As published on Blog do Amaury Jr./UOL Splash

Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment, much more than a setting for Sex and the City and And Just Like That, is already a cultural symbol and a meeting point for fans worldwide in New York. After all, the apartment’s stairs in West Village were the setting for iconic moments in the films and series. However, like every cultural phenomenon, the impact is not always positive for those directly involved. So much so that the property owner, after decades of dealing with the chaos generated by fans, was forced to request the installation of a gate, marking the end of an era for those seeking to relive a little piece of Carrie’s universe.

When, at the end of the second season of And Just Like That, the character sold her apartment and moved to a new address, I said – and I still say – Of all the goodbyes, Carrie’s apartment is the most painful. In the more than 25 years of the Sex and the City franchise, Carrie never gave up her apartment. It was central to the story and, of course, became a tourist attraction in New York. To the point that today the owner of the property managed to get the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to build a gate in front of the building at 66 Perry Street. That’s right, goodbye to the photo op in front of “Carrie’s staircase”.

According to the New York Times, Barbara Lorber, a resident of the building, the place is infested with fans day and night, so much so that she called the entrance her “celebrity staircase”, creating safety and conservation problems for the address. The brownstone was built in 1866 and is similar to others on the same street, but since 1999 it has gained fame around the world as the exterior setting for Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment.

The address has become so iconic that it has its own Instagram, with fans sharing photos on the stairs. Barbara says she regretted when she authorized the production to film on her doorstep. As she explained in her application to the city, “My home is now a global tourist destination. The show is in endless reruns in 34 different languages, adding to an already huge fan base that has come to my door from all over the U.S. and the world,” she explained. “At all hours of the day or night, there are groups of visitors in front of the house taking flash photos, talking loudly, posting on social media, making TikTok videos, or just celebrating the moment,” she continued.

The fence could ruin not only Carrie fans’ photos but also affect the aesthetics of the city. “That house shouldn’t have a gate,” Barbara acknowledges in the document, “but what was beautiful in the late 19th century sadly needs more protection in our century, in our time. “I’ve waited for literally decades for this [fan craze] to pass, but at this point, I think even someone as stubborn as me has to admit that it’s not going away anytime soon.”

So, have you taken your photo yet? If not… you’re done. Barbara listed a myriad of occurrences that would drive anyone crazy. Years ago, she had already placed a no-entry chain at the base of the stairs, but many visitors simply ignored it to pose, dance,e or lie on the steps, according to the requirement, often talking loudly until the early hours of the morning. There are other mentions of people trying to sleep in the place or drunks (from Cosmopolitans?), who rang the doorbell and wanted to enter the building.

Tired of almost thirty years of nuisance, the owner requests that a 3.25-foot-high double gate made of steel and cast iron be installed at the front of the building so that it is “substantial” enough to keep out the curious. And yes, as she says, “to restore a reasonable quality of life for our tenants and for ourselves”.

Carrie’s change of address – her second if we count the years of her marriage to Mr. Big – came too late. Starting in the third season, which premieres in 2025, we will see our writer in a larger house and completely free of her “past”, but according to the footage, she will pass through the building. In other words, leaving it behind could even be a metaphor for this transition from nostalgia and obsession with a past that, however enchanting it may be, needs to give way to the reality of the present. It remains to be seen whether Carrie’s new setting will be able to create the same magic as the iconic West Village apartment. Apparently, fans are no longer welcome on Perry Street.

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