Morning Upper East Siders, have I got a treat for you! XOXO
Gossip Girl is an iconic show with something of a cult following, even ten years after its debut and five years after its finale. Any fan of the show would love to go to New York and see all the hot spots from the show for themselves, from the iconography of the bright red Hotel Empire sign to the place Blair likes to get her macarons.
After trawling through a ton of GG NYC guides last year before my trip to New York, I was finding that each page only had the same few obvious spots like the Met Steps, and I had to go to a million different pages to compile a good enough, extensive list of places from the show. That’s why I’ve decided to put everything I can into one guide – the ultimate guide – so you can visit all the places S, B, N, C, Lonely Boy and Little J did.
All the other guides I’ve seen have about ten locations and I’ve managed to gather 36. Five or six a day over the course of a week’s trip anyone?
So, here we have it. Live out all of your Gossip Girl fuelled dreams during your New York City visit and pretend you’re Blair Waldorf for a day (I know I do even when I’m not in NY).
PS: Spoilers ahead.
GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
Location: 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017
I am so sad because I didn’t go in to take pics when I went to New York last year, although I’m going back again next Summer and you bet this is top of my agenda. Anyway, how could I not begin this post with the place where it all began? And by it, I mean Gossip Girl – Serena spotted at Grand Central by Lonely Boy. And the rest, as they say, was history.
THE ‘MET STEPS’
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
It would be a crime, as a fan of GG, to visit New York and not go sit on the steps of the Met as Queen B often did during her days at Constance, and after too, when she needed to relive her reigning moments.
MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Location: 1220 5th Ave & 103rd St, New York, NY 10029
The exterior Museum of the City of New York was used as the exterior of the schools that Blair, Serena, Nate, Chuck, Dan and Jenny went to – Constance Billard and St Jude’s.
THE PLAZA
Location: 768 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019
One of my all time favourite moments from the whole entire show has to be during the season two finale when Chuck finally tells Blair he loves her. My ice heart really does get melted by those two. It happens outside the Plaza so it’s worth a visit in case your very own CB wants to pull up by you on the street and gift you with stockings and peonies and the lot before declaring his love. Serena and Blair also do their lil photoshoot in season one’s Bad News Blair near here, more specifically the Pulitzer Fountain at the Grand Army Plaza.
THE EMPIRE HOTEL
Location: 44 W 63rd St, New York, NY 10023
I mean, is there anything more iconic in Gossip Girl than the bright red ‘Hotel Empire’ sign sitting atop of the building? Chuck Bass owns this hotel (ok not irl, cry) so that’s the only reason you need to visit the Empire, whether it’s for a stay or to stand outside and take pics of the sign lit up at night, a la me last year. We are properly staying here next year though, which I absolutely cannot wait for. They also do a Chuck Bass cocktail so get yourself up to the bar.
LOTTE NEW YORK PALACE
Location: 455 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022
The VDW’s temporary home at the start of the show and owned by Bass Industries, the Palace is the most beautiful looking hotel I’ve ever seen and is even better during the festive season when they put up a massive tree outside. We’re also staying here on our trip next year, the ultimate GG experience, so be ready for follow up posts on that!
THE MADISON ROOM
Location: Lotte New York Palace, 455 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022
This is the exact room where the annual Bass brunch took place, aka that brunch from the second ever episode – The Wild Brunch. I feel like this episode and the brunch was iconic so I’m looking forward to going here when I stay in the Palace to have my own ~wild~ brunch.
VERA WANG
Location: 991 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021
The Vera Wang bridal boutique here Blair went to try on her custom dress with Dan for her wedding to Prince Louis, with Vera Wang herself making an appearance.
BETHESDA TERRACE
Location: Central Park, 72 Terrace Dr, New York, NY 10021
I’m sure this doesn’t need an explanation. It’s where Chuck and Blair got married, need I say more? Maybe I’m a bit too in love with Gossip Girl because it was ridiculous how surreal it felt standing here knowing it was where the Waldorf Bass wedding took place. Lol at me. Bonus points if you remembered that this was also where Blair came to apologise to Serena in the third episode of the first series when it was raining and Serena was sat on a bench under the shelter of the terrace reading a book. It’s a beautiful spot and I’m definitely going back much, much earlier next year to catch it when it’s empty.
BLAIR WALDORF’S PENTHOUSE
Location: 1136 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
The building used as the exterior of Blair’s penthouse is right between the Museum and the Met, so if you’re doing your own walking GG location tour you can stop outside the building on your way from Constance to the Met Steps the way Blair probably would’ve during a day at school.
THE ARCHIBALD TOWNHOUSE
Location: 4 E 74th St, New York, NY 10021
The great thing about the location of the Archibald townhouse is that it’s literally the first building on one of the streets as you walk back towards Midtown from Central Park so you don’t have to go out of your way to visit it, you can just pop in the street as you’re passing and take a peep at the exterior used for Nate Archibald’s family townhouse on the Upper East Side. It’s pretty bloody surreal when you see places that are super specific to the show like this, because anyone can be at the Met Steps but a random house in the UES isn’t exactly tourist attraction material. Obvs don’t go knocking at the door, just stand across the street and take some pics. Maybe next year I’ll go sit on the steps outside and pray nobody comes out looking at me like a madwoman.
THE VAN DER WOODSEN APARTMENT
Location: Milan Condominium 300 E 55th St, New York, NY 10022
Those glass doors Serena and the rest of the VDW / Bass / Humphrey / Rhodes clan would walk through every day are right here. A bit more out of the way compared to Blair and Nate’s UES abodes but quite close to the Palace so you know where I’ll be headed next Summer!
THE HUMPHREY LOFT
Location: 15 Washington St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
x The much-loved Humphrey Loft is situated right underneath Manhattan Bridge and a five minute walk from Brooklyn Bridge so if you’re spending the day exploring Brooklyn it’s in a perfect location to stop outside, take a pic and imagine you can smell Rufus cooking waffles through one of the windows.
COLUMBIA
Location: 116th St & Broadway, New York, NY 10027
The university / college that Nate decided to go to at the end of season two and where Serena and Blair join him in season four, becoming part of Hamilton House. American college campuses are so pretty for a photo op so have a shameless outfit shoot here too!
THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
Location: 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118
Where Chuck attempted to ‘Affair to Remember’ Blair in the season three finale. Literally could’ve been the most perfect episode had they not needed to conjure up some dramz involving Little J.
VICTROLA
Location: The Box, 189 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002
In real life, Chuck’s burlesque club Victrola is really The Box, a club around Lower Manhattan. A club, bar, and cabaret-style theatre, it was used as the club Chuck buys in season one and looks very CB-esque.
THE OAK ROOM
Location: Plaza Hotel, 10 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019
This is where Serena asks Gossip Girl to meet her with Nate in the season two finale, with all her Constance and St Jude’s classmates turning up instead. It’s also where Blair tells Chuck she has to break up with Price Louis.
HENRI BENDEL
Location: 712 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019
A regular Serena and Blair shopping spree spot, this is where Jenny gets Dan to meet her after her fashion ’emergency’ then runs into Serena. It’s also where Blair has her Breakfast at Tiffany’s dream – one of many Audrey Hepburn dreams she has.
THE RUSSIAN TEA ROOM
Location: 150 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
Where the UES gang enlist Georgina Sparks to trick Poppy Lifton into returning the stolen money and it of course backfires, with Serena arrested outside.
ST JAMES’ CHURCH
Location: 865 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021
The church in which the royal wedding took place. That’s right, Prince Louis Grimaldi of Monaco’s wedding to our very own Queen B was filmed right here for the 100th episode special G.G.
LADURÉE
Location: 864 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021
A stones throw away from the royal wedding church (which I didn’t know until right this moment which makes me very sad because I went to this Ladurée last year and didn’t realise the church was right around the corner to go see) this is the Ladurée where Blair gets her macarons and goes to with her sister-in-law Beatrice to get macarons whilst Chuck follows her around. It’s also where I dropped $42 on macarons. Wow I miss having a job.
THE CAMPBELL APARTMENT
Location: 15 Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017 (in Grand Central Terminal)
This is THE Campbell Apartment (now known as just The Campbell) where the infamous Serena-Nate secret one night stand happened during the Shepherd wedding. And then where the Serena-Dan one night stand during the Shepherd divorce party happened. AKA where Serena went to sleep with Blair’s then-boyfriends during some sort of occasion the Shepherd were throwing concerning their marriage. Also I never realised it was on Vanderbilt Avenue, you know just the famuuzzz rich NYC family that Nate’s maternal side of the family is based on and named after.
GOLD ROOM BAR
Location: Lotte New York Palace, 455 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022
This is where Serena was ‘drinking on an empty stomach’ in the Pilot episode after meeting Blair for a reunion drink.
COOPER HEWITT SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM
Location: 2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
Wow the GG writers and producers loved a museum for a filming location. This is where the Bass-VDW nuptials in the season one finale occurred.
BUTTER
Location: 70 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
Literally the only reason I’m including this is because it was across the street from my hotel last year and when we arrived and I saw it over the road I freaked out because it’s the Butter from the Jenny Blair feud in season one’s The Blair Bitch Project. We planned to go but didn’t get time which makes me v sad because it was that close. I will never forget Blair sat at the table shouting that her party is coming. Don’t do what she did and sit alone though, only BW can pull that one off.
BARRIO CHINO
Location: 253 Broome St, New York, NY 10002
This is the location Serena stumbles out of during the Thanksgiving flashback in Blair Waldorf Must Pie! from season one after a night drinking, and runs into Dan.
BABYCAKES
Location: 248 Broome St, New York, NY 10002
This is Eric McKenna’s NYC bakery that Dan leaves with his Thanksgiving pie in said flashback before sacrificing the pie to save a still-drunk Serena when he sees her stumbling in the street.
STK
Location: 1114 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Where the famous Nairtini was thrown by Serena at (fake) new girl Amanda after Chuck’s encouragement in season two’s The Ex-Files.
VESELKA
Location: 144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
The place that Dan and Vanessa always get their pierogis from and talk about way too much in the early seasons.
GEISHA SUSHI
Location: 3468 Broadway, New York, NY 10031
Where Blair and Nate go during one of their dates in the very first episode which was p awkward.
HARRY WINSTON
Location: 701 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022
Oh you know, only the place Chuck gets an engagement ring for Blair, which he then holds onto for seasons and seasons before returning it by leaving it on the doorstep before getting it back again.
DYLAN’S CANDY BAR
Location: 1011 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10065
For some reason this is in all the Gossip Girl tours and guides of NYC despite being so insignificant to all the other things included like the Empire and the Met Steps. But this guide is filled with places that have only appeared in one or two episodes because it’s the ultimate guide, for people who rly care as much as I do (which is a lot). Anyway, this is where Dan and Vanessa go shopping for Nate’s present of candy when Dan’s phone is stolen by Nelly Yuki and the Dan-Serena-sharing-a-sibling rumour being exposed follows suit.
SOCIALISTA
Location: 376 W Broadway b, New York, NY 10012
This is where Jenny wanted to celebrate her birthday. I think it was in season one before Blair convinced Rufus to throw an eight-year-old’s dream birthday party. It’s from the same iconic Butter episode – The Blair Bitch Project – but I don’t think they actually go there, just mention it. Yep, this is what you get in the ~ultimate~ guide everyone.
PINKBERRY
Location: 1039 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022
This is the exact Pinkberry in Midtown East where Jenny tries to take on the mean girls, lead by Penelope, and gets everyone from Constance and St Jude’s to invade the place so that the mean girls don’t get their table in season two’s In the Realm of the Basses.
COMMUNITEA
Location: 11-18 46th Rd, Long Island City, NY 11101
This is the coffee shop Vanessa worked in pre Rufus’ gallery coffee shop. It’s organic so very Vanessa.
CAFE HABANA
Location: 17 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Dan and Rufus went here one time. Yep, ultimate guide everyone. Ultimate.
If I come across any more locations I’ll always update this list as and when. Now go enjoy New York the way the Upper East Siders did!
If you want to see some more general locations to visit, things to do and see, places to eat and all the New York trip goodness, I also did a New York photo diary & long weekend guide last year after my trip.
If you love Gossip Girl as much as I do, which you must do to sit through a 35-location GG NYC guide, then check out my post on 25 things that would be different if Gossip Girl was set in London.
And if you love both Gossip Girl and New York, and want to see more of the Met Steps, check out my Steps of the Met outfit post.
Until next time!
You know you love me,
XOXO.
♡
Yasmin
Oh my goodness, this is such an incredible post! You definitely have a new follower over here!! I can't imagine the time you much have put into this xxhttp://www.mollyhutch.com/
wow thankyou so much, I'm so so glad you enjoyed it! X
I love this post so much! I’m a total Gossip Girl fan & this is so dreamy.http://ohduckydarling.com
awwwhh so happy you love it! X
Oh my gosh this is such an amazing post!!! I love gossip girl and now I’m desperate to visit NYC ❤️ Thanks for sharing Elliewww.headintheclouds.me.uk
ahh thankyou! you'll absolutely love it whenever you go X
this makes me want to go on adventure
I've never watched Gossip Girl. but have always wanted to go to New York and this post has got me wanted to go on my adventure even more! It looks like such an incredible place! xHan | lifewithhan.blog
if you're ever looking for something new on netflix it's definitely worth a watch! glad you liked the post(: X
This is seriously such a cool and clever idea for a post, good job! My sister would love this post as well because she loves GG, she's actually re-watching it all from the start again now. Julia // The Sunday Mode
thankyou so much(: haha I completely get her, I've lost track of how many times I've re-watched it!
I'm definitely going to have to persuade my boyfriend to take some blog photos of me when we visit in NY!!! Thanks so much. HAVE to go to where C and B got married!
haha my plan for my next trip is to get up super early and go to their wedding spot to take blog pics whilst it's empty!
This post is amazing! I go to NYC all the time and I've been wanting to check out different GG locations other than the usual ones that everyone knows about! I will definitely be adding some to the list of places I want to go to next time! Keep up the good work on your blog! I would love if you would check out my blog too: melissakacar.blogspot.com 🙂
thankyou so much! I'll deffo check out your blog X
This is an incredibly post! I am such a GG fan and have been to NYC so many times but never thought to go see the spots that they hung out in!Michellewww.withlovefromguyana.com
thankyou! hoping you can go see them soon(:
This is such an amazing post! I'm saving this for the next time I go to New York, I didn't know there were so many GG spots in New York!! xamerzwithlove.com
thanks so much! and neither did I til I made this, I guess since it was shot in the city rather than in a set everywhere can be a GG location haha X
Omg this is incredible. I love New York and just finished watching Gossip Girl. So ready to live my Upper East Side life!LEXI LIKES
thankyou! haha the life of Blair Waldorf is the life for me
I wish I had this when I went to NYC in October, haha. This is such a great list though, I still managed to tick off quite a few of the spots.www.The-REDO.co.uk
thankyou! it's pretty easy to find the significant ones so always a chance to tick them off(:
What a lovely idea! Thank you so much for sharing – definitely adding these to my list of things to do on my next visit to NYC!
Sending you good vibes!
Nati | http://www.lifeaftercoffeeblog.com | @NAfterCoffee
Author
thanks babe, glad you liked it! X
OMG, I am going to NYC for the first time in a month and I am a big big big fan of GG and you just made my day 😀 Thank you!
Author
ahhh yay! happy to help babe X
You absolute babe!! I go to New York in May and whilst the majority of these places I already had in mind, it’s great to now have the specific locations for them all 🙂
Reading this I’ve also just realised that I’m actually going to be able to stand where Chuck and Blair got married and now I’m just crying…
Author
ahhh I’m so excited for you!!!! so glad I could help! hahahaha I am the exact same when I go to that spot X
I love this, New York is always a must for me, but I need to make sure I do these gossip girl locations whilst I’m there! Thank you, it looks amazing!
Catherine (bronzedbrunettex.wordpress.com) ?
Author
no worries! have the best time when you next go X