The Banks family home in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is located in Bel-Air, a wealthy neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood supplies the show’s title and represents the affluent world into which Will is suddenly introduced.
Bel-Air is part of the Los Angeles area known as the Westside. It is associated with large homes, private streets, and residents with substantial wealth. In the sitcom, those surroundings contrast with Will’s memories of West Philadelphia and create many of the show’s class-based jokes and story conflicts.
The series was filmed primarily on soundstages and locations rather than inside the fictional Banks residence. The exterior house seen in the opening sequence is in the Los Angeles area, but the show’s story identifies the family’s neighborhood as Bel-Air. Bel-Air is distinct from Beverly Hills, another famous affluent Los Angeles community.