Top 10 Places You MUST Visit if You're a Sex and the City Fan

  Despite the name of the business never actually being mentioned on the show, there is perhaps no “Sex and the City” location that has blown up as much as this Bleecker Street bakery. In a season three episode of the show, Carrie and Miranda sit outside of Magnolia Bakery eating cupcakes and talking about Carrie’s new love interest, Aidan. The short TV spot helped spur the global cupcake trend and made Magnolia so popular that they constantly had lines around the block - and actually had to hire a bouncer to keep customers in check.  

  When Carrie releases her first book in the fifth season of the show, her publishers throw her a fabulous launch party which ends up being a big disappointment. She’s starving afterwards, and rather than eat somewhere hip and trendy, she ends up at Gray's Papaya with her driver. This classic New York hot dog joint is a great place to stop for some cheap eats while you’re in the city. The flagship location is at 2090 Broadway corner of 72nd Street, so make sure to stop in if you’re on the Upper West Side.  

  We knew our favorite cynic was never going to have a big white wedding, so when she proposed to Steve and started planning her non-traditional nuptials, fans were curious what the end result would look like. After a chance encounter, Miranda ultimately chose the unassuming Jefferson Market Garden as the perfect place to say her I dos. Their wedding there suited their low-key relationship perfectly and we couldn’t have imagined it any other way. This community garden is located in Greenwich Village and is open to the public every day except Mondays.   


#7: New York City Hall

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  Speaking of weddings, how about stopping by the place where Carrie and Big eventually tied the knot at the end of the first movie? No, we’re not talking about the main branch of the New York Public Library (xref), which was the site of their failed wedding. We mean New York City Hall, where the couple held a simple civil ceremony before going out for breakfast with all their friends. The majestic and historic building is located downtown and while it’s not open to the public, there are free tours offered daily. 


If you want to visit the scene of one of “Sex and the City”’s saddest moments, this one’s for you. The gang attends a black and white ball and Carrie wears a bridal style gown with her fiancé Aidan as her date. At the end of the night, however, the two realize that it’s never going to work out during a conversation that takes place at the Columbus Circle Fountain. This fountain is located at one of New York’s busiest intersections, at the south west corner of Central Park. Before taking a walk through the park, you can recreate this dramatic scene with your bestie.   


#5: The Loeb Boathouse

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  After checking out Columbus Circle, head into Central Park and make your way towards the lake to see this next “Sex and the City” filming location. In the finale of Season 3, Carrie agrees to meet up with Big for the first time since he has ended his marriage to Natasha. Beforehand, Miranda makes a point to tell Carrie that she can under no circumstances let Big kiss her. In her nervousness, she dodges his greeting and falls into the water, dragging him in with her. This makes the scene a memorable one, but probably not one you want to reenact.  


   You’re probably wondering why you’d be going to a random Soho resto bar, but that’s probably because the name doesn’t exactly ring a bell. But did you know that Onieal’s actually stands in as Steve and Aidan's bar, Scout, on the show? Rather than building a set for this location, the show creators decided to shoot on location as they often did during production. The real bar is on Grand Street while the fictional Scout is located one block over on Mulberry. Go in, grab a drink, and see if the bartender will play jacks with you.  


#3: The Plaza Hotel

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  In this fan favorite episode, Carrie walks by the Plaza Hotel while Big is holding his engagement party there. The square outside is where she has an encounter with Big and delivers the famous line from “The Way We Were.” While we don’t get any scenes inside the famed hotel, it’s still worth it to walk through the lobby and soak in the history of the place. The Plaza is only a couple of blocks away from Columbus Circle, so it’s easy to combine these two hot spots into one visit. 


  Carrie may have several great loves throughout the series, but none is more undying than the relationship between her and her shoes. Above all, she worships designer Manolo Blahnik and references her on brand footwear many times during the show’s six seasons. While Carrie may shamelessly spend her paychecks on shoes, we definitely don’t expect you to. Even if you can’t afford to actually buy anything, at least let yourself peer through the window of this upscale boutique. Manolo Blahnik is located in midtown at 31 West 54th Street in between 5th and 6th Avenues.    
 Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.   The Paris Theatre 
   Il Cantinori 
   Pete's Tavern 
  

#1: 66 Perry Street

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  When Carrie gives her address on the show, she says it’s 245 East 73rd Street, which is located on the Upper East Side. Anyone who’s visited that area, though, knows that it looks nothing like the street pictured in the show. The real spot where they filmed the exterior of Carrie’s apartment and her famous front steps is actually located at 66 Perry Street in the West Village, which is also more in keeping with the neighborhood Carrie seems to live in. Keep in mind that real people actually do live here, so snapping a quick picture is okay, but hanging around on their steps is a little disrespectful. …