Owners of houses made famous by 'Sex and the City' and 'Breaking Bad' say living there is tough — and they've had enough
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- The owner of an NYC brownstone that plays a recurring role in "Sex and the City" is installing a gate to keep fans at bay.
- The owner of the New Mexico home used in "Breaking Bad" is selling after years of testy encounters with fans.
- A filmmaker who's chronicled famous homeowners said it can be "like living in a fishbowl."
This month, the owners of homes made famous by "Sex and the City" and "Breaking Bad" both said they were tired of the hordes of fans.
Manhattan resident Barbara Lorber, whose three-story brownstone was used as the exterior of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment in the TV and film versions of "Sex and the City," this week asked the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission for permission to install a gate to keep fans off her historic stoop.
"That house shouldn't be gated, but what was beautiful in the late 19th century is unfortunately in need of more protection in our century," Lorber, who appeared to be holding back tears, said at a hearing on Tuesday.
The commission approved a plan for a gate by architect Isidoro Cruz that will blend in with the other homes and structures in the West Village and Greenwich Village.
About 2,000 miles away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, homeowner Joanne Quintana recently listed her four-bedroom family home, which served as the exterior of drug-maker Walter White's home on the hit TV series "Breaking Bad."
Quintana originally had a friendly relationship with the home's fame, she told local news outlet KOB4. She baked cookies for actor Bryan Cranston, who played White, while he was shooting and welcomed early fan visits. But incidents including a bomb threat and bigger crowds of onlookers eventually made her conscious of the safety risks, she told KOB4.
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The house, which had been in her family since her parents bought it in 1973, is on the market at $4 million.
She said she thinks the house could become a full-time memorial to the show. The $4 million listing price, which is more than 10 times its estimated value according to Realtor.com, reflects her belief in the potential business opportunity.
"I hope they make it what the fans want. They want a B&B, they want a museum, they want access to it. Go for it," she told KOB4.
Living in iconic residences isn't for the faint of heart
Tommy Avallone has become an expert on living in famous homes.
In 2024, the New Jersey-based film director released a documentary "A House From…" which chronicled the real families living inside iconic homes from "Home Alone," "Back to the Future," and "Full House."
The movie shows how many famous-home residents adjusted their lifestyles, like the owner of the "Mrs. Doubtfire" house in San Francisco, who regularly entered through the back door to avoid crowds.
"It's a lot to handle. You're living in a fishbowl," Avallone told Business Insider.
Avallone, who has visited Lorber's "Sex and the City" brownstone multiple times, said he's not surprised she finally took action. He saw multiple fans simply step over the chain currently in place for privacy.
"I don't think people plan to be rude when they're there," Avallone said. "They're just so excited to meet this thing that they have a deep, personal connection with. All their manners go to the wayside."
Avallone said that, like celebrities themselves, the featured homes can be classified as A-list, B-list, or C-list. Less famous homes might be easier to live in, he said.
"Living in the 'Home Alone' house would be real tough, living in the 'Full House' house would be real tough," he said. "But the 'Roseanne' house might be perfectly fine."