How to live the NYC lifestyle just like Carrie Bradshaw. Photo / 123rf
To celebrate the new Sex and the City show - And Just Like That - debuting this December, we're tapping into every New York highlight that Carrie Bradshaw adores.
NYC shoe boutiques
Anybody in the SATC-know will be fully aware that Manolo Blahnik shoes are Carrie's favourite. Fitting then thatSJP by Sarah Jessica Parker's flagship store now resides at the original Manolo Blahnik boutique on 31 West 54th St. It's a paradise for shoe-aholics. You can also get your fix on the fifth floor of Bergdorf Goodman department store (simply Bergdorf's to New Yorkers) where an emporium of kitten heels and red-soled Christian Louboutins will happily annihilate your credit card.
Revamped after a long hiatus, Tavern on the Green re-opened its doors in April 2021. Sitting grandly in Central Park, the venue was originally built in 1870 to house the park's sheep but was converted into a delightfully hoity-toity Manhattan restaurant in 1934. The glamour remains today, with a seamless indoor-outdoor flow leading from an ornate interior to a large and leafy courtyard. Consistently busy, it's the ideal venue for Samantha Jones to loudly regale one of her eye-watering stories – for all and sundry to hear.
Cocktail bars
In the 18th and 19th centuries, oyster barges lined the banks of the Hudson River, bringing a daily catch of crustaceans to the restaurants of Manhattan, and while our SATC ladies wouldn't find the harbour hustle of yesteryear all that enticing, today's pier 25 is home to Grand Banks, a sparkling boat-based cocktail bar. The Sherman Zwicker is a remodelled historic schooner and the largest wooden vessel in New York City. Permanently docked on the riverbank, jump aboard for nautically inspired cocktails and some of the best skyline views in the city.
High-end R&R
You won't see our Carrie and the girls settling for a Groupon facial, they're more about luxury like AIRE ancient baths. Located in a former textile factory in Tribeca, the building is now a portal to ancient Rome. With several communal baths lit by candlelight alone, experience anything from salt baths and steamy dips to a four-hand massage. There's also a wine bath where you'll bathe in Spanish red grapes and enjoy an hour-long massage slathered in grapeseed oil.
Secret sessions
Carrie Bradshaw is always in the know on what's hot and what's not, meaning she'd be more than aware of morning rehearsals at the New York Philharmonic. Between 9.45am and 12.30pm every day, visitors can purchase a US$22 ticket to access a full musical run-through. In other words, a complete concert for the same price as a Cosmo.
And Just Like That premieres with a double episode on Neon and Sky Go from December 10, and SoHo from December 20 at 9.30pm.