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Quiet On The Set: Forest Hills Plays Host To Hollywood

A German police car in Station Square during the filming of “Quantico” last week.

Nov. 8, 2016 By Domenick Rafter

Forest Hills is coming to a television near you.

Several television shows have been using the picturesque Central Queens autumn scenery as a backdrop for filming in the past week.

Over the weekend, The ABC hit series Quantico, about FBI trainees who become embroiled n a wide-reaching conspiracy, came to Forest Hills to shoot several scenes in and around Station Square.

A source close to the production said that despite the fact that much of the show takes place in and around New York City, Station Square was meant as a stand in for a small town in Germany where the scene takes place. A car with the word “Polizei,” the German word for police, was seen on the set, as were several cars with German license plates. A road sign with directions to German cities such as Munich and Nuremburg and Salzburg, Austria was also used on set.

Quantico stars Priyanka Chopra and Blair Underwood were seen filming scenes in Staten Square Friday afternoon.
Though some complained about the street closures and parking limitations caused by the filming, most residents took the action in stride, some coming out to take a peak and catch photos of the action Friday afternoon and evening.

“I think it’s exciting,” said Forest Hills resident Diane Bermer. “It’s great to see this type of thing happening here.
“I can’t wait to see it on TV,” another resident, Danielle Curtis, said.

Station Square has become a popular location for television show filming, with other programs including Madam Secretary and The Americans having shot scenes there.

Meanwhile the Netflix hit show Orange Is The New Black took to Kew Gardens on Friday and Monday, filming “interior” scenes near Borough Hall. A source with the production said the scenes were actually filmed in the Queens Criminal Court building next to Borough Hall.

A third show, ABC’s Caine also filmed in Forest Hills this weekend, mainly along Austin Street between 71st and Ascan avenues and in Forest Hills Gardens. Caine is expected to be a midseason replacement on ABC and premiere sometime in the Spring.