In Only Murders in the Building, The Arconia feels like a main character. The grand prewar apartment block is where the murders happen, where the podcast is born, and where Charles, Oliver, and Mabel live, argue, and investigate. Naturally, fans want to know: where is The Arconia building in real life?

On the show, The Arconia is presented as a huge, historic apartment building on New York City’s Upper West Side. In reality, the exterior of The Arconia is filmed at The Belnord, a landmark apartment building located at 225 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.

The Belnord takes up an entire city block and is famous for its large internal courtyard, arched entrances, and elegant stone facade – all features that are instantly recognizable when you watch the series.

Is The Arconia Real?

Yes – The Arconia is real, but under a different name.

The building you see on screen is not CGI or a generic exterior. It is a real residential complex on the Upper West Side:

• Built in the early 1900s as a luxury apartment building.
• Designed in an Italian Renaissance Revival style, with a grand courtyard and multiple entrances.
• Recognized as a historic landmark and listed on heritage registers because of its architecture and urban importance.

In Only Murders in the Building, the production uses The Belnord’s exterior and courtyard as the physical stand-in for The Arconia. Season after season, the same building appears in wide shots, courtyard scenes, and street views outside the characters’ home.

However, almost all of the interior scenes – corridors, apartments, stairwells, lobby, and secret passageways – are filmed on sound stages. The real Belnord is a private residence, so the crew recreates the interiors in a studio while coming back to the Upper West Side for key outdoor scenes.

So The Arconia is “real” in the sense that it has a real New York address and appearance, but its hallways and apartments as seen on TV are studio sets inspired by the building rather than true interiors.

Is The Arconia in New York City?

Yes. Both in the story and in real life, The Arconia is firmly rooted in New York City.

In the show’s universe:

• The Arconia is a grand, full-block apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
• The characters often mention and move around nearby streets, cafes, and landmarks, reinforcing that they live in this specific neighborhood.

In reality, The Belnord stands:

• In the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
• At 225 West 86th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.

The building’s location places it roughly midway between Central Park and Riverside Park, in a classic residential area filled with shops, restaurants, and subway access. This is exactly the kind of environment you would expect for a group of quirky, creative New Yorkers who stumble into a murder podcast.

The show also uses other real New York locations – additional Upper West Side streets, parts of other boroughs, and iconic city spots – but The Belnord remains the visual anchor that defines The Arconia.

What Is The Arconia’s Real Name?

The Arconia’s real-world name is The Belnord.

Several details about The Belnord help explain why it was chosen as the home of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel:

• It has a full-block footprint, enclosing a huge interior courtyard that mirrors the communal space so important to the show.
• Its arched gates and entrances match the dramatic look you see every time the characters walk in or out of the building.
• The historic limestone and brick facade, tall windows, and ornate details give it an instant “old New York” charm that fits a mystery series about long-time residents and buried secrets.

Because “The Belnord” is the real name of a building where people actually live, the production uses the fictional name “The Arconia” for storytelling. This keeps the show’s universe distinct while still benefiting from the real building’s charisma and history.

Why Did the Show Choose This Building?

The Belnord works perfectly for Only Murders in the Building for three main reasons.

1. Visual impact
   Its monumental facade, grand arches, and detailed stonework create a sense of drama and history as soon as you see it. That visual weight makes the building feel like a natural setting for gothic secrets, long-running feuds, and high-stakes investigations.
2. A self-contained world
   Because it wraps around a courtyard and occupies a full block, The Belnord feels like a miniature city inside the city. For a show about neighbors spying on each other, overhearing conversations, and bumping into one another in the elevator, this kind of self-contained environment is ideal.
3. Upper West Side authenticity
   The Belnord belongs to the same tradition as other legendary Upper West Side buildings – large, old, and stylish residences that have long attracted artists, writers, and performers. That matches the show’s tone and cast perfectly, from aging actor Charles to theater director Oliver.

Can You Visit The Arconia / The Belnord?

You can’t tour the inside, but you can visit the exterior and the surrounding streets.

• The Belnord is a private residential building, so entrance to the courtyard and lobbies is restricted to residents and guests.
• Fans often walk along West 86th Street, Broadway, and Amsterdam Avenue to photograph the facade, the arches, and nearby corners they recognize from the show.
• Some New York walking tours focused on film and TV locations now include a stop near The Belnord and refer to it as “The Arconia” for fans of the series.

If you go, remember it’s a real home: taking photos from the sidewalk is fine, but be respectful of residents and avoid blocking doorways or pathways.

Final Thoughts: Where Is The Arconia Really?

To sum everything up:

• Is The Arconia real?
  Yes. The building you see in Only Murders in the Building is real. It is a genuine Upper West Side apartment complex used as the exterior for the fictional Arconia.
• Is The Arconia in New York City?
  Definitely. The real building stands in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, in New York City.
• What is The Arconia’s real name?
  The real name of the building is The Belnord, located at 225 West 86th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.

So when you watch Charles, Oliver, and Mabel weaving through The Arconia, arguing in the courtyard, or slipping in and out under those iconic arches, you’re actually seeing moments set against one of New York’s most distinctive historic apartment buildings – a place you can look up on a map and walk past in real life.