Tour follows the footsteps of Carrie and Co.

By Kaitlin MacRae

Welcome to the world of Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda, where the fashion is fierce, the friends are forever, the men are gorgeous and, of course, the sex is great. 


Rider’s Student Entertainment Council (SEC) is devoting this weekend to Sex and the City, the iconic HBO series that has attracted throngs of adoring fans since its beginning in 1998 through its current run in syndication. 


The show chronicles the lives of the four New Yorkers as they search for love in the city that never sleeps.

Tomorrow, Rider students can get their own taste of the Big Apple on the “Sex and the City Hotspots Tour,” which includes visits to more than 40 locations throughout Manhattan, where the show and movie were filmed. 


“Most people are under the impression that everything is filmed in Hollywood and they have sets that recreate N.Y.C., or wherever a certain show takes place,” said Nicole States, SEC off-campus chair.

“This tour not only proves that the actual filming was in N.Y.C., but also gives you the feeling that you are in Sex and the City with your friends, following in the characters’ footsteps,” she said.

The 3½-hour guided tour runs weeklong, stopping at popular places central to both the show’s and the movie’s plots, as well as classic New York staples. 
 

“I am a huge fan of the show and have all the seasons on DVD,” States said. “How can you not love Carrie Bradshaw and company? I’m most looking forward to seeing the actual locations where filming took place.” 
 

The tour follows in the chic shoes of the show’s stars. Students who attend will get a chance to visit places like the famous Magnolia Bakery, where Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) ate delicious cupcakes. 
 
“I think it’s going to be pretty cool to see the places I watched on TV,” said Jenny Benack, president of SEC.
 

Other destinations include the art gallery in SoHo where Charlotte (Kristin Davis) worked, as well as the church in which Samantha (Kim Cattrall) attempted to seduce “The Friar.” Guests might also catch a glimpse of Carrie’s apartment building, stop at Aidan’s —Carrie’s one-time fiancé — furniture store and even shop at the designer stores where the girls dropped some serious cash on some serious style. 
 

Even those who aren’t big fans of the show can have fun; after all, it’s a chance to see and learn more about the revered city. 
 

“[It’s] a good way to get people get off campus and get to hang out in New York for the day,” Benack said. 
 

And in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, well, “that’s just fantastic.” 


The bus for the “Sex and the City Hotspots Tour” departs from the Bart Luedeke Center at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20.