Sex and the City’s Miranda, Charlotte, Carrie and Samantha
You might think that the love for The Big Four – Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda – might have died down a bit since the ladies were last seen on screen. But you would be wrong.
HBO’s Sex and the City, which ran from 1998 until 2004 and spawned two feature films has grown even more iconic over the years, as have the locations all over New York City that the girls (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cantrell, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon) lived in, hung out at, went shopping at, dined, drank and just generally lived large, loved and made themselves the toast of the town.
So it was with a great deal of excitement that we got on board On Location Tours Sex and the City Hotspots Tour outside New York’s famed Plaza Hotel one chilly winter morning. The bus was packed with people from all over the country – and around the world – who were greeted by our tour guide, actress, singer and writer Lou Matthews as she navigated us in the footsteps of Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha and Carrie.
Outside Carrie’s apartment, her famous stoop
The three and half hour-long journey took us to literally 40 places that were key locations on the groundbreaking comedy, with full experiential stops at a number of them. They included ABC Carpet, Asia de Cuba, Bergdorf Goodman, Cipriani Downtown, Hotel Giraffe, Joe’s Pub, Madison Square Park, the New York Public Library, Pastis, Soho House, Tiffany & Co., Sushi Samba and the Starbucks at Astor Place.
HBO ran 94 episodes of SATC over six seasons, and the tour is officially sanctioned by the premium cable network.
One of the first stops was at Meatpacking District restaurant Buddakan, which opened its glamorous doors for our group and took us downstairs to tables where Carrie & Co. drank and dined.
Downstairs at Buddakan
The restaurant combines an Asian-inspired theme with elements of 16th-century Paris and the menu features new takes on traditional Chinese dishes.
There was a big, unscripted surprise as our group checked out the vibe of the longtime hotspot. A man on the tour proposed to his long-time girlfriend—a huge SATC fan– at the foot of one of the dining tables, getting down on one knee and presenting a diamond engagement ring. She said yes and everyone in the group was witness to this happy and momentous occasion, blessed by the spirits of Sex and the City in a proposal that will never be forgotten. Let’s just hope he doesn’t take a cue from Mr. Big on the wedding day. No, that wouldn’t happen.
Readys for Cosmos at O’Nieal’s
One of the last stops on the tour was at Onieal’s on Grand St. in Soho, a bar (and adjoining restaurant) where we all got to sip Cosmopolitans and toast our incredible day.
Tours, which cost $56, depart daily at 11 a.m., with two departures on Saturdays. During the winter through March 16, the tour does not run on Mondays or Wednesdays.
