New York, June 17 : New fans and critics of Sex and the City are born every day. The series, which premiered on HBO in 1998, spawned six seasons, two movies and two seasons of the reboot And Just Like That. When the show was added to Netflix in April, it gained a whole new audience. Now younger generations are discovering it for the first time, weighing whether they’re a Carrie, a Charlotte, a Miranda or a Samantha.

The introduction of the beloved show to a new crop of younger viewers sparked strong feelings online among its existing fan base. Some expressed terror that first-time audiences would “cancel” the series for being outdated.

Aside from an essay from a Gen Z-er dubbing it “cringey” and a few new memes about Carrie Bradshaw’s self-centeredness, most people recognized it for what it was: 25 years old. 

As someone who was introduced to the show via streaming service, I wanted to hear from longtime fans and revisit the magic of the show’s friend quartet. Carrie once walked 48 blocks in $400 shoes, but she’s a stronger woman than I am, so I hopped in an On Location Tours van to see the show’s iconic set locations. After all, New York City is the fifth main character of the show.

The tour, like the series, was for mature audiences only. Raunchy jokes from the group’s self-proclaimed Samantha flew without discretion, as did mentions of the gang’s sexploits. Of the 15 people who joined the tour, there were at least three chaotic Carries, four high-strung Mirandas and zero traditional Charlottes. In case you were wondering, yes, I’m a Carrie.  Primo, a longtime fan (and a fellow Carrie), watched the series on VHS and DVD right after its initial run ended in 2004. He introduced his soon-to-be-husband Frank to the show, and he also fell in love. (My fellow tourgoers asked me not to use their last names in the story for privacy reasons.)  “The only reason I wanted to visit New York was because of the show,” Primo told me. “I saw all those hot spots and I thought, ‘Oh my god, I want to live there.’” 

While he didn’t jump ship for New York immediately, after 14 years with Frank, they decided to leave their family members behind in Texas to come to New York for the Sex and the City-inspired wedding of their dreams. While they wanted to get married on the steps of the New York Public Library — just feet away from Carrie’s ill-fated attempt at a first wedding — they settled on Central Park instead. A small group of wedding guests joined them on the tour one day before the ceremony. 

"Our tour boarded right next to the park at the Plaza Hotel’s fountain, where Carrie once confronted Mr. Big over his engagement to another woman. Our guide Amanda shared behind-the-scenes facts and pointed out touring locations down Fifth Avenue. There was a hot dog stand similar to the spot where Carrie was standing in a tutu when she was splashed by a bus in the show’s opening credits, a restaurant that used to be another restaurant where the friends hung out one time and a weather worn-church where Samantha met one of the few men who wouldn’t sleep with her because he was a priest."

Our first stop was the West Village brownstone where Carrie lived throughout the original series. We quietly took photos, but the buzz of passersby and the excitement of the location overcame a few of my fellow tourists.  A neighbor stepped out of his door and firmly said, “This is five minutes of fun for you, but it’s all day for us. Please be quiet.” We shuffled back to the van.