Monica's apartment
|
|
Monica's apartment was one of the main focal points of the popular television series Friends.
Originally rented by Monica Geller's grandmother (who let Monica live in the rent-controlled apartment illegally), it was a large apartment with purple walls, two bedrooms, one bathroom and a large bay window at the back of the room, which looked out onto the New York streets, and, more importantly, Ugly Naked Guy's apartment. It was located just across the hall from Chandler and Joey's apartment. It was here that the six friends spent most of their free time in the mornings and evenings, whilst Central Perk was closed. One episode, 'The One Where No One's Ready' was set entirely in the apartment.
Many critics of the show questioned how Monica could ever afford the apartment on a chef's salary, although it was explained very early on that Monica's grandmother let her live there.
Monica originally shared her apartment with Phoebe Buffay, who moved out (without telling Monica) before the series actually began, fearing their relationship would be strained when Monica's neatness became a burden. Monica was later joined by her best friend from high school, Rachel Green, in the series' pilot episode, when she fled her wedding and moved to the city. When Monica's relationship with Chandler became serious the two moved in together, and to give them privacy, Rachel moved out.
In season four, Joey and Chandler famously won the apartment from Monica and Rachel in a game devised by Ross. However, Monica and Rachel could not stand living in the boys' apartment and, in exchange for Monica and Rachel kissing for 1 minute, the two pairs swapped back.
In the final scene of the show, the six characters stand in the empty apartment as Monica and Chandler prepare to leave. Monica muses that at one point or another, all six of them have lived in the apartment (Ross claims he hasn't, but Monica points out that he spent a year living there with his Grandmother as he tried to start a career as a dancer. Ross sighs that they had almost gone ten years without mentioning that). Joey, on the other hand, muses "Have these walls always been purple?". It also emerges that all six characters have a key to the apartment.
The final scene of the series ends with a shot of the famous golden picture frame that surrounds the peephole, which has become a symbol of the show.