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Fans Flocking to 'Sex and the City' Sites

AP
Posted: 2008-05-10 18:19:31
Filed Under: Movie News, TV News
NEW YORK (May 10) - Forget the Empire State Building. Some New York tourists are eager to see the city's other landmarks: Carrie's stoop, Charlotte's gallery and that restaurant where Samantha threw a martini in a boyfriend's face.

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Seth Wenig, AP

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With the opening of the 'Sex and the City' movie weeks away, fans are flocking to New York City to take a tour of the girls' old haunts. Along the way Elan Rhys of Wales sampled a Cosmopolitan at Onieal's on Grand Street, the bar that plays the part Scout, the bar owned by Steve.

Fans of "Sex and the City" have long arrived here eager to see the $500 shoes, the Cosmopolitan-drinking fashionistas and the glamorous serial daters for themselves. Now, with the movie follow-up to the show set to premiere later this month, a number of them are planning trips so that they can see "Sex and the City" ... in the city.

"Once we found out there was going to be a movie, we thought what a great weekend to do a girls' trip to New York City, the weekend of the premiere," said Amy Walker, a 31-year-old accountant from Minneapolis who says she has watched the entire series twice on DVD.

Along with three female friends, she's planning to relax at a spa mentioned on the show, take a "Sex and the City Hotspots" tour and see the movie on its opening weekend.

"The producers have said that New York City is the fifth lady of the show," says Lisa Blythe Perlman, a guide for the hotspots tour. "Eighty percent of the show was filmed on location."

Perlman and her colleagues bus about 1,000 tourists a week to see Carrie's stoop, check out her favorite sex-toy shop, sample her signature cocktail and eat the same cupcakes that they first spotted on the show. The tour company says it has already seen advance purchases more than double for the May 30 opening weekend.

"'Sex and the City' has been one of the all-time great commercials for the city of New York," says George Fertitta, who heads NYC & Company, the city's tourism office. "There's all of the fabric and the texture and the vibrancy of New York. ... It shows everything: from a great shopping component to a nightlife component, to a restaurant component."

Fertitta, who peppers his conversations with journalists with mentions of the show, said he was surprised on a recent visit to China when he found himself flooded by questions from local female reporters about the series.

"They look at this as a window into New York City," he said.

With its glossy shoots at parks, restaurants, nightclubs and shops around the city, the series has been something of an international ambassador for New York, showing in more than 200 countries around the world, according to HBO. About one-third of "Sex and the City Hotspots" tour-goers are from outside the United States, says On Location Tours spokeswoman Cathy Epstein.

The city is looking to capitalize on that interest. NYC & Company is launching a Web site to help visitors plan a "Sex and the City"-themed visit, and is organizing sweepstakes for such trips in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Britain and around the U.S. On Location Tours is offering an opening-night package that includes its hotspots tour, the movie, and a cocktail party.

One company is charging visitors $15,000 and up for a luxurious four-day trip based on the show. Participants in the Destination on Location tour, launching the weekend the movie opens, will dine at restaurants frequented by Carrie and her friends, visit their favorite boutiques with personal stylists and even have the option to stop for some Botox injections.

Although their visit will be less extravagant, Walker and her three friends are also planning to walk in the footsteps of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte.

"There definitely will be some shoe shopping," she said of their upcoming getaway. "Minneapolis has the Mall of America, but it's nothing like SoHo."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-10 16:41:52
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38 comments

ldywench48 07:26:23 AM May 12 2008

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The show is fantastic. All the comments here for the most part are ridiculous. And yes I will go see the movie. Twogolfcats why are you so worried about other peoples daughters. This movie teaches nothing. It's about the lives of 4 professional business women and the lives they lead. If mothers do not want their daughters emmulating then THEN TURN THE F*CKING CHANNEL OR THE THE DAMED TV OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you don't likethe show...DEAL WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sparkster055 12:05:42 AM May 12 2008

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HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAW HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAWWW HE HA HE HAW HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAWWW HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAWW

zimmy1002 06:47:26 PM May 11 2008

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LIFE FORTUNATELY IS MADE UP OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE NOT JUST DULL WITTED CONSERVARATS WHO ARE SO INTO THEMSELVES THEY FORGET WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT.

thethree3titans 05:14:46 PM May 11 2008

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one of them is ugly.
one of them is a lesbian.
one of them is a porn star.
one of them is okay...

Why would anyone wanna watch this dumb movie?

sdave7596 05:10:48 PM May 11 2008

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WHo could watch this awful show? About a bunch of bed hopping ho's? Who cares?

vfcjac 04:56:52 PM May 11 2008

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Horseface is too full of herself. When she acted in Ed Wood she refused to meet with the real life wife of Ed, thought that the lady wasn't important. Your day will come, Hee Haw.

nodaybut2day1990 03:54:37 PM May 11 2008

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I LOVE THIS SHOW

JOJO

sparkster055 02:43:05 PM May 11 2008

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Horse Face is a butt ugly woman and the show is a joke

twogolfcats 01:31:00 PM May 11 2008

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Isnt the show a teaching method on how to be a Propers **** in the bussiness world??? It seems to me that it offers young women a way to become a Prostitute in a formal way of life!!!! What mother would want this way of life for her OWN daughter????- Its seems to me ALL those gals on this show were just above the world of *****!!!!

dwshill2 12:50:22 PM May 11 2008

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I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that so many men hate Sex in the City: history has shown that conservative men are threatened and annoyed by independent women. I'm a 34 year old straight dude living in Brooklyn who was a fan of the show. I don't own any DVDs or anything like that, and you won't find me rushing to the theater to see the movie, but the show was far from stupid or ridiculuous. If anything it showed that women could work, live, and love/lust like men - such truths should be obvious but to many it was new and indeed inspiring. Moreover, the fiercely independent women on this show realistically had to deal with how conservative morals and societal norms expected them to be, the guilt and confusion of which made for some of the best episodes.

cwp6432 12:44:24 PM May 11 2008

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What a pitiful life you must have. This is not real, you need to get a life of your own.

mrscellacat 12:29:42 PM May 11 2008

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For the men who think this show is dumb why bother to comment? You probably never seen the show and have no idea what you are talking about. SITC focused on woman in their 30's dating, shopping and being real friends. The show was a window into designer shoes, chic drinks and life in NYC which is fabulous. I for one will be on line lines waiting to see this movie along with my friends. This movie will be a blockbuster this summer.

mqtphoto 12:16:04 PM May 11 2008

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Whaaaaaat????

this show absolutely sucks.

Geez.

cotone1 12:10:29 PM May 11 2008

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"NEWS---************ not real... its a stupid t.v. show..get your own life going for real..
what is america becoming ? fantasy island for one's with no life other than t.v.?

user598486 10:53:05 AM May 11 2008

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I don't give a damn for a man who can spell a word only one way

MARK TWAIN

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