Visit the Ghostbusters Firehouse and the Sex and the City Stoop in One Day

Where exactly are the Ghostbusters firehouse and the Sex and the City stoop?

Two of the most photographed facades in New York sit less than a mile and a half apart in Lower Manhattan.

Hook & Ladder 8 is at 14 North Moore Street in Tribeca, on the corner of Varick Street. This is the exterior used as Ghostbusters headquarters in the 1984 original, the 1989 sequel, and 2016’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. It is a real, working FDNY firehouse. The Ghostbusters logo is painted on the sidewalk out front, and there is a small “Ghostbusters” sign on the building. You can photograph the exterior anytime. If the bay doors are open and the crew isn’t on a call, firefighters are generally friendly about a quick look inside, but this is not guaranteed and never an obligation on their part.

66 Perry Street is in the West Village, at the corner of Perry and Bleecker Streets. This brownstone’s stoop served as the exterior of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment throughout all six seasons of Sex and the City and both films. The building is a private residence. The homeowners have placed a chain and small sign across the stoop asking visitors not to sit on the steps. Photograph from the sidewalk and keep noise down.

How do I walk between the two locations?

Start at the Ghostbusters firehouse. Head north on Varick Street. Turn left (west) on Houston Street, then right (north) on Hudson Street. Follow Hudson into the heart of the West Village. Turn left on Perry Street. 66 Perry is on your right, just before Bleecker.

Total distance: about 1.3 miles. Walking time: 25 minutes at a comfortable pace. The route is flat, sidewalk the entire way, and stroller and wheelchair accessible.

Alternatively, take the 1 train from Franklin Street station (one block from the firehouse) one stop north to Houston Street, then walk west on Houston and north on Hudson. Saves about 10 minutes of walking.

What’s the best route and schedule for a full pop culture day?

Here is a tested itinerary that hits both landmarks plus several bonus stops, all on foot.

Morning (start around 9:30 AM)

1. Hook & Ladder 8, 14 North Moore Street. Arrive early for clean photos with no crowds. Spend 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Bubby’s, 120 Hudson Street. Three-minute walk. Solid brunch spot in Tribeca. Pancakes are the move.
3. Walk north on Hudson Street through the West Village.

Late Morning

1. Friends apartment building, 90 Bedford Street (corner of Grove Street). The exterior of Monica and Rachel’s building. It is about a 20-minute walk from the firehouse, and directly on your route to Perry Street.
2. 66 Perry Street (Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop). Five-minute walk from 90 Bedford. Quick photos from the sidewalk.

Early Afternoon

1. Magnolia Bakery, 401 Bleecker Street. One block from 66 Perry. Famous before Sex and the City, immortalized by it. Get the banana pudding.
2. The Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street. A few blocks east. National monument and living landmark.
3. Browse vintage shops along Bleecker and Christopher Streets (see shopping section below).

Afternoon

1. Washington Square Park. The arch, the fountain, the chess players. Featured in countless films from When Harry Met Sally to I Am Legend.
2. Walk east to Katz’s Delicatessen, 205 East Houston Street (about 20 minutes from the park). Yes, that scene from When Harry Met Sally was filmed here. The table is marked with a sign that reads “Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had!” Get the pastrami on rye. No substitutions.

Total walking for the full itinerary: roughly 3.5 miles over the course of the day.

Can you recommend a movie and TV-focused walking route through Greenwich Village?

The route above covers the essentials, but here are additional Greenwich Village film locations you can weave in:

• 11 St. Luke’s Place. The exterior of the Huxtable brownstone from The Cosby Show (also used as the exterior in the original Ghostbusters for Dana Barrett’s apartment building in some establishing shots).
• 75 1/2 Bedford Street. The narrowest house in New York City, 9.5 feet wide. Featured in various films and worth a look.
• Cafe Wha?, 115 MacDougal Street. Not a filming location per se, but a Greenwich Village institution where Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Bruce Springsteen played early gigs.
• The Waverly Inn, 16 Bank Street. Old-school Village dining that has appeared in Gossip Girl and various films.

All of these are within a 10-minute walk of Washington Square Park.

Where are the best thrift stores and vintage shops in Chelsea and Greenwich Village?

Since you are already in the neighborhood, hit these between your pop culture stops:

• Beacon’s Closet, 10 West 13th Street. Large, well-curated selection of secondhand designer and vintage. Prices are fair.
• L Train Vintage, 204 1st Avenue (East Village, slight detour). Affordable vintage by the pound on certain days.
• Stella Dallas Living, 218 Thompson Street. Tiny shop, excellent vintage housewares and clothing from the ’60s and ’70s.
• Housing Works Thrift Shop, 143 West 17th Street (Chelsea). High-quality donations, often designer. All proceeds support people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Buffalo Exchange, 114 West 26th Street (Chelsea). Reliable for contemporary secondhand at good prices.

Most of these open at 11 AM or noon. Plan your vintage shopping for the afternoon leg of the itinerary.

Are there guided pop culture tours that cover these spots?

Yes. Several operators run dedicated TV and film walking tours through Lower Manhattan:

• On Location Tours offers a “Sex and the City Hotspots” bus and walking tour and a “NYC TV & Movie Tour” that covers dozens of locations including the Ghostbusters firehouse.
• Free Tours by Foot runs a tip-based Greenwich Village TV and movie walking tour.
• Inside Out Tours offers small-group walks focused on specific shows.

Guided tours typically run 2 to 3 hours and cost between $30 and $60 per person. They are worth it if you want behind-the-scenes stories and guaranteed you won’t miss anything. But both the firehouse and the stoop are easy to visit independently with nothing more than a map.

Tips only a local would tell you

• Do not block the firehouse bay doors. Hook & Ladder 8 is an active station. If the alarm sounds, move immediately. This is not negotiable.
• 66 Perry Street gets the most foot traffic on weekends between 11 AM and 3 PM. Go early on a weekday for a clean shot.
• The Ghostbusters sidewalk logo is on the North Moore Street side, not the Varick Street side. Look down.
• Subway strategy: The 1 train connects Franklin Street (Tribeca) to Christopher Street/Sheridan Square (West Village) in one stop. Use it if the weather turns.
• Combine with the High Line. The southern entrance at Gansevoort Street is a 10-minute walk from 66 Perry Street. Walk the High Line north through Chelsea and hit the Chelsea thrift shops on the way down.