A Guide To “Mayor of Kingstown” Filming Locations

Allegheny Cemetery is the backdrop for the season three opener “Soldier’s Heart,” as Mike waxes poetic about family memories and visits the grave of his brother Mitch McLusky (Kyle Chandler) before attending a snowy and gloomy funeral — we won’t spoil whose. The historic cemetery is located in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood and is the sixth oldest rural cemetery in the country, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. After walking through the cemetery and working up an appetite, stop by neighborhood restaurant Morcilla to snack on their Spanish-style fare.

In “Never Missed a Pigeon” (season two, episode one), Mike visits Mario’s Cell Phone Repair, a shop run by Deverin “Bunny” Washington (Tobi Bamtefa), the leader of the local sect of the Crips gang in Kingstown. This new addition to the series is also a cover for Bunny, helping him hide from his enemies. The scenes at Mario’s Cell Phone Repair were filmed in Braddock, a suburb just east of Pittsburgh. Later, in “Drones” (season two, episode seven), Mike stops an altercation between a group of skinheads and Bunny’s crew outside an ivy-covered building at 728 Braddock Avenue, just steps from Mario’s Cell Phone Repair.

After Mike makes his way to the back of Mario’s Cell Phone Repair, he’s informed that Bunny is meeting people at his lookout on the roof of the building. The rooftop terrace used in the show, however, is actually located in a different city: on top of an old warehouse at 1000 McKee Street in McKees Rocks, a suburb west of Pittsburgh. In the show, the rooftop provides a safe haven for Bunny, who was previously concerned about getting killed in a drive-by shooting. If you visit Bunny’s lookout yourself, you’ll see it is, in fact, in a strategic position, overlooking the buildings of McKees Rocks along with the McKees Rocks Bridge, a steel-trussed arch bridge that makes an appearance in “Rag Doll” (season three, episode four) alongside the Stowe Tunnel when the police conduct checks. For Pittsburgh natives, the bridge and tunnel have stunning views of the city while connecting McKees Rocks to West Park.

Situated on the banks of the Monongahela River, the Rivers of Steel: Carrie Blast Furnaces Historic Landmark was once home to the U.S. Steel Homestead Steel Works and today serves as a monument to Pittsburgh’s role in the steel industry during the 20th century. The landmark is located in Swissvale, just east of downtown Pittsburgh, and was the setting of the pro tempore “tent city” prison in season two after the county prison riots. While the furnaces should absolutely be a stop on your Tour de “Mayor of Kingstown,” there’s plenty of history to delve into here that goes beyond set design. Try one of the guided tours of the grounds and exhibitions.

Milo Sunter (Aidan Gillen) serves as the leader of the local Russian mafia and runs much of his business out of a strip club set at the real-life CAVO Nightclub at 1916 Smallman Street in Pittsburgh’s appropriately named Strip District. While Sunter’s henchmen, like Joseph (George Tchortov), conduct their seedy, illegal business using the dancers as a front, Pittsburgh’s CAVO Nightclub offers a more upscale weekend experience with dancing, DJs and special appearances by guests like Kaylor and Liv from “Love Island.” Between the flashing lights and orders of espresso martinis, keep an eye out for go-go dancers.

Nothing quite hits the spot like a plate of eggs and bacon at a diner, which is why we were delighted to find out that Pittsburgh’s famed Don’s Diner served as the regular meeting spot for Mike, Ian and other cops in seasons two and three. Located between the Robert McAfee Bridge and the Eckert Street Bridge, Don’s Diner has been serving hearty diner staples to Pittsburgh locals for over 25 years.

The Kingstown Police Department isn’t set in a police station at all, but rather in a satellite building of the Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in McKees Rocks. Close to the banks of the Ohio River and McKees Rocks Bridge, the building and parking lot are used throughout the second and third seasons of the show. The church is also down the street from St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which was featured in the series. Whether you stop by for communion or not, you’ll want to check out Mancini’s Bread a little over a mile away and grab their signature Italian twist loaf. The bakery has been giving Pittsburgh bread for nearly 100 years.

Located behind Club 22 in Glassport is the iconic parking lot and wooden staircase used throughout the second and third seasons as the exterior of Mike’s office. Kingstown’s favorite cynical “mayor” can be seen haphazardly whipping his car into the parking lot and shuffling up the stairs to meet with clients and his assistant, Rebecca (Nichole Galicia), before retreating into a glass of alcohol. Though the official address is on Monongahela Avenue, the easiest way to see the location is via Oak Way.

In “Drones” (season two, episode seven), Mike, Ian and Kyle McLusky (Taylor Handley) meet up for drinks and to discuss cases at O’Brien’s Bar. In fact, if you look closely at the scene, you can see O’Brien’s memorabilia tacked to the bar. Just across the street at 3235 Brighton Road, Mike buys whiskey at the now-shuttered Schwartz Super Market Store.

In “Five at Five” (season two, episode three), Mike speaks with his will-they-won’t-they secret crush and Kingstown District Attorney Evelyn Foley (Necar Zadegan) on the phone while she walks through the lobby of the Pittsburgh City-County Building. While it may not seem as interesting as historic furnaces or buzzy nightclubs, the downtown Pittsburgh building is a historic piece of 20th-century architecture built in the Beaux Arts style between 1915 and 1917, and the 47-foot high lobby is a stunning sight to behold. Oh yeah, it was also featured in the 1993 action thriller “Striking Distance” with Bruce Willis, Dennis Farina and Sarah Jessica Parker.