In Netflix's 'Uncoupled,' NYC real estate is at the heart of every break up
Neil Patrick Harris stars as Michael Lawson, a 40-something New York City real estate agent dealing with a sudden breakup.
In Netflix’s ”Uncoupled,” a romantic comedy set in New York City, real estate is always at stake when romance goes south unexpectedly—like a surprise breakup or late-in-life divorce. And for the most part, the show gets a lot of the real estate right—at least for wealthy Manhattanites.
It follows Neil Patrick Harris as Michael Lawson, a 40-something luxury real estate agent, who is navigating a demanding real estate career—and a sudden break up after his longtime partner Colin (played by Tuc Watkins), a hedge fund manager, abruptly moves out on the eve of his 50th birthday.
[Editor's note: When a movie or TV show is set in New York City—and if the people making it are savvy—real estate becomes part of the story itself. In Reel Estate, Brick Underground reality checks the NYC real estate depicted on screen.]
Throughout the show’s eight episodes, Michael copes with being on the dating scene for the first time in 17 years and the stress of the NYC real estate market with the help of his friends and his business partner Suzanne (played by Tisha Campbell), a sassy single mom of an adult son.
Michael and Colin’s luxury co-op
The show starts off in Michael and Colin’s stylish co-op at 44 Gramercy Park North. It’s a real NYC co-op building, where a one bedroom is currently in contract for $1.35 million, and the show appears to use the exterior for shots. Their apartment looks similar to actual units of the real-life building.
It’s a believable living situation, and later you learn how they were able to afford to buy it before they became big earners: It was a deal bought off market in an estate sale, and it wasn’t in the best condition. They had to scrape together savings for the down payment.
Seventeen years later, the apartment is renovated and features oversized casement windows, high ceilings, and of course, a private terrace. It’s exactly what you’d expect from an apartment overlooking Gramercy Park.
Colin’s new condo on the Highline
One of the biggest kickers in the show is how Michael finds out where Colin moves to after the break up. Suzanne was walking along the High Line and looked into a condo’s giant windows (yes, those apartments at Lantern House). “You really must be an exhibitionist to live in one of these!” she says. But who did she see when she looked in? Colin! Unpacking with the help of who? Tyler Hawkins (played by Nic Rouleau), “a smug entitled millennial” who is their colleague and arch nemesis.
Her flashback is the only time you see the inside of Colin’s condo, and from her vantage point, the huge windows and white walls ring true to most new luxury condo developments.
Of course this leads Michael to believe Colin left him for Tyler. But later Tyler explains he found the apartment for Colin and helped him move in (a level of service he gives all of his clients) but is not having an affair with him because “he’s old.” And while 50 is not old at all, it reflects how many millennials might feel about dating someone 20-plus years their senior.
Claire’s swanky apartment
Another one of Michael’s challenges is dealing with his needy client Claire Lewis (played by Marcia Gay Harden), a wealthy Upper East Side-type who is going through a divorce and needs to offload her apartment. She explains her soon-to-be ex-husband is in a rush to sell because “it’s a dicey market.” Michael says that he “knows the building” and anything with a private terrace is desirable.
Claire’s apartment is in a doorman building with a modest lobby that looks like any one of the hotel-like high rises in Midtown and doesn’t reveal how nice the actual apartment is. The apartment is what you’d expect from a tony type like Claire, with direct elevator access, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a modern staircase with glass railing.
“Who could want more space?” she exclaims at one point about her ex. “There’s 5,000 square feet in this apartment,” she says. And they have a house in Amagansett (of course).
It takes Michael some work to land the listing, which he does after slashing his commission. How he handles her rings true if you’ve ever dealt with New Yorkers with any sort of privilege. At one point, Michael has to calm her down during a late-night tipsy tirade where she destroys her ex’s office (this results in having to delay the broker’s open house). Later on they receive an offer below asking, which Claire scoffs at.
Eventually Claire accepts the offer on the apartment—after several cocktails at a party with “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson playing in the background. “I’ll sign the things and do the stuff,” she exclaims. While a few cocktails can make any big decision easier, it’s hard to believe that’s all it took for her to settle for below asking.
Claire’s sale gets stalled because the buyers need more time to “finesse the co-op board” because it’s “one of those trickier buildings.” Totally believable.
Only in NYC real estate moments
The show is filled with other realistic real estate experiences—at least for the rich.
At one point, Michael and Suzanne go to a broker's open house at Verge New York, a fictional new condo tower where apartments are $4,000 a square foot. The common areas give off more of an office building vibe than a residential building, but have the stellar views you would expect from a luxury tower. On the terrace, Michael shares his plan to go to couples therapy with Colin—and Suzanne reveals her plan to get one of their clients to sell their Fifth Avenue apartment and “move downtown” to the building. The scene was shot at 1155 Sixth Avenue but that might be downtown to Upper East Siders, right?
Another true to life touch: Michael’s noisy neighbor who complains about Colin’s magazines piling up in the mailroom. New Yorkers deal with this type of behavior often, especially in rule-crazed co-op buildings. Maybe she’s aiming to be the next board president?
During an apartment showing on Chrystie Street, Michael uses the building’s upgraded windows as a major selling point. They were paid for with an assessment, which the new buyers are not responsible for. And the apartment—with its white walls and marble countertops—looks like what you might expect from a Soho building that was likely converted to condos.
Suzanne also lands an Italian furniture importer as a new client who wants a pied-à-terre in the $2 million range. We never get to see the pied-à-terre, but $2 million seems right for a second home for a wealthy, single man. But we do get to see an awkward encounter between Michael and the client, who turns out to be bisexual and invites Michael to his hotel.
Along the way, Michael also deals with other romantic prospects like a plastic surgeon who offers Botox where the sun doesn’t shine and a third-grade teacher who moves way too fast. Neither works out.
Selling the neighbor’s apartment
Michael’s next big listing is from his older neighbor Jack (played by André De Shields), who is moving to Miami, a common trend for upper-class New Yorkers these days. Jack wants him to list it if he can $2 million to $2.2 million, which seems right according to the building’s real-life listings. “You can see right over the trees on my floor. All New York,” Jack says. And sure, hiring a broker who also lives in your building makes sense.
Michael and Suzanne produce one of those over-the-top apartment tour videos for Jack’s apartment like you see on “Million Dollar Listing.” It has drone shots of the terraces and sweeping views of the interior. Tyler notes the “great camera work” but says they’ll never get that price because the building doesn’t have a doorman.
Meanwhile, the duo struggles to find a new apartment for hard-to-please Claire, so they decide to show her Jack’s place after she sees their video on the website. Surprisingly, she loves it because of its natural light and high ceilings. But when she learns it only has two bedrooms, she isn’t pleased. “I need at least three bedrooms,” she says.
Claire ends up buying the penthouse in the same building—despite it not being on the market. “I told you, Michael, everything’s for sale,” she says before requesting celebratory champagne. While money certainly does speak in NYC, it’s hard to believe she was able to convince the owners—and the co-op board—so quickly. By the season finale, she’s already meeting with an architect to renovate.
An open ending
At the top of the finale, Suzanne presents their commission check to Michael, who says he’s going to use his portion as a down payment to buy out Colin’s half of the apartment.
The drama comes to a head when Michael and Colin run into each other at a wedding. When Michael asks Colin about buying him out of their apartment, he’s hesitant. Then during an impromptu dance together to "At Last" by Etta James, Colin agrees to let Michael buy him out.
After the reception, Michael walks into his apartment and finds Colin, who says, “I think I made a mistake,” paving the way for a potential second season of relationship quarrels and real estate triumphs.
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