No cupcakes, no cosmos: ‘Sex and the City’ brownstone in NYC will get a gate to deter tourists

NEW YORK (AP) — Thinking about toasting Carrie Bradshaw with a cosmo while posing on the front steps of her Manhattan brownstone from “Sex and the City?”

Think again.

The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission approved an application for a gate Tuesday after Barbara Lorber, who has owned the building since 1978, lamented “the endless presence of interest in my celebrity staircase.” The stately three-story building in Greenwich Village’s historic district was used for exterior shots of the apartment occupied by Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker.

“I’d hoped for literally decades that this would pass,” Lorber told the commission during heartfelt testimony. “But at this point, I think even someone as stubborn as I am has to admit that this isn’t going away in the near future.”

The stoop has been chained off with a “no trespassing” sign. But one neighbor told the commission that the chain has failed to deter fans of the show, who create a nuisance on the block.

A view of the brownstone where Carrie Bradshaw lived in “Sex and the City”, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission approved an application for a metal gate for the front staircase of the Manhattan brownstone to keep away tourists who endlessly trespass and pose for pictures. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Eight commission members unanimously approved the application, which is a necessary step in the historic West Village neighborhood. Lorber’s architect will work with commission staff on a final gate design.

“Sex and the City” followed the exploits and relationships of Bradshaw and her three pals for six seasons beginning in 1998. In the show, Carrie Bradshaw lived on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which in real life is a decent cab ride away from the building used for exterior shots during filming. The show spawned two movies and the sequel series “And Just Like That …”

Anthony Gillbee of Melbourne, Australia, had a picture taken with his teen-age son on the sidewalk in front of the brownstone Wednesday to send to his wife. He said he understood that it would be annoying to have people out in front of your house all the time.

“But, you know, it’s an iconic venue,” he said. “And if you put a gate at the front, it would change the whole appearance of it. And so it wouldn’t be Carrie Bradshaw’s house anymore.”