawyers (yawn), this working library has sat in its current site since 1845, but it has origins dating back to 1471 – hence the generally ancient feel.
Shoreditch and Spitalfields
Joe’s Roundabout Walk Home
Joe shows us an uber-cool side of London on his scenic walk home from work. In reality, we’re way over on the other side of London, strolling the streets of Shoreditch and Spitalfields. The white church hovering in the background of the walking scenes is Christ Church Spitalfields.
Fabric
Sundry House
Sundry House is not a real members club (unfortunately?), though it mirrors the city’s very many. In the series, Sundry House is an amalgamation of different filming locations, the main one being Farringdon’s famous club, Fabric.
St Bartholomew the Great
The real St Bartholomew the Great church in Barbican was used for the funeral scenes in season 4 of You. No spoilers…
Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square
Phoebe’s Flat
One of the key figures in Joe (ahem, Jonathan)’s new friendship group of high society Brits is Lady Phoebe Borehall-Blaxworth, heiress, gallerist and socialite. Her apartment is stunning – played by a suite in the equally stunning Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square.
Knebworth House
‘Hampsie’
As well as her gorgeous apartment, Lady Phoebe hosts her friends at her Hampshire stately home, lovingly nicknamed ‘Hampsie’. The perfect setting for a very-British murder mystery, this countryside retreat is really Knebworth House in Hertfordshire (not Hampshire as ‘Hampsie’ might suggest), a Grade II* listed Tudor mansion with Grade II* listed gardens to boot.
The Bargehouse
The Art Gallery
With one of Joe’s new friends, Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), being a gallerist and another, Simon (Aiden Cheng), being an artist, art and galleries play a key role in season 4 of You. In episode two, the art exhibition that takes place was filmed at the Bargehouse, a real gallery space on the South Bank, part of the OXO Tower building.
St Pancras Station
With flashes between London and Paris, it’s only natural that St Pancras Station – home of the Eurostar – features in You.
WATCH IT
The first five episodes of You season 4 are streaming now on Netflix. The next five episodes will be released on 9 March 2023. netflix.com
Featured image: Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 402 of You. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022