Top Boy is primarily filmed in East London, particularly in the London Borough of Hackney, where the fictional Summerhouse Estate is set. Key filming locations include:

• Samuda Estate, Isle of Dogs : This 1960s housing estate serves as the main filming location for the Summerhouse Estate in the Netflix revival of the series. It provides a stark contrast between the estate's poverty and the nearby City of London skyline

• De Beauvoir Estate, Hackney : This estate near Haggerston in Hackney was used for many scenes in the first two seasons and is believed to have inspired the fictional Summerhouse Estate

• Heygate Estate, Elephant & Castle: Used for exterior shots of the Summerhouse Estate in the original Channel 4 seasons, though it was demolished in 2014

• Other Hackney locations include Dalston, London Fields, and Stratford in Newham, where various scenes were filmed

• Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone and Ark Walworth Academy, Southwark also appear in the series

• The show features real London establishments like Kiki’s Nail Salon in Canning Town and the Number One Café in London Fields, Hackney, which is a popular spot featured frequently in the show

• For season three, some scenes were filmed outside London in Margate, Kent

In summary, while the Summerhouse Estate itself is fictional, the show uses real London estates and locations, mainly in Hackney and the Isle of Dogs, to create an authentic urban backdrop for the story