Hey, Upper East Siders! If you are the ultimate "Gossip Girl" fan, these six spots are a must-see. I LOVE "Gossip Girl." In fact, I have watched it completely through five different times, and, when I went to New York City, these were my favorite destinations (that just so happened to also be iconic "Gossip Girl" locations). From walking around the Upper East Side apartments to sitting on the Met steps, it really feels like you are living a day in the life of Blair and Serena.
XOXO, Gossip Girl
1. The Met Steps
Netflix - Gossip Girl
This is arguably one of the most iconic locations from "Gossip Girl." In the show, Serena, Blair and her "minions" frequent these steps for lunch while in high school. The steps are located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th Avenue in the Upper East Side neighborhood. The characters never really go in or talk about the museum itself; however, these steps are one of the most popular filming locations from the show.
2. Constance Billard School for Girls/St. Jude School for Boys
Netflix - Gossip Girl
In seasons one and two, Constance Billard and St. Jude (set in the same building) happen to be where all the drama occurs. At this school, Serena, Blair, Dan, Jenny, Eric, Nate and Chuck all attended high school. However, this is not an actual school, they just used the front of a museum for the backdrop. The museum they used was at the Museum of the City of New York, which is located on 5th Avenue in the Upper East Side Neighborhood. The inside doesn't look the same as the show; however, the courtyard and exterior are identical to scenes from the show.
3. The Palace Hotel and The Empire Hotel
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These hotels are two of the properties owned by Bass Industries throughout the six seasons. In season one, The Palace is where the Van Der Woodsen family lived, as well as the Basses. The Empire Hotel is the hotel that Chuck bought in season three and where he lived for the rest of the show. In real life, The Palace is named the Lotte New York Palace and is located on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. You can walk in the courtyard and the lobby, and it looks exactly as it does on the show. The Empire Hotel has the same name in real life and can be found on West 63rd Street in Manhattan.
4. The Upper East Side Neighborhood and 5th avenue
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As you know, almost all the characters in the show lived in penthouse apartments speckled across the Upper East Side neighborhood. There isn't one exact location of where all of their apartments are per se, but merely walking around this area and seeing all of the high-end apartments with the doormen out front really makes you feel like you are living Blair or Serena's life. All the apartments and buildings in this area look just like the outside of the Archibald, Van Der Woodsen or Waldorf residences. Then, head over to 5th Avenue (which is still in the Upper east side neighborhood), where Serena and Blair frequently were spotted shopping at Bendel's. This street is lined with designer stores and is where the Upper East Side socialites spent much of their time.
5. The Humphrey’s Brooklyn Loft
Apartment building on the left
Original Photo by Madeline Williams
Although you can't go inside the apartment, you can see the building where much of Dan, Jenny and Rufus Humphrey's time was spent. This apartment is in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. It is a very popular location for tourists, as it is right under the Manhattan Bridge, and you can also see the Empire State Building set directly behind it. It is very Instagram-worthy, as well as being an iconic area throughout all of "Gossip Girl."