Where was The Karate Kid filmed?

The opening scene features the moment when Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and with mom (Randee Heller) move to Los Angeles. He arrives at the South Seas Apartments, a rundown building in the San Fernando Valley. The complex has a shabby and uninviting entrance, and Daniel quickly realizes how different it is from his home in New Jersey. Daniel has made a new friend named Freddy Fernandez (Israel Juarbe) at the apartment complex. Inside, he meets Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), who is trying to catch a fly with chopsticks. The exterior of an apartment complex was used as the backdrop for this iconic scene in The Karate Kid (1984). It's located at 19223 Saticoy Street, Reseda, in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Today, visitors to this location can still see vestiges of what it looked like when the movie was filmed here almost four decades ago. Residents of this area are sometimes greeted by fans wanting to take pictures outside of what was once referred to as "the LaRusso household." To get to this location from downtown Los Angeles, take US-101 N for about 30 minutes until you reach Reseda Blvd exit 24, turn left onto Reseda Blvd, then turn right onto Saticoy St, drive down half a mile, and you will find South Seas Apartments on your left side.

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The scene at Leo Carrillo State Park is an iconic moment in the film. It is the first time that Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) meets Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue), and where he learns of Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) angst against him. Daniel wants to impress Ali on the beach by playing soccer. However, Johnny Lawrence and his friends, Tommy and Bobby Brown (Ron Thomas), show up on their motorcycles as the sun begins to set. They're known troublemakers in the area. The confrontation between Daniel and Johnny displays the classic rivalry between two different worlds and sets up a conflict that will be resolved through karate training. This scene was filmed in Leo Carrillo State Park in Los Angeles County, California. This park is situated along the Malibu coast and offers numerous outdoor activities such as swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing, beachcombing, tide pool exploration, sea cave exploration, and hiking trails. Perfectly capturing the beauty of Southern California's beaches and oceanfront vistas, this location provides an ideal backdrop for this memorable scene from The Karate Kid. To get to Leo Carrillo Beach from Santa Monica or Los Angeles, follow these directions: head southeast on Lincoln Blvd towards Broadway, turn onto Olympic Blvd, and merge onto CA-1 N via the left ramp until you reach Oxnard. Then, take a right onto Beach Access Rd and follow it until you get to the entrance of Leo Carrillo State Park. Remember that the park is only accessible by private car from Santa Monica or Los Angeles.

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The scene in which Daniel (Ralph Macchio) has a conflict with the jocks at West Valley High School is a pivotal moment in the film. After being humiliated during soccer tryouts, Daniel loses his temper and retaliates with a punch to Bobby's (Ron Thomas) face. This action has severe consequences for Daniel, leading him to be expelled from the field and ostracised by the other students. That was when Daniel realized he wanted to prove himself and seek revenge. This scene was filmed on location at Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School, now known as Hughes Adult Learn Center, located at 5607 Capistrano Avenue in Woodland Hills, California. Visitors can explore the high school's interior and exterior as fans. To get to this location from downtown Los Angeles, you can take the 101 freeway North and exit on Topanga Canyon Boulevard before turning right onto Vanowen Street, then take a left onto Oxnard Street before taking another left onto Philiprim Street, and finally, turn right onto Capistrano Avenue, where you will find Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School.

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Daniel (Ralph Macchio) meets with his mom, Lucille (Randee Heller), for lunch. As they chat, Daniel notices a karate dojo across the street called Cobra Kai and decides to explore it after Lucille leaves. What meets him is an intimidating atmosphere that emphasizes brutality, ferocity, and no mercy, a stark contrast to the warm and friendly atmosphere of the restaurant. Inside the dojo, Daniel finds Johnny (William Zabka), Tommy (Rob Garrison), and Bobby (Ron Thomas), all students of the Discipline Master Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove). The harsh environment makes Daniel uneasy, so he quickly excuses himself without exploring further. The 'Cobra Kai' dojo in this scene was filmed at Body Theory Fitness Center located at 5223 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. This location is part of the North Hollywood Pedestrian Plaza and was initially built in 1982 to serve as a place for residents to come together for local activities like free concerts, farmers' markets, art festivals, community events, etc. To get to this location, you can easily access it by taking public transit, such as Metro’s B Red Line subway or shuttles from Universal City/Studio City station. Depending on your starting location, you can drive there via several freeways, such as 101 Freeway or 110 Freeway.

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Daniel (played by Ralph Macchio) goes to the Encino Oaks Country Club to meet Ali (played by Elisabeth Shue) during a fancy event. However, Johnny (played by William Zabka), a troublemaker, spots Daniel and makes Ali kiss him. This leads to an awkward situation and a humiliated Daniel fleeing the scene. While leaving, he runs into a waiter who spills food on him, causing everyone to laugh. In response, an enraged Ali punches Johnny before leaving herself, and Daniel does not get to witness this part of the incident. This iconic scene was filmed at Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel, now the Hyatt Regency Westlake, at 880 South Westlake Boulevard, Westlake Village. This Mediterranean-style hotel features an outdoor pool, hot tub, and on-site restaurant. It is conveniently located 18 miles away from the beaches of Malibu. To get there, one can take US Route 101, also known as Ventura Freeway, from Malibu. It will take around 39 miles from downtown Los Angeles to reach Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel. Alternatively, one can also take public transport such as a bus or train and then use local transportation such as a taxi or Uber/Lyft to get to the hotel, which is about 10 minutes away from Agoura Hills Station on Metrolink Ventura County Line train route 101 N.

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The final scene in The Karate Kid is the most iconic one in the entire movie. It occurs at the Matador Gymnasium, also known as the Matadome, on California State University's Northridge campus. The audience is on the edge of their seats as the final match between Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) proceeds with a tie score of 2–2. Johnny then follows an unethical move suggested by his sensei, Kreese (Martin Kove), and sweeps Daniel's injured leg. With great effort, Daniel stands up and assumes Mr. Miyagi's (Pat Morita) "Crane" stance before executing a perfect front kick to Johnny's face, scoring him the winning point and becoming champion of the All Valley Karate Tournament. The Matador Gymnasium was opened in 1962 and has a total floor area of over 130 thousand square feet. The Matadome is an indoor arena that is home to the CSUN men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. It underwent a renovation in 2014, increasing its capacity to 2,500. You can also visit the location where the final scene of The Karate Kid was filmed. To get to this location, you can take US 101 N and exit 69 from I-405 S. From there, turn right onto Nordhoff St for about 3 miles until you reach 18111 Nordhoff Street, which will be California State University’s Northridge Campus, where the Matador Gymnasium is located. From downtown Los Angeles it will take about 35 minutes, depending on the traffic.

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