I didn’t think I would have a lot to write about today.

Started off with my “Heart Attack on a Plate” bagel and then needed to go and buy a couple of things. Nothing exciting, just a memory card and a couple pair of shorts.

Came back to the hotel thinking I would go down to Time Square to take picture for a couple of hours before my tour.

Had a number of things that needed washing – but since I have no plug for the sink nor a bathtub, it was looking a little difficult. So I made the executive decision that I would send it out this time, and figure out where a Laundromat was for the next time.

Took the bag to the front desk and filled out the form – then I got to the prices…$4.00 to wash on pair of under ware…$13.00 to wash a top…I had 3 tops!!!!! My total bill would have come to around $70 for chuck 11 items in the washing machine! Couldn’t do it…and it was going to take 36 hours???!!!

Time Square was off – I was going to do my washing in a Laundromat. I was told that there was one on blah blah st – a few block away.

Anyway – long story short, after 30 minutes of searching, I couldn’t find the elusive Laundromat. However in the distance I saw a drycleaners. Fine, Ill take it there and deal with the Laundromat tomorrow.

Lovely Asian family – yes they can do it, do you want the tops hand washed (god no – then they will expect that kind of treatment at home!!) that comes to…$10.00!!!!! Love it!! Do you need it today? No – tomorrow is fine. LOVELY!!!

I had the Sex in the City tour today, so decided to go early and have a wander round shops I couldn’t even afford to walk into!!

Oooo – can I just say – one of the things I love about New York is the jay walking. Not only does everyone do it…its expected!!! When the light is going to change you get a count down from 20 to let you know that after that, its probably a good idea to look a bit more closely at the road. The cars will still stop for you (even if they have a green light) but, you know, better to be safe!!!

I love this!!! I am already a terribly jay walker in Brisbane, but there is always a possibility of getting a fine – here I am free to just…well, go!!

And I must be doing it about right. I have been stopped 3 times so far from people asking for directions…little do they know…

ANYWAY - I get to the meeting place for the tour. (Disclaimer: this next bit is a bit horrible, and really made me want to cry, so if you don’t want to hear about the horses at Central Park, skip to the next paragraph).

These poor poor horses were standing around in the blistering heat, and honestly the heat comes as much from the concrete as it does from the atmosphere. I think because of all the tall buildings the breeze struggles to cool most of New York. So I had to walk past about 15 horses who were saddled up with the carts, standing in the heat and direct sunlight and cant move around to even get comfortable. Horrible. None of them were thin, and I am sure they were well watered, but you cant get past the fact they were in direct sunlight and unable to move their legs around to get comfortable.

I think I must have been feeling a bit fragile, because I really wanted to cry.

To shift my focus I went to a toy store!!! F.A.O Schwarz. Yes the one were Tom Hanks played the chopstick on the huge piano mat.

It was pretty great – and I was tempted to purchase particularly lovely Great Dane (see below) but would have struggled to fit it in my suitcase. And it was so cheap – a mere $1495.00. Gotta love a bargain!!!

Next I found the hotel I was supposed to stay in. Clearly I got the name wrong, Hotel Pennsylvania vs. The Plaza…yes, I think my assistant screwed up and I may need to fire her!!!

For any of you who have seen the movie Eloise you will understand these pictures!

Also went downstairs to the food court they have underneath. It was pretty fabulous!

And I found this for you Crystal Healey!!!!

And then we have the tour…

It was brilliant! We drove through Midtown, Murray Hill, Gramercy, Meatpacking District, Greenwich, West Village, SoHo and Little Italy.

This first lot of pictures is Buddakan. From the outside it literally looks like a black box, and the owners were really happy to keep it as a word of mouth restaurant. But once it featured on S&TC it went crazy – and by crazy I mean CRAZY. A slow night for them is 950 people through the doors - oh and they only do dinner!!!

This is where Big & Carrie had their rehearsal dinner. It’s beautiful and not particularly expensive. It is right next to Chelsea Market– looked in the window and decided not to go in – I would have flagged the rest of the tour and just walked around!! This is where Iron Chef America and a bunch of other cooking shows are filmed!!!

Its pretty dark in there - hence the quality.

This photo is shows the location for the episode where Samantha imitates another woman to get them all into an exclusive spa – and its true…you need two recommendations from current member before you will be considered to be a member!! The glass on the roof is the pool area where they filmed.

And here is the door! The tour can't (and won't) take you there because it is an actual private residence…some poor buggers live there!!! Anyway – If you ask, they will tell you where it is. I happened to be standing there when someone asked! The whole street is beautiful…AND one of the brownstones (about 5 house down) is for sale…anyone keen??? Bugger - its already under contract!!

The Magnolia Bakery is about a 3 minute walk from the brownstone.

And in the next block is…yup…I went in. Sheila (that’s my mother for anyone who doesn’t know) don’t get scared by the charge on your credit card…they were half price…and as you know, the more they cost originally, the more money you save!!!

And here we have the bar – Scouts. Or as it really is – O’Nieal's!!

I had 2 cosmos and a lovely chat to a couple from Penrith!!! This bar is behind the old New York Police Department (you know, the one I am selling all of your kidneys so I can buy it!!) and apparently it was a speak easy for the police during the prohibition – so there is a tunnel from the previous NYPD to this bar so they could drink…

OK – some fun facts I learned:

·      The reason Charlotte left the gallery is because the space they used to film it is an actual gallery. The Louis K. Meisel Gallery When they first started filming the general going rate to hire a space (that was currently in use) was about $12k. When the owner of the gallery was asked if they could use the space he said “sure…for $17k” and this is a single use fee – not like, we’ll use it whenever we feel like it during the season! Ok so they said yes. Next series – we want/need to use the space again. “sure…for $28k”…Oooo-kay and they said yes. They needed to use it again and the answer was “ sure…for $38k” it was the last time they used it and had to write the job out – hence Charlotte decided to focus on “being a mother, finding a cure for aids and proving Miranda wrong.”

·      Sarah Jessica Parker was a co-producer from the first episode. This allowed her to determine whether nudity & swearing (for Carrie) was imperative to the storyline and if not she could veto it. Amongst other things she got to take home…EVERY OUTFIT SHE EVER WORE…when you think back, she changed outfits at least 4 times an EPISODE!!!

·      There is a mistake in the opening sequence to every episode – have a look at one and see if you can see it…I am ashamed to say, even when I was told when and where to look – I still missed it…!!!

·      The opening sequence was filmed with SJP in 5 different outfits, but only the one that was chosen worked with the bus and the water. Apparently that outfit was the least favorite for everyone, but they have no choice!

·      Carrie learns about being able to get married at the New YorkPublic Library by returning overdue books. This particular library is a research only library – you can not borrow from it!

·      You too can have your wedding at the library…for the small sum of $40k to hire the area…Yup – that’s just for the space!!

·      Much of the filing of the final episode (when Carrie is in Paris) was done in New York – they were trying to stop people leaking what they thought was going to happen!

·      Until Samantha moved into the Meatpacking District – it was a shithole and no one wanted to go there!!! As soon as she moved there, a huge number of fashion designers moved their flagstaff stores there. Now its is a MAJOR area and freaking expensive!

·      Every time a business was mentioned in the show (which was a few times!) the business went crazy – see above with Buddkan.

·      Tiffany’s has been the focus of many films and tv shows. However it has only been filmed in once – Breakfast atTiffany’s. After that it was decided it was a security risk. So while Tray & Charlotte walk past the real thing, anything else is a set.

·      When the four girls are in a scene together where they are talking and eating/drinking, it is called a “chat & chew” (I think that’s right!!) and the scene, which is usually only a small portion of the episode, takes, wait for it…wait…14 hours to film!!! 14 frikken hours! They need to shoot the outside of the restaurant, a pan shot, a wide shot inside then the actual speaking bit. That needs to be done on Carrie as a tight shot, and medium shot and a wider shot. So they need to do the exact same thing each time (don’t forget about the mistakes!!!) and then…they do that for EACH character!!!!! And that’s 14 hours!!!

·      My tour guide was in the secondS&TC movie – at Samantha’s birthday party when she said they are all going to Abu Dhabi (which is filmed in a cleared out, very posh shop which I can't remember the name of!!). She is apparently seen every time Miranda is shot – the chick behind…I will take that celebrity!!

Well – that’s about it from the tour – I am sure there is plenty more that I have not retained.

We got dropped off at Bryant Park, which happened to have a feature on. Yes this is a picture of a relatively small park – I’m trying to think of an equivalent…maybe less than a quarter of Hawthorne Park?? Anyway – I suppose you can see from the photos it’s not huge, but here we have a Monday night, in summer in NYC. The place is freaking packed!!! And then around it are tables and lights and people!! It’s lovely. The movie was Saturday Night Fever.

So there we go – another interesting day in NYC!! Big day tomorrow, 9/11 Memorial Museum, Wall St & Financial District, Police Museum & Bullets Over Broadway!!! I was contemplating hanging outside Stage Door to see how much of a tool I could make out of myself, then heard lots of people do it so decided against it, then heard they are usually really lovely and gracious and give autographs and pose for pictures…so its back on!!! Well…let’s see how I go with Zach Braff tomorrow and then re-evaluate!!!

Sheila – just jokes about the shoes – they were $1250.00 half price…I did not take the advise of one of the other customers when she said they were an investment and I could just wear them to posh do’s…!!!!!!! Ha ha – they’d be ruined in a week!!!