The Girl on the Train: Let’s look at the upstate New York locations for the film

A lot of you shared my fury when we learned that The Girl on the Train was being transported to the USA. Author Paula Hawkins supposedly didn’t share our feelings—she told the London Times "I'm not really concerned about the repositioning as I think it is the type of story that could take place in any commuter town” That’s true, of course—jealousy, lust, alcoholism, murder most foul are universal—but it was the general Britishy vibe we bemoaned the loss of. Especially as we were swapping the author’s London journey on the tube to what I assumed was going to be the Long Island Railroad. Nothing wrong with that railroad—I have a friend who has a summer place out on the island near Cold Springs Harbor and it’s a lovely trip—but in my particular case, I was looking forward to going somewhere I haven’t been quite so often, both in real life and on film. 

In a brief bit of good news it looks like instead of a train side community in Long Island, the film will take us to upstate New York instead. They’ve been filming in Irvington, New York—yes, named after Washington Irving—and some other towns in what’s known as the Rivertown area. The Hudson Independent reports that filming sites include “the Ardsley on Hudson train station (a favorite for film and ad makers over the years), the tunnel on Station Road, Village Hall (which will be transformed cinematographically into a police station), the library, and the woods behind the reservoir (where exciting and terrible things will happen).” 

Suddenly I’m a tiny bit excited again!  Let’s take a look, shall we? 

 Ardsley-on-Hudson train station

Tunnel on Station Road 

Village Hall (police station)

Library

Irvington Reservoir 

The Irvington Woods

Okay. Now I’m excited. The town of Irvington has a rich and somewhat ancient heritage by American standards. The area has maintained many of its’ old riverside town buildings—like the factory that is now the public library—preserving an architectural heritage that is difficult to find. The fairly upscale area may not mirror the more grounded British location, it’s at least a place I’d like to visit. As with all towns bordering railroads, there’s an up and downside; there’s no mention in The Hudson Independent’s reporting of where the actual homes backing the train tracks are, the group of homes our Rachel (Emily Blunt) passes on that train everyday. That location has to be just a touch downmarket and will be critical to the success of the relocation. 

One thing I do know, it’s a beautiful part of the American  landscape, one I’d like to revisit. Interested? Check out Rivertowns.org and The Irvington Woods 

The Girl on the Train, based on Paula Hawkin’s best seller stars Emily Blunt (Rachel) Rebecca Ferguson (Anna) Haley Bennett (Megan) Jared Leto (Scott) and Justin Theroux as Rachel’s ex-husband, Tom. The release date has been set for October 7, 2016.

I’ve written several posts about the book and the movie, currently in the works. Use the search feature or check out my take on the book for more info. So, where are you at? Can you live with the new locale or are you firmly in the true Brit group, insisting it can only be a great adaptation of The Girl on the Train if the station remains in England?