If “Friends” Was Set in Boise

"Friends" was one of the most iconic sitcoms in television history. To this day, it is one of the most-watched shows on TV, but now it comes to our homes through HBO Max. The show ran for ten seasons and jump-started the careers of six exciting young actors like Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox. The show debuted in 1994, and while the show was primarily about the six friends, New York itself was also an essential character on the show.

Fast-forward 27 years, and no one wants to live in New York City. If this show started today, the six twenty-somethings could easily live in Boise. The City of Trees really could be a great setting for a complete reboot of the series. Imagine some of the iconic places in the show and what Boise locations could take their place.

Monica's Apartment
We know that they would want to live in the heart of the city, so we would put Monica's apartment at The Owyhee downtown. It's trendy enough and walkable to all of the downtown happenings.

The Opening Credit Fountain
It should be pointed out that the famous fountain from the opening credits of Friends isn't real. It was built on a set in Hollywood, and it doesn't look like any real New York City fountain. For the sake of Boise, though, the opening credit, clap-clap-clap shot, has to be done at the fountain at Ann Morrison Park.

The Coffee Shop
The Central Perk was another Hollywood creation. It was based on several popular New York coffee shops of the 1990s. It was close to their apartment, and so, for the Boise version, we've chosen The District Coffee House. It's not hard to imagine sipping coffee and listening to a performance of "Smelly Cat" while sitting on one of their couches.

Rachel's Job
In the actual show, Rachel was a buyer for Sack's Fifth Avenue. That isn't a job available in Boise, but what if she owned a very cool downtown clothing store? We think she'd be all about SHIFT Boutique.

Ross' Job
Ross worked at the New York Museum of Prehistoric History, which in addition to sounding a bit ridiculous, doesn't really exist. If he lived in Boise, we know for sure that he'd be working at the recently renovated Idaho State Museum.