Sex and the City

8. City Hall

New York, NY

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Big, or John, tells Carrie that he would be perfectly happy just marrying her at City Hall. Not as fabulous as originally planned, but there is something to be said for the simplicity. City Hall is located all the way downtown, in the southern part of Manhattan, also known as Lower Manhattan. It was first built in 1812, and is a National Historic Landmark. Both the inside and the outside are New York City Landmarks. It is the oldest City Hall in the US that still houses its original offices, including the Mayor's office. The first City Hall was built in the 1600s by the Dutch, near Pearl Street, also in Lower Manhattan. The second was completed in 1700 and sat on Wall and Nassau Streets, in Lower Manhattan. After the Revolutionary War, New York became the capital of the US for one year, and City Hall's name was changed to Federal Hall. George Washington was inaugurated as the first US President in front of this building. The City later held a competition in 1802 for the design and construction of the third city hall building, with the first prize receiving $350. Joseph Francois Mangin and John McComb, Jr, won. They designed the structure in French Renaissance style for the exterior with American-Georgian architecture in the interior. Construction was completed in 1812 and although the building was altered many times, it has retained its magnificence. Today, City Hall is used for hosting not only weddings like Carrie and John's, but press conferences in the Blue Room and political demonstrations. It also has been featured in the movies City Hall (starring Al Pacino and John Cusack) and Ghostbusters.