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Go At Your Own Pace · A self-guided tour

West Village · Greenwich Village · Chelsea

A Sex and the City Afternoon in the West Village

Carrie's New York, at your own pace: Miranda's wedding garden, a stroll down Bleecker Street, cupcakes at the original Magnolia Bakery, brasserie drinks at Pastis and dinner at Buddakan, where the movie's rehearsal dinner was filmed.

Distance
~1.7 km (1.1 mi)
Time
about 4 hrs
Stops
5
Effort
easy

Distance and timing are editorial estimates along the suggested streets, not a live routing calculation — treat them as a generous guide.

Cupcakes in the window at Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street
WestportWiki · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why pay for a tour? The girls never needed a guide, and neither do you. This walk strings together the Sex and the City places you can still eat, drink and linger in, all within a short, pretty walk through the West Village and the Meatpacking District: the garden where Miranda married Steve, the Bleecker Street of Carrie's shopping days, the corner bakery where she and Miranda ate cupcakes, the brasserie the show made famous and the grand Chelsea dining room from the 2008 movie.

A few things to know before you go. Carrie's famous stoop is a private home on Perry Street, and its owner has had to put up a gate to keep fans off the steps, so we leave it off the route. Pastis moved in 2019 to Gansevoort Street, a short walk from the corner where the show filmed. And most of the Marc Jacobs boutiques that once lined Bleecker are gone, but the street is still one of the loveliest shopping strolls in the city.

  1. 1
    Jefferson Market Garden~15 min

    Start on Greenwich Avenue at the little garden behind the Jefferson Market Library's clock tower, where Miranda and Steve marry in season six. It's free and open from April through late October (Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays); out of season, look in through the railings.

    The lawn and plantings of Jefferson Market Garden on Greenwich Avenue
    SnowFire · CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. 2
    Bleecker Street~30 min

    Walk west to Bleecker Street and stroll it north from Christopher Street toward West 11th. This is the Bleecker of Carrie's shopping days; the boutiques have changed, but the brick storefronts, small shops and side-street views are why people come.

    Brick storefront buildings at Bleecker and Bank Streets in the West Village
    Tdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. 3
    Magnolia Bakery~20 min

    At the corner of West 11th Street, the original 1996 Magnolia, where Carrie and Miranda eat cupcakes on the bench outside in season three. Get a cupcake or the banana pudding and eat it on the street, just like they did.

    The original 1996 Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street, made famous by Sex and the City's cupcake scene.

    Cupcakes in the window at Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street
    WestportWiki · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. 4
    Pastis~60 min

    Walk up to the Meatpacking District for the brasserie that was a regular backdrop in the show's later seasons. The original corner on Ninth Avenue closed in 2014; this is its 2019 home, a block away, with the same zinc-bar Paris feel. Stop for a late lunch, a midday glass or weekend brunch.

    The Meatpacking District's Parisian-style brasserie, back since 2019 a short walk from its Sex and the City original.

  5. 5
    Buddakan~90 min

    Finish with dinner on Ninth Avenue at 16th Street, beside Chelsea Market. Buddakan's banquet hall is where the rehearsal dinner in the 2008 movie was filmed, the night before the wedding that wasn't. Book ahead for dinner.

    A candlelit subterranean banquet hall beside Chelsea Market, built for entrances.

    The grand hall at Buddakan
    L. Palmberg, courtesy of Buddakan

Beyond the walk

For another evening

  • The New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue

    The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is where Carrie's wedding to Big is set in the 2008 movie, and where he gets cold feet. It's free to walk in, and its free tours show you the grand rooms.

    B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park

  • The Loeb Boathouse, Central Park

    In the season three finale, Carrie and Big tumble out of a rowboat here and into the lake. Rent a rowboat from spring to fall, or have a drink by the water.

    6 to 68 St–Hunter College, then a walk west into the park at 72nd Street

  • The Plaza

    In the season two finale, Carrie bids Big farewell outside the Plaza with "Your girl is lovely, Hubbell." Afternoon tea in the Palm Court makes it an occasion.

    N/R/W to 5 Av–59 St

Practical tips

  • Book Buddakan, and Pastis for weekend brunch, ahead on Resy or by phone; both fill up.
  • Magnolia gets a line on weekend afternoons; a weekday visit is calmer.
  • Please skip Carrie's stoop on Perry Street: it's someone's home, and the owner has asked fans to stay off the steps.
  • Wear comfortable shoes, even if Carrie wouldn't.

Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 27, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.