Candace Bushnell probably had no idea what she was starting when she sat down to write her column for the New York Observer in 1994. It was just a job. A gig. But then Darren Star got his hands on it. HBO took a massive gamble on a show about four women talking about things women "weren't supposed to talk about." And honestly? Television changed.
The legacy of Sex and the City isn't just about the shoes or the Cosmos, though Manolo Blahnik definitely owes his retirement fund to Sarah Jessica Parker. It’s about how the show shifted the perspective of the female gaze in media. We weren't just looking at women as wives or mothers; we were looking at them as people with desires, flaws, and very expensive rent-controlled apartments.
The Reality Check on the SATC Lifestyle
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the money. Carrie Bradshaw was a freelance columnist writing one article a week. Just one. In the late nineties, even a top-tier column at a major paper might pull in $1,000 to $1,500. After taxes, that barely covers a pair of Jimmy Choos, let alone an Upper East Side brownstone and three meals a day at Balthazar.
It’s a fantasy. We know that now.
But the show wasn't trying to be a documentary on New York City economics. It was a fairy tale. Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones was the knight in shining armor who rescued herself. Kristin Davis’s Charlotte York was the traditionalist who realized that "happily ever after" requires a lot of messy compromise. Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda Hobbes was the one we all actually became: cynical, overworked, and fueled by TiVo and Chinese takeout.
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People still argue over the "Big" vs. "Aidan" debate. It’s the ultimate personality test. If you want the thrill of the chase, you're a Big person. If you want a man who can actually fix your floors, you’re an Aidan person. But looking back, maybe the real answer was always John Corbett’s dog, Pete. He was the only one who didn't cause a mental breakdown.
Why the Fashion Was a Character of Its Own
Patricia Field is a genius. Period.
She didn't just dress the actors; she told stories with fabric. Think about the tutu in the opening credits. It cost $5 in a bargain bin. That single piece of clothing became a symbol of the show's DNA: high-low mixing, fearless individuality, and a refusal to dress for the male gaze. Carrie wore bird hats and belts over her bare stomach because she liked it.
The fashion served as a visual language for their emotional states. When Carrie was depressed in Paris, she was swallowed by a massive Versace "Mille Feuille" gown that looked like a cloud of sadness. When Miranda wanted to show she was a partner at a law firm, her power suits were armor.
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The Cultural Shift and "And Just Like That..."
The revival series, And Just Like That..., has been polarizing. That’s an understatement. Some fans hate it. Some find it refreshing to see women in their 50s navigating grief, sexuality, and aging without the glossy "everything is fine" veneer of the original.
Losing Samantha Jones felt like a limb was missing. Let's be real. The chemistry of the original four was lightning in a bottle. You can't just replace the sexual powerhouse of the group with "podcast culture" and expect it to feel the same. However, the show is trying to address the lack of diversity in the original run. New York is a melting pot, and the 90s version of the show was, well, very white.
The addition of characters like Seema Patel (played by Sarita Choudhury) has actually brought back some of that old-school SATC glamour. Seema is arguably the most "original flavor" character in the new era—unapologetic, wealthy, and fiercely independent.
The Real Stars: The Filming Locations
If you visit Manhattan today, you'll still see crowds of tourists on Perry Street.
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66 Perry St. isn't actually on the Upper East Side, but it’s the site of the famous stoop. The neighbors hate the foot traffic, but that’s the power of the brand. Magnolia Bakery owes its global empire to a thirty-second clip of Carrie and Miranda eating cupcakes on a bench.
The show was a love letter to a version of New York that was disappearing even as it was being filmed. The Meatpacking District went from actual meat lockers to high-end boutiques during the show's run. Sex and the City didn't just reflect the city; it accelerated its gentrification.
Actionable Takeaways for the Modern Fan
If you're revisiting the series or diving in for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch for the symbolism in the shoes. Every time Carrie loses a shoe or has one stolen (the "A Woman's Right to Shoes" episode), it represents a loss of control or identity.
- Don't take the dating advice literally. This was pre-Tinder. The rules of "The Burger" or "The Post-it" don't quite apply to the world of Hinge, but the emotional fallout is universal.
- Pay attention to the background characters. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood had cameos before they were famous. Bradley Cooper, Justin Theroux, and Elizabeth Banks all popped up.
- Separate the art from the artist. Much has been made of the off-screen feud between SJP and Kim Cattrall. It's okay to love the friendship on screen while acknowledging the reality was different.
- Visit the real spots. If you go to NYC, skip the tourist traps and go to Raoul’s or The Russian Tea Room. They still capture that specific mood the show perfected.
The show remains a touchstone because at its core, it isn't about sex. It's about the intimacy of friendship. Boyfriends come and go, but the core group is the "soulmate" connection. That’s a sentiment that hasn't aged a day.