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The movie 8 Mile hit theaters in fall 2002. Ever since, people from all over the world can identify the name of at least one Detroit street.
The semi-autobiographical hip hop biopic tells the story of a young white rapper named Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem) who is trying to make it in Detroit in 1995. The end credits claim the movie was "Filmed on location in the 313", but how much of that Detroit is left today? Curbed watched, consulted this guide, and came up with this map.
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The former A&L Mobile Home Park was transformed into "8 Mile Mobile Court" for the film. Rabbit moves back in with his mom here after a break up with a girlfriend.
Rabbit has car trouble so he walks to the bus stop to get to work at this location on 8 Mile Road, which is actually in Warren. Interestingly, there’s still a bus stop there.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078981/Screen_Shot_2020_01_10_at_9.43.32_AM.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (3)")
Rabbit works at New Detroit Stamping, which was filmed at a real stamping plant called New Center Stamping, which is still around at the same location.
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The plant where Eminem worked at in the movie 8 Mile
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The Shelter is the venue where Rabbit goes to fight (or choke and mess up) rap battles. It’s a real venue located in the basem*nt of St. Andrews Hall. But filming took place inside a factory in the Rivertown Warehouse District, and the venue’s exterior was a spruced-up building that now houses Downtown Louie’s Lounge.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70711504/Eye_of_the_Tigers.7.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (4)")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61453061/shutterstock_1634077957.7.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (5)")
Rabbit and his crew, Three One Third (like the area code 313, get it?) shoot a cow with a paint ball gun that sits atop the former Ira Wilson & Sons Dairy building on the east side.
The Three One Third group burns a house down where a girl was raped to protect others from harm. In one of the film's more political moments, they discuss how the city won't do anything about vacancy.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078982/Screen_Shot_2020_01_10_at_10.09.57_AM.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (6)")
This is where Rabbit's girl, Alex, waits tables. In the film the restaurant is called Intermezzo and we only see the outside when he picks her up from work.
The former Polynesian restaurant and club had been abandoned for many years when it was revived for several scenes in 8 Mile. In 2009 it was demolished by the Ilitch family, owners of Little Caesars Arena, and is now a surface parking lot.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078983/GettyImages_1598313.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (7)")
In the movie, Cheddar Bob pulls out a gun during a brawl but ends up shooting himself in the leg. Later, he’s seen laying low in a house on the east side, which is today an empty lot.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078984/Screen_Shot_2020_01_10_at_10.27.37_AM.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (8)")
The Penobscot Building, an Art Deco masterpiece designed by Wirt C. Rowland and others, is the location of the ‘WJLB’ radio station where Rabbit nearly gets a career break.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078985/penobscot_entrance.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (9)")
Detroit's most famous theater turned parking lot is the scene for a rap battle and scuffles between Three One Third and the rival group of rappers caled the Leaders of the Free World.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078986/michigan_theatre.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (10)")
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While not a filming location, in a pivotal rap battle Rabbit drops the lines, "But I know something about you/You went to Cranbrook. That’s a private school.”
It’s a pretty harsh diss.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66078987/GettyImages_144146086.0.jpg "Lose Yourself in this map of ‘8 Mile’ filming locations (12)")
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The former A&L Mobile Home Park was transformed into "8 Mile Mobile Court" for the film. Rabbit moves back in with his mom here after a break up with a girlfriend.
Rabbit has car trouble so he walks to the bus stop to get to work at this location on 8 Mile Road, which is actually in Warren. Interestingly, there’s still a bus stop there.
Rabbit works at New Detroit Stamping, which was filmed at a real stamping plant called New Center Stamping, which is still around at the same location.
View this post on Instagram
The plant where Eminem worked at in the movie 8 Mile
A post shared by Ken Litvin (@chemicalsalesguy) on
The Shelter is the venue where Rabbit goes to fight (or choke and mess up) rap battles. It’s a real venue located in the basem*nt of St. Andrews Hall. But filming took place inside a factory in the Rivertown Warehouse District, and the venue’s exterior was a spruced-up building that now houses Downtown Louie’s Lounge.
Rabbit and his crew, Three One Third (like the area code 313, get it?) shoot a cow with a paint ball gun that sits atop the former Ira Wilson & Sons Dairy building on the east side.
The Three One Third group burns a house down where a girl was raped to protect others from harm. In one of the film's more political moments, they discuss how the city won't do anything about vacancy.
This is where Rabbit's girl, Alex, waits tables. In the film the restaurant is called Intermezzo and we only see the outside when he picks her up from work.
The former Polynesian restaurant and club had been abandoned for many years when it was revived for several scenes in 8 Mile. In 2009 it was demolished by the Ilitch family, owners of Little Caesars Arena, and is now a surface parking lot.
In the movie, Cheddar Bob pulls out a gun during a brawl but ends up shooting himself in the leg. Later, he’s seen laying low in a house on the east side, which is today an empty lot.
The Penobscot Building, an Art Deco masterpiece designed by Wirt C. Rowland and others, is the location of the ‘WJLB’ radio station where Rabbit nearly gets a career break.
Detroit's most famous theater turned parking lot is the scene for a rap battle and scuffles between Three One Third and the rival group of rappers caled the Leaders of the Free World.
While not a filming location, in a pivotal rap battle Rabbit drops the lines, "But I know something about you/You went to Cranbrook. That’s a private school.”
It’s a pretty harsh diss.
