Top 10 Places You MUST Visit If You're a Gossip Girl Fan

In a memorable season one episode, Serena and Blair ditch Blair’s mom’s fashion photoshoot after she tries to play them against one another. They decide to do a little shoot of their own, stealing the designer clothes and using a point-and-shoot camera (because this is before decent mobile photography existed!) to capture fun pictures of each other posing in the dresses. The site of their antics is the fountain in front of the Plaza Hotel, a New York icon situated just in front of Central Park. So, go ahead: grab your bestie and an old camera and recreate the moment for yourself.

During one of Blair’s dream sequences, she’s dressed up as Holly Golightly from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” so one would assume Tiffany’s is the shop window she’s standing in front of...right? In fact, if you look closely, the scene was actually shot at Henri Bendel! So, if you’re going to put on your little black dress and pearls and wander around New York, you should definitely hit up both of these iconic shopping landmarks. The shop appears several other times throughout the show when characters peruse the designer digs on display.

While most building facades you see on TV shows are just that, with the interiors being shot on sound stages, in the case of the Archibald Townhouse, the inside of the house was used as a set as well. The townhouse is located on the Upper East Side, like many of the other locations on our list. In fact, in season two when Nate is mailing something to Jenny, he uses the real shooting address on the envelope. The exact location is at 4 E 74th Street. Be aware, though, that real people do live here, so be respectful when trying to grab some snapshots.

You may not have realized it, but the Empire Hotel, which plays such a large role in season three of “Gossip Girl” is actually a real New York City hotspot. Chuck becomes involved as an investor in the hotel and of course, because it’s “Gossip Girl”, drama ensues. It’s located on the West Side, at 44 W 63rd St, on the opposite side of the park from many of our other locations. If you can’t afford to actually stay at the Empire, it’s worth it to pop in for a drink at the hotel bar or snap some photos of the emblematic neon sign atop the building.

Though in the books, Dan and the rest of the Humphrey clan live on the Upper West Side, changing times (and housing prices!) made the show’s creators choose to have them live in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn instead. If you’re putting the address into Google Maps, it’s 15 Washington Street, Brooklyn. There are conflicting addresses given online, but this is the right one! You won’t be able to go inside, but the view you get from the street will be familiar if you’ve seen the building’s exterior shots from the show.

Constance Billard School for Girls, where Blair, Serena, Jenny and the rest of the Upper East Siders attend high school may not be real, but luckily its on-screen facade is available for fans to visit. The exterior shots are taken at the Museum of the City of New York, which is on the East side, but a little higher up than most of our Park Avenue princesses would actually venture. It’s open every day from 10am to 6pm and admission is $18 for adults, but free if you’re under 20! Also, if you go inside, you might get to learn something about the city’s history.
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Perhaps more so in the “Gossip Girl” books than in the TV show, the main characters are always congregating on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, better known to them as simply The Met. It’s the spot where Blair and her colorfully clad minions often meet for breakfast before heading to school, and in season five it’s the scene of an adorable moment between Dan and Blair, which you can probably appreciate whether you loved or hated their relationship. Grab some yogurt and head there to soak in the moment, and maybe see some art while you’re at it.

It’s where both Chuck and the van der Woodsens live in the first season of the show, and it’s the scene of one of Chuck’s slimiest moments from the pilot episode. The New York Palace Hotel may have an astonishing price tag if you want to actually book a room, so it’s probably best to be admired from afar. Unfortunately, you can no longer order the truffle grilled cheese sandwich that Chuck gets for a tipsy Serena at GILT, the hotel’s restaurant, because it’s since been replaced, but we’re sure you’ll find better ways to spend the $50 it woulda cost you anyway!

One of the most long-awaited moments in the series took place next to one of New York’s most beautiful landmarks. Located in the middle of Central Park, the Bethesda Fountain is a lovely place to visit any day, but if you’re a “Chair” (aka Chuck and Blair) shipper, you’ll recognize the nearby Bethesda Terrace as the location of their spur of the moment nuptials. It’s a sweet moment that takes place in the series finale, and since then, fans of the show have likely been visiting. It’s actually possible to get married in Central Park yourself, so if you’re a real diehard fan, you can recreate this exact moment!

In the very first episode of “Gossip Girl”, the thing that kicks off all the action is Serena arriving home to the Upper East Side after spending time in boarding school. And how does this wealthy trust fund kid get home? By train, of course! She arrives in Grand Central and that’s where viewers get their first glimpse of the famed it girl. The station appears several other times throughout the series, but none is more memorable than this one. And show aside, the architecture of the building is enough to give you a reason to visit.