Gossip Girl always strives to get her details correct, but not all of the locations on the show were where they appeared to be. Many of the iconic spots – while represented as being on the Upper East Side – were actually in midtown, downtown or even on the UWS.
We are here to give you the one and only guide to the real deal UES locations featured on the show (which is set to reboot in July!). If you wanted to spend the day like Blair or Serena, you wouldn’t be running all over the city! You’d want to stay close to home. Even the Van der Woodsen residence at the Palace Hotel is just short of being on the UES (it’s on East 55th Street).
The Archibald Townhouse
4 East 74th Street
Nate Archibald was the real deal, living on East 74th Street in a glorious and huge townhouse steps from Central Park (which many visit for photo-opps).
via Google Maps
The Pierre
2 East 61st Street
If you’re looking for a hotel, this would be the best option for living out your Gossip Girl fandom. During the first season, Serena and Blair took dance lessons here and it became one of the most iconic Gossip Girl moments.
Photo by Flickr user Damian Morys
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
Believe it or not, the museum is the backdrop to the Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude School for Boys. All the gossip, all the memories, all created here. You can walk around the outside of the building and check out the inside, which is impressive as well.
Photo by Beyond My Ken via Wikimedia Commons
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
Even if you don’t know much about the show, surely you know that the MET steps are the most important location in all of the series. This is where Queen B and her crew hold court. This is the location where Serena and Blair have many of their on and off again friendship moments. If you are planning to get one photo to commemorate your Gossip Girl lifestyle, this is where it should be.
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
Few moments were as memorable as the marriage between Lily Van der Woodsen and Bart Bass. To relive the magic, you can visit the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. It’s definitely a stop you won’t want to miss.
Photo by ajay_suresh
St. James Church
865 Madison Avenue
Queen B of NYC turned into a real royal when she married Prince Louis at the St. James Church on the UES. This moment in the show was so beautiful, just like the details of this historic landmark.
Photo by St. James Church
Intermix
1003 Madison Avenue
If you want to look the part, you need to dress the part. Serena and Blair often shopped at the big department stores slightly south of the UES, like Henri Bendel, but this is an actual UES staple for all your trendy wardrobe needs.
via Google Maps
Laduree
864 Madison Avenue
Blair loved nothing more than the best of the best when it came to sweets, particularly macarons. You can stop in Laduree to get a taste of the sweet life at this UES location.
via Google Maps
While there were many other places that are noteworthy to the show, including Grand Central Station and restaurants like Butter and Veselka, seeing them would mean you’d have to leave the UES, which we know the characters would not be too eager to do.
