Miranda Priestly was spitting facts when she said, \u201cEverybody wants this. Everyone wants to be us.\u201d It\u2019s me. I\u2019m everyone.<\/p>\n
Ever since The Devil Wears Prada was released in 2006, I\u2019ve dreamt of having a fashion career like Andy Sachs\u2019<\/a>. I\u2019ve also memorized the dialogue like scripture. (Cue the \u201ccerulean\u201d<\/a> monologue.) And now that the sequel is in theaters<\/a>, I know I\u2019m not the only one thinking about stepping into her Chanel boots<\/a>. The best way to get a taste of the job a million girls would kill for? By curating your own Devil Wears Prada-themed afternoon in New York City.<\/p>\n Andy\u2019s short-lived Runway tenure was far from glam. She often found herself literally running around the city, catering to her boss\u2019s unreasonable demands. But uneaten food orders and unreleased Harry Potter manuscripts<\/a> aside, the film was basically a love letter to NYC, as much as it was to the fashion industry at large. So, I made a day out of visiting some of the OG movie\u2019s most memorable filming locations.<\/p>\n Below, you\u2019ll find my multi-stop, Devil Wears Prada-inspired tour of Manhattan. Can confirm: Seeing the Runway office building IRL gave me goosebumps, and eating at Nate\u2019s place of work made me a little nostalgic for him (don\u2019t @ me<\/a>).<\/p>\n But First, Brunch<\/p>\n Andy\u2019s ex-boyfriend Nate<\/a> worked at Bubby\u2019s<\/a> as an aspiring chef, so it was one of her regular haunts. (Remember the scene where Andy was waiting for Nate post-makeover, and he almost didn\u2019t recognize her?) Though they\u2019re no longer together, she clearly didn\u2019t break up with the famed restaurant. It makes another cameo in the sequel, as a hangout spot for Andy and her new friends. <\/p>\n While you can make reservations throughout the week, the weekend is on a strictly walk-in basis. Be warned: There will most likely be a line around the block for brunch \u2014 I waited about 20-30 minutes after a 50-minute trip from my apartment in Brooklyn, so I was extra hungry \u2014 but Bubby\u2019s brunch is a must.<\/p>\n Alyssa Lapid<\/p>\n As with most NYC places, make sure your entire party is present, or they won\u2019t seat you. I ordered their signature fried chicken and pancakes ($29) with a bloody mary ($15) and I\u2019m still dreaming about all of it.<\/p>\n Retail Therapy<\/p>\n To cosplay properly as Andy, I figured I\u2019d also hit some of the places that Andy had to go to as Assistant No. 2 \u2014 Calvin Klein included. In the film, Miranda orders Andy to get \u201c10 or 15 skirts\u201d from the label, and both Andy and Emily scramble to decipher what she wanted exactly. (You never ask Miranda clarifying questions.) <\/p>\n Alyssa Lapid<\/p>\n So I walked 17 minutes from TriBeCa to SoHo and hit up CK. Unfortunately, there were barely any skirts in the store; mostly Calvin\u2019s denim and underwear. I would\u2019ve immediately failed my task. <\/p>\n A Pilgrimage To Prada 20th Century Fox<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t do a DWP itinerary without hitting the \u201cP\u201d of it all: Prada. So I headed out to the SoHo branch, which was a block away, and began my pilgrimage. The two-story shop featured bags and menswear on the first floor, and womenswear and shoes on the lower floor. <\/p>\n Alyssa LapidAlyssa LapidAlyssa Lapid<\/p>\n It was so fun going through the racks of TDF clothes and imagining what Miranda would wear (and what *I* would if I had her budget). Ultimately, I think she\u2019d go for the Buckle bags<\/a> and more structured clothes. <\/p>\n The Fashion HQ (aka The Runway Office)<\/p>\n The RW subway line was right beside Prada, so I took it 20 minutes up to Midtown, where Runway\u2019s HQ is located. The fictional glossy used the McGraw-Hill Building at 1221 Avenue of the Americas as its office, so you might recognize the facade and its revolving doors. <\/p>\n Unfortunately, it\u2019s currently undergoing a facelift, so there\u2019s scaffolding in front. That didn\u2019t stop me from reading my copy of Runway magazine outside on a bench.<\/p>\n My Dream Date. Cute.<\/p>\n The next hot spot on my agenda was a 17-minute train ride (BDFM line this time) to the American Museum of Natural History in the Upper West Side. It\u2019s where the gala was held in the first film \u2014 you know, the one where Andy proves her worth by whispering guests\u2019 names in Miranda\u2019s ear, while Emily was sick and blanking out. <\/p>\n It\u2019s also the filming location of the Met Gala-like opening scene in the sequel, with the cheeky theme \u201cSpring Florals.\u201d (I still can\u2019t believe Miranda approved *that*.) While the IRL Met Gala typically takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of New York, production used the Natural History Museum\u2019s facade and steps. <\/p>\n The museum closes at 5:30 p.m., so make sure you leave yourself enough time to wander. If you\u2019re into animals and nature, this is a must-visit, with dinosaur skeletons, wildlife vignettes, and a gallery of insect photography, among other attractions. A very cute spot for a wholesome date. <\/p>\n Power Dinner<\/p>\n Then it was time for a 15-minute Uber ride from the museum to Smith & Wollensky, an NYC institution in Midtown East; this is where Miranda gets her daily power-lunch steak from. (I still think about the moment when Andy tossed it in the sink. *shivers*) So I made a reservation for dinner to find out whether I\u2019d enjoy the same meal as Runway\u2019s icy editor-in-chief.<\/p>\n Alyssa Lapid<\/p>\n