From a Manhattan subway station miraculously appearing in the Heart of The Commonwealth, to a New York-based suit shop at 8 Norwich St., signs of “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” season 2 have sporadically popped up around Worcester this week.
The faux subway station is located right outside of 316 Main St., and the windows of storefronts throughout downtown are all glued-up with New York-based newspaper clippings.
On one side of the subway station entrance, passersby can even see an abandoned New York, deep-dish style pizzeria with busted-out windows and Empire State logos.
Fans craning to catch a glimpse of zombies from the end of Norwich Street this week know they’re looking at Worcester’s buildings, but will they be able to spot the Worcester scenes when the show officially airs in early 2025? After all, the filming crew is going to great lengths to turn Massachusetts’ second-largest city, into New York.
For Worcester fans hoping to get a glimpse of their city in the AMC show, MassLive has some tips and tricks on what signs will reveal if a certain shot was filmed downtown.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, is filming in Worcester, complete with a subway station on Main Street.MassLive
Filming in Worcester first started on Norwich Street Wednesday, May 1.
The 8 Norwich St. property where inside shots have been filmed is normally a vacant office space, but was transformed into “SALVATORE New York,” — a suit shop.
Property and local business owner Joffrey Smith said “The Walking Dead: Dead City“ crew made sure “no details (were) forgotten.”
From the exterior, watchful eyes could see hazy windows and thick brass bars framing the office space, complete with a shop logo smack-center on the glass.
But the transformation included far more than foggy windows and a few signs. The entire office space inside was repainted, a faux wall was built and various props were set to fill the frame.
Fans watching will know if the scene they’re watching was filmed in Worcester if they see a shop with distinct golden-yellow walls and dramatic black trim.
Behind the scenes of "The Walking Dead: Dead City," season 2 features interior shots of this Worcester office space at 8 Norwich St.Dallas Gagnon/MassLive
Upon entrance into “Salvatore,” fans might see a dusty coffee table with a small mirror and a table lamp to the left hand side.
Beyond that, also on the left, is a large shop sign with “SALVATORE” in gold, plastered on a deep-brown, wooden wall.
Smith said the production company Stalwart Productions LLC looked at the location for filming several times before finalizing its decision to film there.
“They loved the roof top,” said Smith. “It has a lot of different views up there and looks like a New York City roof top.”
He said on the fist day of filming there was “a lot of activity up there,” and the cast and crew were at it from the early morning or May 1, until about 2 a.m. on May 2.
“They built a whole scaffolding outside to get up and down on the roof,” said Smith.
When MassLive arrived on the scene after filming Thursday, things were in the process of transitioning back to the Worcester locals know.
Smith, who is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, said he knew what to expect of the transformation, having been in movies himself, and may even make an appearance on the series with a speaking role later in the season.
Exterior filming on Norwich Street is set to happen sometime early next week, according to Smith.
Local businesses found letters taped to their doors Monday stating Stalwart Productions, LLC would be filming a TV series in the area of Norwich, Foster, Mechanic, Commercial and Waldo streets between May 2 and May 6, although filming happened May 1.
What to expect downtown
The production crew will be set up throughout the weekend and parking has been restricted in the area, as coordinated with the Worcester Police Department.
Preparation for the film began on Thursday, April 25, and signs of the television production’s presence was reflected in the closures and parking bans on various streets in the city — with an estimated “wrap,” date on Tuesday, May 7.
Parking bans are posted until Tuesday, May 7 on Norwich Street between Foster and Mechanic streets, as well as on Commercial Street on the even side between 142 Commercial St. and Mechanic Street.
Parking bans for filming are also in effect until Monday, May 6, on both sides of Mechanic Street between Main and Commercial streets, as well as both sides of Commercial Street between 142 Commercial St. and Mechanic Street.
On May 6, parts of Norwich Street, Mechanic Street, Foster Street and Commercial Street will be closed from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The notice posted by Stalwart Productions, LLC reads: “Our cast and crew are excited to film in Worcester, and it is only through the continued support of neighborhood businesses like yours that the Massachusetts film industry can continue to grow and thrive ...
“Thank you in advance for allowing us to film in your community.”
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