Sarah Jessica Parker filming "Sex and the City 2." Photo: Jennifer Graylock, JPIstudios.com
Appropriately outfitted in a pair of pink heels, I clicked and clacked my way to the subway for a 70 block ride uptown to the Madison Avenue location of the first day of "Sex and the City 2" filming.
After disembarking from the train, with digital camera and BlackBerry in hand, I could tell I was close when I saw the massive crowd from over three blocks away.
Here's the scoop:
- A dozen Jeep stretch limos and even more massive movie trailers took over several blocks -- up to the corner of 84th Street and 5th Avenue (aka "Museum Mile"). They were stationed next to the prestigious all-girls Catholic school Mary Mount and across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where tourists sat sunning themselves, oblivious to the commotion.
- As I walked across the street, I noticed that the overwhelmingly female crowd was frantically pushing its way forward with cameras a'flashing, necks, a'craining and mobile devices in position.
- After fighting my way through the fashionable mosh pit, I finally caught a glimpse of the glamorously-attired Sarah Jessica Parker. The actress stood under a green and white striped awning and was all "Carrie Bradshaw-ed out" in a knee-length white dress and giant gold aviator sunglasses that made her look a bit like a haute bumble bee. (If anyone can pull those off, she can!) She also grasped a gold clutch, which I found out upon returning to work was by Chanel.
- In that moment's pivotal scene, I got to watch the iconic character perform one of her more classic traits! With her long wavy blonde hair blowing in the wind, she hailed a taxi right in front of me! (Thank god I squeezed my way to the front.)
- The crowd goes wild! At least I think they do. After SJP speeds away in a cab, hordes of nearby tourists chat excitedly in languages that I couldn't even attempt to decipher.
- With the exception of this guy..."Is she really that big of a star?" grumbled an older man as he pushed his way past. (Clearly he's more of a Miranda fan.) A dutiful young man meanwhile attempts to fulfill his wife's request for an on-the-scene photo by snapping away furiously directly overhead.
Sarah Jessica Parker under a green and white striped awning while shooting "Sex and the City 2" on Madison Avenue in NYC. Photo: Lindsey Schickner
Just another day at the office, I guess...