After decades of anger from Sex and the city Fans wondered the owner of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment: Will a gate keep her at bay? She'll find out. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission recently approved their request to close off their famous porch.
Fan problem
The owner, Barbara Lorber, argued for access to the commission during a Jan. 14 hearing, as first reported in Emily Sundberg's Substack newsletter FeedMe. In her background statement, Lorber described how her home at 66 Perry Street in Manhattan's West Village had become a “global tourist destination.” Unfortunately, the fans have become a huge problem for them.
“At all times of the day and night, there are groups of visitors outside the house taking flash photos, talking loudly, posting on social media and doing TikTok [sic] Videos or just celebrating the moment,” she wrote.
Lorber also described more unsavory behavior, from fans drunkenly ringing the doorbell in the wee hours of the night to carving their initials into the door. Although she placed a chain at the bottom of the stairs with a sign reading “No Trespassing – Private Property,” it wasn’t enough of a deterrent. “Many visitors respect the chain. But many don’t,” she noted.
A growing problem
The brownstone only became famous afterward Sex and the city premiered in 1998. Lorber's house served as the exterior of Carrie's iconic one-bedroom living room and was the backdrop for many goodnight kisses. Then came social media, streaming and so on SATC sequel series, And just like that…which only increased the number of visitors.
The show's popularity came as a surprise to Lorber. When she agreed to have the show filmed outside her home, she explained, “Nobody knew the show would become something permanent.” At the time, she agreed because she “felt sorry for the young location scout.”
“He told me if he didn’t secure THIS house he would lose his first real job in the industry,” she wrote.
All these years later, there is no sign of the fans going away. In fact, Lorber said she's seeing an increase in the “already huge fan base.” She believes the installation of a gate is necessary “to enable our tenants and ourselves to have an appropriate quality of life again.”
Because her home is in the historic district of Greenwich Village, Lorber had to get the commission's approval. She submitted gate designs by architect Isidoro Cruz that harmonize with the railings and fence and block the entrance. The gate itself received unanimous approval from the eight commission members who attended the hearing, and tweaks to its design are still pending. The New York Times Reports.
Carrie has already said goodbye to her apartment And just like that…but fans still don't have to. You just have to respect the property and stay away from the steps.