Friends is synonymous with a few major locations: Central Perk, the coffeehouse where the same seats are always free, Chandler and Joey's apartment, and of course, the purple apartment where Monica lives (and which is hilariously unrealistic for anyone who has actually lived in New York!). However, the show does cover a few other sets, too.
There aren't too many sets that make a regular appearance, of course, because the show was filmed live, and that means limiting the number of sets. However, various spots from the Friends' workplaces to their other apartments, there are plenty of places that meant a lot to the show. Whether it's because of the scenes that take place there, or their importance to the characters, these are some of the biggest (and most iconic) in the series.
Monica & Chandler's House
Fans don't get to see a whole lot of Monica and Chandler's new house in the suburbs, but it's still a hugely important location for the show. For one thing, it shows how the characters are growing up and moving on. Chandler and Monica's decision to have kids and move to somewhere with a backyard (and away from the building where they live next to their friends) is a huge one. It's also one that leads to some great scenes, including Joey's 'ghost' encounter, and of course, Janice's final appearance on the show!
Moondance Diner
Of all the places that Monica works in the series, the Moondance Diner is definitely the one that has the biggest impact - because it's not just a place of work, it's where some truly huge moments happen for the gang. This cheesy 50s diner is where Monica meets Pete, the billionaire that she almost ends up with (until he chooses ultimate fighting over their relationship). It's also where Rachel meets Mark, a man who sets her on her career path in fashion. And of course, it's the setting for some hilarious costume-related scenes, too.
Ross's First Apartment
Ross has a few different apartments over the course of the show, as fans get to see the place he originally lived with Carol, and he eventually moves into 'Ugly Naked Guy's apartment across the street from Monica and Rachel. But in between the two, he lives in a little apartment with his monkey, Marcel. This is the least important of the main homes of the characters, but it still deserves a mention (in part for being one of the more realistic living situations in the show!).
Bloomingdale's Office
Rachel's job at Bloomingdales is the one that elevates her from personal shopping to her path as a fashion buyer - but there's a lot going on at this office beyond her own career moves.
It's during her time at Bloomingdales that Ross's jealousy gets out of control, and she has to deal with a desk covered in flowers, cards, and more. It's here that she sets up her boss, Joanna, with Chandler, and where he ends up handcuffed to a filing cabinet. It is far from the most important space in the show, but it still has a pretty big impact.
Monica & Ross's Childhood Home
Fans love the flashback episodes of Friends (for obvious reasons), and a majority of these take place in Ross and Monica's childhood home, which makes it a location of significant importance to the series. This is the spot where Monica overheard Chandler's insults, and decided to lose weight... and where Chandler lost some weight of his own, in the form of his toe, chopped off by Monica (accidentally) the next year. This is where the prom video was filmed, when Rachel realizes how Ross has always been there for her, and this is where we see how far back these friendships and connections go.
Phoebe's Apartment
Now we're moving up to the really important locations, and where the Friends live for most of the series. Phoebe's apartment, fantastic as it is, still comes in as the least important of the main homes, though. This is largely because it is the furthest away (it lifts right out), so it's not somewhere that the gang always hangs out. However, over the course of the show Phoebe lives there on her own, with her grandmother, with Rachel, and with Mike, and fans get to see how it changes - and how she and Rachel manage to handle living together, too!
Ross's Apartment
Ross's apartment starts out on the show as the place where 'Ugly Naked Guy' lives (a gag that hasn't aged well, admittedly), and it's only when they discover that this man is moving that Ross does everything he can to get the least (and we do mean everything).
His living here makes for some interesting situations, especially as anyone in Monica's apartment can see into it (and vice versa). This leads to more than one person finding out about Monica and Chandler, as well as a range of other hilarious scenes. And of course, a lot of time is spent here, especially after Rachel moves in.
Central Perk
Central Perk may be one of the most iconic coffee shops in television, but it's not the most important location on the show (although only just). Exactly 97 steps away from the main apartment building (according to Joey), this is where the gang hang out on a daily basis. Rachel and Joey both work here, Phoebe performs here, and they always find time to catch up for coffee here. It's so iconic that it's even inspired merch and popups, so fans can have their own Central Perk moments.
Chandler & Joey's Apartment
The second most important apartment on the series is Joey and Chandler's - right across the hall from Monica and Rachel's. Almost everyone lives here at some point, as Rachel moves in when Chandler moves out, Phoebe stays here briefly after the fire in her own apartment, Monica and Rachel live here after losing a bet, and Ross moves in when he is looking for a new apartment. It's the site of some of the best moments on the show, the home of the chick and the duck, and introduces fans to multiple new characters, including Janine and Eddy (two of the worst roommates on the show).
Monica's Apartment
Could there be a more important location in Friends? Monica's apartment is where the entire gang hangs out on a daily basis, and it's clearly where most of the biggest moments happen. Like Chandler and Joey's apartment, everyone lives here at some point (even if Ross's time there is before the show began), but it's more than that. Monica is 'the hostess', and so the friends are always here, having dinner, playing poker, for holiday celebrations, to watch old home movies, to throw parties... whatever happens in Friends, there's a good chance it happens here. And of course, this is why the final scene of the series happens here, as the gang leave the empty apartment for the last time.