It might have been lights, camera, action inside Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour's private fundraiser for President Obama last night, but outside, on the corner of West 4th and Charles Street, it was more dogs, barricades and disgruntled neighbors.

The night was warm, the police were plentiful, and The Observer waited on the curb for the president to arrive. Standing behind the police line on Charles and West 4th, it felt like a spontaneous summer block-party.

A group of longtime West Villagers reminisced on the state of the neighborhood pre-Magnolia and Marc. "I remember when Bleecker was all mom and pop shops. When there were actually artists in the Village." Another resident chimed in, "Yeah. I remember —"

Nostalgia was cut short when a small tour group from Hong Kong, marching down West 4th toward Charles, eyes wide and cameras in tow, stopped and asked The Observer, "What's going on here?" "President Obama is having dinner at Sarah Jessica Parker's house," we answered. In disbelief and in unison, they turned to one another and shouted, "Carrie!"

As much anticipation as there was to see the president, or other famous faces, there was just as much if not more frustration from SJP's neighbors — toting laundry bags, late for a meeting, sweaty from exercising — who weren't allowed past the police barricade.

"I live right there, on Charles. Why can't you let me in?! This is ridiculous!" a woman told a cop manning a barricade on the northwest corner of the intersection. "Ma'am, ma'am. Calm down, please! The president is inside," the cop barked back. "So what!" she yelled. "Tough luck, honey."

By 6:45, more president-sighting hopefuls and angry neighbors had amassed at the barricades, some taking photos and others making hasty "I'm going to be late" calls on their iPhones. More police motorcycles pulled up to the corner. A dozen or so more police officers neared the scene. A couple SUVs of what looked like Secret Service pulled up. A helicopter was heard overhead. Obama was about to arrive.

On tip-toe, the crowd hushed, necks strained, waiting. But, alas, we were duped: the president had bypassed all crowds, taking a route from Bleecker down Charles.

There was a collective sigh among us. "Well, that's that." Even those pretending not to care seemed disappointed.

Once the president was in, a barricade opened across Charles, and The Observer squeezed through, hoping to catch a peek of the scene. At first the only thing visible chez Parker-Broderick was a giant tent-like protective canopy that went from their stoop to the other side of the street. That, and four or five snipers crouching on the roof.

Then we looked up to find Matthew Broderick. He slipped into a town car to make it to Broadway to perform in Nice Work If You Can Get It.

A few minutes later, Aretha Franklin, decked out in a silvery gown, was on the corner, only to be ushered quickly into another of the myriad black town cars and driven from the premises.

A cop manning the barricade on the sidewalk near SJP's townhouse had been there since 8AM and let us in on some of the gossip. "Meryl Streep, she's definitely in there." We wondered if maybe both devils were wearing Prada.

The cop seemed like she was going to give more details, but then a ramshackle crew of about 30 Occupy types walked around the corner of Perry Street and down West 4th, yelling "Mic check!"

"We wanna make sure that Barry gets his corporate money," an activist holding an "Obama = CorpWhore, Obama = War Criminal" sign told The Observer. And thoughts on SJP? "Aw, what an airhead. Boycott Sarah Jessica, boycott Sex and the City!!"

At that point, a Tory Burch-clad lady sipping what looked like a Kir Royale on the patio of Extra Virgin, a restaurant on West 4th, piped up. "Hey, leave Sarah Jessica alone. And, Corporate America, we work for them." Her protest, however, was short-lived. She sat down and went back to her drink, and the protesters rallied on.

By now it was nearing 8:15.  The police were getting tired. "Man, they told me I'd get off work by 4:00 this afternoon, 4:30 tops. Forget it. I'm starved. Don't talk to me unless you're gonna give me a piece of pizza," an officer joked.  The neighbors were getting even more frustrated. A Charles Street resident to our right was "very late" for a date. Even the protestors seemed to be petering out.

But at about 8:45 we heard a helicopter overhead and the revving-up of NYPD motorcycles and cars. The protestors ran around the corner to Bleecker, where it seemed the president's motorcade would be exiting. And so it ended. Obama left, heading uptown for another event at the Plaza Hotel with Mariah Carey.

Suddenly someone behind us shouted, "Look! There's a layperson walking down Charles!"