You Bought That House—Now Deal With the Tourists

You buy a house at an address so famous that tourists travel thousands of miles just to take a selfie in front of it.

Then, shocker, you get mad when they do.

That’s the situation unfolding at 64 Perry Street in NYC, better known as Carrie Bradshaw’s brownstone from Sex and the City. The current owner is apparently fed up with the daily parade of fans, influencers, and confused Gen Z TikTokers trying to understand why women in the ‘90s thought buying shoes instead of paying rent was aspirational.

I get it. Nobody wants a bunch of strangers loitering outside their house, taking selfies, and occasionally ringing the doorbell like they’re dropping off brunch for Samantha.

You didn’t buy a quiet suburban cul-de-sac home in Connecticut. You purchased real estate at one of the most recognizable addresses in pop culture. What did you think was going to happen?

People act like their home is their personal fortress. And sure, it is—until it becomes a cultural landmark. Then it’s part home, part Instagram backdrop.

You can stand at the window scowling all you want, but that won’t stop the hordes.

Honestly, most people don’t even need a pop culture connection to get weird about their curbside space. Just pull over in front of a random house for two minutes to check Google Maps. The owner will materialize at the window like an over-caffeinated golden retriever. Try ringing a doorbell? You’d think you were demanding a medieval toll to cross their drawbridge.

This guy isn’t alone. Buying a famous house is a life sentence of tourist-induced rage. The Breaking Bad house owners had to put up a giant fence because people kept throwing pizzas on the roof (respect to the dedication, though). The folks who bought the Full House home in San Francisco had to deal with constant crowds recreating the opening credits like it was a religious pilgrimage. The Brady Bunch house? Same problem—endless gawkers wanting to relive their childhood while some poor homeowner just wants to take out the trash in peace. And let’s not forget the nightmare of the Amityville Horror house, where the real horror was homeowners trying to get people to stop snapping pics like it’s a murder-themed Airbnb.

The solution? Accept your fate. If you buy a house that comes with pop culture baggage, you have two choices: Lean in or move out. Put up a sign charging people $5 for a selfie. Start selling themed lattes. Get a cutout of yourself looking miserable and let that be the photo op. But standing on the stoop yelling at Sex and the City fans? That's just getting Carrie'd away.