Sex and the City just celebrated its 25th anniversary. If you’re passing through New York in the next few months, here are some of the places still open in Midtown, the Meatpacking District, the West Village, Little Italy and SoHo, as seen in the cult series that ran from 1998 to 2004 and the films that followed.



The Plaza Hotel

The legendary 5th Avenue hotel was one of the many sights Sex and the City featured. The Plaza was inaugurated in 1907 and has been hosting the biggest celebrities ever since. Although several Sex and the City scenes have been filmed there over the years, fans remember Carrie‘s heart breaking into a million pieces at Big and Natasha’s engagement party.

Onieals 

Once industrial and overlooked, SoHo rose to prominence in the 1970s. Its many art galleries, trendy boutiques and restaurants made it one of the most sought-after areas in the following decades. It’s in this neighborhood that Onieals, the bar where scenes from Scout were filmed, is located, run by Steve and Aidan. For the record, the establishment stands opposite the former police headquarters, a huge Beaux-Arts building where many notorious criminals passed through between 1909 and 1973. The building that houses Oniels, meanwhile, was once a brothel, speakeasy and gambling den.

Magnolia Bakery

It’s impossible to forget the cupcakes Carrie so happily savored in the series. Since 1996, Magnolia Bakery has welcomed a mix of loyal customers and tourists. Extremely popular since its appearances in the series, the first bakery – of which there are now twenty – on Bleecker Street, is often packed to the brim.

SoHo House

Never one to shy away, Samantha uses her membership card to sip cocktails with her girlfriends by the rooftop pool on a hot summer’s day. On its website, Soho House states: “The original Sex and the City Soho House spans six floors of a former warehouse in the heart of the Meatpacking District. Just steps away from the High Line and Chelsea Market, it’s home to our very first rooftop pool.” The club has been welcoming members since 2002. Cost of membership in 2023: from $666.75 per quarter—unless you want to get kicked out like the quartet in the series.

Bryant Park

Several scenes were shot in this park, which is located in the heart of Manhattan. The heroines were seen picnicking and wandering around during Fashion Week. (Yes, the time Carrie took a nosedive at the Dolce & Gabbana show).

Jefferson Market Garden

For Miranda, a cliché wedding venue was out of the question. By chance, she discovered this charming garden next to the West Village library, where she would say yes to Steve. Maintained by volunteers, the garden is always open to the public.

Two Boots

Determined to seduce Smith, the sexy waiter at a new raw food restaurant, Samantha goes there with Miranda and Carrie. They end the evening at Two Boots pizzeria on 7th Avenue. The rest is history: Samantha and Smith go on to enjoy one of the most beautiful and touching love stories in Sex and the City.

New York Public Library

If, like many fans, you’d rather keep the good memories of the series than the failures of the films, there’s one place you can’t forget in the first feature film released in 2008: the splendid New York Public Library, where Carrie decides to celebrate her wedding—which doesn’t take place. Most of the film revolves around the event: the photo shoot for Vogue, in which Carrie poses in dresses by Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Dior, Oscar de la Renta and Vivienne Westwood. It’s also where Carrie hits Big on the street on the big day with her bouquet. Whatever the plot twists, the library makes you want to go and smell the old books.

In Memoriam

Some iconic locations have closed, including the Manolo Blahnik boutique on West 54th St. and The Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel, where the quartet loved to sip Cosmopolitans.

And outside New York?

How can we forget the scenes shot in Paris during the series’ final season? The most spectacular were undoubtedly those set in the legendary Plaza Athénée on Avenue Montaigne, a stone’s throw from the Champs-Élysées. FYI: Sarah Jessica Parker occupied suite 609.