Being in L.A. is like living on a huge movie set. The white trucks are everywhere. Because I work downtown, I’m accustomed to seeing it standing in for – yes – New York. All the time. Here are some recent shots.
Here’s a load of New York taxicabs to be used in dressing Spring Street as New York.
And here’s another New York taxi outside the Last Book Store on 5th Street.
And a New York City bus! Note the ad for the “NYC Museum of Art.”
Is that a subway entrance on 4th Street?
Here’s a better angle.
Sure enough, it’s an entrance to the New York subway. In downtown Los Angeles!
ladailymirror.com 
God, that NYC bus is so inaccurate. If you’re going to spend so much money on planting a subway entrance (although the red globe is WAY too shiny and bright) and bringing in accurate yellow cabs, how can you let such a big mistake slide? – Disgruntled Manhattanite Longing for LA Warmth
LikeLike
I couldn’t get this in the picture, but the fake subway entrance is made of wood and they just set it down on the sidewalk. It’s beat-up around the bottom so I imagine it’s gotten a lot of use. I compared the bus to online photos and yeah, it’s not accurate.
LikeLike
With the bus, likely it’s a licensing issue. The city of New York is notorious for protecting their copyrights on city property and logos, such as FDNY and NYPD. It costs a fortune to license the FDNY logo for instance. You can’t even use the letters F-D-N-Y in that order commercially without licensing it from the city. That’s why you see a lot of NYFD or NYCFD on tv and movies instead of FDNY.
LikeLike
Interesting… thanks for reading — and sharing!
LikeLike
New Yorkers have tried to turn L.A. into NY for decades. We locals tell them to stop whining and go back to NY. Unless they’re very good looking.
LikeLike
This is my favourite NY in LA scene, from the movie adaptation of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. http://postimg.org/image/6w86i1ek1/
LikeLike
Oh I know where that is!
LikeLike
The funny thing is that they created a sign for a nonexistent subway station, why not put up a sign for a real one?
LikeLike
Probably the only city which is filmed more than LA, per population, is Pasadena. Everyday there’s at least one location here with the “white trucks.” So, Pasadena isn’t known just for its “white suiters!”
LikeLike
Pingback: Today’s Headlines | Streetsblog Los Angeles
They could turn them into Shamrocks and pretend it’s St. Patrick’s Day.
LikeLike
Pingback: Spring Street Green Buffered Bike Lane Will Not Ruin Every Film Made in the Future | Streetsblog Los Angeles
A couple of years back, I was walking near the intersection of 6th & Grand, and spotted a couple of those faux NYC cabs… and then looked across the street to see Larry David – shoulders hunched up near his ears, as usual – shooting a street scene for an episode of his HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm.
LikeLike