Every day during the four years I lived in the West Village, New York, I would see Sex and the City fans posing for pictures outside of the stunning brownstone that served as the exterior for Carrie Bradshaw’s Upper East Side apartment. Many of these fans would come dressed to the nines in sky-high heels that were really not appropriate footwear for the cobblestones and uneven pavements of Manhattan’s most desirable neighbourhood, and often, the brownstone (located at 66 Perry St) was just one stop on a tour of SATC locations that also included Magnolia Bakery a short stroll away.
The residents of 66 Perry, no doubt sick of sidestepping tourists at their front door every time they left their home for a latte, had made their position clear by putting up a chain across the stoop of the brownstone, so fans had to make do with posing at street level for their happy snaps.
Now, fans of the hit series — which is due to make its return this December on BINGE — can do a little better than standing on the street in a tutu, with the news that they can stay in a recreation of Carrie’s rent-controlled walk-up courtesy of Airbnb and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Even better, while it has long been hotly debated whether Bradshaw could have afforded the rent on her studio (which, in the show was located at 245 East 73rd Street and cost around $750 a month according to one episode) the lucky guests of the Airbnb version will pay just USD $23 a night, in honour of the 23 years since Sex and the City first graced our screens.
Guests will be greeted virtually by Parker before they are then able to wander around the recreated apartment — cosmo in hand, of course — and even make calls on Carrie’s chunky cordless phone, just like she did when she wanted to whine about Big to Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha.
Of course, no stay in the sex columnist’s abode would be complete without a little game of dress ups, and that is exactly what you can do thanks to the vast range of outfits available to try on in Carrie’s closet, tutu obviously included.
“The Carrie Bradshaw character is near and dear to my heart, and revisiting her world for the continuation of the Sex and the City story has been such a joy,” said Parker. “I’m excited for our audience to experience Carrie’s New York like never before and walk in her shoes, quite literally, for the first time.“
And, while the Upper East Side is a delightful part of New York that is always worth a visit, the recreation of Carrie’s UES space has been set up in the far more centrally located neighbourhood of Chelsea, so guests can be in close proximity to some fabulous bars and restaurants, such as Cafeteria, which was featured in the series and will be seen also in the upcoming reboot (get the California cobb salad and the truffle oil mac and cheese, they are delicious).
The catch is that this once in a lifetime experience is only available for two one night stays for just two guests at a time, so interested parties are going to need to be fast to book.
Hey, even if you’ve never seen an episode of Sex and the City, you’re never going to find accommodation in Manhattan for $23 a night (at least, not without some seriously questionable caveats) so you may as well try your luck and then spend the cash you’ve saved on a Carrie-worthy shopping spree at Bergdorf Goodman (her favourite luxury department store, Barneys, sadly closed down in 2020).
The stays are available on November 12 and 13 only and guests are responsible for their own travel to and from New York. Bookings open Monday, November 8 at noon New York time at airbnb.com/sexandthecity.
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