Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in “Sex and the City” and where to find it

To soak up a bit of 'Sex and the City’'s timeless glamour, we take a closer look at Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment, where it was filmed, and whether you can step a shiny Louboutin inside it today.

Lauren Morling
20 Min Read
Photo credit: Goran Vrhovac / Shutterstock.com

Can you believe it’s been well over 20 years since Sex and the City first hit our screens back in 1998 and we first set our sights on Carrie Bradshaw’s now-iconic apartment?

This whirlwind series gave us a glimpse into the chronically busy social lives of Manhattan’s socialites and oh-so-relatable dating dramas, and was the favorite go-to for just about any single woman in the late 90s and early 2000s — and, arguably, still is today.

Especially now, when a new chapter of the story was released in the form of a much-hyped sequel, And Just Like That… that brought back our favorite characters: Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda (minus one Samantha).

Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes, Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, and Kristin Davis as Charlotte York Goldenblatt, reprising their roles for the Sex and The City sequel.
Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes, Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, and Kristin Davis as Charlotte York Goldenblatt, reprising their roles for the Sex and The City sequel. Photo courtesy of HBO Max

And while we’ll refrain from commenting on whether the new show lives up to the original, we certainly were glad to see many of our favorite characters return.

Same goes for the familiar locations.

As we’ve mentioned in our article covering all the fabulous houses and apartments in And Just Like That there’s comfort in the familiarity of the characters, the locations, the traditional lunch chats, and of course, the backdrop tying all of it together — New York City. 

Carrie’s apartment on the Upper East Side makes its glamorous return too, and we’re here to answer any questions you might have about it.

Carrie sitting in the window of her apartment in And Just Like That
Carrie Bradshaw in her Sex and The City apartment. Photo courtesy of HBO Max

We get it. We’d like to live a Carrie-esque lifestyle too, even if it’s just pretending, and the New York apartment plays a big role in that.

But before you get too excited, we should probably mention that Carrie’s apartment doesn’t actually exist — at least not in the traditional sense.

The interior was built on set and has since been deconstructed, but you can see the apartment’s famous steps where she and her suitors shared many a goodnight kiss.

Oh, and did we mention that Sarah Jessica Parker herself lives just a few blocks away from it? Bonus!

Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment on the Upper East Side

Carrie Bradshaw’s home was any single girl’s dream apartment and we bet there’s not one of you who hasn’t wished they could live out that dream, even just for a second.

Unfortunately, the warm and familiar interior of Carrie’s apartment was only a figment of set designer, Jeremy Conway’s imagination and it bloomed to life in Silvercup Studios in Queens just for the duration of the series. It had to be rebuilt for the subsequent movies.  

See also: All the Glamorous Penthouses, Suites, and Lofts in Gossip Girl

Conway has explained in various interviews that he wanted to portray the personality of each much-loved SATC character – Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha – through their individual homes.

Carrie’s house, therefore, was a rough-and-ready apartment designed to illustrate her creative side.

The most memorable part of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment her closet.
The most memorable part of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment, her closet. Photo credit: HBO

It was lived-in, messy, and real; a mix of styles and second-hand furniture that also reflected her budget — she was a sex columnist after all and not a multi-millionaire.

And, of course, the walk-in closet to show her commitment to fashion was just the cherry on top.

The Sex & the City apartment in real life

Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment is unfortunately another situation of reality versus fiction, where fiction takes the trophy.

Most scenes were filmed on set, with only exterior shots being taken on location at 64 Perry Street in the heart of New York’s West Village landmark district. The main filming location was later changed to the neighboring 66 Perry Street.

In total, no less than five properties were used as Carrie’s apartment throughout the series’ six seasons, none of them close to the sex columnist’s fictional address.

In the much-loved series, Carrie lived in a fairly spacious rent-controlled apartment at 245E 73rd Street — an address that doesn’t actually exist.

66-perry-street-real-sex-and-the-city-house
The famous steps in front of Carrie Bradshaw’s apt. Photo credit: HBO

She was supposedly paying just $700 a month, but by today’s standards, an apartment of its size on the Upper East Side would cost well over $3,000 a month. Thank god for poetic license.

Instead, the Sex and the City apartment is located down leafy Perry Street in Manhattan’s West Village — so it’s not even on the Upper East Side. (We know – gasp!)

Exterior shots were first filmed outside number 64, before moving on to number 66 Perry Street for season three, supposedly because of its ‘more glamorous’ staircase.

The move did the trick, as the 66 Perry Street brownstone with its memorable steps became a genuine tourist destination, with thousands of fans stopping by each year to take a picture in front of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment.

How much would Carrie’s apartment cost nowadays?

While Carrie’s apartment was definitely the goal of any single gal living alone, the house behind the façade is far, far grander.

Definitely way beyond Carrie Bradshaw’s budget.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, descending the steps in front of her character's apartment

Sarah Jessica Parker’s character famously paid only $700 in rent, but that likely wouldn’t cover renting a single room in the sprawling brownstone at 64 Perry Street.

Inside its 4,000 square feet and five impressive floors, you’ll find no less than five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an enormous south-facing backyard.

Built in 1866, the house was designed by architect Robert Mook, who also built most of the Italian-style townhouses on the block.

The interior is about as impressive as it gets with original herringbone wood floors, crystal chandeliers, ornate crown and ceiling moldings, high ceilings, striking arches, and no less than six fireplaces.

See also: Where is Virgin River and Mel’s cabin?

The brownstone at 64 Perry St. was last sold in 2012 to an anonymous buyer — whose family is now only the third one to share Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment address since it was built — for an impressive $9.85 million, $200,000 above the asking price.

The neighboring townhouse at 66 Perry Street, used from season 3 onwards, does match Carrie’s living situation a bit better, consisting of three rental units.

But they too would be out of her budget; studio apartments in the building were being rented for $3,300 to 3,600/month, with a larger 1-bedroom, 1-bath unit last being listed in 2019 for 5,500/month.

66-perry-street-sex-and-the-city-house
The apartment at 66 Perry Street. Image credit: StreetEasy

Its famous front stairs, as well as the ones two houses down at 64 Perry Street, are some of the most recognizable landmarks in the Big Apple, on lists that include the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.

What’s more, Carrie Bradshaw isn’t the only celeb to have lived – either fictionally or literally – at this address.

The building was also home to Tim Gunn from the hit series Project Runway who lived on the top floor for 16 years. It was also used as part of the set for Woody Allen’s Alice in 1990.

Can you rent Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment on Airbnb?

In November 2021, in a PR stunt meant to promote the Sex and The City sequel And Just Like That…, Carrie’s apartment was briefly available for rent on Airbnb for only $23/night — but that was a limited-time offer.

Only two one-night stays were offered to die-hard fans of the show, with Sarah Jessica Parker herself greeting the guests.

“The Carrie Bradshaw character is near and dear to my heart, and revisiting her world for the continuation of the Sex and the City story has been such a joy,” said Parker.

Sarah Jessica Parker in the bedroom on Carrie Bradshaw's apartment, briefly listed on Airbnb in 2021.
Sarah Jessica Parker in the bedroom on Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment, briefly listed on Airbnb in 2021. Photo credit: Tara Rice / Airbnb

“I’m excited for our audience to experience Carrie’s New York like never before and walk in her shoes, quite literally, for the first time.“

The apartment isn’t otherwise available for rent.

But Airbnb often partners with filmmakers for limited-time rentals of iconic movie and TV homes: the Home Alone house got the same treatment in 2021, as did the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air house when the reunion episode ran in 2020, and the Hocus Pocus house when the 2022 sequel was released (also starring Sarah Jessica Parker).

So you can’t rent it, but can you visit?

Of course you can. Well, the exterior, that is.

You can visit the apartment exterior on your own — Perry Street is just a six-minute walk from the subway — or you can join an organized group tour that visits all the famous spots from Sex and the City, including the Magnolia Bakery, Charlotte’s gallery, and Jimmy Choos.

Photo courtesy of HBO Max

But if you do , make sure you respect the privacy of the residents who actually live here.

Hundreds of tourists visit the apartment every week for a glimpse of the film set and the novelty has definitely worn off for residents.

They have erected a chain and sign that reads “Do NOT go on the staircase please” to stop tourists from getting too close to their homes.

They also petitioned — and won — to stop Sex and the City tour buses from stopping directly outside of the building.

In fact, they are so set on privacy, that they’ve even had the Google Street View image of the apartment’s exterior blurred out on Google Maps! They don’t do things in halves, that’s for sure. 

Photo courtesy of HBO Max

Even though Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment doesn’t exist as it does in the series, the exterior is still worth a visit — even if only to join the ranks of drunk girls declaring their undying love for Big and to admire Perry Street residents’ increasingly imaginative measures to stop tourists from dancing on their doorsteps. 

If not, you might just have to settle like the rest of us with the charming interior shots forever etched in our memory after watching the show over and over again throughout the years.

And add some new visual memories to the vault thanks to the sequel series, which gives a rightful central role to the iconic New York apartment that we’ve always associated with Sarah Jessica Parker’s most memorable character.

Sarah Jessica Parker being carried on the steps of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment in New York
Photo courtesy of HBO Max

What fans are saying

And while we would all move in in a heartbeat, there are quite a few things about the New York apartment that just don’t sit right with fans.

Beyond the obvious cost issues that baffle fans (how could Carrie afford that apartment anyway?), there are some inconsistencies that both SATC and AJLT watchers were quick to spot:

Am I crazy or is Carrie’s apartment getting bigger?

That scene where she was on the phone with Miranda and you could see she entryway table, it just seemed SO far away from her and then they showed the wide shot and the wall was massive.”

/u/linds360 noted while watching the new season of AJLT

Her apartment is getting bigger while everyone else’s bed is getting smaller. Charlotte and Harry’s bed can’t be any bigger than a full size, it looks ridiculous in this episode. And I’ve always thought that LTW‘s bed looks like half a bed lengthwise, it makes me think of the beds set up in department stores to sell the bedding. Why the hell can’t they fit real beds into these sets?!”

u/buzz-buzz-buzzz confirmed

Carrie’s apartment didn’t make any damn sense haha. She had windows on three different walls, including one against the neighboring apartment that has a similar layout to hers… but her hallways doesn’t lead to any neighboring apartment. Very Hill House.

u/harrmarrsuperstarr

This has always bugged me. Even the earlier season she doesn’t have that janitors door outside her front. Seriously drives me nuts it doesn’t make logistical sense. And you know who else’s doesn’t either? Charlottes! The kitchen to her dining room I can’t figure out. Yeah yeah it’s a show but floorplans have always been my thing!”

u/stacasaurusrex

Others, however, thought the choice of dwelling was a perfect fit for Carrie, and that it made a lot more sense than some of the other homes we see on TV:

More realistic than most TV New York apartments that most young people couldn’t afford.”

u/Asparagussie on reddit

I actually always found the apartments on SATC realistic. Carrie’s was the definition of a lucky find, essentially a large studio that was rent controlled and no frills; Miranda’s apartment was pretty much what you can expect from a 2 br on the UES; Charlotte obviously had an insane apartment from marrying Trey but it certainly rings true given the family’s wealth; and most realistically to me is Samantha paying a fortune to live in a loft/studio in meat packing— I am also tickled every time I see just how close to her bed is to her kitchen!”

u/dreamwarrior82

See also: The chic apartments in ‘Uncoupled’ and where to find them in real life

I was actually noticing yesterday while watching that it’s very simple and really realistic. There’s stuff on her desk, the furniture changes from season to season but just so. There are small changes, like when you live somewhere for a long time and pick up a thing or two to add to your home. It feels like a real home and not all that decorated, just real. I do like the redesign since it’s cohesive but as someone said the blue color was too much.’

u/IslandofKimchi

I thought it was dumpy and realistic and unrealistic and wonderful. And it reminds me so much of one of my favorite apartments in the city. She def put most of her money into her closet lol.”

u/BlueJune101

I think it’s interesting that Carrie’s apartment is one of the few financially realistic things about SATC. If I recall correctly it was rent controlled (prior to going co-op) and it’s clear she didn’t spend any extra money on interior design – opting instead to put her money toward clothes and going out. Her salary and lifestyle still don’t add up, but hey, they tried on this detail at least.”

u/linds360

But fans also had lots of love for the longtime home of our favorite fictional sex columnist:

Dream apartment. open concept without being tacky. would do more with the open area in the entrance personally + the bathroom but yeah i love it.”

u/summerpassingby

I love it. the layout is a dream, and i think the set designers did a fantastic job selecting furniture that looked thrifty and still cohesive.”

u/funeralparties

I love it. Perfect apartment layout for a single gal living in the city. I love all the little things like the chair as the nightstand and the lack of sofa. But also I really liked the colours and vibrancy of the renovation in movie 1 (not the furniture per se just the colours).”

u/oyamaca

I always loved that she doesn’t have a sofa. It’s such a great touch for the apartment of a single woman in Manhattan. And I always enjoyed the pale purple paint color of the entryway area. And the chair as nightstand! Really always liked the styling of her apartment. The redesign in the movie was a bummer.”

u/herro1801012

I love it too, it feels casual and unforced unlike Charlotte’s apt for example. I love the kind of 70s vibe that the furniture exudes, I feel like it is very in vogue again.”

u/East_Kitchen7286

In the end, whether you love it or hate it, it’s hard to deny that Carrie’s apartment is part of TV history. And we’re hoping to see much more of it on our screens.

More iconic TV homes

Monica’s Apartment in Friends — The Place Where Friendship is Forever

Meredith Grey’s house on Grey’s Anatomy & the Dream House Derek built

The New Girl apartment in real life

The Wisteria Lane houses in ‘Desperate Housewives’

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