Owner of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment puts up gate to keep Sex and City fans out

The owner of a New York brownstone made famous by Sex in the City has erected a gate to keep tourists off the steps leading to her front door.

For years, Barbara Lorber had put up with fans of the hit TV series posing for photographs on the steps of her Greenwich Village property which supposedly led to Carrie Bradshaw’s Manhattan apartment.

The three-storey house in Perry Street, which Ms Lorber has owned since 1978, was used in exterior shots by the show’s producers.

On police advice, Ms Lorber, who until her retirement worked at Columbia University, tried to deter tourists by putting a chain and a no-trespassing sign at the foot of the steps, but it failed to deter fans of the show.

Intoxicated tourists have rang the doorbell of the home and graffiti has been etched onto the front door. Others posed on the steps or even danced.

Fans are now prevented from standing on the steps by a gate – THE MEGA AGENCY

With the house dating back to 1866, Ms Lorber appealed to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission for permission to install a steel gate to protect her privacy.

“That house shouldn’t be gated,” she told the Commission at a hearing in January.

“But what was beautiful in the late 19th century is unfortunately in need of more protection in our century, in our time.”

‘At any hour of the day or night, there people outside taking flash photos’

In a letter to the commission, she explained: “The front of my home appeared in the Sex and the City TV series as the exterior of character Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment.

“My fault: I felt sorry for the young location scout who was a recent grad from NYU Film School. He told me if he didn’t secure THIS house, he would lose his first real job in the business.

“At the time, no one knew the show would turn into anything long-lasting… much less, the iconic fantasy vehicle and touchstone for NYC’s magic that it has become.

“My home is now a global tourist destination. The show is in endless reruns in 34 different languages, increasing an already massive fan base coming to my stoop from throughout the US and around the world.

“At any hour of the day or night, there are groups of visitors in front of the house taking flash photos, engaging in loud chatter, posting on social media, making TikTok videos, or just celebrating the moment.”

Finally, the gate, carefully designed to be in keeping with the historic house, is in place after approval from the commission.

“What was beautiful in the late 19th century is unfortunately in need of more protection in our century, in our time,” she told the Commission.

“I’d hoped for literally decades that this would pass, 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.”

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