The question where is The Summer I Turned Pretty based has two answers: the story’s setting and the show’s production base. The Sarah Dessen novel series is set in the fictional coastal town of Cousins, California, a stand-in for a recognizable SoCal beach community, while the Apple TV+ series is filmed in British Columbia, Canada, primarily around Vancouver and Steveston. This guide explains both the narrative geography and the real-world production locations, with verified filming timelines and practical context for viewers and travelers.
Narrative Setting: Cousins, California
In the books, the story unfolds in Cousins, a fictional seaside town in California where protagonist Belly Conklin spends her summers. The setting is deliberately evocative of classic Southern California beach towns, with a laidback vibe, oceanfront boardwalks, and a close-knit community. Although Cousins isn’t real, it is rooted in recognizable details: the boardwalk, the pier, nearby coastal routes, and the rhythms of a tourist season that defines local life. These elements are designed to feel specific and lived-in, drawing on Sarah Dessen’s use of familiar coastal imagery rather than a precise, mapped location. The tone and time of year—long, lazy summers framed by the noisy bustle of beach crowds and the quieter off-season—are central to the story’s emotional backdrop.
How the Books Use Setting
Dessen uses the setting to explore themes of change, nostalgia, and repetition. The summer months act as a liminal space for growth and revisiting old dynamics, with the town’s loops mirroring the characters’ cycles of friendship and desire. Descriptions highlight contrasts: sun-drenched beaches versus dim, air-conditioned homes; crowded boardwalks versus private backyards; and the push and pull of tourist dollars against small-town stability. These contrasts deepen the emotional stakes and make the setting feel like an active force in the story, rather than a passive backdrop. The fictional town name itself serves narrative convenience, giving the author freedom to blend recognizable details without being tied to one real place.
On-Screen Adaptation: Apple TV+ Production Locations
The Apple TV+ series relocates production to coastal British Columbia, Canada, while preserving the Southern California spirit of the books. Primary filming occurs in and around Greater Vancouver, with Steveston—a historic fishing village in Richmond—standing in for the show’s central beach and boardwalk scenes. Other coastal towns in the Lower Mainland, including parts of Metro Vancouver and regional districts, provide streets, parks, and harbor vistas that resemble a Californian seaside town. The production design team layers in visual cues—palm trees, beach signage, and Mediterranean-style architecture—to approximate the books’ setting within the constraints of Canadian locations and regulations.
Verified Filming Timeline and Sites
Principal photography for The Summer I Turned Pretty aligns with standard Vancouver-area production schedules, utilizing waterfront districts during late spring through early fall. Steveston Village, Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach area, and nearby streetscapes regularly double for California coastal scenes, supported by tax incentives and predictable weather windows. Below is a concise overview of how setting, budget, and logistics intersect in the show’s real-world locations.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Filming Province | British Columbia, Canada | Production registry and studio announcements |
| Key On-Location Area | Steveston, Richmond, BC | Location permits and industry location guides |
| Typical Filming Period | Late spring to early fall (May–September) | Production calendars and reports |
| Fictional Setting | Cousins, California | Author notes and series synopsis |
| Production Design Approach | Coastal British Columbia styled to resemble Southern California | Production design interviews and set photography |
Visual and Tonal Choices in the Series
Showrunner Maya Ersin and production designer lean on bright color palettes, wide ocean vistas, and sunlit streets to echo Dessen’s prose tone. Cinematography emphasizes open horizons, long takes along the boardwalk, and intimate backyard gatherings that mirror the rhythms of the books. Costuming balances beachy casual with moments of polish, while music cues and editing rhythms accent the nostalgia and summer haze. These choices anchor the adaptation in a recognizable Southern California mood without requiring every location to match a real city, allowing the emotional arcs to take priority.
Why the Real Locations Remain Distinct from the Story
Because the series films in Canada, there are clear geographic divergences from the books, though the visual language preserves the intended feeling. British Columbia’s coastline has its own light, vegetation, and harbor character, and local businesses and residents feature in background scenes. The production works within municipal guidelines, seasonal tourism patterns, and labor regulations, which shape shooting windows and staging. For viewers, these substitutions are largely transparent, thanks to production design that leans on palm trees, beachfront architecture, and Golden Hour lighting to simulate a Californian summer.
Practical Takeaways for Viewers and Travelers
Fans visiting the Vancouver area can explore Steveston’s waterfront, nearby parks, and harbor vistas that echo the show’s coastal scenes, even if they aren’t exact matches. Steveston’s Main Street and the recreated boardwalk sections offer a tangible connection to the series, and local visitor centers often highlight production history without disrupting neighborhood life. Understanding that Cousins is fictional prevents confusion, while recognizing how the production uses real places to evoke a beloved setting enriches both the literary and viewing experience.
Relationship to the Source Material
The show remains a loose adaptation of Dessen’s novels, prioritizing tone and character arcs over strict adherence to geography. Where the books anchor events in Cousins, the show anchors them in a stylized version of a West Coast summer, using British Columbia’s landscapes and infrastructure to stand in for California. This relationship preserves the central themes of memory, return, and growing up, while embracing the practical realities of television production across an international border.
Status of Production and Future Seasons
As of the most recent public information, The Summer I Turned Pretty has completed its initial limited series run, with production tied to the conclusion of the source material’s arcs. No active development on new seasons is underway, and existing production assets remain tied to the completed story. This stability means the locations and production choices discussed here reflect the definitive on-screen version of the show, without anticipated changes or expansions.
In short, The Summer I Turned Pretty is set narratively in a fictional California coastal town while being produced in British Columbia, Canada. The show leans on Steveston and surrounding areas to create a convincing, nostalgic seaside atmosphere that honors the spirit of the books, making the relationship between story setting and real-world filming locations an interesting, practical detail for dedicated viewers.